Peace and Development Officer at UNDP

About The Job

Position Purpose 

• The Peace and Development Officer works under the direct supervision and guidance of the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA), to provide substantive support in three main areas of activity, including:
  • Assist with research, information-gathering, and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention; 
  • 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;
  • Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, and M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation).

Key Duties and Accountabilities

• Under the direct supervision of the PDA, the main duties and responsibilities of the PDO will include:
  • Assisting on research, information-gathering, and support analysis with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention:
  • Gather and process data and information relevant to the UN’s role and activities in Ghana and the sub-region as relevant, with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention, and sustainable development
  • Support the PDA in undertaking political, political economy, and/or conflict analysis, monitoring the situation in the country, and reporting of issues related to peace and security, including through analysis of local sources 
  • Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas, in particular prevention, social cohesion, peace and security. 
• Identify programming entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, women, and youth:
  • 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 of civil society actors, including youth, women, and marginalized groups, and their capacities for conflict prevention/ peacebuilding at the local and national level. 
  • This analysis will inform and provide support to 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.
• Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, Monitoring, and Evaluation:
  • 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 teamwork workplan
  • 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; and
  • Perform an array of duties that support UN coordination and effective Peace and Development Team programme implementation. These may include assisting in organizing meetings and consultations, organizing and implementing consultation processes with national and international partners.

Competencies

• Core Competencies:
  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies:

• Business Development - Knowledge Generation:
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
  • Business Management - Partnership Management
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UN strategy and policies.
• Business Management: Communication:
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.
  • Agenda 2030: People - Gender
• Women, Peace, and Security:
  • Agenda 2030: People: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  • Community engagement for prevention, response, and social cohesion 
  • Agenda 2030: People: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  • Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity 
  • Agenda 2030: People: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  • Infrastructures for peace 

Requirements

• Education:
  • Master’s degree in political science, conflict resolution, peace studies, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences.
  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master's degree.
• Experience:
  • Minimum 2 years (Master's degree) or 4 years (Bachelor's degree) of professional experience in conflict analysis, development and/or conflict prevention in a governmental, multilateral, or civil society organization
  • Extensive experience in analysis, research and sound drafting skills
  • Experience in project/programme development, management
  • Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming
  • In-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in (country/region), including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives. and awareness and familiarity of key actors and stakeholders across the political, economic, and development spheres alongside knowledge of government, civil society, and other non-state actors.

Language:

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Tui is required.
• Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.  

Required Skills

• Skills:
  • Conflict prevention
  • Conflict-sensitive Programming
  • Sustaining Peace