Civil Society Engagement Analyst (NPSA9) - Sokoto, Nigeria

UNDP is engaged in the North West of Nigeria through an integrated conflict prevention program comprising of three interrelated projects.

Firstly, the “Strengthening Local And State Level Peace Architectures For Peacebuilding and Prevention in Katsina and Kaduna States of North West Nigeria Project” with funding from the Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund Project aims to reinforce non-military responses to conflict and insecurity in Kaduna and Katsina States by strengthening existing infrastructures for peace, providing safe spaces for inclusive (inter-and-intra)-community dialogue, enhancing the resilience of communities directly affected by conflict through the provision of psychosocial support and increasing access to sustainable livelihoods. The inter-agency project is implemented jointly by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women and International Organization for Migration (IOM), with UNDP being the coordinating agency. Additionally, UNDP has entered into a UN-to-UN agreement with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR).

Secondly, to foster resilience against climate and security risks, the North West Climate-Peace Hubs: A Climate Security Approach to Conflict Prevention project, with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will through a conflict-sensitive manner contribute towards: 1) improved access to data supporting decision-making for anticipatory actions to climate and conflict risks, 2) increased access conflict sensitive and climate resilient livelihoods and green jobs and 3) strengthened systems and practices for communal management of natural resources. The project pilot states are Katsina and Sokoto, with focus on borderland areas.

Thirdly, the Preventative Action Facility funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs catalyzes timely, collaborative, and decisive, State led, cross-state and cross-border prevention efforts to the front line states of Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina. The aim is to prevent the region from descending into loss of governance control over large swaths of territory, a possible humanitarian crisis and a new foothold for regional violent extremist actors with grave implications to Nigeria’s security.

The three projects are interrelated and mutually supplementary, but with different focus areas and approaches.  

Under the direct supervision of the Conflict & Political Economy Specialist, the Civil Society Engagement Analyst will be responsible for the following functions and tasks:

Summary of Key Functions:

• Serve as the focal point for civil society engagement in the NW programme and building the prevention capacity of nonprofit organizations in the North West;
• Support the development and implementation of programme strategies, project activities and day-to-day field engagement;
• Support knowledge management and information sharing, including monitoring and evaluation, reporting and communications with the interventions in the NW.

• Working with Civil Society groups, enhance the citizens’ ability to contribute to preventative responses to conflict;
• Engage Civil Society to advance local innovative approaches to peacebuilding in a way that fosters collaboration and collaborative values, transforms attitudes and gives stronger voices to communities;
• Ensure efficient coordination in the civil society engagement in UNDP’s NW programme;
• Ensure inclusive participation as well as conflict and gender sensitivity in UNDP’s civil society engagement.

2. Support the development and implementation of programme strategies, project activities and day-to-day field engagement:

• Undertake thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and in target communities; and provide substantive inputs to UNDP related projects regarding civil society engagement;
• Support the civil society components in the implementation of the day-to-day activities of the NW intervention;
• Consult regularly with other UNDP projects and programmes on related activities where synergies are possible;
• Consult regularly with projects implemented by other UN agencies and INGO’s on related activities in the North West and other conflict prevention and peacebuilding related target states;
• Identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned with regards to civil society engagement.

 3. Support knowledge management and information sharing, including monitoring and evaluation, reporting and communications with the interventions in the NW:

• Regularly contribute to contextual briefings and analysis and overall programme reporting with particular focus on CSO engagements and activities;
• Facilitate and document human interest stories of beneficiaries and develop communication materials on the engagement with civil society.

The Civil Society Engagement Analyst would be reporting to the Conflict & Political Economy Specialist.

Competencies

Core competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies

Business Management

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Management

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization's programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity;  
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Direction & Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Direction & Strategy: 

• Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one's authority, area of expertise and resources. 

Business Direction & Strategy: 

• Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates 'win-win' situations. 

Business Development: Integration within the UN

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.