UNDP Jobs - 58563- Peace and Development Adviser

Peace and Development Adviser

Location :

Conakry, GUINEA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

15-Sep-2015

Application Deadline :

06-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year renewable

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

In the lead-up to 2015 elections, Guinea continues to experience political tensions. Contentious issues between the government and opposition parties are mainly related to the implementation of the “3 July Agreement on the Preparation and Organization of the Legislative Elections” (also 3 July Agreement), which was reached through the facilitation of the Special Representative for West Africa and head of UNOWA. The 3 July Agreement stipulates a series of reforms, including the revision of the electoral register. Another controversial issue is the holding in 2015 of local elections, which were scheduled for March 2014 but have been postponed because of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. The Ebola epidemic caused a deterioration of the socio-economic situation in the country, which lead to social tensions and, in certain regions, to a worsening of the security environment;

Above mentioned tensions as well as the adverse impact of the EVD outbreak risk undermining Guinea’s gains in terms of peace consolidation and development. Furthermore, a deterioration of the socio-political and security situation in Guinea could potentially affect other West African countries;

Justification

The current context in Guinea calls for renewed efforts by the United Nations System in Guinea in the areas of conflict prevention, social cohesion, national dialogue, reconciliation and peacebuilding. The complex challenges faced by the UN in Guinea require strengthening the capacity of the office of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC/RR) through the provision of strategic political and programmatic advice with a specific focus on the preparation of elections, national dialogue, security sector and justice reforms, and post-Ebola response.

The deployment of a Peace and Development Advisor (PDA P5) within the UN Resident Coordinator Office in guinea is justified by the need to provide political strategic and analytic support as well as programmatic guidance to the office of the RC/RR in addressing existing issues pertaining to conflict prevention, social cohesion, national dialogue, reconciliation and peacebuilding in the country. Moreover, the PDA will supervise the Peace Building Fund (PBF) Secretariat in Guinea, which was set up to serve as an interface between the strategic decision-making level bodies, the state institutions and the UN agencies in the country as well as PBSO for the implementation of the country National Priority Plan for Peacebuilding.

The Joint UNDP/DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention agreed to support the Office of the RC/RR through the recruitment of a Peace and Development Advisor (PDA);The PDA will work under the direct supervision of the RC/RR. In line with the standard operating procedures of the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention, the PDA will regularly communicate with UNDP, DPA and PBSO.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Provide political strategic and analytical support to the RC/RR in his/her function for appropriate action in his/her relations with government officials, political parties and other national stakeholders, including civil society (for instance, women and youth organizations) and academia, with a particular focus on national dialogue and preparation of elections (local and presidential), post-Ebola response, security sector and justice reforms as well as Rule of Law (RoL);
Produce regular in-depth analyses on political and security developments to be submitted to the RC/RR, UNCT, UNDP, DPA and PBSO with a view to identifying appropriate “entry points” for conflict prevention and recommending appropriate strategic engagement for the UN System in Guinea;
Supervise and coordinate the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Secretariat team and provide key support to the Joint Steering Committee through strategic guidance as well asprogrammatic oversight of PBF programmes;
Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with key and high-level government officials, national stakeholders, regional and international actors as well as development partners on issues pertaining to conflict prevention and peacebuiding in the framework of UNCT and in close coordination with the activities of the PBF National Steering Committee;
Under the supervision of the RC/RR, liaise with the UNCT and in particular with the UNDP Country Director to undertake conflict analyses, mainstream conflict sensitivity and conflict prevention as well as gender issues in regular programming;
In line with the standard operating procedures of the “Joint UNDP/DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention”, communicate and report regularly to UNDP, DPA and PBSO.

Under the direct supervision of the RC/RR and in close cooperation with the UN Country Team, the PDA will:

Provide political strategic and analytical support to the RC/ RR in his/her function for appropriate action in her relations with government officials, political parties and other national stakeholders, including civil society, and academia, with a particular focus on the following areas:

National dialogue and preparation of elections (local and presidential);
Post-Ebola response;
Security sector and justice reforms;
Provide support to the UN engagement and efforts to promote peace and dialogue processes in the lead-up to the elections, during the elections and in the post-electoral period;
Liaise with the government, donors, UNMEER and UNCT to ensure mainstreaming of conflict sensitivity and prevention in the Ebola recovery/response initiatives;
Liaise with the SSR High-level Advisor and his team to ensure strategic programmatic coherence and complementarity with other initiatives in related sectors in the framework of SSR;
Provide strategic advice to the RC/RR in cooperation with relevant UN counterparts on ongoing support to the justice reform process.

Produce regular in-depth analyses to the RC/RR, UNCT, the ITF at headquarters, UNDP, DPA and PBSO on political and security developments with a view to identifying appropriate “entry points” for conflict prevention and recommending appropriate strategic engagement for the UN System:

Monitor relevant political, security and socio-economic developments in Guinea with a potential impact on peace consolidation and stability in the country;
Identify appropriate entry points for UN action in view to anticipate, de-escalate and peacefully manage potential situation of crisis/conflict, promoting the role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding initiatives in line with UN resolutions 1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), etc.

Supervise and coordinate the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Secretariat team to provide key support to the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) through strategic guidance and programmatic oversight of PBF programmes:

Provide strategic orientation and oversight to the activities of the PBF Secretariat;
Provide strategic advice and guidance on the role and function of the Joint Steering Committee;
Based on the analyses produced, as well as lessons learned and good practices identify programmatic entry points for conflict prevention and peacebuilding programmes, including for the formulation and implementation of the Priority Plan;
Ensure the systematic integration of the gender perspective in every conflict prevention and peacebuilding programmes;
Supervise the Secretariat team in charge of the implementation of the Peacebuilding Priority Plan (PPP), ensuring that the Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility (PRF) projects complement each other, maximizing their peacebuilding impact;
Ensure coherence and synergies of PBF programmes with other related UN interventions;
Supervise the organization of the Joint Steering Committee meetings, conducting consultations with relevant stakeholders, communicating the process of implementation of the PPP to all relevant stakeholders;
Ensure the liaison between decision making bodies, the UNCT and PBSO;
Supervise the Secretariat team in the follow-up of the JSC's decisions (particularly ensuring timely submission of project documents and reports, including the annual JSC report, to: JSC members, PBSO and MPTFO that administers PBF-funded projects);
Ensure linkages of the Guinea PPP with national processes and the United Nations Assistance Development Framework (UNDAF 2013-2017);
Supervise the development of project selection criteria in consultation with partners to be adopted by the JSC for new proposals;
Facilitate relationships between JSC members and relevant stakeholders to enhance national ownership and participation during the implementation of the PPP;
Liaise with governmental and non-governmental organizations, and donors active in the field of conflict prevention, reconciliation, and peace-building, and identify opportunities for partnership building and resource mobilization;
Supervise financial and human resources of the PBF secretariat project, including national staff recruitments and procurement.
Any other related tasks as directed by the JSC Co-Chairs and UN RC/RR.

Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with key and high-level government officials and national stakeholders, regional and international actors as well as development partners on issues pertaining to conflict prevention and peacebuilding in the framework of the UNCT and in close coordination with the activities of the PBF National Steering Committee.

Liaise closely with high-level local, national, regional, and international stakeholders. As required, meet with the above mentioned actors on behalf of the RC/RR;
Foster dialogue and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on conflict prevention, reconciliation, social cohesion and confidence-building initiatives, with a special attention to women’s initiatives in those fields;
Maintain close liaison with relevant donors and other actors supporting UNSystem peace building efforts;
Support the UN RC/RR in mobilizing resources for peace building and conflict prevention initiatives;
Lead and guide efforts to consolidate and strengthen various institutions and mechanisms that comprise national infrastructure for peace, including existing national platforms on peace and reconciliation issues;

Under the overall supervision of the RC/RR, liaise with the UNCT and in particular with the UNDP Country Director, to undertake conflict analyses, mainstream conflict sensitivity and conflict prevention in regular programming:

Provide strategic direction to the UNCT to mainstream conflict sensitivity and prevention in various planning processes (UNDAF, CPD, PPP) and workplans;
Provide support to the UNCT to take stock of emerging trends and recent events and to revise and adapt ongoing and planned programmes to ensure conflict sensitivity and maximize peacebuidling potential across UNCT activities;
Strengthen the capacity of UNCT to undertake conflict analyses and mainstream conflict analyses in programmes.

In line with the standard operating procedures of the "Joint UNDP/DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention", communicate and report on a regular basis to UNDP, DPA and PBSO.

Share regularly information on relevant developments that have an impact on the political and security situation in Guinea;
Submit analyses on the political and security situation and formulate recommendations on level and type of UN engagement in the country.

Impact of Results

Enhanced capacity of RC/RR Office, UNCT and PBF National Steering Committee for socio-political and conflict analysis, conflict prevention and peacebuilding programmes;
Enhanced capacity of UNCT and RC/RR to effectively coordinate and harmonise conflict analyses and develop related programmes;
Expanded strategic partnerships with national stakeholders, regional and international actors as well as development partners on issues pertaining to conflict prevention and peacebuilding;
Lessons learned and best practices on conflict prevention, peacebuilding processes and social cohesion, including from the sub-region integrated by the UN System and national stakeholders;
Strengthened national capacities, and in particular women’s capacity, for dialogue, social cohesion, mediation, reconciliation, conflict prevention and confidence building;

Competencies

Core Values and Guiding Principles:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of DPA,UNDP and PBSO;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Good knowledge of UN SC relevant resolutions and action plans on women and peacebuilding (1325 (2000), 1820 (2008), 7 point action plan, etc.);
Good knowledge of UN/UNDP rules, regulations, policies and programmes procedures, and practices;
Good understanding of the UN system;
Treats all people fairly and without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Strong political acumen and extensive experience in providing policy advice in a fragile country context;
Excellent analytical and drafting skills;
Well-developed skills and demonstrated experience in facilitation, consensus-building, multi-stakeholder processes and negotiation;
Proven high-level facilitation, training, networking, coordination, team-building, consensus-building and organizational skills;
Excellent knowledge and expertise in the area of conflict prevention, social cohesion, dialogue and governance reform or related areas, as well as in-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
Excellent communication and inter-personal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relationships with internal and external parties in a multi-cultural environment;
In-depth knowledge of the context in Guinea and recent history/events/transitions;
Knowledge of the wider West Africa context is desirable;
Sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
Proven ability to incorporate relevant international practices into his/her work.

Management and Leadership Competencies:

Excellent team-building, diplomatic, and interpersonal skills. Resourcefulness, initiative, and maturity of judgment;
Very strong leadership capacities to guide multi-stakeholder dialogue activities;
Strong communication and advocacy skills;
Ability to build strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Capacity to work under pressure, manage stress and adapt to rapidly evolving situations.

Behavioral Competencies:

Team player, self-motivated and initiative taking, dedicated, creative, resourceful, flexible, energetic and sound judgment;
Builds strong relationships with partners, focusing on impact and results;
Demonstrates creativity, openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Possesses positive and constructive attitudes to work;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in political science, sociology, international relations, law, public administration, or other related social sciences.

Experience:

At least 10 years of senior level experience in conflict analysis, policy, and strategy development, development and/or conflict prevention in a governmental, international or civil society organization;
Extensive experience in research and project development, preferably in the areas of elections, institution-building and dialogue processes and Security Sector Reform processes;
Proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with senior levels of government, United Nations, and donors;
Experience working with the UN System and experience in West Africa, would be a major asset;
Excellent knowledge of and extensive experience in West Africa including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives, is an advantage.

Language:

Fluent written and spoken French and English.