UNDP Jobs - 52880- Re- Advertisement Consultant- Facilitators for Com

Re- Advertisement Consultant- Facilitators for Community Security Planning and Implementation - (Open to Nepalese Nationals Only) - For NEX Project (30 Positions)

Location :

Morang, Saptari, Dhanusha, Bara, Parsa, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur, NEPAL

Type of Contract :

Other

Starting Date :

15-Feb-2015

Application Deadline :

21-Jan-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Other

Duration of Initial Contract :

150 working days during two years

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

up to 31 December 2016

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

Those who previously applied need not re-apply

UNDP is a key implementer of peacebuilding initiatives to support Nepal’s peace process and has been providing dedicated assistance to key peacebuilding activities related to constitution building, support to the discharge and rehabilitation of former Maoist army combatants, capacity development to strengthen national and local-level peacebuilding mechanisms, and support to develop collaborative leadership and other peacebuilding capacities.

Nepal is in a prolonged transition phase after a decade long internal conflict claiming around 16,000 lives. The signature of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in November 2006 brought a halt to the immediate violence, although there are still many issues to be resolved and new threats are emerging as Nepal proceeds in consolidating its peace process. Current challenges relate to meeting people’s aspirations for a greater political voice, broader social and economic inclusion and better access to resources, jobs and services as well as the promulgation of a more inclusive constitution. At the national level, politics is challenged by a very slow process of negotiations around key issues, at the sub-national levels, politics is characterised by low intensity tension and conflict that have the potential of destabilising local governance structures. Rule of law and security also remain important areas for prioritisation.

As part of its mandate to build strategic and catalytic peacebuilding programmes in Nepal, UNDP identified the need to incorporate violence reduction as an important part of peacebuilding initiatives. In this context, in November 2011, Saferworld was commissioned, following a competitive selection process, to conduct an initial assessment of the armed violence situation in Nepal. The assessment started with a desk review of the topic, followed by primary research covering four district clusters, identified as armed violence hotspots by the desk review. While the assessment was ongoing, UNDP established contacts with the relevant Government of Nepal (GoN) Ministries through assigned focal points, with the Ministry of Home Affairs in the lead. This was to ensure GoN involvement at every stage of project development. The third stage of the assessment involved developing Armed Violence Reduction and Strengthening Community Security Programming (AVRSCS)programming options, triangulating the findings of the assessment with the input provided by the GoN during meetings, thereby ensuring that any potential programming on AVR resonates with the expressed needs of the GoN.

The Project designed for Nationally led Implementation was officially signed on December 2013 by the Ministry of Home Affairs and UNDP.

The fourth among the five pillars of the project is based on preparation, implementation and integration of community security plans into the strategic priorities, sector-plans, police action plans and district- and village-level planning and implementation capacities, as well as to support specific violence and crime prevention initiatives targeting key risk-factors in targeted localities, ensuring gender responsiveness which includes support for appropriate local entities to identify and invest in risk reduction strategies and to build trust and confidence between the state and civil society. Priorities will be identified through support for local-level dialogue between key stakeholders at the local level (including local government, police, citizens, Local Peace Committees (LPC), Women Development Officers (WDO), youth clubs and networks, civil society representatives, media, private sector representatives, local politicians members of political parties) and confidence-building processes to enhance community security and reduce violence and crime (including armed violence) in these localities, with a specific focus at the village level through participatory, conflict-sensitive and gender-responsive planning processes. This will be realized through local mechanisms and events fostering social cohesion (such as religious meetings, gatherings or festivals, and markets).

Currently, the AVRSCS project is in the process of hiring facilitators as consultants for preparation and roll-out of community security plans in selected VDCs of project districts. Directly reporting to the Project Officer in the field, the incumbents shall be responsible for facilitating and preparing community security plans, along with supporting implementation of these plans at the community level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objectives of Assignment

The main objectives of this consultancy assignment are to support the process of preparation of community security plans and their implementation in the targeted VDCs/communities of project districts, in close cooperation with AVRSCS Project Officers under oversight of Field Coordinator.

More specifically the consultant will:

Based on the knowledge of the local level dynamics, assist in the identification and targeting key community security actors (GoN, Nepal Police, community police center, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), CBO and an inclusive group of community members) at the local level to facilitate discussions on community security issues, prepare community security plans and assist in implementation;
Assist Project staff in the coordination of target stakeholders, including local representatives of the District Administration Office, Nepal Police, Women and Children Office, CSOs, Local Peace Committees, the VDC Secretary, and an inclusive group of community members representing different castes, ethnicities, genders and age groups, and convene them to collectively identify and prioritize community security issues, and their plans to address them;
Facilitate inclusive and participatory community security planning sessions at the district and VDC level, based on the Community Security Planning Manual (as prepared by project) and utilizing Collaborative Leadership and Dialogue as a tool;
Assist in preparation and implementation of agreed community security plans;
Liaise with the Project team to ensure coordination and linkages with project stakeholders at the district/VDC/community level;
Extend necessary support to AVRSCS field-level project activities including awareness raising activities, including supporting in the roll-out of the GBV prevention peer education manual and youth violence prevention activities at the district, VDC and community levels;
Assist in Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) activities at the field level, as needed;
Perform other activities as per the need of the project in coordination with the Project Officers and the Project Field Coordinator.

Scope and Deliverables:

Scope of work:

While working in coordination with the AVRSCS project, the consultants will be guided by input from the GoN and Nepal Police at all stages. Community security planning processes and implementation will be supervised by designated AVRSCS project officer on a weekly basis to ensure open communication and quality assurance;
Consultants are expected to attend a compulsory training session (Project will cover associated costs – transport, etc.).

Deliverables:

Under the guidance of the AVRSCS project personnel and in line with the AVRSCS Strategy, Communication Plan and relevant project documents, the consultant will be responsible for the following:

Work plan:

Develop methodology, in close coordination with AVRSCS Project Officers and Field Coordinator;
Assist in the preparation of gender- and conflict-sensitive community security plans in their specified district, through inclusive and participatory dialogue processes.

This entails the following:

Identifying all relevant stakeholders (including government officials, Nepal Police and security actors, traditional leaders, media, CSO representatives, etc);
Setting-up meetings with all relevant stakeholders for community security planning;
Assist in facilitation of meetings, dialogues, focus group discussions, etc.;
Assist in ensuring that community security plans incorporate the meaningful participation of all relevant stakeholders and are endorsed by participants;
Maintaining notes/minutes and record-keeping of the meetings.

Assist in the implementation of the gender- and conflict-sensitive community security plans in their specified district and VDCs:

Liaising among responsible stakeholders, including follow-up and periodic reporting to relevant AVRSCS Project personnel;
Assist in identifying linkages between community security plans and district and/or village level development and police plans.

Periodic progress and final reports detailing status and progress of community security planning and implementation process, including participant lists (with contact details), challenges, and suggestions for improvement and future action.

Level of impact

The key results have an impact on the successful and efficient facilitation of community security planning and implementation at the community level.

Contractor Details and Terms

The consultant will work on an “as-needed” basis within the contract period, not exceeding a maximum of 150 days. Payment will be made upon submission of timesheet and status/progress reports as verified by the concerned project officer(s).

Inputs

The consultant will be expected to work from their own premises and utilize their own physical facilities and transportation for all work conducted in their assigned district. Project will cover costs to participate in all mandatory trainings.

Project will provide technical guidance and support throughout the duration of the foreseen time period. Project will also provide gender-sensitivity and Collaborative Leadership and Dialogue training at its discretion.

Purchases

The consultant will not be required to purchase any hardware to undertake the consultancy.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Strong knowledge of the local context, especially of local security and violence related issues;
Ability to convene various and potentially diverging stakeholders and facilitate meaningful meetings/discussions at the community level;
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
Respect to cultural/ethnic/social/language diversity;
Political neutrality; ability to work across party lines;
Ability to use local languages;
Willingness to travel to rural communities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Humanities, Social Sciences and Education disciplines.

Experience:

At least 5 years field experience, particularly in social mobilization and community development. Experience in community leadership and dialogue-related activities is a distinct advantage;
Knowledge of basic concepts of development or community security planning process would be an added advantage;
Practical experience of organizing meetings, including preparation, facilitation and record-keeping activities;
Experience of working with local governments, district level government agencies as well as civil society organizations;
Proven experience working with youth/women/community clubs, networks or organizations;
Experience in preparation of local development plans desirable;
Knowledge of Collaborative Leadership and Dialogue (CLD) Techniques and/or tools will be of added value;
Knowledge of applying context analysis tools desirable.

Language:

Proficiency in spoken and written Nepali;
Working knowledge of written and spoken English preferable but not mandatory;
Proficiency in one of the local languages of above mentioned districts is highly desirable.

Other requirements

Preference will be given to qualified applicants originating and residing in the concerned project districts.

Evaluation:

Individual consultants for the roster will be selected based on the following evaluation criteria:

Evaluation Criteria Weight :

Criterion A: Minimum 5 years practical experience of organizing community meetings, dialogues, social mobilization and community and/or local development (including convening various stakeholders and facilitating their meaningful discussion at community level), including dialogue/meeting preparation, facilitation and record-keeping activities. (Weight: 25%, Max. Point: 25);
Criterion B: Experience working with local governments, district level government agencies, and civil society organizations (youth clubs, women's groups, networks for marginalized people, etc). (Weight: 25%, Max. Point: 25)
Criterion C : Strong knowledge of the local context, especially of local security and violence related issues (Weight: 20%, Max. Point: 20);
Criterion D : Academic Qualification (Weight: 10%, Max. Point: 10);
Criterion E : Language qualifications (Nepali mandatory, English preferable, local languages [Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadi, and Tharu] desirable) (Weight: 10%, Max. Point: 10) ;
Criterion F : Knowledge of Collaborative Leadership and Dialogue (CLD), context analysis tools, basic concepts of development plans or community security planning processes, etc. (Weight: 10%, Max. Point: 10).