Background

Duties and Responsibilities

• Strategic analysis and advice
• Programme Management
• Capacity development
• Coordination and partnerships

• Support UNDP, in close coordination with relevant partners, in conducting and establishing a relevant and up to date context analysis of the country to inform the development of a peace and development programming in ceasefire border areas;
• Advise the UNDP Resident Representative, Country Director and other members of UNDP Myanmar Management team on conflict-sensitive development programming in particular ensuring UNDP’s stated objectives and strategic choices are aligned with the realities of the Myanmar context;
• Position UNDP to provide intellectual leadership on peace and development issues within the UN system in Myanmar and with other development partners. Support UN joint programmes and joint programming on behalf of UNDP in the areas of social cohesion, governance and peace building;
• Prepare technical and policy advisory briefs and inputs for UNDP Myanmar management team on peace and development issues as required;
• Provide strategic advice to integrate a conflict-sensitive approach into ongoing programmes and new programmes under development, by strengthening the contextual analysis and recommending concrete measures to integrate conflict sensitivity;
• Initiate activities to mainstream social cohesion into the three programming pillars of UNDP country programme for Myanmar (2013-2015).

• Lead formulation, oversight and quality assurance of programme interventions at the nexus of social cohesion, local governance and peace building within the local governance portfolio of UNDP Myanmar (Pillar 1);
• Promotes conflict-sensitive approach and supports formulation and quality assurance of similar  programme interventions within climate change and disaster risk reduction (Pillar 2) and democratic governance and policy support portfolios (Pillar 3);
• Ensure effective management of the allocated programme portfolio and supervision of the relevant, programme team focusing on quality control programming from formulation to implementation achieving results;
• Facilitate planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of programmes and programmatic interventions in the subject area, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Backstop for Team Leader. Local Governance if/when required

• Enhance UNDP Myanmar programme units’ understanding and application of Conflict-related Development Analysis (CDA) processes and mainstreaming of conflict-sensitive approaches;
• Conduct or facilitate trainings on Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) as appropriate to UNDP Myanmar, national stakeholders, and development partners;
• Support, through capacity assessment, training and knowledge networking, the creation of a resource pool of UNDP Myanmar, UN partners and other key stakeholders with the necessary skills and knowledge in conflict analysis and conflict-sensitive programming;
• Facilitate knowledge build-up and management by maintaining a record of best practices and lessons learned accumulated by UNDP Myanmar related to working in transitional setting and disseminate it to other UNDP offices, and vice versa.

• Strengthen leadership and contributions of UNDP Myanmar to linkages and relationships among organizations of the UN system in Myanmar, as well as with other development partners on peace building and social cohesion;
• Liaise closely with key national, regional, and local stakeholders from government and non-state actors (including NGOs, academic institutions, the private sector and religious communities) and international development partners (e. g. bi- and multilateral donors, emerging development partners, international NGOs and the private sector) to create and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on peace building, governance and social cohesion initiatives.
• In undertaking the above, ensure the fullest engagement and participation of women and youth, to further ensure the mainstreaming of gender perspective as appropriate for UNDP crisis prevention and recovery efforts.

Competencies

• Conflict analysis / assessment tools.
• Excellent programming skills
• Outstanding knowledge of facilitation/training, process and coordination skills
• Extensive experience of providing policy advice (including international report writing).
• Developing and delivering experiential conflict resolution/transformation skills-training to different levels of   audiences, including training-of-trainers.
• Mainstreaming conflict prevention into development programmes.
• Facilitating multi-stakeholder national/local dialogues for conflict management;
• Experience in inter-agency policy processes.

• Communicates effectively with staff at all levels of the UN, government officials and civil society, is outgoing and comfortable in handling external relations at all levels;
• Demonstrates sensitivity, tact and diplomacy;  
• Is culturally sensitive and demonstrates appreciation for different cultures and practices;

• Excellent analytical skills; 
• Able to exercise sound judgment;
• Ability to work in a team, ready to take on a wide range of tasks;
• Self-motivated and able to recommend options tor resolution of issues;
• Able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner;
• and applies protocol appropriately.

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced University degree in the areas of international relations, development, political sciences, international law, economics or related discipline; specialization in peace and conflict related studies desirable

Experience:

• At least 7 years of work experience in planning and coordinating development programmes in the field, including experience in designing and drafting programmes and projects.
• Excellent political/conflict analysis and substantial experience with conflict prevention, peace building and conflict-sensitive development; knowledge and experience in the South-East Asian context is desirable.
• Proven experience with the design and implementation of participatory and dialogue-oriented conflict analysis processes, and their translation into programming;
• Communication skills, ability to convey difficult issues and positions to senior officials, proven political judgment, sensitivity to local cultures; experience in facilitation and training of groups highly desirable
• Understanding of the UN system and UNDP, including thorough knowledge of its practices and procedures

• Fluency in English: ability to draft and edit analytical reports, strategy documents, project proposals, correspondence, briefings and speeches in English. Knowledge of local languages will be an asset.