Background

Many developing countries face complex and urgent challenges relating to the sustainable use of their natural resources, and the allocation of natural wealth, which have, in many cases, stalled development or precipitated internal, occasionally violent, conflict. In such countries, institutions for managing conflicts over land, water, and other natural resources are weak or unable to perform this task effectively. In virtually all conflict and post-conflict situations, such institutions are damaged or non-existent. In post-conflict situations such as Liberia, Sudan, DRC, and Sierra Leone, internal tensions persist over the allocation of natural wealth or the use of natural resources well after peace agreements. Even in countries that have not faced extensive violent conflict—Bolivia, Chad, Nigeria, Kenya, and Fiji being examples—tensions over the use of land and water or the apportioning of oil or minerals continue to impede development and have the potential to lead to violence and instability. In many pre- or post-conflict situations, UN agencies with specific mandates to address land, water, and natural resource management have not been sufficiently resourced, or able to work effectively together.

In light of the above, and under the auspices of the UN Interagency Framework for Coordination of Preventive Action (FT), the United Nations has partnered with the European Commission with the objective of building the UN’s capacity to respond effectively to requests from particular countries to enhance national capacities for the peaceful and inclusive management of land and natural resources, so as to minimize risks that may result in violent outcomes or impede the achievement of the MDGs and other national development goals. The partnership will involve the development of common tools and approaches at UNHQ, with technical input from both the field and HQ levels. The participating entities are the FT Secretariat, DPA, DPKO, PBSO, UNDESA, UNDP, UNEP, and UNHABITAT. They constitute the Standing Committee for the project.

The UN-EU partnership is designed to develop practical tools, policy guidance and an institutional framework to address critical challenges pertaining to land and natural resource conflicts and assist the UN and EC in-country to apply them. This will include developing an institutional framework and capacities for UN responses to requests for assistance with the management of land and natural resource-related conflicts; skills development of national institutions on the management conflicts related to land and natural resources. The Partnership will concentrate on the following four selected issue areas:

• land
• wealth sharing
• resource scarcity, environmental degradation and climate change risks
• capacity development for natural resource management in post-conflict situations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives:

There are existing rosters of pre-vetted candidates ready for rapid deployment in various dimensions of land & natural resources as well as various conflict and peacebuilding subjects. There are also a number of websites providing technical and policy information on these subjects. However, a roster and web platform specifically addressing the intersection of both subjects remains unexplored and unexploited and has been identified as a need in the above project.

The intention of this consultancy is to provide guidance to the FT and project standing committee on how to meet this need by providing an overview of what exists and recommendations on how to build on or integrate with existing mechanisms. While this assignment does not entail the creation of a new roster, the consultancy should advise which rosters are most relevant to the scope of the EU Partnership on this subject and then recommend ways to have a value-added and provide a system ensuring user-friendly access for this specialised capacity through the most efficient entry point in the UN system. This new system is to be developed in a second stage subsequent to this assignment.

Secondly, the consultancy is to investigate and recommend best practices on improving the coherence and inter-operability of existing databases and web resources on this subject matter in terms of good practice, common standards, SOPs, quality control measures and technological platforms. Lessons learned and successful examples drawing on expertise from relevant institutions or countries situations or projects should be taken into particular consideration.

Scope of the Assignment

In this context, the Consultant’s tasks are to:

• Prepare a catalogue with brief descriptions of existing civilian capacity and relevant rosters and web platforms on land/natural resources conflict that could be used to house the guidance material of the project and host an interactive database for rapidly deploying such capacities at the disposal of the UN to connect to expertise relevant to the natural resource and conflict nexus giving particular attention to mobilising civilian capacity in the Global South, in particular women;
• ropose practical and sustainable solutions for connecting or adding to these existing rosters and web platforms, if feasible (one entry point in the UN system, interoperability/transmission of requests);
• Examine the best practices in common standards of rosters/roster management, codes of conduct and standard recruitment/deployment procedures across rosters;
• Identify shortcomings and challenges to this task and propose recommendations for improvements including giving guidance on how the UNFT should proceed to develop a roster with such expertise for widest dissemination and use by the relevant conflict prevention and peacebuilding communities.

The assignment is expected to take 30 days over a two-month period.

Methodology of the Assignment

A consultant will be recruited to undertake these tasks, involving a desk review and personal interviews and outreach to the relevant UN and technical communities (including. UN Volunteers programme).

The consultant will carry out his/her assignment in cooperation with The Project Specialist, PBSO and the Standing Committee of the UN-EC Partnership.

The consultant is expected to begin his/her assignment in September 2009 and deliver the final report by the end of October 2009. The consultant will be remunerated at a rate corresponding to his/her experience and background. Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of the assignment.

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; 
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and eLearning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example; 
• In-depth practical knowledge of CPR and inter-disciplinary development issues; 
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP. 
• Extensive Knowledge of ICT for development

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced degree in political/social sciences, natural resources management, environmental management or conflict prevention/peacebuilding or equivalent relevant working experience. 

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of work experience with ICT for development, preferably related to natural resource management and/or peacebuilding.
• Technical expertise in roster management and/or Human Resource Managment with a solid understanding of different designs and platforms, user-interface and features. 
• Familiarity with peacebuilding and conflict prevention issues in developing countries 
• Experience working for public international organizations, and particularly with UN agencies is desirable.
• Technological fluency with all standard digital communication and internet search applications is highly desirable.

Languages

• Fluency in English, excellent verbal and written communication and drafting skills.