Vaga Servisu: International Conflict Prevention Adviser

Job Vacancy/Vaga servisu

Closing Date: Monday, 06 August 201

Location               : Dili, Timor Leste Application 

Deadline               : 06-Aug-12 Additional Category Crisis Prevention and Recovery&
Type of Contract  : Individual Contract 

Post Level             : International Consultant Languages Required :

English   Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 03-Sep-2012< : 6 Months Expected Duration of Assignment : 6 Months
Background

The main area of engagement of UNDP Timor-Leste in the area of conflict prevention has been the technical and financial support provided to the Department of Peace building and Social Cohesion (DPBSC) under the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) of the Government of Timor-Leste (GoTL). The work of MSS in this area emerged from its experience from the reintegration of IDPs in the aftermath of the 2006 crisis under the trust building pillar of the National Recovery Strategy, the Government strategy for peace building. MSS established DPBSC in December 2010 in an effort to consolidate its internal capacities for providing support in conflict resolution, mediation and social dialogue facilitation.

The Department has achieved very good results in 2011 in certain areas, and is now in a process of consolidating its capacities and broadening its strategy. The future of this work and consolidation of initial results will depend on the new Government after the presidential and parliamentary elections (which will also determine the overall UN presence in the country after the expected UNMIT draw down at the end of 2012). UNDP continues its support to the Department, but is also starting to support the GoTL in other areas relevant for conflict prevention and to explore additional entry points linked to international policy processes, such as Timor-Leste’s leadership role under the ‘New Deal’/G7+ initiative.

Furthermore, UNDP is moving further towards an area based approach, to capitalize on UNDP’s diverse areas of work and to develop more integrated approaches and programmatic synergies. 

This includes areas such as conflict prevention /social cohesion, access to justice , policing and community security, community based disaster risk management , livelihoods and employment generation/SME assistance at the district and community level. The beginning of such a process would need to be supported by identifying priority areas/ and proposed localities through a comprehensive peace and development analysis, which would be the basis for the development of joint baselines.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support to the Department of Peace building and Social Cohesion of the Ministry of Social Solidarity:

• Provide technical support to DPBSC/MSS staff in consolidating internal capacities in different areas (conflict analysis, conflict-sensitive development, monitoring and evaluation etc.);
•  Support DPBSC/MSS in developing a strategic vision regarding the positioning of conflict prevention /dialogue/mediation capacities within MSS and other Government partners – in particular in light of the expected changes in 2012 due to national elections

Support UNDP East-Timor in exploring entry points in conflict prevention / social cohesion at the policy level with the new Government, mainly:

• Explore options with the GoTL in how to use the New Deal/G7+ strategically as a policy platform in order to develop a whole of Government approach to peace building/conflict prevention /social cohesion.

 Design and implementation of Peace and Development Analysis:

• Develop inception report with detailed methodology and process for the peace and development analysis – this should be informed by experiences from UNDP in other countries in similar areas;
• Establish a network with national partners and UN and other international partners to implement the peace and development analysis;
• Inform the process by building on expertise from UNDP in other countries that have undertaken similar processes;
• Develop a final report with main findings of the peace and development analysis (and the different regional sub-analysis).

Competencies

• Good understanding of UNDP programming modalities, particularly in conflict, crises and post-conflict settings;
• Demonstrable ability to work in a team environment, and to strengthen all team members through collective action and individual initiative;
• Demonstrable ability to engage with sensitivity, strategic foresight, and political acumen in situations involving multiple - especially political - actors and stakeholders.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced degree in social sciences, economics or law, with a focus on development studies, conflict resolution, or equivalent field.

Experience:

• Substantive international experience (7-10 years preferred) in the area of conflict prevention , peace building and conflict sensitive development;
• Experience with development oriented conflict analysis / peace and development analysis processes;
• Experience in multi-stakeholder facilitation and consensus building , preferably in fragile and conflict situations;
• Experience in the development of national conflict prevention and resolution capacities on a national and local level, ideally facilitation and training experience;
•  Experience with international policy processes in the areas of conflict prevention and peace building.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English, very good knowledge of Tetum and/or Bahasa Indonesia; knowledge of Portuguese is an asset.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.