Recruitment for elections in Afghanistan
The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) has called Presidential and Provincial Council elections for 20 August 2009. On 2 April, following an invitation by the Afghan Foreign Minister to support the election process, the Permanent Council passed Decision 891 which tasks the OSCE/ODIHR to deploy an Election Support Team (EST) to Afghanistan.
The OSCE/ODIHR EST is mandated to "assist government and international efforts" for the upcoming elections and prepare a report "on the electoral process, based on its findings, including a set of recommendations to the Government of Afghanistan for implementation as appropriate in the post-election period, with a view to enhancing the conduct of future elections and improving Afghanistan's legal framework and procedure."
During an exploratory visit in April, and after consultation and co-ordination with international stakeholders, the OSCE/ODIHR determined that the deployment of approximately a dozen experts in Kabul for approximately five weeks would be appropriate to deliver the mandate given by the Permanent Council in a cost effective manner while minimizing security risks. However, should there be sufficient interest and funding from participating States, and should the security situation permit, the EST could be enhanced to provide a more robust presence.
While covering all main aspects of the election process, the deployment intends to focus on the following issues: capacity building/sustainability, domestic observation, voter registration and the results process. These areas of focus have been developed in close co-ordination with other international efforts, including among others the United Nations, the European Union so as to avoid unnecessary duplications.
In this respect, the OSCE/ODIHR is making a general call for applications for external consultants with specific expertise to take part in the 2009 Afghan EST. Positions may include:
- Head of Mission
- Deputy Head of Mission
- Legal Analyst
- Political Analyst
- Election Analysts, with specific expertise in:
- Capacity Building/Sustainability
- Domestic Observation
- Voter Registration
- Result Process (counting and tabulation)
Security is of paramount importance. In this context, the OSCE Secretariat together with the OSCE/ODIHR are tasked to "conduct consultations... in order to spell out clearly in the appropriate form and to put in place the necessary security arrangements for the election support team."
Procedure
The exact timeframe and scope of the EST are yet to be finalized.
All assignments are temporarily recruited posts, and most of them will be for at least six weeks. Candidates should be available from approximately mid-July 2009 and must be available to depart at short notice. Candidates must be citizens of OSCE participating States, and in excellent physical condition. Final deployment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) course. Please complete the following steps in order to apply:
1. Register in the OSCE/ODIHR's election experts database. If you have already registered, please move on to the next steps.
2. Send an email to afghan2009@odihr.pl, and attach a motivation letter and a completed application form or recent Curriculum Vitae.
The deadline for applications is 23:00 CET, 28 June 2009. Applications received after this date, as well as applicants who have not registered in the OSCE/ODIHR election expert database and who do not attach all required documents, will not be considered. Only selected candidates will be contacted. The OSCE is an equal opportunity organization and encourages applications from female candidates and representatives of national minorities.
Remuneration will depend on qualifications and experience, and will be in accordance with established OSCE rates. Travel expenses will be covered by the OSCE/ODIHR in accordance with the OSCE travel policy.