Agora Election Observation is looking for three young people to lead our upcoming Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the Parliamentary Elections in Slovakia scheduled for 30 September 2023.
The EOM will be deployed from 26 September to 2 October 2023 (six nights), with Election Day falling on Saturday, 30 September. The Mission Coordinators (MCs) are required to arrive in Bratislava at least one day in advance (i.e. 25 September) for preparatory activities.
The EOM will specifically assess the conditions under which young people participate in the electoral process. The principal focus of the Mission will lie in its interaction with domestic stakeholders, including the electoral authorities as well as political party representatives, (young) candidates, government institutions responsible for youth matters, civil society organisations and youth networks. The EOM will present findings on the participation of young people not only as voters, but also as candidates, activists, and elections staff. On Election Day, the Mission will deploy its observers across the country to witness opening, voting and counting procedures modelled largely on established OSCE/ODIHR and EU methodology.
Mission Coordinators are appointed for a period of approximately six months, with the first four months serving to prepare the Mission and complete preliminary research online. At least one week to conduct the deployment of the Mission in Slovakia, and the last month to finalise and disseminate the Mission’s final report. Mission Coordinators are expected to be available for all three months.
Three different positions are open:
Coordinator for General Management and Logistics (MC1),
Coordinator for Partnerships, Outreach and Visibility (MC2) and
Coordinator for Research and Reporting (MC3).
TASK DESCRIPTION
– MC1: Responsible for operational mission management, regular communication with observers, drafting E-day deployment plan, arranging logistics (accommodation, transportation, meeting space).
– MC2: Responsible for outreach and Mission visibility, mapping and arranging meetings with electoral stakeholders (party candidates, election administration, youth organisations, election observation experts), disseminating mission outputs (press release, final report, etc.) to interlocutors and other stakeholders.
– MC3: Responsible for coordinating research tasks by observers, drafting the final report and press releases, adapting election observation forms to local electoral procedures
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- experience in project management and international teamwork;
- familiarity with the context of the elections; prior election observation experience is an asset;
- sufficient time in the two months preceding the Mission (1-2 hours a day, likely more in busy weeks), as well as one month after;
- swiftness and reliability in day-to-day online communication;
- great organisational skills, attention to details, dedication, independence and ability to stick to deadlines.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA:
- be at least 18 and not more than 35 years old;
- hold citizenship of OR reside in a Council of Europe member state, Belarus or Vatican
- not hold citizenship of Slovakia;
- have a professional fluency in English;
- knowledge of Slovak or closely related languages is an asset, but not required;
- be available to attend the entire Mission in person;
- be available to work on the final report after the end of the Mission.
In general, our Missions are organised on a 100% voluntary basis and do not involve any remuneration or reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses. Participants are responsible themselves to have adequate health insurance coverage during the EOM. This applies to Coordinators as well as members of the Agora Election Observation team.
Please apply here no later than on 28 May 2023 at 23:59 CET. We encourage you to apply earlier as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We will aim to contact you by 2 June 2023 if you have been invited for an interview.
In case of questions, please contact Tom Breese, Mission & Methodology Manager, at t.breese@agoraelectionobservation.org or Imke Steimann, Mission & Methodology Manager, at i.steimann@agoraelectionobservation.org
We look forward to your application!