Peace & Development Advisor, Harare, Zimbabwe 343 views0 applications

Practice Area – Job Family: Peace Building – PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT

Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA)

20/09/2018

Duty Station: Harare, Zimbabwe

Education & Work Experience: I-Master’s Level Degree – 7 year(s) experience

Languages

Required:

Desired:

English

Grade: P4

Vacancy Type: FTA International

Posting Type: External

Bureau: Africa

Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background

The recent political transition in Zimbabwe brought an end to former President Robert Mugabe’s 37 years of rule. Under the new President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Government has expressed commitments towards: social cohesion and peace; economic recovery and job creation; improved quality delivery of social services; anti-corruption; accelerated reform efforts including in the public sector; human security; credible, transparent and peaceful elections in 2018; and re-engagement with the international community;

Building on the longstanding engagement in the country anchored on a relationship of trust and mutual respect with all stakeholders, the UN System in Zimbabwe has renewed its collective commitment to support the Government and the people of Zimbabwe to realize their aspirations and to scale-up its joint support to national efforts towards:

• Creating a conducive environment for accelerated economic recovery and inclusive growth, towards socio-economic and gender equality;
• Supporting efforts towards deepening social cohesion and promotion of citizen engagement;
• Strengthening effective and accountable public sector institutions to enhance quality social service delivery;
• Increasing participation of all citizens, especially women, in democratic processes and promotion of human rights; and,
• Strengthening national and local capacity for accelerated implementation and monitoring of Zimbabwe’s commitment to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Promotion of constitutionalism, respect for the rule of law, consolidation of peace, protection of human rights and gender equality will remain critical;

Under the 2016-2020 Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF), the UN provides support to national development priorities and progress towards the achievement of the SDGs, focusing on six results areas: Food and Nutrition Security; Gender Equality; HIV and AIDS; Poverty Reduction and Value Addition; Public Administration and Governance; and Social Services and Protection. As at the third quarter of the 2017, the UN in Zimbabwe has delivered over USD 714 million worth of development and humanitarian assistance under the current ZUNDAF, making it the third largest UN development portfolio globally;

At this critical juncture in Zimbabwe, the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA)– under the guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator – will provide advice on the UN’s work in support of the Government of Zimbabwe and other national stakeholders to build, strengthen, and sustain nationally-owned and driven efforts in promoting peace and development, with a view to preventing violence and building peaceful societies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator and in close collaborations with the UNDP Country Director, other members of the UNCT, Head of UN Resident Coordinator’s Office and UNDP Governance Unit, the PDA will:

Provide strategic and analytical support to the RC and assist in the RC/UNCT’s relations with regards to peace and development with government officials, academia, civil society, including women’s and youth networks:

• Provide regular situational analysis to RC and UNCT on issues relating to peace and development in Zimbabwe with a view to identifying appropriate ‘entry points’ to promote dialogue, citizen engagement, prevention of violence, and recommending appropriate strategic responses for the UN system, ensuring gender dimensions are captured in analytical efforts and reflected in UNCT programming initiatives; and,
• Organize, develop, and implement community and national-level initiatives to strengthen democratic governance, accelerate reform efforts and ensure longer-term stability, including through the promotion of local dialogue capacities for conflict resolution at local and/or national levels;

Identify areas of programmatic engagement with national stakeholders, and support to RC/UNCT in the preparation of the UN response to government requests, related to building national capacity for dialogue and conflict prevention;

• Under the auspices of the RC, convene and facilitate dialogue among national stakeholders on critical issues, in order to reach consensus on aspects of good collaborative practices and democratic governance;
• Support national stakeholder forums and consultations on critically important issues and processes such as governance reforms;
• Develop and maintain contacts with relevant authorities at both central and local levels, Members of Parliament, academia, civil society organizations, women, youth and religious organizations, and other groups to identify and support activities that contribute to strengthening efforts to resolve national and local issues of contention; and,
• Support specific and targeted initiatives, as requested by national counterparts and under the guidance of the RC, such as multi-stakeholder dialogue processes; building local capacity for negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation processes; support to capacities of networks of mediators and facilitators at national and local levels; support to (electoral) violence prevention initiatives; strengthen women’s and youth initiatives and groups in dialogue processes; support confidence-building measures; and, organize and facilitate training and capacity building workshops for national stakeholders at all levels.

Establish and strengthen strategic partnerships, collaboration and coordination with key national stakeholders, regional and international actors and development partners;

• Establish and maintain networks and strategic partnerships for dialogue and peace building related strategies and initiatives;
• Liaise closely with national, regional, and local stakeholders from Government and civil society including women’s networks and key international actors to identify entry points, foster dialogue and strengthen strategic alliances and partnerships on peace and development, reconciliation and confidence-building initiatives;
• Maintain close liaison with development partners, IFIs and other actors supporting dialogue, peace and related efforts;
• Support UN efforts to mobilize resources for dialogue, peace building and conflict prevention initiatives; and,
• Maintain close contact with relevant staff in UN Headquarters including relevant focal points at UNDP, UN/DPA, Peacebuilding Support Office and the Peacebuilding Fund.

Provide strategic and technical support to UNCT members with regard to peace and development programming and work to strengthen their capacity to undertake analyses and mainstream conflict sensitivity in regular programming;

• Support the design and implementation of strategy for identifying entry points for mainstreaming of conflict sensitivity in the UNCT, including within the Zimbabwe United Nations Development Assistance Framework (ZUNDAF) 2016-2020;
• Support an integrated programmatic approach across the UNCT in the context of SDG 16 – Peace Justice and Strong Institutions;
• Conduct training for UN Country Team staff and key national partners on conflict analysis, conflict prevention and/or conflict-sensitive development, ensuring that the gender dimensions are adequately reflected through analyses produced and meaningfully addressed through programmatic efforts; and,
• Provide analytical and strategic support to UNCT, including in making programmatic linkages with the analysis provided.

Competencies

Core

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

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 ;

Political Economy Analysis

• Ability to analyze 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 ;

Resource Mobilization

• Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in political science, sociology, international relations, development studies, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences;
• In lieu of an Advanced degree, a Bachelor university degree with additional years of experience;

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in design, implementation of Peace, Dialogue and Reconciliation Programmes; conflict analysis, policy advisory, and strategy development, for conflict prevention in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization;
• Extensive experience in peace research, project development and oversight;
• A proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with senior levels of government, Peace and Reconciliation Commissions, United Nations, and donors;
• Experience in national and community-level dialogue, conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming;
• Sound knowledge of and extensive experience in (country/region), including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives, is an advantage;

Language Requirements:

• Fluent written and spoken English is required.

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