Date of last update: 25/01/2021 2021-01-25
UNDP is the UN Development Programme and works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. UNDP supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they help shape global sustainable development for the next 10 years.
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Background
Peace and Development Specialist (hereafter PDS) 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 PDSs are deployed vary 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. PDSs are also deployed in countries where political and developmental challenges exist around issues related to elections and constitutional processes, exclusion and inequality, environment, climate change and natural resource management.
PDSs 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. PDSs 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 2020, PDSs are deployed to more than 50 countries through the Joint Programme. While most PDSs are deployed at country-level, there are a number of PDSs who cover multiple countries. In some contexts, PDSs are part of a small Peace and Development Advisory team composed of a PDS and a substantive national or international officer/analyst. PDSs 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 PDSs, 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 a PDS's work.
Zambia's context
Zambia is a relatively stable landlocked country in the Southern Africa and Great Lakes region. Ranking 143 in the UN Human Development indicators in 2019, Zambia currently faces multiple and at times inter-related socio-economic, political, regional security, as well as climatic risks and challenges. These require concerted and coordinated UN cross-pillar support and advocacy, including early warning and risk mitigation efforts, especially in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with debt sustainability issues, is posing severe challenges on Zambia's economy and the livelihoods of the population. While Zambia is known for its relatively peaceful elections and transition of power, the political environment in the run up to tripartite elections in August 2021 has been marked by growing polarization, rising political tensions and increasingly constrained political and civic space. Regionally, Zambia's cross-border tensions with the Democratic Republic of Congo have at times resulted in military incidents and violence, raising the need for protection of refugees and border communities. Moreover, climate change, including drought, are impacting food security, thereby exacerbating fragilities and reducing resilience.
In this context, the United Nations in Zambia has developed a socio-economic response to COVID-19 as a contribution to the Government of Zambia's multi-sectoral contingency plan and recovery efforts. UNDP is currently supporting the election process, as well as dialogue and mediation efforts through its "Democracy Strengthening" Project which has two main components: (1) Electoral Institutions and Processes Strengthening for key democratic institutions including the Electoral Commission of Zambia, Zambia Police, Judiciary, Human Rights Commission (HRC), political parties, media and civil society and (2) Programming for Peace aiming to enhance conflict prevention and mitigation mechanisms to support the peaceful conduct of elections. However, with the aforementioned stress factors likely to escalate socio-political tensions, there is a need for a multi-pronged nationally-led conflict prevention strategy, and inclusive dialogue efforts, harnessing Zambia's legacy of peace and enhancing the political participation of women and youth.
It is against this background that services of Peace and Development Specialist (PDS) are being sought to work in country alongside national stakeholders to build, strengthen, and sustain nationally-owned and driven efforts to mediate, resolve, and transform tensions, with a view to preventing electoral violence and building a peaceful society. The PDS will also offer political and programmatic advisory services to the larger UNCT and UNHQ on the UNSG Prevention Agenda. The PDS will further work closely with the UNDP Governance team to sustain the on-going work with the GRZ and other stakeholders. The PDS reports to the Resident Coordinator with a secondary reporting line to the UNDP Resident Representative, as well as the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and the Regional Bureau for Africa of UNDP in New York.
Duties and Responsibilities
While the nature of the PDS role varies according to country and regional context, there are three broad functions of the position:
PDSs 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 PDS will:
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-DPO Division.
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.
Competencies
CORE COMPETENCIES
Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work
Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow
People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
Delivery
Ability to get things done
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
Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Ability to support peace processes to facilitate recovery and development
Conflict-Sensitive Programming
Ability to use methods and tools to monitor conflict triggers and determine impact of various dynamics in conflict-prone situations
Conflict and Political Economy Analysis
Ability to analyse socio-political dynamics influencing power and influence through various lenses (i.e. national, local, communal levels and ethnic, demographic, etc.)
Knowledge Management
Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge
Relationship Management
Ability to engage with other parties and forge productive working relationships
Gender
Knowledge of gender issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a gender perspective
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Advanced university degree (Master's Degree) in political science, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences. In lieu of an Advanced degree, a Bachelor's university degree with two additional years of may be considered.
Experience
Language Requirements
Fluent written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of of another UN language is an advantage.
Other
UNDP Zambia promotes a green workplace and diversity. Qualified female candidates and persons living with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply.
UNDP Zambia is a non-smoking environment.
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Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: 1 year
Macro-area: Sub-Saharan Africa
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Political Affairs, Conflict and Peacekeeping
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations