Policy Advisor

BACKGROUND

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.

Policy Advisors (variously called Peace and Development Advisors or National Capacities Advisors depending on the national context and needs PDA) work with national stakeholders to build, strengthen, and sustain nationally owned and driven efforts to prevent violent conflict and build just and peaceful societies. The range of countries to which PAs are deployed varies considerably, with some deployed to countries emerging from conflict, others where violence is escalating, and others to countries where there is no violent conflict but underlying structural causes of conflict are present. PAs are also deployed in countries where political and developmental challenges exist around elections and constitutional processes, exclusion and inequality, environment, climate change, and natural resource management.

• PAs are deployed through a partnership between the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention.  
• PAs support Resident Coordinators (RC) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in their efforts to work with national partners on conflict prevention and sustaining peace. They support early warning and risk management measures and ensure that UN assessments, frameworks (mainly UN Cooperation Frameworks), strategies, and programmes are conflict-sensitive and informed by high-quality analysis. They are located in the Resident Coordinators’ office, with a direct reporting line to the RC and a secondary reporting line to the UNDP Resident Representative and DPPA-DPO regional divisions. 

In 2022, PAs will have been deployed into more than 70 countries through the Joint Programme. While most PAs are deployed at the country level, there are a number of PAs who cover multiple countries. 

• In some contexts, PAs are part of a small Peace and Development Advisory team composed of a PA and a substantive national or international officer/analyst.
• PAs also receive additional support from a Joint Programme secretariat based at UN Headquarters in New York, from UNDP and DPPA technical advisors/specialists globally, and from a cadre of regional programme specialists supporting their regions from Amman, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Dakar, Istanbul, and Panama. 

Given the broad range of skills and experience required by PAs, the Joint Programme encourages applications from individuals with a combination of expertise spanning sustainable development, political affairs, peacebuilding, sustaining peace, conflict prevention/resolution, community engagement, justice, reconciliation, dialogue, mediation, and humanitarian-development-peace nexus among other relevant areas. While UN experience is a major asset, it is not a requirement for this position. Moreover, the skills of diplomacy, dialogue and facilitation, analysis, advocacy, networking, capacity development and coordination are critical elements of the work of a PA.

PAs at the P5 level will be deployed in a) particularly complex political, conflict, and security settings as determined by the Joint Programme criticality assessment and analysis carried out by DPPA and UNDP b) in contexts of UN mission/mission transition settings or with other political presences, c) when regional/sub-regional functions are required, or d) when engagement with high-level officials is expected.

Eritrea Country Context: Located along the Red Sea in the Horn of Africa, Eritrea is one of the youngest countries in the continent, having achieved independence from Ethiopia in 1991 (formalized in 1993) after a protracted 30-year liberation struggle. According to the latest national data available, the country’s population stands at 3.65 million, the majority of whom reside in rural areas, with over 49 per cent being under the age of 15.

Soon after independence, Eritrea’s development path was disrupted by the 1998-2000 border war with Ethiopia followed by a protracted 18-year stalemate between the two countries and ten years of international sanctions imposed in connection with Eritrea’s alleged support to Al-Shabaab in Somalia, a claim that Eritrea denied. The situation normalized with the signing of a landmark peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia in July 2018 and the lifting of sanctions by the UN Security Council in November of the same year. Although the historic rapprochement with Ethiopia and the subsequent diplomatic engagements among Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia generated hope that the region could enter a period of peace, security, and cooperation, the armed conflict in Ethiopia’s Tigray region from November 2020 has reversed the trajectory towards regional peace and the progress in Eritrea’s re-engagement with the international community, with the European Union and the United States imposing new sanctions on prominent Eritrean officials and ruling-party related entities in the country in the course of 2021. Eritrea has protested against these new sanctions, terming them unfair and against international law.

Over the past three decades, Eritrea has made progress towards its own vision of people-centered, sustainable development premised on self-reliance, attaining results, particularly in the areas of health and education, though challenges remain. The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic has added another layer of vulnerability, in a context already characterized by recurrent drought and frequent climatic shocks.

UN Context: The arrival of a new UN Resident Coordinator (RC) in the country in June 2021 created a new momentum for reinvigorating the partnership between the Government and the UN which has remained cordial over the years. In November 2021, the UN Heads of Agencies (HoA) held their annual retreat in Nairobi to review their preparedness for the roll-out of the new Cooperation Framework. They were joined in this retreat by several UN Regional Directors. Discussions were also held about enhancing a UN system-wide strategy of engagement with Eritrea. In December, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa made his first visit to Eritrea following an exchange of letters between the President of Eritrea and the Secretary-General. The visit helped to frame discussions about Eritrea’s engagement and contribution to regional peace and security which require follow-up.

In January 2022, the Government of the State of Eritrea and the United Nations jointly launched the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the period 2022-2026. The document will guide UN collective engagement in upcoming years in support of national development aspirations, and by extension the SDGs, and is built around the following strategic pillars:

i. Equitable access to quality essential social services;

ii. Accountable and efficient institutions;

iii. Livelihoods, inclusive & diversified economy;

iv. Climate resilient, sustainable environment & natural resources

Also in January 2022, and as a follow-up to the November 2021 HoA retreat, the Government and the UN Resident Coordinator hosted a 25-strong team of UN Regional Directors and their representatives for a week-long programme of engagements with the Government and for a first-hand experience of the national development context. This was the largest ever-UN mission to Eritrea and both the Government and the UN hailed it as exceptionally successful in affirming and aligning the partnership towards the implementation of the new Cooperation Framework.

The RC and the UNCT are keen on building on the current momentum through increased engagement with the Government, partners and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.

Deployed in the Office of the RC, the interim Policy Advisor will support the UNCT in its strategic engagement with the Government, to deepen trust and dialogue with key national interlocutors and identify entry points to concretely support the country in its development objectives and engagement with the UN and development partners. The PA will also contribute to enhanced exchanges with other UNCTs in the region to increase the sharing of analyses and developments on regional dynamics, including engagement with the Office of the UN Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.

Alongside the proven ability to build networks and being an excellent writer able to build trust and sustain constructive dialogue with Eritrean stakeholders, the incumbent should demonstrate the capacity to navigate sensitive political environments, provide strategic analysis and advice to senior officials and effectively identify opportunities and informed strategic choice-making.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

There are three broad functions of the position:

1. Undertake conflict analysis and provide strategic advice to the Resident Coordinator in his/her engagement with high-level government officials, academia, civil society, including youth and women’s networks, UN Country Teams, HQ, and other relevant stakeholders. Submit the analysis and reporting to the RC, UNDP RR and DPPA.
2. Identify opportunities to build national capacities for conflict prevention, including areas of strategic, programmatic, and policy engagement with national stakeholders, and support the RC and the UNCT action in areas of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus, Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) among others.
3. Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with key national stakeholders, regional and international actors, and development partners on issues related to Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

PAs have a primary reporting line to the Resident Coordinator and secondary reporting lines to the DPPA-DPO regional division and the UNDP Resident Representative. Under their guidance and agreed workplan, and in close collaboration with the country team, the PA will assume the following responsibilities.

Undertake conflict analysis and provide strategic advice to the Resident Coordinator in his/her engagement with high-level government officials, academia, civil society, including youth and women’s networks, UN Country Teams, HQ, and other relevant stakeholders. Submit the analysis and reporting to the RC, UNDP RR, and DPPA:

• Provide risk-informed analysis to the RC and the broader UNCT (and in some contexts, the Humanitarian Country Team) and the UN Headquarters (and regional level as relevant) on political and socio-economic developments and conflict dynamics. This would also require identifying appropriate entry points for conflict prevention and sustaining peace, proposing concrete, actionable and timely recommendations for consideration by the UN leadership.
• Strengthen and support the capacity of the UNCT, including through training, to undertake conflict, context and political economy analysis, ensuring that gendered and human rights dimensions are reflected in both analysis and programming; and inform early warning and response mechanisms.
• Provide updates to the UN Headquarters (and regional level as relevant) in line with the Joint Programme’s reporting guidelines with advice on political and socio-economic developments and conflict dynamics. 
• Support the regular update of the Common Country Assessment (CCA), which informs the design and implementation of the UN Cooperation Framework, including leading the conflict analysis part of the CCA;
• Regularly brief the UNCT on political developments and provide strategic advice on integrated approaches across the UNCT in the context of SDG 16 – Peace Justice and Strong Institutions.
• Participate on behalf of the RC in relevant national fora and represent the UN system where necessary, including engagement with high-level government officials.
• Facilitate the linking of political economy considerations, conflict and political analysis and strategies as well as risk-informed approaches to the UN’s programmatic and policy engagement at the country-level; and
• Engage with academia and think tanks in research and analyses on peace and conflict-related themes, including areas such as climate-related security risk.

Identify opportunities to build national capacities for conflict prevention, including areas of strategic, programmatic, and policy engagement with national stakeholders, and support the RC and the UNCT action in areas of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, human rights, humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) nexus, Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) among others:

• Provide strategic and technical advice, and support the design and initiation of peace-promoting initiatives or engagements in areas such as conflict prevention and sustaining peace; infrastructures for peace; dialogue processes; confidence-building measures, electoral violence prevention; social cohesion; reconciliation; countering violent extremism; and stabilization;
• Support the design and facilitation of national multi-stakeholder processes, building national and local capacity for negotiation, mediation and dialogue; and strengthening networks of mediators and facilitators (including female mediators) at national and local levels;

• Identify opportunities and options for UN preventive diplomacy engagement as required;
• Support connecting local and national level conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts, as well as regional and/or cross-border initiatives as appropriate;
• Identify and engage civil society actors in the peace and development agenda supported by the UN and work with other UN entities, including OHCHR and UN Women, to protect human rights and expand civic space;
• Support the UNCT in their efforts on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) and gendered dimensions of peacebuilding and SCR 1325 (and related resolutions) as well as Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and SCR 2250;
• Support the design and implementation of strategies for identifying entry points for mainstreaming of conflict prevention and conflict sensitivity in the work of the UNCT (including within the CCA, Cooperation Framework, Country Programme Documents (CPD), etc.); and where relevant, support UN’s resource mobilization efforts for conflict prevention;
• Provide strategic guidance and quality assurance to the design and implementation of programmes funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund (PBF), where applicable, and engage closely with PBF governance mechanisms; as well as with DPPA regional divisions and UNDP Country Office and HQ on the implementation; and
• Support UNDP in the design of strategic interventions and programmes that will promote a coherent national governance architecture for sustainable development in the context of SDG 16, and aligned to both the national priorities and CPD.

Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships with key national stakeholders, regional and international actors, and development partners on issues related to Sustaining Peace and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:

• Establish and maintain networks and strategic partnerships for sustaining peace-related strategies and initiatives and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and national SDG plans;
• Liaise closely with national, regional, and local stakeholders, including civil society, academia, think tanks, women’s and youth networks and key international actors (including International Financial Institutions and regional organizations) to identify entry points, foster dialogue and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on conflict prevention, trust- and confidence-building, and reconciliation initiatives;
• Maintain close liaison with relevant development partners, the diplomatic corps, regional organizations and other actors supporting the UN’s conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts;
• Maintain close contact with relevant staff in UN Headquarters as well at the regional level, including relevant focal points at UNDP, DPPA-DPO, DCO and work closely with the regional programme specialists based in the region;
• Maintain close contact with Special Envoys, Special Representatives of the Secretary-General, political missions and offices where relevant;
• Liaise with the DPPA-Peacebuilding Support Office together with the respective DPPA-DPO regional division in countries where PBF activities are being developed and/or implemented; and
• Contribute to the results-based management efforts of the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme, including through setting up mechanisms to assess and measure the impact of peace and development initiatives and providing the Joint Programme secretariat with inputs on progress at the country level.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

• Policy Advisor will supervise the Peace and Development Officer/Analyst/Specialist (for countries for such positions are established)

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of a diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management Competencies:

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found on the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction and Strategy: Strategic Thinking

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UN’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.’
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for the UN.

Business Management: Partnership Management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UN strategy and policies

Business Management: Communication

• Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels

Agenda 2030 - People: Gender

• Women, Peace, and Security

Agenda 2030 - Peace: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive

• Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity

Agenda 2030 - Peace: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive

• Dialogue, Mediation and Reconciliation

Agenda 2030 - Peace: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive

• Early Warning

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in conflict resolution, peace studies, political science, sociology, human rights, international relations, economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• At least ten (10) years of experience in conflict analysis, strategy development, risk-informed/conflict-sensitive development and/or conflict prevention & sustaining peace in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization;
• Proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with senior officials, such as in the United Nations, government and external partners;
• Experience in programming and project management, such as programme design and results in monitoring, in areas related to conflict prevention, peacebuilding and/or development; 
• Experience working within a UN Agency/Fund/Programme or Department and/or field experience would be an asset;
• Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming; with experience in gendered dimensions of peacebuilding being an asset;
• Knowledge of and experience working in Eritrea or the Horn of Africa region would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

Other Requirements:

• Qualified female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.

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