Associate Peace and Development Officer (PDO)

Volunteering Elections & Governance

Overview

Assist in peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts in Fiji.

You have:

• Demonstrated interest or experience in Peace/Peacebuilding, Conflict prevention, Programme/project development and management (up to 3 years).
• Skills in Research and analysis, Drafting.
• Ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort.
• Planning and organizing skills.
• Professionalism in working with diverse teams.

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at its core, and in response to the General Assembly resolution 71/243 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, the UN Secretary General’s report (December 2017) “Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet” puts forward a comprehensive proposal on further improvements to the resident coordinator system to ensure more coherent, accountable and effective support for the 2030 Agenda. This was further reinforced by General Assembly resolution 72/729 of 1 June 2018, which gave the Secretary-General the mandate to implement the repositioning. A reinvigorated resident coordinator (RC) system is at the center of a repositioned United Nations Development System. While the System has been instrumental in driving coherence on the ground over the past four decades, it is now insufficiently robust to respond to the needs of the 2030 Agenda. The report stresses that Resident Coordinator Offices will need to be adequately staffed to ensure sufficient substantive capacities to lead United Nations Country Teams. The core capacity will include expertise in coordination and strategic planning, economics, tailored policy support, results monitoring and evaluation, and strategic partnerships, plus a robust standing communications capacity within United Nations country teams.

Violent conflict has surged in recent years. While the complex relationship between conflict, security, and development is increasingly understood, international assistance and investment in conflict prevention remain relatively low. At the same time, approaches to preventing conflict have evolved significantly, as peacebuilding policy and practice have advanced. The UN, its Member States, and other partners increasingly see prevention as a critical strategy for sustaining peace and promoting development.

Conflict prevention is now widely recognized as a rational and cost-effective approach for countries at risk of violence and for the international community as a whole.

The joint UNDP–DPPA programme on building national capacities for conflict prevention has made a significant contribution in bridging the gap between political engagement and development assistance. In its current phase, the Joint Programme continues to strengthen the analytical capacities of national stakeholders and the UN system, supporting Member States’ efforts to enhance policy and programmatic coherence on conflict prevention and to advance strategies for sustaining peace. The deployment of Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs) remains the primary mechanism of the Joint Programme to provide capacity for UN Resident Coordinators (UNRCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs). PDAs support national partners in dialogue and mediation processes, establishing and operationalizing infrastructures for peace, and other initiatives aimed at sustaining peace.

Under the direct supervision of the PDA and the guidance of the UNRC, the Associate PDO will work with the RCO team to ensure effective implementation and coordination of activities related to peacebuilding and conflict prevention. The Fiji Multi-country Office currently has an active joint programme on peacebuilding in Fiji with one for Solomon Islands in the pipeline, with implementation expected to start later this year.

Under the direct supervision of the Peace and Development Advisor, the Associate Peace and Development Officer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Research, Information-Gathering, and Analysis • Assist with research, information-gathering, and analysis, focusing on peacebuilding and conflict prevention. • Assist in gathering and processing data relevant to the UN’s role and activities in Fiji and the subregion, with particular attention to social cohesion, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. • Support the PDA in political, political economy, and/or conflict analysis; monitor the national context; and report on peace and security issues, including analysis of local sources. • Assist in conducting and coordinating research on thematic issues relevant to the country context.

2. Support Inclusive and Conflict-Sensitive Approaches • Assist in identifying entry points for building national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with civil society, including women’s and youth networks. • Support programmatic engagement with national stakeholders on social cohesion, dialogue, conflict prevention, and consensus building. • Assist in exploring opportunities for engagement with government, civil society, and other key counterparts. • Assist in mapping and analyzing civil society actors’ capacities for peacebuilding and conflict prevention, particularly youth, women, and marginalized groups. • Support with facilitation of links between local initiatives and national-level institutions, reinforcing dialogue between government and civil society.

3. Coordination, Partnerships, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) • Support external coordination between government, civil society, private sector, and international stakeholders, including the UN system. • Support with M&E of the Peacebuilding Fund projects, including data collection, processing, and analysis in collaboration with the RCO team and the Joint Programme Secretariat. • Contributes to knowledge management and the sharing of good practices, lessons learned, and success stories with the Joint Programme Secretariat. • Assist with organizing meetings, consultations, and engagement processes with national and international partners.

During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check‑ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance

Adaptability and Flexibility Planning and Organizing Professionalism Working in Teams

Demonstrated interest or experience (up to 3 years) in: • Peace / Peacebuilding • Conflict prevention • Programme/project development and management

Skills in: • Research and analysis • Drafting

Fiji is a unique country and the RCO is a unique operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 5 days ago - Updated 4 hours ago - Source: unv.org