UNDP Jobs - 51410- Programme Specialist (Justice, Human Rights and Vi

Programme Specialist (Justice, Human Rights and Victims)

Location :

Bogotá, COLOMBIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2015

Application Deadline :

30-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 Year

Languages Required :

English Spanish

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

UNDP Corporate Strategic Plan has defined as its mission for the period 2014-2017 to help countries achieve the simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion. It has also implied that UNDP organizes its work around a focused set of outcomes:

Growth and development are inclusive and sustainable, incorporating productive capacities that create employment and livelihoods for the poor and excluded;
Citizen expectations for voice, development, the rule of law and accountability are met by stronger systems of democratic governance;
Countries have strengthened institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services;
Faster progress is achieved in reducing gender inequality and promoting women’s empowerment;
Countries are able to reduce the likelihood of conflict, and lower the risk of natural disasters, including from climate change;
Early recovery and rapid return to sustainable development pathways are achieved in post-conflict and post-disaster settings;
Development debates and actions at all levels prioritize poverty, inequality and exclusion, consistent with our engagement principles.

Although Colombia is characterized by a relatively stable democracy and sustained economic growth, for more than 50 years the country has been immersed in a prolonged conflict. Currently, Colombia is in a pivotal point as peace talks between the Government and the main guerrilla group (FARC) are currently underway in Havana. Most of the items on the peace agenda relate directly to the structural causes of the conflict and many stakeholders agree that following the signing of an agreement, peace will need to be built up from the regions.

In this context, the first few months to a year after the signature of the agreement will be the most delicate for the success of the peace process. Early peace-building activities to quickly consolidate peace are widely recognized as essential and together with them advanced planning, extensive consultation, determined reconciliation efforts and complex coordination especially in the areas where the presence of the State is limited.

The United Nations Development Program – UNDP is considered a leader on issues of peace and reconciliation in Colombia and has received the recognition of the State, civil society, and international cooperation agencies in the promotion of platforms for dialogue between the state and civil society, at the national and territorial levels, and in public policy advocacy.

Even though UNDP Colombia Country Programme Document (CPD) is in its final year, it is highly aligned with the new UNDP 2014-2017 Corporate Strategic Plan. Its implementation since 2008 has been focused in contributing to i) reduce poverty and achieve MDGs -specially at the local level, ii) strength national and local capacities to promote environmental sustainability and integral risks management, iii) improve good governance and public management, iv) enhancing the quality of the democratic regime, v) peace building, vi) empower vulnerable populations affected by conflict, and vii) promoting rights of victims to transitional justice mechanisms.

Additionally, UNDP works under a human development perspective with cross-cutting goals that support intervention such as gender equality promotion, capacity development, and South-South Cooperation. UNDP Colombia operation is based in a national office based in Bogotá, which support all the processes needed for implementing different projects at the local level in 14 project offices.

In the short term UNDP CO has several key challenges that will be define the profile of its operation in the forthcoming years. The main one is related with defining its new CPD for the 2015-2018 period, aligning it with the new corporate Strategic Plan 2014-2017, the new United Nations Development Assistant Framework (UNDAF) -that will be designed for the same period of time, and the new National Development Plan and International Cooperation Strategy of the new re-elected national government for the period 2014-2018.

Under the general guidance of the CD/DCD, and the direct supervision of the Peace Development and Reconciliation Area Coordinator acts as a manager of and advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of the Justice, Human Rights and Victims Programme with emphasis on transtional justice. Manages a major programme portfolio in these programmatic areas. The main role is to manage a set of projects including their continued monitoring of implementation. Leads the project coordinators team in strategic planning and identifies new initiatives in these areas while ensuring consistency with the Peace and Development area priorities and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities.

The Programme Specialist (Justice, Human Rights and Victims) heads and supervises Project Coordinators and works in close collaboration with the Area Coordinator, the Management Support and Operations teams in the CO, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the programme.

He/she coordinates, supervises and provides orientation and guidance to the professional and technical staff hired for the implementation of the Programme and projects. In addition, the Programme Coordination Specialist has the direct responsibility of the implementation and coordination of the two basket-funds programmes: Coexistence and Justice.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Ensuring the strategic direction of the Justice, Human Rights and Victims Strategy as key interventions in the Peace, Development and Reconciliation Area;
Supervision of any UNDP strategies on justice, human rights and rights of victims;
Management of the Transitional Justice Basket Fund and supervision of the project teams;
Strategic partnerships and support to resource mobilization in these programmatic areas;
Provision of top quality policy advice services to the Government (in particular to the Justice System), Ombudsman, Civil Society Organizations and Human Rights groups and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

As a senior staff in the Peace, Development and Reconciliation Area, ensures the strategic direction of the Justice, Human Rights and Victims strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:

Provide active and substantive advice, support and contributions in the strategic planning processes of UNDP-Colombia and the Peace, Development and Reconciliation Areas.
Identification of new strategic opportunities in these practice areas.

Supervision of UNDP strategies on justice, human rights and rights of victims:

In coordination with BPPS, Rule of Law Programme, implement the results of the partnership with BPPS.

Ensures effective management of the Transitional Justice Basket Funds and supervision of the project teams focusing on quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation achieving the following results:

Carries out the Technical Secretaries of the Programmatic Committees of both Programmes: monitoring discussions, decisions and agreements achieved in this executive management bodies;
Designs and creates project proposals based on the strategic lines and decisions previously agreed in the Programmatic Committees;
Prepares, composes and presents periodical reports to the Stretegic and Programmatic Committees;
Provides effective management and coordination of the project teams;
Formulates and supervises the implementation of the annual plan of action of the Transtional Justice-Basket Fund;
Prepares all necessary reports required by UNDP, donors and the State of the Basket Fund;
Provides support and substantive contributions to the planning, monitoring and evaluation processes;
Ensure coherence and coordination in the implementation of the Basket Funds strategy and other UNDP initiatives in the same field.

Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and supports the resource mobilization in cooperation with the Peace, Development and Reconciliation Area Coordinator focusing on achievement of the following results:

Implementation of the CO partnerships and resources mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes;
Creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, government institutions, civil society and Human Rights organizations, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, etc.;
Determination of programmatic results, based on strategic goals on the Peace, Development and Reconciliation area, country needs and donors’ priorities;
Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation in his/her area of intervention, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing.

Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to the Justice, Human Rights and Victims Programme goals;
Coordination of development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in his/her area of intervention in collaboration with the Government, civil society, Human Rights organizations and other strategic partners;
Establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to international networks. Relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns are implemented with key partners;
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme.

Key Results

The key results have an impact on the overall success of the country programme and reaching UNDAF/ CPD goals. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design, operation and programming of activities, creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets in the Justice, Human Rights and Victims Programme.

Competencies

Corporate competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning:

Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Management and Leadership:

Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates good oral and written communication skills;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Ability to leat strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programme and projects, mobilize resources;
Ability to formulate and manage budgets, manage contributions and investments, manage transactions, conduct financial analysis, reporting and cost-recovery;
Good knowledge of the Results Management Guide and Toolkit;
Good ICT skills, knowledge of Atlas;
Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioural/ attitudinal change.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree in Law, political sciences, economics, international studies, development studies or a related and relevant field.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years of relevant professional international experience in development, preferably in conflict and post-conflicts situations with focus on field-work;
Proven experience of specialist expertise in rule of law (DDHH, IDH, Transitional Justice, Security) and in the design, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes in this field;
Proven experience of management responsibilities of similar scope and complexity;
Proven experience of institutional representation, advocacy and networking among international stakeholders, Government and civil society;
Previous experience with UNDP is desirable.

Languages:

Fluency in English and Spanish.

Important

Only on-line applications which contain a signed UNDP P11 form will be considered. You can find P-11 form at http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form-es.docx.

Nationals from Colombia are not elegible to apply.

UN/UNDP internal candidates may be applying for this position.

We strongly encourage qualified women to apply.