Programme Manager, Stabilisation

Background

Interpeace is an international organisation for peacebuilding that strengthens the ability of societies to manage conflict themselves in sustainable and non-violent ways. Interpeace designs and delivers its work tailored to each situation in partnership with local partners and communities, based on extensive consultation and research. Interpeace also ensures that the processes of conflict management and change that it supports are integrated at all levels of society including local communities, civil society, government and the international community (we call it a ‘Track 6’ approach).

Interpeace was originally established by the United Nations and remains a strategic partner. Beyond field-based peacebuilding, Interpeace also assists the international community – particularly the UN – to be more effective in supporting peacebuilding efforts worldwide. This includes contributing innovative thought leadership on peacebuilding policies and practices. Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva and has offices around the world.

For more information about Interpeace, please visit www.interpeace.org

Position within the Organisation

Interpeace has two facets to its mandate: (1) To strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-violent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to develop social and political cohesion; and (2) To assist the international community (in particular the United Nations) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts around the world. The Policy, Learning and Interpeace Advisory Team (IPAT) unit leads Interpeace’s work on the second facet to work with other actors to capacitate and improve their ability to engage in peacebuilding approaches. The Programme Manager, Stabilisation is part of this unit, leading policy and practical work on the link between stabilisation and peacebuilding as part of Interpeace’s Rethinking Stability initiative.

The Programme Manager, Stabilisation closely collaborates with other members of the Policy, Learning and Interpeace Advisory unit. In particular, the Programme Manager, Stabilisation will liaise closely with colleagues in the Interpeace’s Peace Responsiveness Facility, which aims to systemically improve the conflict sensitivity and peace responsive approaches across various parts of the UN system including UN stabilisation actors. The Programme Manager, Stabilisation also liaises with Interpeace’s field-based programme colleagues; the Global Learning, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager; and the Executive Management Unit. The Programme Manager, Stabilisation works closely with external parties, especially representatives of partner organisations (the Atlantic Council and BAKS), donors, and relevant experts and consultants.

The Programme Manager, Stabilisation reports to the Director of Policy, Learning and IPAT.

Purpose and General Overview

Despite significant investment globally on ending conflicts, there continues to be limited impact. In most cases, enduring peace and security have not been realised. One of the central reasons is that many externally driven stabilisation and peacemaking interventions are poorly coordinated or even contradictory. This reflects the fractured nature of the policy and implementing institutions and wider communities that work on different dimensions of the humanitarian, development, peace and security equation. This challenge is most acute at the nexus between the ‘hard security’ community (principally military actors) on the one hand and the peacebuilding, humanitarian and development community on the other. It is especially critical for cross border conflict dynamics as well as for more localised, ethnic, livelihood and grievance-based conflicts. The recognition of this problem is not new and there is much existing literature and learning on Civil-Military cooperation and dialogue from previous experiences. However, despite this, depending on the countries engaged or the context, there is a lack of recognition at a political and diplomatic level of the importance of such cooperation, or learnings are not being translated into enduring and effective practice on the ground. To address these challenges, Interpeace has launched a policy, research and engagement initiative in partnership with think tanks, governments and practitioners called Rethinking Stability.

The Rethinking Stability initiative is an action-oriented project in partnership with the Atlantic Council, the Federal Academy for Security Policy (Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik – BAKS) and the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). The two-year initiative aims to bridge the operational gap between peacekeeping/military/security actors on one hand and peacebuilding/humanitarian/development actors on the other hand for all collectively to better realise their shared peace objectives. The initiative develops actionable research and strategic partnerships and also convenes high-level dialogues and diplomatic engagement in order to create operationally relevant and timely policy recommendations in a number of stabilisation and peacebuilding contexts, especially in the Sahel and West Africa. The initiative aims also to build familiarity and trust, to improve communication, and to deepen networks among practitioners and policymakers at the global, regional and country levels. The initiative has a global purview but with a specific geographic focus on the Sahel.

The Programme Manager, Stabilisation leads the Rethinking Stability initiative and contributes to the effective and timely implementation of Interpeace’s work overall on bridging the gap between Stabilisation and Peacebuilding*.* S/he co-develops and manages implementation plans in line with the overall programme strategy and budget. The effective management of the programme is intended to achieve the following goals: (1) Strategically selected senior change agents in the stabilisation sector implement peace responsiveness approaches in their work and transfer key lessons into action in the operations of their work; (2) Rigorous learning and policy recommendations are formulated based on evidence about the limits of current approaches of stabilisation to enduring peace, and incentive structures that inhibit meaningful cooperation between international, regional and local peace and security actors, as well as institutional and systematic change supporting it; (3) Recognition is improved of the importance and practical utility of gender responsiveness in the stabilisation and peacebuilding nexus; and, (4) Improved trans-Atlantic relations and the ability of European and American civil and military organisations to draw on cross-organisational intra- and inter-sectoral exchanges and learning in order to foster peace responsiveness at programmatic and institutional efforts, as well as enhanced coordination between security/military and peacebuilding fields.

The position involves some travel, possibly including high-risk security contexts on rare occasions.

Duties and responsibilities

Policy and Research

• Leads the design, development and roll-out of policy engagement, activities and all other aspects of the Rethinking Stability programme, in collaboration with relevant partners and other stakeholders
• Works with partners to commission relevant research and contributes substantively to research on the operational linkage between stabilisation operations and humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actions
• Stays abreast of relevant developments concerning stabilisation in the international security, development and humanitarian policy making environments (such as in the UN, EU, African Union, regional security mechanisms as well as key government policy frameworks) and ensures that these are shared with programme stakeholders
• Leads drafting of policy recommendations sensitised to different actors in the stabilisation, humanitarian, development and peace nexus as well for governments and intergovernmental bodies
• Collaborates with Interpeace’s Peace Responsiveness Facility team to ensure alignment in policy engagement and messaging
• Contributes to the development of other relevant Interpeace policy as well as knowledge products

Programme Management and Development

• Contributes to the planning and practical implementation of high-level dialogues in major international policy hubs, and operational settings in Africa
• Develops and implements workplan and project plans to ensure timely delivery of the programme
• Identifies and develops opportunities to expand the programme’s reach
• Drafts and develops concept notes, proposals, and donor reports
• Undertakes Monitoring and Evaluation activities and reporting in line with the log frame and performance measurement framework of the programme
• Produces timely quality programme reports in line with Interpeace and donor requirements in collaboration with partner organisations
• Reviews and monitors expenditure in line with the available budget and Interpeace policies and procedures
• In cooperation with others, reviews and revises as needed the budgets and financial reporting

Management – institutional coherence

• Ensures close operational coordination at technical working level with other colleagues and teams in Interpeace and with partner organisations (e.g. – collaborates with Interpeace’s Peace Responsiveness Facility team to identify if and how opportunities emerging from the programme for practically fostering more peace responsive stabilisation interventions can be taken forward)
• Responds to requests for information from partner organisations, and ensures that public messaging on the programme by all partners and key stakeholders is coherent and aligned
• Shares all necessary information with partners

Representation and Communication

• Develops and strengthens institutional relationships with partner organisations including local partners and media contacts who are focused on stabilisation, development and humanitarian affairs, including creating and maintaining an Interpeace database of contacts and records of outreach/engagement
• Communicates across Interpeace, connecting colleagues to the programme’s policy agenda
• Represents Interpeace in meetings, conferences, fora and other public events at the Tracks Two and Three level, as directed or required, and occasionally in the context of Track 1 support
• Prepares communications materials (tweets, web stories, reports, talking points) to create visibility for the programme in collaboration with the Communications team
• Identifies suitable communications platform to strengthen the visibility of the programme (events, conferences, websites, publications, and other fora)

Management of Personnel

• Supervises, coaches, and develops interns
• Creates an enabling work environment that fosters learning and innovation, demonstrating gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes
• In collaboration with the Global Operations Unit, safeguards the implementation of Interpeace’s safety and security policy as well other core human resources policies and procedures, and establishes and implements necessary measures that respond to the health, wellbeing and safety and security needs of interns

Qualifications:

Candidates with relevant qualifications, experience, a tertiary degree and fluent in English are invited to apply.

Relevant experience and qualifications may include:

Education

• Tertiary qualification in political science, development, security studies, peace and conflict studies, international relations, public administration, management or related field

Experience

• Professional experience as policy adviser or programme management role (strategy, planning, reflection, implementation, monitoring, evaluation), with some experience in international organisations related to humanitarian, development and peace and/or armed forces being an advantage
• Previous research background and experience contributing to policy development related to stabilisation, peacebuilding, humanitarian and development affairs.

Competencies

• Relevant domain knowledge of issues and politics related to Civilian-Military cooperation, the Humanitarian, Development and Peace nexus, peacebuilding approaches and conflict sensitivity/Do No Harm as well as gender responsive methods and approaches
• Proven ability to communicate, negotiate, and network with officials in governmental and intergovernmental environments
• Ability to write for different audiences with political tact and clarity
• Excellent ability to work in a multicultural environment successfully and to demonstrate gender-responsive and non-discriminatory behavior and attitudes
• Excellent ability to interact with people respectfully and with tact
• Excellent ability to deal with confidential information and/or issues using discretion and good judgment
• Fluent in English (oral and written)
• Interpeace Competencies
  • Collaboration and Weaving
  • Communication
  • Drive for results
  • Adaptability and Continuous Learning
  • Respect for Diversity

Desired

Experience:

• Professional experience in stabilisation field/military training
• Professional experience in peacebuilding, development, and humanitarian assistance
• Professional experience in the UN system
• Policy and Research background related to stabilisation and peacebuilding including sophisticated understanding of the international policy environment for stabilisation within the EU, US, UK and within regional security and intergovernmental bodies such as the AU, NATO and ECOWAS
• Proficiency in French, German and/or Arabic (oral and written)

Other terms of employment

• Interpeace values diversity among its staff and aims to achieve gender equality both through gender parity at all levels of the organisation and promoting a gender dimension in all its work. We welcome applications from women and men, and those with disabilities. We welcome applications from people of all genders, those with disabilities, and those with experience of conflict and violence.
• Gross annual salary: CHF 103,500 – to CHF 105,700 (salary commensurate with experience and internal salary grid). In addition, a health insurance contribution and other benefits are provided.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit their application to recruitment@interpeace.org no later than 31 October 2020. “Programme Manager, Stabilisation” must be included in the subject line of the application email to be considered. The application must include:

• a complete curriculum vitae
• a letter of interest
• an acknowledgement letter

– answering the following questions:

• * Have you ever been criminally convicted or subject to any criminal or administrative penalty by any competent authority? If yes, please specify:
  • Have you ever been terminated or separated (e.g. contract termination, dismissal, non-renewal) or subject to any disciplinary measure or sanction by your employer for fraud, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual exploitation or sexual abuse?
  • Have you ever resigned while under investigation or during disciplinary proceedings?

– Confirming the following declaration of understanding:

I confirm the accuracy of the information provided, with the understanding that Interpeace will conduct reference checks to verify relevant information.

I understand that if any false or misleading information is provided in my application, or any material fact supressed, I may not be employed, of if I am employed, I may be dismissed.

Please note that due to high volume of applications, ONLY short-listed candidates will be contacted.