UNDP Jobs - 28799- Programme Specialist - Peace and Development (Deve

Programme Specialist - Peace and Development (Development Project Funded)

Location :

Male', MALDIVES

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

02-Apr-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Background and context

Responding to growing internal tensions as well as international concern, the then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom initiated an agenda for reform in 2003. This launched a series of reforms, including the ratification of a new Constitution in 2008, that opened up systems of democratic governance through the establishment of key institutions such as the Supreme Court, the Human Rights Commission, the Elections Commission, and the judiciary so that they can function autonomously, and establishing local government bodies at island and atoll levels.

In 2008, Maldives saw a successful transition to a multi-party democracy. The transition, which was modestly assisted by international partners including the UN, presaged similar ongoing transitions in the Islamic world. Although the three first multi-party elections (Presidential, Parliamentary and local elections) were conducted peacefully, the democratic institutions are fragile and lack stability.

In addition, the opening of the public space in Maldives, while encouraging exploration of the many new freedoms, has not only encouraged a stronger religious identity but has also led to a perceived significant rise in religious radicalism, hampering an inclusive public discourse on the relations between Islam and democracy. Idle and unemployed youth have been particularly susceptible to these tendencies, pursuing more radical strands of behavior in political and religious as well as to the blandishments of gangs and criminality. While political freedoms have grown, social and cultural freedoms have been at risk. Unaccustomed to responsible political discourse, the media has further vitiated social and political tensions. Finally, political parties—not having faced the necessity for constructive negotiation, and for building consensus around common priorities—have dealt with every issue through tactical positioning, and have been in state of practically perennial deadlock since the last elections.

UN Strategy

At the invitation of the Government of Maldives, the UN undertook a “fact finding” mission, on the behalf the Secretary-General, to the country in 2007. The mission also concluded that in the longer-term, Maldives’ emerging tensions will require a multi-pronged strategy, which resulted in the formulation and implementation of the Building Trust, Confidence and National Capacities in the Management of Change Project, from mid 2009 to end of 2011. This supported:

Establishment/training of a Human Rights Defenders network across the atolls and islands,
Facilitatation of dialogue between political parties during the crisis in mid-2010
Building capacities of women political leaders prior to the local council elections and deepening advocacy on gender equality through a ‘Sports for All’ project and an accompanying documentary\
Community theatre initiative with ground-breaking work on opening spaces for dialogue and generating discussion on critical issues
Provision of strategic support to the Maldives Volunteer Corps through the formulation of a strategy on youth volunteerism
Generation of baseline information through a Situation Analysis on women in public life and report on youth participation and volunteerism in Maldives
Bringing artists closer together for higher visibility and networking through an online Artists Directory of Maldives
Supported a Peace and Development Advisor who advised and provided analysis to effectively inform the UN Country Team and regional and HQ agencies on key issues/developments, as well as guiding advising the implementation of BTCNC project

Based on extensive consultations with both governmental and non-governmental actors, and in line with the Government of Maldives’ Strategic Action Plan 2009 – 2013 and UNDAF priorities set for 2011 – 2015, the UN identified a number of areas for targeted assistance for a follow on assistance strategy to BTCNC: Programme on Supporting the Democratic Transition of Maldives (PSDT), with the objectives of:

Building critical capacities and strengthening participation in managing the political and democratic transition
Supporting the socio-cultural transition through development of national and local dialogue platforms
Strengthening UN and national analytical capacities for more sensitive development approaches through supporting a Peace and Development Advisor

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of UNRR/UNRC; and with consultation with UNCT, relevant focal persons of Asia Pacific Division of DPA, BCPR, and UNDP’s regional bureau for Asia and Pacific, and supported by the Programme Analyst of PSDT and the Governance Unit of UNDP, the Advisor will conduct the following tasks:

Provide strategic analyses, regular socio-political updates and recommendations for UNCT, UNHQ, BCPR, DPA and identify areas for UN support so that the UN system can best assist national and local initiatives.
Develop strategic partnerships and sound working relations with state, government and non governmental stakeholders and provide advice on the strategic direction for UNDP and UNCT.
Assess and inform, through analyses and facilitating and chairing the UN Reference Group on Social Cohesion and Governance, how the UNCT could provide harmonized assistance, addressing longer term institutional, governance, rule of law and social cohesion issues.
Oversee and facilitate the process of formulating and implementing a long term strategy of assistance to the People’s Majlis, including conducting consultations with MPs, political parties and other stakeholders.
Facilitate and provide support to civil society and stakeholders in the area of governance, peace and development through consultative forums, workshops, mentoring and experience sharing.
Strengthen team members through training, mentoring, knowledge and skills transfer.
Guide the implementation of the Programme on Supporting the Democratic Transition of Maldives, including programme review and development, monitoring, funds mobilization and reporting to donors.
Support the ongoing process of mainstreaming gender and youth into UN programming and national initiative, with special focus on participation, representation and social cohesion.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Good knowledge of UNDP/UN rules, regulations, policies, procedures and practices;
Good understanding of UNDP programming modalities, particularly in crisis and post-conflict settings.

Functional/Technical Competencies:

Conflict analysis/assessment tools
Developing and delivering experiential conflict resolution/transformation skills-training to different levels of audiences, including training-of-trainers
Mainstreaming conflict prevention into national development programmes
Building national capacities to manage/prevent/reduce violent conflict
Facilitating multi-stakeholder national/local dialogues for conflict management
Outstanding knowledge of facilitation/training, process and co-ordination skills
Extensive experience of providing policy advice (including report writing) at international level
Experience of UN inter-agency policy processes.

Managerial Competencies:

Ability to establish effective working relations in a multicultural team environment
Excellent team-building, diplomatic, and interpersonal skills. Resourcefulness, initiative and maturity of judgment.

Behavioral Competencies:

Strong communication and advocacy skills
Ability to work in a complex environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors;
Ability to demonstrate sensitivity, tact and diplomacy
Excellent analytical, organizational and negotiation skills, especially resource management systems
Excellent networking skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree, with focus on political science, international relations, development studies, human rights, or similar fields.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in conflict prevention, including relevant field experience, especially in in multi-stakeholder facilitation and consensus building, preferably in transition contexts
Experience in training and facilitating in the area of conflict prevention and management
Good understanding on UNDP programming modalities, particularly in transition settings
Demonstrable ability to work in a team environment, and to strengthen all team members through collective action and individual initiative
Demonstrable ability to engage with sensitivity, strategic foresight, and political acumen in situations involving multiple stakeholders, especially political actors
Excellent networking and fund raising skills

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English
Work experience in conflict prevention and resolution in an Islamic society will be an advantage