Peace and Development Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

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 peace-building 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 cost-effective 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 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. There are currently 63 PDA positions across the globe.

Under the direct supervision of the Peace and Development Advisor, the UN Volunteer will be responsible, inter alia, for supporting the following tasks: 1. Assist on research, information-gathering, and analysis reflecting the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, with a specific focus on supporting early warning efforts and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention: • Gather and process data and information relevant to the UN's role and activities in The Gambia and the sub-region as relevant, with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding, transitional justice, constitutional reform, social cohesion, and national reconciliation, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. • Support the PDA in undertaking political, peace and development, political economy and/or conflict analyses, monitoring the situation in the country, and reporting, including early warning, of issues related to peace and development, and security, including through analysis of local sources, and identifying entry points for preventive diplomacy efforts.
• Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas, as directed by the PDA. • Support the PDA, UNDP, and DPPA on the update of the Conflict and Development Analysis (CDA, last one dated 2019) to inform the formulation of upcoming strategic frameworks (NDP, CF, CPDs, etc.) for UNCT. 2. 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: • 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 conflict-sensitive 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 the provision of training UN Country Team staff and key national partners on conflict analysis, conflict prevention, and/or conflict-sensitive development; • Undertake mappings and analysis with civil society actors (including youth, women, and marginalized groups) capacities for conflict prevention/ peacebuilding at the 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 the 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 work plan; • 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.
• Perform an array of duties that support UN coordination and effective Peace and Development Team program implementation. These may include assisting in organizing meetings and consultations, organizing and implementing consultation processes with national and international partners.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs: • Timely, responsive and high-quality delivery of coordination and support to ongoing and new development programs or other initiatives related to conflict prevention and peacebuilding; • High-quality analysis and collection of data on current domestic and regional issues of relevance for the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA) portfolio; • Strengthened engagement with civil society actors on issues relating to conflict prevention and peacebuilding; • Consistently take into account social inclusion and mainstream gender in all tasks; • Supporting coordination of existing and creation of new partnerships between relevant stakeholders (government, civil society, private sector, and the international community, including the UN system).

1. Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take owner-ship; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment.
2. Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations.
3. Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
4. Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines.
5. Teamwork and respect for diversity: the ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender;
6. Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations.
7. Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, re-mote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations.
8. Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance.

the field of social development involving national and international interlocutors (i.e. international community, civil sector, public institutions) is required • Full computer literacy (especially word processing, spreadsheets, and virtual communication). • Strong written and oral communication skills, as well as competence in the areas of strategic thinking, public relations advising. • Demonstrated knowledge of the human rights-based approach and gender mainstreaming in program development/coordination. • Demonstrated networking and partnership-building skills. • Strong expertise in coordination. • Relevant work experience in the UN system would be an asset.
• Peacebuilding and conflict transformation experience would be an asset.
• Experience in the diplomatic and political sectors would be an asset.
The incumbent must be a dynamic, team-oriented, multi-functional person who supports the PDA and the UNCT with professionalism and dedication

The Specialist will be based in Banjul, the capital. The Gambia is situated at the tip of the West African coast and has a total surface area of approximately 10,360 square kilometres. Apart from the 48 km stretch at the Atlantic Ocean, The Gambia is surrounded by Senegal. The climate is Sudano-Sahelian, which consists of a short hot rainy season from July to September and a cooler dry season from October to June. The Gambia has a total population of about 1.9 million. English is the official language. Mandinka, Fula and Wolof are the main local languages most widely used in the country. The Gambia is relatively peaceful and the people are warm and friendly. The entire country is in security level 2 – Low.

The duration of your assignment is 12 months. A volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).