Assistant Programme Officer - ( 0520 )

International IDEA - Lima, Peru based
Deadline: May 20, 2007

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance—International IDEA—is an intergovernmental organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide.

International IDEA’s notable areas of expertise are: electoral processes, political parties, constitution-building processes, democracy and gender and democracy assessments.International IDEA works worldwide. It is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and has offices in USA, Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Its objective is to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. International IDEA acts as a catalyst for democracy building by providing knowledge resources, policy proposals and supporting democratic reforms in response to specific national requests. It works together with policy makers, governments, UN organizations and agencies and regional organizations engaged in the field of democracy building

The Assistant Programme Officer (level VI/VII) will be based at the Institute’s office in Lima, Peru (Possible temporary Assignment to La Paz, Bolivia). (S)he will report to the Head of the Latin American Programme in the framework of the thematic guidance to be providedby the Manager of the Constitution-Building Processes (CBP) programme initiative.

Level of Management/Supervision:The post requires management and/or supervision of researchers, interns and consultants under the guidance of senior staff.

Organisational Impact:

• IDEA’s CBP Initiative builds and shares with national and internationals experts and practitioners comparative knowledge and best practices on constitution-building. It comprises inter alia:
• The preparation and publication of a Handbook to guide practitioners in constitution-building and a corresponding Website.
• The organization, once a year, of a major inter-regional South-Southworkshop of experts and practitioners on constitution-building.
• The organization, once a year, of a regional training course on constitutionbuilding (the venue will alternate between Africa, South Asia and Latin America).
• The elaboration of policy guidelines on inclusive and participatory constitutionbuilding processes etc.• The building of a CBP community of practice.
• The support to specific CBP processes in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

The post contributes to the above goals by providing:

• Support to the implementation of the CBP Programme Initiative in the Latin America Region.
• Expertise and thematic support, as required for the implementation of IDEA’s CBP project in Bolivia.
• Enhanced participation and role of African researchers and practitioners in the preparation of CBP knowledge tools, in the South-South exchange of CBP experience and in the elaboration of CBP policy guidelines.
• Contribution to fine-tuning and further development of the CBP programme initiative taking into account the specific perspectives, needs and experiences of Latin American countries.

Though the position is supervised, the incumbent is delegated authority to take decisions concerning the agreed work programme that may have an impact on the organisation’s work. The incumbent is expected to produce timely and accurate reports and politicalanalysis related to projects under his/her supervision, which will inform decisions at an institutional level. Therefore, maturity, sensitivity and flexibility are important requirements

Main functions of the post:

The Assistant Programme Officer will be responsible for:

• Assisting in the organisation of CBP activities in the Latin America region in the framework of the agreed, integrated IDEA work plan in the area of Constitution-building (this includes, in particular, the organisation of South-South workshops, regional training courses and CBP-assistance mapping activities).
• Providing thematic and management support and expert advice, as required, for the implementation of IDEA’s CBP project in Bolivia.
• Gathering and analysing information relating to constitution building processes in the Latin America region and prepare regular analytical reports (frequency to be agreed within the CBP Programme Initiative).
• Preparing project proposals for donor funding on the provision of IDEA’s support to other specific constitutional reform processes in the Latin America region.
• Liaising with Latin American experts, researchers and practitioners in the area of constitution-building in order to encourage their inclusion and active participation in the CBP community of practice.
• Maintain and develop liaison and contacts with relevant regional professional organisations in order to encourage and facilitate, as appropriate, cooperation or partnership relations with IDEA in the field of constitution-building.
• Act as focal point for the contracting and management of consultants linked to the implementation of the CBP Programme Initiative (particularly with regard to the preparation of IDEA’s CBP Handbook and Web-based Constitutionbuilding Resource Network (COBNET).
• Develop subject matter expertise and disseminate expert knowledge to the media, academics, practitioners and the wider public with appropriate guidance.
• Undertake short term international missions from time to time as required to provide expert advice and training.
• Serve as a contributing member to the Institute as a whole, including supporting other programmes and units in their work and in joint projects, as well as in external representation, policy development and overall planning

DecisionsAuthority to make decisions as delegated by the Head of DDIP.Legal and budgetary/financial responsibilitiesThe incumbent is expected to budget and control expenditure for all costs and income related to the above mentioned activities. Legal and budgetary responsibilities will be guided by IDEA’s regulations and procedures as specified in the Administrative and Financial regulations and under the strict guidance of the Head of DDIP.

Qualifications and required skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Public Administration, Political Science or equivalent.
• Have a minimum of three years’ experience in dealing with issues related to democratic governance in a governmental, inter-governmental or international non-governmental organisation; a specific experience with constitution-building issues would be an important asset.
• Possess excellent knowledge of written and oral English and Spanish. The knowledge of Portuguese would be an additional asset.
• Possess computer literacy (Microsoft Office package) and experience as an Internet user and preferably some knowledge of statistical software.
• Be familiar with political developments and constitution-building issues in Latin America Be able to provide evidence of writing, analytical and managerial capacity.
• Be able to work both independently and also in a team in a multi-cultural environment, and to appreciate diversity and work as part of a team in such an environment.

Criteria for Professional Performance

The Assistant Programme Officer is expected to act according to a set of principles when carrying out her/his responsibilities both at Headquarters and in the field and, as appropriate to their role, display the following:

1. Be a Facilitator of Change
2. Get Results/ Be Accountable and Proactive
3. Be a Decision Maker
4. Be a Model of Integrity
5. Celebrate Diversity
6. Be a Team Worker/Builder
7. Strive for Success and Excellence
8. Plan and Organize

Terms of contract:

• 2-year appointment
• Competitive salary and insurance package
• Estimated start date – As soon as possible

How to apply:IDEA is an equal opportunity employer which seeks to further diversify its staff in terms of gender, culture and nationality.

ApplicationsApplications consisting of the documents indicated below should be submitted to IDEA, preferably via e-mail: vacancies@idea.int or by fax: +46-20 24 22 or by post: International IDEA, SE-103 34, Stockholm, Sweden. All application documents should be in English.

1. Completed Application Form of IDEA (mandatory – can be found on website www.idea.int)
2. Letter of motivation (mandatory)
3. CV (optional)

Deadline for applicationsApplications should be submitted no later the 20th of May 2007. Short listed candidates will be asked to sit a written test in May, followed by telephone interviews for selected candidates, and finally by Face to Face interviews.

Applications will not be considered unless the IDEA application form has been fully completed and submitted.