UNDP Jobs - 61952- Peace and Development Advisor (PDA)

Peace and Development Advisor (PDA)

Location :

Bishkek, KYRGYZSTAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Feb-2016

Application Deadline :

09-Dec-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year (with possibility of extension)

Languages Required :

English Russian

Expected Duration of Assignment :

1 year (with possibility of extension)

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 and DPA have collaborated on the development and implementation of conflict prevention initiatives in the field through the Joint UNDP-DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention (Joint Programme), first launched in 2004. The Joint Programme is administered by UNDP on behalf of UNDP and DPA. Over the past eight years, support from the Joint Programme has made a contribution to violence-free elections or referenda in countries as diverse as Guyana, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo, Lesotho, Kyrgyzstan, the Maldives and the Solomon Islands; resolution of specific conflicts or deadlocks in Nigeria, Lesotho, Bolivia, Ghana and Kenya; sustaining viable platforms for dialogue or conflict resolution in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Fiji, Georgia, Ukraine and Malawi; and initiatives to reduce insecurity in Ecuador, Mauritania and Bangladesh.

Through Kyrgyzstan’s UNDAF (2012-2017), a series of Peacebuilding Fund-supported projects and various other initiatives, the UN system is working with the Government and people of the Kyrgyz Republic to strengthen national processes, policies and institutions that improve the ability of authorities and communities to prevent and manage conflicts. The UNCT is also working closely with UNRCCA to build and institutionalize sustainable national capacities for conflict prevention within State structures so the Government can take the lead and coordinate on managing potential conflict and other political risks, in partnership with civil society and the international community.

In response to the request of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for assistance from of the UN Peacebuilding Find (PBF), and based on the findings of a Peacebuilding Needs and Priorities Assessment, the UN Secretary General (SG) encouraged to initiate the establishment of an inclusive Joint Steering Committee (JSC) to provide strategic guidance to plan further peacebuilding interventions to be funded under the Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility (PRF). In 2013 the Peacebuilding Priority Plan (PPP) was approved by the JSC and the PBF and received US$ 15.1 million for its implementation until the end of September 2016 in order to achieve the three peacebuilding outcomes of the PPP. 10 Projects developed by 7 recipient UN Organizations (RUNOs) and reviewed by an independent Technical Review Group were approved by the JSC in the end of 2013. The funding for implementation of the PPP was allocated to RUNOs in December 2013 and most projects started implementation at the beginning of 2014. Two Immediate Response Facility (IRF) projects funded under PBF’s Gender Promotion Initiative II (GPI II) have started implementation in early 2015. Additionally, during his visit to Kyrgyzstan in June 2015, the SG has committed funding of US$ 3 million for an IRF cross-border cooperation project bringing together 5 UN agencies and their respective national counterparts in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. A Peacebuilding Fund Secretariat has been established to coordinate implementation of projects and support the work of the JSC.

The Peace and Development Advisor (PDA), deployed by the Joint Programme, will support all of the above efforts, with a view to ensuring appropriate advice to the UN system and national counterparts on the ground.

The PDA will provide strategic and analytical guidance to the UN system (RC, UNCT, focal points of RUNOs), the PBF Secretariat and the PBF Joint Steering Committee in Kyrgyzstan in order to ensure quality and relevance of peacebuilding and conflict prevention interventions in the country.

The PDA will closely monitor both internal and external factors and will contribute to strengthening the capacity of the UN system in Kyrgyzstan to integrate conflict sensitivity into the design, implementation and management of programming.

The PDA will report back to DPA in NY, UNDP Headquarters in New York and the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub to provide progress updates on these initiatives and provide analytical and strategic inputs. The PDA will work through the Peacebuilding Fund Secretariat in Bishkek to keep the Peacebuilding Fund in New York updated about the progress of interventions that it supports in Kyrgyzstan.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Analyze political and conflict-related trends, and provide quality policy advice to the Resident Coordinator and relevant UN system entities;
Support programme design, oversight, training, mentoring and reporting of UNCT peace-building work;
Facilitate common positions amongst UNCT and build partnerships for more effective, better-resourced programming;
Facilitate knowledge-building and management, and communicate conflict prevention results.

Analyze political and conflict-related trends – Provide quality policy advice:

Conduct ongoing, high-quality analysis of the peace and development context in the country and surrounding region in order to identify political risks and opportunities for development, emerging issues/ trends, underlying causes of conflict, etc.;
Promote mechanisms for joint conflict analysis among UN agencies and entities and create space for the UNCT and the Joint Programme to reflect on trends and their implications for UN programming and political affairs in Kyrgyzstan; foster consensus accordingly;
Provide policy analytical and policy advisory services in the areas of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and conflict sensitivity to the RC and the UNCT, UNRCCA in Ashgabat and Bishkek, and the Joint Programme as requested;
Provide analytical and policy advisory services to national counterparts at the central level, as requested;
Support the development of policies and institutions to help address the country’s problems and needs, in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners;
Ensure open lines of communication with counterparts in DPA, PBSO and UNDP, including regular reporting and ad hoc updates on key developments;
Provide HQ (DPA, UNDP, PBSO) with bi-monthly (every 60 days) reports on PDA activities and country political dynamics in line with the Joint Programme guidelines; or more often as determined by the prevailing political situation.

Support programme design, oversight, training, mentoring and reporting of UNCT peace-building work:

Analyze how PBF PRF projects are performing and how they contribute to PPP outcomes, also considering changing conflict dynamics;
Analyze how IRF projects are performing, also considering changing conflict dynamics;
Proactively advise all UNCT agencies involved in peacebuilding work – particularly, but not exclusively, within the framework of the PBF-funded projects;
Provide guidance to JSC and RUNOs to ensure that PRF projects are conflict-sensitive;
Based on analysis, identify opportunities and entry points for UN conflict prevention initiatives/ preventive action and make concrete proposals to senior management, the UNCT, UNRCCA and the Joint Programme, as appropriate;
Perform objective and independent project oversight, monitoring and evaluation through the effective application of RBM tools (monitoring of targets and results); visit project sites and field locations to ensure the technical quality of projects; check compliance with programme/ project documents, strategies and frameworks as well as the application of appropriate methodologies/ approaches;
Draft and review reports to be considered by the JSC and submitted to PBSO (e.g. annual report by PPP outcomes);
Review and analyze project proposals and draft recommendations to the JSC in case new proposals are being considered by the JSC;
Support inter-project coordination to enhance cooperation, collaboration and synergies between RUNOs (and other stakeholders) to work towards achieving PPP outcomes in a coherent manner (e.g. coordinate linkages and communication within and between 3 PPP Outcome groups to be set-up and regularly convened);
Strengthen linkages amongst inter-agency units to drive forward quality and innovation of peacebuilding programmes that address root causes of the cross-border conflicts;
In close collaboration with UN agencies that have a relevant mandate or expertise support RUNOs in ensuring that gender, human rights and Durable Solutions are mainstreamed in the implementation of all projects funded under PRF and that linkages to the implementation of the National Action Plan 1325, UN Secretary General’s 7-Point Agenda on Gender-responsive Peace-building, UN Secretary General’s Decision on Durable Solution (2011/20) are established and support is provided where possible, and that implementation of projects conforms to a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA);
Foster linkages between the implementation of the PPP and national processes, in particular Sustainable Development Strategy (2013-2017), Concept for National Unity and Interethnic Relations, UNDAF (2012-2016), and other relevant strategic frameworks.

Facilitate common position and build partnerships for more effective, better-resourced programming:

Design and facilitate a monthly UNCT Political and Developmental Working Group, to convene technical-level agency representatives around substantive issues with a view to forging consensus on sensitive issues including cross-border issues, human rights, land and water management, community infrastructure, labor migration and other risks, threats and opportunities;
Capacity development of UNCT staff on conflict-sensitivity issues – development and execution of trainings for all interested/involved agencies in close cooperation with UNV supporting capacity development of the PBF Secretariat (including M&E) and the local communities within the implementation of the UN Secretary General ‘s 7-Point Agenda on Gender-responsive Peacebuilding;
Liaise with stakeholders active in the field of conflict prevention and identify opportunities for partnership-building and resource mobilization: Ensure the creation of strategic partnerships that advance conflict prevention initiatives/ projects of UNCT agencies/entities in the Kyrgyz Republic (e.g. development of partnerships with UN Agencies, IFIs, Government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, the private sector and civil society);
Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to overall UNCT resource mobilization efforts;
Strategically support the UNCT in resource mobilization for UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding interventions.

Facilitate knowledge-building and management, and communicate conflict prevention results:

Draft communications and success stories in close coordination with the Communication Unit to demonstrate conflict prevention results to relevant stakeholders and counterparts in Kyrgyzstan, the Joint Programme, PBF and other relevant entities as appropriate;
Facilitate knowledge-building and management focusing on achievement: Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues; identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding programming;
Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, studies/ surveys and relevant UN publications;
Identify capacity needs within relevant parts of the UNCT and provide or source assistance to remedy any capacity needs;
Maintain close contact with relevant staff in Headquarters (DPA/UNDP/PBSO), the UNDP Regional Hub in Istanbul and UNRCCA;
Perform other duties as and when required by the RC.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

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

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Promotes knowledge management 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.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting;
Demonstrates sound ability to mobilize funds;
Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects, mobilize resources;
Good knowledge of Results-Based Management;
Good ICT skills, knowledge of web-based management systems.

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;
Displays ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with UN Agencies and other partners, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies;
Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
Displays proven conflict resolution skills;
Responds positively to critical feedbacks and different points of view.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in social sciences with a focus on conflict resolution; international relations; political science; development studies; or related field.

Experience:

At least seven years of progressively senior and responsible experience implementing complex projects in one of the following areas: peacebuilding, conflict prevention, inter-communal development, or other closely related areas;
Strong inter-agency programme management, capacity development, communication and advocacy skills with extensive field experience (preferably conflict/post-conflict); field experience in Central Asia or the CIS region would be an advantage;
An academic or applied background in one of the following fields would be an advantage: Reconciliation; Inter-ethnic and inter-religious affairs; Youth inclusion;
Knowledge of the political, economic, social and human rights dynamics of the Central Asia region would be an asset;
Proven ability to facilitate discussions, manage complex ideas and maximize synergies effectively;
Ability to convey difficult issues and positions, and sensitivity to local cultures;
Ability to work in a high-pressure environment and to handle politically sensitive issues;
Experience with office software packages, experience with web based management systems.

Language Requirements:

Full working knowledge of English and Russian;
knowledge of the Kyrgyz language is an asset.

Application:

Applications without UNDP Personal history form (P.11) will not be considered. Please download P.11 form from http://www.kg.undp.org/content/kyrgyzstan/en/home/operations/jobs/;
Please upload P.11 form instead of CV and combine your documents into one single PDF file, otherwise the system will not allow you to upload more than one document.