Purpose
The spread of radicalization is an imminent threat to peace, stability, and development. Absolutist ideologies that reject co-existence, tolerance, and progress represent an existential threat to many countries. Such ideologies have found recruits amongst youth who believe they have been failed by the state and excluded from legitimate political and economic processes. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as the leading development agency in the United Nations System has sought to understand the drivers of radicalization, its manifestations at the national and regional level, and how government, communities, and citizens can be supported to respond, which ensures the protection and promotion of human rights.
The UNDP Regional Service Centre of Africa developed the Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism regional project anchored in the Regional Programme. This followed an 18-month consultation process with the African Union, Regional Economic Communities (including IGAD and ECOWAS), Bilateral partners (Sweden, Finland, US, UK, Mauritania, Netherlands, and the EU), CSO’s including faith based institutions, academia/research based institutions, media organizations, African governments and the wider UN family. The project articulates a development response and addresses structural, causative or perpetuating factors. The initiatives focus on eighteen (18) countries including: countries at the epicenter of the crisis; neighboring countries affected by violent extremism, and countries at risk. The initiative promotes a regional approach given cross border and sub-regional dynamics demanding a coordinated regional approach.
This six-year regional development project, which started in 2016, is designed to strengthen the development responses to mitigate the growth of violent extremism in Africa. It is the first phase of a long-term engagement by UNDP. It responds to the ever-increasing presence of violent extremist groups in Africa causing, in the words of former UN Security – General Ban Ki-moon, an ‘arc of upheaval and distress’. Violent extremism is having a devastating impact on the lives and livelihoods of populations across the continent – particularly the most vulnerable, including youth, women, and children.
The Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism: A Development Approach project is implemented at the country and regional level. At the regional level, the project supports the capacity of the African Union Commission (AUC) and Regional Economic Communities (IGAD and ECOWAS) to prevent and respond to violent extremism. At the country level, the project will be implemented in three categories of countries: ‘epicentre countries’ – Libya, Mali, Nigeria, Somalia; ‘spillover countries’ – Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger, and Tunisia; and ‘at-risk’ countries – the Central African Republic, Morocco, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Interventions have been initiated in the 18 countries.
The project focuses on interventions in seven key areas: national PVE coordination and capacity; rule of law and security; disengagement and reintegration; socio-economic factors; public awareness, dialogue, and counter-narratives; community resilience; and gender-specific initiatives. Programming is informed by cutting-edge research published in September 2017 by UNDP – Journey to Extremism in Africa – which presents the largest set of primary data on the drivers and incentives of joining violent extremist groups, as expressed by recruits to the continent’s deadliest groups themselves. In addition, programming is supported by two cross-cutting activities: research, policy, and advocacy; and, capacity-building for regional and sub-regional organizations. The project as a whole draws on UNDP’s expertise and capacities as they relate to drivers of violent extremism, for instance in addressing weak state capacity, poor service delivery, endemic marginalization and poverty, and lack of coordination at national and regional levels.
The Project focuses on nine (9) Actions [the project document can be found at:
http://www.africa.undp.org/content/rba/en/home/library/reports/framing-development-solutions-to-radicalization-in-africa/]
Reporting structure and partners
The Project Manager will be working within a dedicated team of international and national staff, under the overall leadership of the Regional Programme Coordinator. The Project Manager will also be expected to work closely with affected UNDP Country Offices in Africa, responsible for the implementation of selected components of the Project and in close collaboration with the AU Peace and Security Department (PSD), and Regional Economic Communities (RECs) as deemed relevant.
The Project Manager will operate under the direct supervision of the Regional Programme Coordinator for Africa.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Provides strategic direction to the project team for the efficient implementation of activities of the Project
- Conducts thorough analysis of political/social and economic situation of the region and countries of the Project and identifies strategic areas of support for UNDP relevant to the Project.
- Provides strategic direction to the Project and specialized technical advice to the senior management on the development of systems, processes, and mechanisms to support effective project planning, implementation, monitoring, and timely reporting.
- Provides policy, technical, and managerial advice to the Country Offices in which the Project is implemented.
- Builds solid relationships with key partners and identifies institutional development and capacity building opportunities and priorities, where relevant.
- Ensures the integration of cross-cutting issues, such as gender, peace building, rights of persons with disabilities, human rights, and resilience into the Project activities, monitoring, and reporting.
- Ensures systematic and effective analysis, and project monitoring, such as regular field visits and organization of Project Board and/or Steering Committee meetings.
- Ensures the integrity of financial and administrative operations as well as the consistent application of UNDP rules and procedures for programme and operations issues related to the Project.
- Project Management: Is responsible for managing the Project, ensuring delivery and adherence to corporate standards
- Leads the project team and works closely with a wide array of partners to ensure effective and timely delivery of results in line with the UNDP Regional Programme for Africa 2018-2021 and UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 strategies.
- Performs the substantive and managerial leadership of the Project.
- Supervises the Project staff, provides coaching to staff and effective leadership, including remote office management.
- Develops, oversees, and monitors work plans and budgets for all activities in the project portfolio.
- Ensures timely and adequate reporting against plans, including timely and articulate progress reports.
- Identifies risks and challenges to the ongoing operations of the Project and provides advice to the Senior Management in UNDP Africa.
- Ensures the integrity of financial and administrative operations in the Project area through financial oversight, under the advice of the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa / Operations team.
- Ensures rigorous and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations and establishment of implementation of clear accountability mechanisms.
- Participates in internal control mechanisms for adherence to UNDP rules and regulations in contracts, assets, procurement, recruitment, etc., as required.
- Manages day-to-day administrative matters for the Project with support from administrative staff and the performance of consultants and specialized advisers.
- Coordinates project strategies and activities with other UNDP projects and programmes to ensure the effective implementation of this project.
- Partnership Building & Resource Mobilization: Supports partnership building and resource mobilization for the Project and UNDP Africa
- Ensures sufficient resource mobilization for the Project in close consultation with Senior Management and is responsible for reaching the annual resource mobilization targets. Specific emphasis will be required to nurture the relationship with key donors.
- Advocates for UNDP’s work and represents UNDP with Project partners, the donor community, and international organizations, where requested.
- Liaises regularly and forges close linkages with other UN programmes, agencies, and entities, as well as other international, regional, and national stakeholders concerned with or providing assistance on issues relevant to the Project objectives and aims.
- Ensures high-quality and timely reporting to partners and donors involved in the Project.
- Contributes to the harnessing of effective partnerships and competitive selection of partners for implementation of the Project.
- Promotes joint programming and UN reform, and collaborates effectively in established frameworks for UN and other international coordination.
- Policy Advice: Promotes UNDP’s mandate and corporate policy and provides senior high-level policy advice to AU PSD and other partners on the development and domestication of the PVE Action Plans
- Promotes results and ongoing activities, ensuring appropriate levels of visibility and public awareness.
- Provides policy advice to UNDP Senior Management, Project counterparts, donors, and other partners on issues related to implementation of PVE.
- Represents UNDP, as requested by UNDP Senior Management.
- Acting support for the PVE project board.
- Knowledge Management: Ensures knowledge management
- Promotes the identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the project area for organizational sharing and learning as well as external information.
- Actively participates in UNDP knowledge networks and takes advantage of best practices and lessons learned that are available in the region and globally, and encourages Project staff to do so by creating a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
- Participates in international knowledge networks and other fora to draw on best practice and lessons learned in other similar contexts.
- Promotes the use of the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa by Country Offices.
- Supports capacity and knowledge building of Project counterparts.
- Performs any other task as required by the Regional Programme Coordinator and the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa Director.
- People Management: Ensures knowledge management
- Provides effective direction to, and empowers members of the Project Team.
- Manages the project in compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies.
- Ensures the optimal staffing of the project.
- Supports supervisees in facilitating their learning and development.
- Supports supervisees in maintaining their health and well-being, safety and security.
- Promotes cross-unit teamwork and skills development for the Project team members through coaching and mentoring.
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 while exercising good judgement.
Technical/Functional
Primary
Resource Planning and Management Building and planning efficient workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
Resource Mobilization Ensuring that UNDP has the resources it requires to implement programmes and advance a policy-oriented agenda.
Secondary
Knowledge Management Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.
Partnership Management Establishing, maintaining, and utilizing a broad network of contacts. Building partnerships and strategic alliances. Leveraging the resources of partners.
Self-Management / Emotional Intelligence Managing moods, responding effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity or crisis. Managing relationships with others to achieve mutual benefits. Building an emotionally intelligent organization.
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Advanced University Degree in Development Studies, or any related field of study.
Experience
- A minimum of 10 years of progressive and relevant experience in the field of conflict prevention, rule of law, governance, or in very closely related fields or relevant fields.
- Experience in providing regional policy advice, regional technical assistance, and capacity development to support to multi stakeholder institutions in establishing and coordinating collaborative cross-border interventions.
- Extensive experience working on governance and rule of law, including on ratification and domestication of multilateral instruments, is preferred.
- Experience working within a UN agency or intergovernmental organization and field experience is preferred.
- Proven experience in development programming, including good understanding of UN programming modalities and rules and regulations, is preferred.
- Extensive experience in project development and management.
- Experience conducting qualitative research and monitoring and evaluation is preferred.
- Coordination experience working with government, development partners, and international partners would be an asset.
- Excellent knowledge of and extensive experience in Africa, including in democracy, elections and governance, human rights, right of children, youth and women, is preferred.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English.
- Knowledge of French would be an asset.
Disclaimer
Candidates who applied to this vacancy in June 2018 do not need reapply
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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More Information
- Job City Addis Ababa
