Peace and Development Officer

Job Identification: 10338
Locations: Bangkok, Thailand
Posting Date: 05/01/2023, 02:28 PM
Apply Before: 05/16/2023, 09:44 AM
Job Schedule: Full time
Agency: Resident Coordinator Office
Grade: NOB
Vacancy Type: Fixed Term
Practice Area:  Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
Bureau:  Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific
Contract Duration:  1 Year with Possibility for extension
Education & Work Experience:  Master’s Degree
Required Languages:  Fluency in written and spoken Thai and English is required.
Vacancy Timeline:  2 Weeks
Mobility required/no mobility:  no mobility required

Job Description
Background

Violent conflict has surged in recent years, and in 2016, more countries experienced violent conflict than at any time in nearly 30 years. While the complex relationship between conflict, security and development is increasingly understood, international assistance and investment in conflict prevention have remained relatively low. At the same time, approaches to preventing conflict have been refined considerably, as policy and practice on peacebuilding have evolved – and the UN, its Member States and other partners are increasingly looking to prevention as a critical strategy for sustaining peace and nurturing development. Conflict prevention is increasingly recognized as a rational and cost-effective strategy for countries at risk of violence and for the international community.
The joint UNDP-DPPA programme on building national capacities for conflict prevention has made a ground-breaking contribution in bridging the gap between political engagement and development assistance in pursuit of preventing conflict and sustaining peace. In its new phase (2019-2023), the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme will further strengthen the analytical capacities of national stakeholders and the UN system in support of Member States’ efforts to advance policy and programmatic coherence on conflict prevention and support strategies for sustaining peace.

The deployment of Peace and Development Advisors has been the primary instrument of the Joint Programme to provide capacity for Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to support national partners in dialogue and national or local mediation processes, the establishment and operationalization of national infrastructures, and mechanisms for peace; and other initiatives aimed at sustaining peace.

In an effort to ensure that PDAs are better equipped and empowered to deliver on their mandates, the Joint Programme has established in a number of contexts small ‘Peace and Development teams’ where a national Peace and Development Officer provides reinforced capacity to the PDA’s engagement in support of the RCOs (Resident Coordinators Office) and UNCTs (UN Country Teams) in the area of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. There current cadre includes 120 Peace and Development Advisors deployed globally, including 40 national positions.

Country context – Thailand

Challenges in country are related to inclusive governance, social cohesion, a shrinking civic space, human rights, justice, people on the move, and natural resources management. At the sub-national level, the situation in the Southern Border Provinces continues to concern with more than 7,000 lives lost over 15 years. Significant inequalities in Thailand undermine social cohesion and hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the principle of ‘Leaving No One Behind’. Given the extreme wealth disparities, the onset of climate crisis challenges, technological disruptions, and possible pandemics, a disproportionate impact may be expected on the most vulnerable.

Position Purpose

1. The Peace and Development Officer works under the direct supervision and guidance of the PDA, to provide substantive support in three main areas of activity, including:
2. Assist with research, information-gathering, and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention.
3. 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.
4. Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, and M&E (Monitoring & Evaluation)

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the PDA [in context where an international PDA is not deployed, the PDO works under the direct supervision and guidance of the UN Resident Coordinator, and has secondary reporting lines to UNDP Resident Representative and Regional Division of DPPA at HQ], 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 Thailand and the sub-region as relevant, with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding, social cohesion, capacity building, conflict prevention, and sustainable development.
• Support the PDA in undertaking political, political economy, and/or conflict analysis, to monitor the situation in the country, and reporting of issues related to peace and security, including through analysis of local sources.
• Engaging in evidence generation using big data to monitor new trends in relation to hate speech, country dynamics and news.
• Carry out and coordinate research on issues and thematic areas, in particular analysis of local sources, to ensure that the UN system, Country Team, and other relevant actors are advised, and able to work in a conflict sensitive manner.

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.
  Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: N/A

Competencies
Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by the deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem-solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
  Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, be aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

People Management (Insert below standard sentence if the position has direct reports.)

• UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 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: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  Community engagement for prevention, response, and social cohesion
• Agenda 2030: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity
• Agenda 2030: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  Social Cohesion

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree) in political science, conflict resolution, peace studies, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years of progressively responsible 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 Thai and English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Other

• Qualified female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.