Background

The current conflict in Darfur has undermined livelihood coping strategies as never before leaving millions reliant on food aid. For the past several years, the international community has focused on life-saving interventions creating dependencies and disempowering people. Many humanitarian and development actors now recognize the need and opportunities to incorporate a longer-term or more enabling perspective while at the same time meeting urgent humanitarian needs. To that end, UNDP introduced in 2012 a livelihoods and economic recovery component to its existing activities in Darfur, focusing on the promotion of: sustainable livelihoods and economic recovery, peace building and social cohesion, employment creation and capacity development.

The livelihoods and economic recovery component consists currently of several projects, each addressing key shortcomings in Darfurian communities to sustain humanitarian gains and ensure transition to recovery. Since 1973, Darfur’s population has grown almost six-fold, to about 7.5 million people, of whom 52% of are no older than 16 years. Population growht along with protracted conflict have left a large bulk of the population unemployed, particularly youth. In reponce to this, the “Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur” Project (YVD) embarks on promotion of volunteerism among youth to put in place a suitable framework to support and expand volunteerism activities.

The “Darfur Community Recovery for Coexistence” project, aims to develop the ability and willingness of rural communities to initiate and nurture peace-building processes by enhancing the capacity of traditional leaders in the IDP host communities, in the IDP camps and villages of IDP origin. Under a peace-building framework of recovery for peaceful coexistence and reconciliation, the project is designed to open and sustain direct communication channels for cooperation between IDPs and host communities – channels that enable joint identification of livelihood stabilization priorities and joint action in establishing dignified and sustainable basic social services.

Pro poor value chain development is regarded as a key strategy for livelihoods stabilisation as well as early and long term local economic recovery. In an effort to assist producers to maximize on profits, UNDP, through the “Pro Poor Value Chain Integration for Peace and Early Recovery” project aims to create sustainable livelihoods opportunities in conflicted affected areas with new micro, small and medium enterprises established by a huge number of mainly women and youths. In addition, UNDP would like to scale up its implementation of all other components of the programme such as vocational training, and providing start up grants for MSMEs in and outside IDP camps.

To ensure improved income generation, employment creation and reintegration, it is imperative that economic actor’s capacity for livelihoods recovery is strengthened. Hence the need to work with economic actors in particular the private sector in Sudan cannot be over-emphasised. A key first step would be for UNDP to understand the capacity needs of all economic actors and agree on a capacity development plan/road map, and its implementation. This will ensure sustainability of livelihoods and economic recovery interventions in the short to long term. UNDP’s efforts for the development of economic actors will be carried out in collaboration with local partners based on their capacity within this sphere.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. The UNDP operates in 166 countries, working with people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners.

UNDP’s focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:

• Democratic Governance;
• Poverty Reduction;
• Crisis Prevention and Recovery;
• Environment and Energy;
• HIV/AIDS.

UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all its activities, it encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women. UNDP focuses on key development issues, providing measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. In all its operations, UNDP well-coordinated and inclusive approach seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international resources.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Familiarize him-/herself with the recent Women’s Refugee Commission Livelihoods Field Manual, and UNDP’s Draft How To-Guide on Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in Crisis and Post Crisis;
• Advise and support the implementation of the value chain development component in North Darfur in consultations with key actors, such as the government, UN agencies, CSOs and the Private Sector;
• Advise the design and support the implementation of the “Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur” Project and ensure planned synergies with the Darfur value chains programs;
• Advise the design and support the implementation of the “Darfur Community Recovery for Coexistence” Project and ensure the planned synergies with the Darfur value chains programs;
• Liaise with UNDP livelihoods staff in all Darfur states to ensure coherent and effective implementation of projects;
• Organize consultative meetings and support coordination with UN agencies, government departments, the private sector, CSOs/CBOs to support the implementation of the projects;
• Monitor and update workplans for the implementation of the projects;
• Support in programme management including quality assurance, regularly monitoring, reporting and provision of technical support;
• Under the guidance of and as requested by the Programme Officer, provide support to national and state government to identify and mitigate policy constraints for improved livelihoods and economic recovery.

Impact of Results

The key results have an impact on the success of country programme within specific areas of cooperation. 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.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:          

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP’s mandate.

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity; 
  
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in economics, business, marketing or agricultural development, international development, gender and development, public policy, and other relevant social sciences.

Experience:

• 2 year of progressively responsible professional experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, livelihoods, development or private sector development.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English.

FC: 30000.