Programme Specialist

  • Full Time
  • Turkiye

UNDP

Programme Specialist (Peacebuilding & Digital Innovation)

Job Identification: 11285
Locations: Istanbul, Türkiye
Posting Date: 06/08/2023, 01:38 AM
Apply Before: 06/22/2023, 09:59 PM
Degree Level: Advanced/Postgraduate Degree
Job Schedule: Full time
Agency: UNDP
Grade: IPSA-10
Vacancy Type: International Personnel Service Agreement
Practice Area: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
Bureau: Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS
Contract Duration: 1 Year
Education & Work Experience: Master’s Degree – 5 year(s) experience OR Bachelor’s Degree – 7 year(s) experience
Required Languages: English
Desired Languages: Russian, additional UN languages(s)
Vacancy Timeline: 2 Weeks
Mobility required/no mobility: no mobility required

Job Description
Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Europe and Central Asia region (ECA) has been going through several crises and a far-reaching reordering of geopolitical space that is reshaping the conflict prevention and peacebuilding landscape. The war in Ukraine, in addition to its devastating impact for the country, is also exacerbating pre-existing conflicts and crises, particularly in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus. Disputed territories and so-called “frozen conflicts” are endemic issues that have led to sporadic violence in the past decade and carry a real risk of flaring up. Central Asia has been experiencing bursts of violence and social unrest and, in the Western Balkans, the situation remains highly volatile and greatly impacted by divisive narratives.

While the various sub-regions have shown several factors of resilience, including a strong willingness amongst youth to engage in the civic space, increasing participation of women in the political sphere and growing digitalization, the tide of conflict and instability risks eroding this resilience. This risk is highlighted with virtually all countries and territories experiencing an erosion of social cohesion, declined trust in institutions and rising tensions—including across borders–that have, and could further lead to civil unrest and political instability.

Given the increased need to support country interventions related to conflict prevention and peacebuilding (CPPB) in the Europe and Central Asia region, UNDP is hiring a Programme Specialist based in the Istanbul Regional Hub, Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC), in order to boost CPPB capacity with a particular focus on peacebuilding, confidence building measures and digital peacebuilding as well as the use of innovative tools and mechanisms to support prevention and peacebuilding across divides, boundaries and borders.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Regional Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Specialist and working closely with the Governance and Peacebuilding Team, and other thematic clusters at the UNDP Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH), the Programme Specialist is expected to deliver on the following areas.
Programme Support and Policy development

  • Provide research, knowledge and advisory support and feedback on policy and programmatic gaps and opportunities from the regional perspective to advance approaches to conflict prevention and peacebuilding, including in the field of Digital Peacebuilding and Tech4 Peace.
  • Provide policy and programmatic support to support confidence building programming, peacebuilding, social cohesion and crisis response and recovery.
  • Support development of tools, analysis and project to monitor and address hate speech and divisive narrative (online and offline).
  • Lead the development of research on and guidance to Country Offices on enhancing inclusivity and impact in the digital sphere of CPPB.
  • Support programmatic engagements with Country Offices to ensure demand- and needs-based responses to emerging country and regional context including crisis situations.
  • Support the roll-out of the UNDP Crisis Offer and upcoming Regional Framework, and related project(s), on Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding for Europe and Central Asia.
  • Organize consultations with country/regional teams and analyze and compile background information, as needed.
  • Ensure alignment with global development policies, norms and standards, and foster policy innovation in the specific thematic area to enhance programme delivery.
  • Provide timely technical policy and programme advice for crisis situations in response to requests.

Partnerships, Advocacy and Resource Mobilization

  • Lead and support the creation of strategic partnership with key actors of Civil Society, Academia and the private sector, with a focus on digital innovation and digital peacebuilding.
  • Support partnership engagements with partners including in resource mobilization, through preparation of funding proposals, donor briefings, timely corporate and donor reporting, advocacy and information-sharing requirements.
  • Support the organization of relevant conferences, workshops and/or training initiatives and related events, across the region and as relevant.
  • Pursue opportunities for inter-agency engagement at national or (sub-)regional levels, for instance through participating in preparations and design of thematic events.
  • Draft background documents and talking points in the thematic area of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as requested.

Knowledge Management and Data Analytics

  • Coordinate knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, ensuring that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.
  • Support conflict analysis, scenario building exercises, the development of risk monitoring tools and UNDP Crisis Risk Dashboards in the region.
  • Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Support cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in HQ and Regional Hubs to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools, guidance and case studies to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the thematic area.

Institutional Arrangement

The Programme Specialist will be based in the Istanbul Regional Hub of the Regional Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (RBEC). S/he will report to the Regional Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Specialist, in coordination with the Team Leader, Governance and Peacebuilding Team, IRH.

Competencies

Core Competencies

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

Cross-functional and Technical Competencies

  • 2030 Agenda: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
    • Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity
  • 2030 Agenda: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
    • Social Cohesion
  • 2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement
    • Recovery and Peace Building Assessments
  • 2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness – Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement
    • Data/ Analytics for early warning and crisis management
  • Business Direction & Strategy – System Thinking
    • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
  • Business Development – Knowledge Generation
    • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
  • Business Management – Risk Management
    • Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in political science, sociology, international relations, law, public administration, or other related social sciences is required.
  • A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) with additional two years of experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.

Experience:

  • A minimum of 5 years (with Master´s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of relevant professional experience including demonstrated experience in conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming.
  • Progressively responsible experience in conflict analysis, policy, programme and/or strategy development in the thematic areas of conflict prevention and peacebuilding, in a governmental, multilateral or civil society organization is an asset.
  • Demonstrable experience in working in at least two of the following: (1) digital peacebuilding or tech for peace; (2) digital innovation for conflict prevention and peacebuilding; (3) addressing hate speech/divisive narrative (online and/or offline); (4) confidence/trust building; is an asset.
  • Demonstrated professional work experience and/or expertise on the Europe and Central Asia region is an asset.
  • Programmatic/policy and/or research experience in complex and/or crisis settings is an advantage.
  • Experience at local and community-level on conflict prevention, confidence/trust building, peacebuilding, and related initiatives is an advantage.
  • Work experience with the UN/UNDP is an advantage.

Languages:

  • Fluency in English with excellent writing skills is required.
  • Knowledge of additional UN language(s), especially Russian, is an advantage.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

  1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
  2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
  3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Disclaimer

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.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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