Peace and Development Officer

Port Moresby

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Port Moresby
Grade: Junior level - NO-B, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
- Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
- Governance and Peacebuilding
- Peace and Development
- PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Closing Date: Closed

Background

Violent conflict has surged in recent years, and in 2016, more countries experienced violent conflict than at any time in nearly 30 years. While the complex relationship between conflict, security and development is increasingly understood, international assistance and investment in conflict prevention have remained relatively low. At the same time, approaches to preventing conflict have been refined considerably, as policy and practice on peacebuilding have evolved – and the UN, its Member States and other partners are increasingly looking to prevention as a critical strategy for sustaining peace and nurturing development. Conflict prevention is increasingly recognized as a rational and costeffective strategy for countries at risk of violence and for the international community.

The joint UNDP-DPPA programme on building national capacities for conflict prevention has made a ground-breaking contribution in bridging the gap between political engagement and development assistance in pursuit of preventing conflict and sustaining peace. In its new phase (2019-2023), the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme will further strengthen the analytical capacities of national stakeholders and the UN system in support of Member States’ efforts to advance policy and programmatic coherence on conflict prevention and support strategies for sustaining peace.

The deployment of Peace and Development Advisors and has been the primary instrument of the Joint Programme to provide capacity for Resident Coordinators, UNDP and UN Country Teams to support national partners in dialogue and national or local mediation processes, the establishment and operationalization of national infrastructures and

mechanisms for peace; and other initiatives aimed at sustaining peace.

In an effort to ensure that PDAs are better equipped and empowered to deliver on their mandates, the Joint Programme has established in a number of contexts small ‘Peace and Development teams’ where a national Peace and Development Officer provides reinforced capacity to the PDA’s engagement in support of the RCOs and UNCTs in the area of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. There are currently 56 PDA positions across the globe, including 20 teams.

In the Papua New Guinea context, the National PDO will support the Peace and Development Advisor in efforts related to research and analysis in the area of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, identify entry points and provide support for UN initiatives related to building national capacities for conflict prevention, including by providing support to the Highlands Joint Programme, and other coordination and partnership support functions to the PDA team.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Peace and Development Officer works under the direct supervision and guidance of the PDA, to provide substantive support in four main areas of activity, including:

Assist on research, information-gathering and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention,
Identify entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, including women’s and youth networks.
Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships and M&E.

Under the direct supervision of the PDA, the main duties and responsibilities of the PDO will include:

1. Assisting on research, information-gathering and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention:

Gather and process data and information relevant to the UN’s role and activities in Papua New Guinea, and particularly in the Highlands Region, with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention and sustainable development;
Support the PDA in undertaking political, political economy and/or conflict analysis, monitoring the situation in the country, and reporting of issues related to peace and security, including through analysis of local sources;
Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas.

2. Identifying entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, including women’s and youth networks:

Assist the PDA in identifying areas of programmatic engagement with national stakeholders related to social cohesion, dialogue, conflict prevention and consensus building; and contribute to the development of conflictsensitive approaches;
Under the guidance of the PDA, support the exploration of entry points with key national counterparts including the Government and civil society;
Advise on mainstreaming conflict-sensitive approaches; including provision of training UN Country Team staff and key national partners on conflict analysis, conflict prevention and/or conflict-sensitive development; and advice to specific initiatives such as the Highlands Joint Programme;
Undertake mappings and analysis with civil society actors’ (including youth, women, and marginalized groups) capacities for conflict prevention/ peacebuilding at local and national level, using the exercise to inform the support provided by the PDA and UNCT throughout the duration of the assignment;
Support the PDA in their engagement with national and local stakeholders, focusing particularly on engaging with civil society actors at local level and academia, to help link local initiatives to national-level institutions, structures and processes, as well as reinforcing dialogue between government and civil society and/or people-to-people dialogues.

3. Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships and M&E:

Support the external coordination of existing partnerships between stakeholders (government, civil society, private sector and the international community, including the UN system).
In close collaboration with the PDA and the Joint Programme Secretariat, support monitoring and evaluation function, including collecting, processing and analyzing data in the framework of peace and development team workplan;
Support knowledge management and sharing of good practices on conflict prevention and peacebuilding; ensure that stories and lessons learned are shared with the Joint Programme Secretariat; and respond to specific requests for information; and
Perform an array of duties that support UN coordination and effective Peace and Development Team programme implementation. These may include: assisting in organizing meetings and consultations, organizing and implementing consultation processes with national and international partners

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully.

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow

Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Models independent thinking and action

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services

Technical/Functional Competencies:

Social Cohesion

Knowledge of methods and experience of supporting communities to achieve greater inclusiveness, more civic participation and creating opportunities for upward mobility

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Peacebuilding and Reconciliation

Ability to support peace processes to facilitate recovery and development.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise.
Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Conflict-Sensitive Programming

Ability to use methods and tools to monitor conflict triggers and determine impact of various dynamics in conflict-prone situations.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Conflict Analysis and Risk Assessment

Knowledge of conflict analysis and risk assessment concepts and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Gender

Knowledge of gender issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a gender perspective.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Civil Society Engagement

Knowledge to create and implement civil society initiatives and apply across peace and development work.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Knowledge Management

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in political science, sociology, international relations, development studies, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences. A first-level university degree in the same areas in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years (4 years with Bachelors Degree) of progressively responsible experience in analysis, research, development and/or conflict prevention in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization is required;
Experience in report writing and sound drafting skills is desirable;
Experience in project/programme development and management is desirable;
Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming is desirable;
In-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in Papua New Guinea, including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives; and awareness and familiarity of key actors and stakeholders across the political, economic, and development spheres alongside knowledge of government, civil society, and other non-state actors is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluent in written and spoken English is required. Fluency in Tok Pisin and local languages spoken in the PNG Highlands Regions is an advantage.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

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