Lusaka
Posted 3 years ago

Website Human Rights Commission

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

SHORT TERM CONTRACT FOR SERVICE

I. BACKGROUND

The design and implementation of the EWS is part of the “Democracy Strengthening in Zambia (DSZ) project designed to address evolving challenges and builds on previous electoral interventions as Zambia enters its next electoral cycle and the run-up to general elections in 2021. The EWS is complementary to the existing conflict and election management systems in Zambia and is aimed at strengthening it by providing the tools for data collection and analysis leading to informed and coordinated response. The central idea behind the Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) Mechanism Initiative, is to (1) strengthen national capacity to collect and verify information around incidents and risks of electoral and political violence; to (2) store this information in a secure IT platform accessible to assigned partners; to (3) provide visually attractive analysis functions to inform response planning; and (4) to facilitate coordinated response to the risks and incidents of violence.

The proposed EWS system will be grounded in the existing structure of HRC across the country.

For purposes of strengthening response, the system will be hosted at provincial level where provincial response hubs will be formed under the auspices of the HRC. Apart from the HRC-led provincial response hubs, and national level, monitoring will be done by a number of HRC partner organizations

GENERAL INFORMATION

Client: Human Rights Commission (HRC)

Duty Station: Lusaka, Zambia

Duration: 3 to 4 Months

Expected Start Date: 1 June 2021

1. SENIOR ANALYST FOR THE EWER SYSTEM ZAMBIA

Services/Work Description: Senior Analyst (3 positions);

Legal Expert
Political Science Expert
Conflict Management Expert

The Analyst Team is a key constituent part of the EWER system as they conduct analysis of data, elaborate recommendations on response options, inform rapid response activities, and prepare strategic recommendations on managing the electoral cycle in the long term. In this context, HRC Zambia is looking for Senior Analysts with recognised skills and a deep understanding of the context of political struggle during the general elections and by-elections in Zambia.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND DELIVERABLES

The Analysts are meant to perform the following tasks and duties:

Attend training and support the roll-out of training to the province and district level where requested;
Review the prevention plans, adherence to legal frameworks, available response tools and resources, and other parameters as required to draw up Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Situation Room response planning focused on preventing political violence.
Support the development of supporting documents and materials;
Oversee the team of data processors and phone operators;
Analyse the urgency level of submitted incidents, prioritizing the verified reports;
Generate analysis of incidents supported by datasets providing daily reports and urgent flash reports closer to election day as well as regular Early Warning Reports, monthly Policy briefs and bi-annual strategic analysis reports;
Draw attention of the HRC, and Situation Room members to key events and incidents requiring urgent and coordinated response. Provide the necessary fact-checking/verification, risk assessment, analysis, scenarios and recommendations on the response options;
Dissemination of reports, if necessary, to other actors as instructed by the HRC, in coordination with the Communications/ SMM Team;
Attend the sessions in the Response room, taking note of the decision making and inserting the response(s) taken by the response actors in the app.ewer platform. When relevant, follow- up on the decision taken with required actors in the province and/ or district; and
After-action review (reports in the EWS system, materials collation, and drafting of the final Strategic analysis document).

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A minimum of Master’s degree in Political Science, Law or related subject. Those with qualifications/expertise in more than one area will have added advantage.

Required area of expertise:

A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in the fields of Conflict analysis and conflict management expertise, including political, economic, social, tribal/ethnic and regionalism- related issues.
Expertise on political parties and players
Legal expertise on electoral cycle as well as expertise in the field of security
Experience in electoral assistance and knowledge of the Republican Constitution, the Electoral Process Act No. 35 of 2016; the Electoral Process (Code of Conduct) (Enforcement) Regulations, 2016 and Amendment Regulations of 2020, The Electoral Commission of Zambia Act No. 25 of 2016 will be an added advantage;
Gender expertise

Functional Skills:

Proven ability to conduct risk assessments, conflict/electoral violence analysis
Excellent writing skills
Proven ability to meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision;
Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure;
Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environments;
Language requirements: Excellent command of written and spoken English.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Senior Analyst will be deployed to support the workings of the Early Warning and Early Response System

VII. DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment would be to cover for the pre-operational period focusing on prevention planning, training and operation period of the Situation Room for a duration of the 3 months (or 4 months depending on whether a rerun will take place).

VIII. PAYMENT

The successful expert shall receive his/her payments on a monthly basis

2. Senior Communications Expert

Services/Work Description: Senior Communication Expert 3 positions

Post Title: Senior Communication expert for the EWER System Zambia

The Communication Team is a key constituent part of the EWER system as they conduct analysis of data, elaborate recommendations on response options, inform rapid response activities, and prepare strategic recommendations on managing the electoral cycle in the long term. In this context, HRC Zambia is looking for Senior Communication experts (3 positions) with recognised skills and a deep understanding of the context of political struggle during the general elections and by-elections in Zambia.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND DELIVERABLES

The Communication Expert is meant to perform the following tasks and duties :

Plan awareness-raising and public information campaigns. Awareness-raising should cover the role and purpose of the EWS and its main stakeholders;
Liaising with HRC Corporate Affairs and Communication teams on communication related matters.
Support the development of the Training Modules/Content on EWS from the communication angle;
Set up and operate EWS social media accounts in order to provide credible source of news about the elections and dispute resolution process before, during and after the elections;
Attend training and support the roll-out of training to the province and district level wherer equested; and
Ensure synergies between EWS related work and the broader strategic communications efforts of the Commissions, in particular the work related to the set up and implementation of the Disinformation platform.

The Communication officers are meant to perform the following tasks and duties with the launch of the Early Warning and Early Response System up until end of August:

Implement awareness-raising and public information campaigns.
Operate the EWS social media accounts in order to provide credible source of news about the elections and dispute resolution process before, during and after the elections.
Draw attention of the Analysts, HRC, and Situation Room members to key events and incidents requiring urgent and coordinated communication response. Provide support during risk assessment, analysis, scenarios and recommendations on the communication response options.
Support the Analyst team in integrating strategic communications efforts into the reporting.
Support the distribution of reports drafted by the Analyst team to the EWS stakeholders and their communication teams and support the dissemination of reports, if necessary, to other actors as instructed by the HRC in coordination with the Analyst.
Prepare talking points and/or supporting materials for the Response Room and its spokesperson
Facilitate and oversee media relations in close relation with the HRC with all partners.
Support the After-action review (reports in the EWS system, materials collation, and participation to the drafting of the final Strategic analysis document).
Serve as the liaison for the Disinformation platform supported by UNDP/DSZ.

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A minimum of Master’s degree in communication, media relations, journalism, publishing or related field. Those with qualifications/ expertise in more than one area will have added advantage.

Required area of expertise:

A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in the fields of public relations or communications
Relevant experience at the national or international level in conflict management considered an asset
Deep understanding of the Zambian political and electoral landscape and the legal considerations relating to the media and communications environment
Gender expertise

Functional Skills:

Proven strategic communications methods in conflict/electoral violence context;
Proven affinity with social media outreach
Experience in disinformation/misinformation counter-strategies considered an asset;
Excellent writing skills;
Proven ability to meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision;
Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure;
Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environments;
Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
Experience in the usage of computers and software packages, good knowledge and experience in handling of web-based management systems; and
Language requirements: Excellent command of written and spoken English.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Senior Communication Experts will be deployed to support the workings of the Early Warning and Early Response System

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment would be to cover for the pre-operational period focusing on prevention planning and training and operation period of the Situation Room for a duration of the 3 months (or 4 months depending on whether a rerun will take place).

PAYMENT

The successful expert shall receive his/her payments on a monthly basis

3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST

Services/Work Description: Information Technology Specialist

Post Title: IT Specialist for the EWER System Zambia and HRC IT help-desk

IT support to the Analyst Team is a key constituent part of the EWER system as the team conducts analysis of data, elaborate recommendations on response options, inform rapid response activities, and prepare strategic recommendations on managing the electoral cycle in the long term. In this context, UNDP Zambia is looking for IT Specialist with recognised skills.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND DELIVERABLES

The IT Specialist is meant to perform the following tasks and duties prior to the launch of the Early Warning and Early Response System:

Provide maintenance, administration, management and helpdesk services for the Early Warning System and Early Response software/ targeting incident and risks reports;
Support the roll-out of training and EWS exercise to the province and district level where requested;
Support the development of supporting documents and materials.
Provide IT related help desk as requested by HRC Management. The IT Specialist is meant to perform the following tasks and duties following the launch of the Early Warning and Early Response System up until end of August:
Maintain the software module and Web Applications for the EWS.
Provide satisfactory day-to-day ICT support to users in and out of the office;
Production of comprehensive Operation and User -Maintenance Manual, Training/Capacity Building for the staff on the manual;
The IT Specialist is expected to work directly with the HRC Management team, modify the platform according to the specific request from Management;
Daily update of the database and creation of working-form according the reporting needs;
Processing of data and creation of a project-specific database based on different EWS databases including data anonymization, database matching and merging, and daily/weekly/monthly updates to the management,
Manages different users, grant access and permission according to Management requirement;
Ensure users data accuracy and confidentiality; Other :
Provide IT related help desk as requested by HRC Management;
Develop and implement basic IT procedures for operating and maintenance of IT equipment.
Ensure proper management of IT equipment assets through proper assignment to users and asset management. Propose IT equipment maintenance strategy.
Produce an IT work plan with clear action items;
Manage the backup and restore of databases;
Manage HRC networks,
On-the-job training for the longer term ICT personnel in the office;
Maintenance and update of HRC servers

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Ba.Sc. in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or Computer Science, or relevant experience of at least 6 years in the same field of work; or Professional Certification in relevant Microsoft Technologies or Information Technology, mathematics or equivalent field. Those with qualifications/expertise in more than one area will have added advantage.

Required area of expertise:

Proven experience in training and helpdesk service provision for Information Systems with large number of users;
Experience in documenting systems and bug reporting and documentation;
Proven experience in training and helpdesk service provision for Information Systems with large number of users;
Experience in documenting systems and bug reporting and documentation;

Functional Skills:

Previous experience with large Organisations IT Infrastructure;
Previous specific experience in the Information Systems;
Experience in web design would be an asset;
Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environments;
Proven ability to meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision;
Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure;
Language requirements: Excellent command of written and spoken English.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The IT Specialist will be deployed to support the workings of the Early Warning and Early Response System and beyond that period act as help desk for HRC Management.

Data confidentiality

Prior to commencing work, the consultant will sign a data confidentiality agreement, committing him or her not to misuse the data obtained from EWS.

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The duration of the assignment would be to cover for 3 to 4 months (June – September) operation period of the Situation Room and the post- operational period amounting to another 3 months (up to December)

PAYMENT

The successful IT specialist shall receive his/her payments on a monthly basis.

4. DATA PROCESSING OFFICERS

Services/Work Description: Data Processing Officer (3 positions)

Post Title: Data Processing Officer

The Data Processors are part of the Analysis Room and work directly under their supervision. They are integral to the EWER system as they process, verify and transmit all received data to the Analysis Team for prioritization and analysis. The Data processors highlight key report and ensure that all information is timely, accurate to ensure rapid response activities. In this context, HRC Zambia is looking for Data processors with recognised skills to support the operationalization of the Early Warning and Early Response System.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main purpose of this assignment is to support the HRC and its partners in the implementation and running of the Early Warning System ICT platform, ensuring a smooth flow of information between the district/provincial level and the Lusaka based Situation Room, in a proactive and reactive manner.

HRC would like to engage the services of a competent, well qualified, enthusiastic Data Processor to carry out the below activities for the EWS Situation Room:

Monitor the report submission process by correcting errors and completing missing information.
Ensure the SMS messages are properly transmitted between the SMS gateway and the app.EWER.
Monitor reports imported from the CCMG & other CSOs. If the reports imported do not have the necessary information, or if the information is incomplete, they may contact the Monitor in the locality in question to complete the information.
Identify and group reports referring to the same incident/event.
Ensure information in system/platform received through the IT platform (web and app), the SMS and phone go through agreed upon verification processes.
Support the analysis team by collecting and compiling data, creating and generating queries, preparing and storing reports and documents utilizing databases, spreadsheets, communications and other software packages as agreed upon by the team.
Support follow-up on incidents as well as after-Action review by the Analysis team.
Ensure correspondence, reports and documents comply with established standards.
Collect, compile and manage contact information lists and ensure accuracy of the information provided by partners’ and monitors through follow up where necessary.
Support the maintenance of the IT system, and solution of minor technical problems.
Provide any additional support as requested by the Data processors and Analysts.

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A minimum of a BA degree in ICT, Computer Science, Data Administration or related subject. Those with qualifications/expertise in more than one area will have added advantage.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 1 to 2 years of experience working in data analysis, statistics or related fields
Knowledge and understanding of the Zambian political landscape

Functional Skills:

GIS qualifications considered an asset
Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills;
Proven ability to meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision;
Attention to detail and ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure;
Ability to work in a sensitive environment and maintain confidentiality standards

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Data Processor will be reporting to the Analyst Team of the Situation Room based in Lusaka, Zambia

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The engagement of the Data Processor will be 3 months (or 4 months depending on whether a rerun will take place).

PAYMENT MILESTONES AGAINST DELIVERABLES

The successful candidate shall receive his/her payments on a monthly basis

5. PHONE PROCESSING OFFICERS

Services/Work Description: Phone Processing Officer (2 positions)

Post Title: Phone Processing Officer

The Phone Processors work with the Data Processors and are under the direct supervision of the Analyst Team. They are an integral part of the EWER system as they collect, verify and transmit all received data (through the phone line that will be set up for the EWS) to the Data processors and the Analysts and Communication Team. The Phone processors verify the information, ensure that all information is timely and accurately recorded in the system and highlight urgent reports. In this context, HRC Zambia is looking for Phone Processors with recognised skills for the operationalization of the Early Warning and Early Response System

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The main purpose of this assignment is to support the HRC and its partners in the implementation and running of the Early Warning System ICT platform, ensuring a smooth flow of information between the district/ provincial level and the Lusaka based Situation Room in a proactive and

Identify and group reports referring to the same incident/event.
Ensure information in system/platform received through the hotline go through agreed upon verification processes.
Ensure information in system/platform received through phone are accurate and meet all standard operating procedures criteria.
Support follow-up on incidents as well as after-Action review by the Analysis team.
Liaise with the HRC Hotline staff to incorporate relevant and verified incidents into the platform and serve as the point of contact for the HRC hotline staff.
Provision of front-desk service to the Data processors, Analyst and Communication experts.
Support the data processors and analysis team by collecting and compiling data, creating and generating queries, preparing and storing reports and documents utilizing databases, spreadsheets, communications and other software packages as agreed upon by the team.
Collect, compile and manage contact information lists and ensure accuracy of the information provided by partners’ and monitors through follow up where necessary.
Support the maintenance of the IT system, and solution of minor technical problems.
Provide any additional support as requested by the Data processors and Analysts.

RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A minimum of a BA degree in ICT, Computer Science, Data Administration or related subject. Those with qualifications/expertise in more than one area will have added advantage.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 1 to 2 years of experience working in data analysis, statistics or related fields
Knowledge and understanding of the Zambian political landscape

Functional Skills:

GIS qualifications considered an asset
Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills;
Proven ability to meet deadlines and work with minimum supervision;
Attention to detail and ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks while under pressure;
Ability to work in a sensitive environment and maintain confidentiality standards.

INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT/REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

The Phone Operator will be reporting to the Analyst Team of the Situation Room based in Lusaka, Zambia

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The engagement of the Phone Operator will be 3 months (or 4 months depending on whether a rerun will take place).

PAYMENT MILESTONES AGAINST DELIVERABLES

The successful candidate shall receive his/her payments on a monthly basis

HOW TO APPLY

All applications should be addressed to the undersigned no later than Monday 17th May 2021.

Applicants should enclose Curriculum Vitae’s and photocopies of relevant certificates/documents. Original Certificates must be produced during interviews for the shortlisted candidates. Applicants are encouraged to bring their applications in person or send them by post. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.

The Director, Human Rights Commission, Human Rights House (Ministry of Lands Premises) Independence Avenue, P.O. Box 33812, Lusaka.

The Human Rights Commission is a National Human Rights Institution established under Article 230 (i) of the Constitution of Zambia [as amendment] Act No. 2 of 2016 with a broad mandate of ensuring that the Bill of Rights is upheld and protected.

Website: www.hrc.org.zm