This UN Volunteer assignment forms part of UNDP Sudan’s effort to rebuild and strengthen local peace infrastructures during ongoing armed conflict. Prior to the war, public university-affiliated peace centers functioned as trusted academic and practitioner platforms for conflict research, mediation process design, dialogue facilitation, and conflict advisory support. They served as neutral conveners capable of bridging political, ethnic, and regional divides.

The war has disrupted their operations through displacement, infrastructure damage, leadership fragmentation, and funding collapse. However, these centers remain among the few institutions with the legitimacy, expertise, and networks necessary to support community-level peacebuilding.

The National UN Volunteer will be embedded within a selected Peace Centre to: • Support institutional recovery and operational strengthening • Conduct structured conflict analysis • Assist in mediation process design and facilitation support • Contribute to documentation of local peace initiatives • Support the application of Everyday Peace Indicators methodologies • Strengthen linkages between local peace actors and UNDP/UN programming • Promote and support women’s participation in conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding efforts.

The assignment features a dual reporting line: • Technical supervision: UNDP Peacebuilding & Governance Pillar • Operational coordination: Director/Head of Host Peace Centre

Additional Information:

National UN Specialist Volunteers in Sudan are entitled to: - Monthly Volunteer Living allowance (VLA) at amount of 1,597.25 USD. - danger and Hardship Differential DHD: 575. USD. - Annual and learning leaves. - Free Medical and life insurance. - Free access to different learning platforms.

Institutional Strengthening & Needs Assessment • Conduct needs assessments of the host Peace Centre to identify infrastructure, operational, capacity and staffing gaps. • Support revitalization of institutional mandates and workplans. • Assist in rebuilding documentation systems and institutional memory.
Conflict Analysis & Mediation Process Support • Conduct structured conflict analysis. • Support the design of inclusive mediation and dialogue processes at community level. • Provide technical backstopping to insider mediators and peace practitioners. • Facilitate or co-facilitate dialogue processes.
Sudan Peace Observatory Engagement • Support engagement with the Sudan Peace Observatory, a conflict-sensitive platform that documents and analyses local peace initiatives across Sudan to strengthen situational awareness and inform adaptive peacebuilding programming. • Document local peace initiatives using structured analytical frameworks, including the Actors-Content-Context-Process (ACCP) model used by the Observatory. • Support triangulation and validation of locally sourced information in coordination with the Peace Centre network. • Receive training in the Everyday Peace Indicators (EPI) methodology and support integration of EPI findings into Observatory analysis to strengthen understanding of local conflict dynamics and social cohesion trends.
Support UNDP Peacebuilding and Governance Programming • Support the rollout and implementation of UNDP peacebuilding and governance programming in the geographic area or state where the Peace Centre is located and where the UN Volunteer is assigned. • Work in coordination with the UNDP Peacebuilding and Governance Pillar and the host Peace Centre to ensure programming is informed by local conflict dynamics and grounded in community-level peacebuilding efforts. • Support documentation of programme outcomes, lessons learned, and emerging good practices from field implementation.
Conflict-Sensitive Programming Advisory • Provide regular analytical briefs and risk updates to UNDP and relevant partners to support conflict-sensitive decision-making across humanitarian, development, and peace programming. • Identify geographic areas and thematic sectors requiring preventive engagement or prioritized intervention considering brewing tensions and escalation risks. • Advise on integrating conflict sensitivity into humanitarian and development interventions to mitigate unintended negative impacts and prevent aid-related tensions or instrumentalization. • Contribute to adaptive programming by identifying opportunities where humanitarian or development interventions can reinforce local peace dividends and strengthen inter-group cooperation.
Knowledge Management • Prepare periodic analytical and narrative reports for UNDP. •Track emerging risks to local peace agreements. • Contribute to donor reporting and visibility products. • Support knowledge exchange between Peace Centers and UNDP teams. • Document lessons learned and good practices for adaptive programming. • Contribute to a networking culture between the Peace Centers across Sudan, fostering collaboration and joint visioning for conflict transformation and durable peacebuilding across the country.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organizing • Professionalism • Self-management • Integrity and impartiality

• Experience supporting community-level mediation or peacebuilding initiatives. • Strong knowledge of Sudan’s local conflict dynamics and governance structures. • Experience in conflict analysis and mediation process design. • Strong facilitation, coordination, and communication skills. • Ability to work in politically sensitive and volatile environments. • High ethical standards and conflict sensitivity. • Ability to work independently and collaboratively. • Strong analytical and report-writing skills.

Duty stations vary and may involve challenging security conditions, limited services, and operational constraints due to ongoing conflict. Volunteers must adhere strictly to UN security protocols and conflict-sensitive practices. Despite challenges, this assignment offers a unique opportunity to directly contribute to rebuilding Sudan’s local peace architecture and strengthening community-based peace efforts during a critical historical moment.

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Potential interview questions

Can you describe a community-level peacebuilding initiative you have worked on?	This question assesses your practical experience in peacebuilding.	Provide a specific example detailing your role and the outcome.
How do you approach conducting a conflict analysis?	The interviewer wants to understand your analytical skills in conflict situations.	Pro members can see the explanation.
What strategies do you implement to enhance women's participation in peace processes?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
Describe a time you had to work in a politically sensitive environment.	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you ensure effective collaboration with diverse stakeholders?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
Can you give an example of a time when you had to provide conflict-sensitive programming advice?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
What measures do you take to document lessons learned in peacebuilding processes?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.
How do you handle challenging situations in peace initiatives?	Pro members can see the explanation.	Pro members can see the explanation.