Project Officer - Peace and Cohesion Monitor at UNDP

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty while protecting the planet. We help countries develop strong policies, skills, partnerships and institutions so they can sustain their progress The primary and overarching objective of United Nations Development Programme in Kenya is the eradication of poverty in the context of sustainable development, including the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, and promotion of United Nations fundamental principles. A core dimension to the work of UNDP in Kenya is on Democratic Governance given the national focus on governance reforms. UNDP supports the country’s efforts towards achieving the Vision 2030 Political Pillar, which envisions a democratic system that is issue-based, people-centered, results oriented and accountable to the public. This Political Pillar gears to transform the country’s political governance across five strategic areas; The Rule of Law, Electoral and Political Processes, Democracy and Public Service Delivery, Transparency and Accountability, Security Peace Building and Conflict Management. These strategic areas are anchored in the Constitution, promulgated in August 2010 marking a major milestone in the democratic journey of Kenya and set a new threshold in terms of people-centred development.

Context

The National Steering Committee on Peacebuilding and Conflict Management (NSC) is an interagency committee that was established in 2001 and a secretariat to support it was fully operationalised during 2002/3 financial year within the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. The NSC brings together peace stakeholders in a bid to coordinate and consolidate efforts geared towards peace building and conflict management in Kenya as well as cross-border initiatives. The NSC is the Co-Chair of the Uwiano Platform for Peace and the coordination secretariat for Kenya’s early warning system within IGAD and the East African Community. The NSC is the Implementing Agency for UNDP’s Peacebuilding Programme in Kenya. This UNV assignment is part of the NSC’s peacebuilding programming initiative to support election violence reduction during the 2022 electoral period through improved capacities for early warning and mediation.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, Transcending Peace Programme at the National Steering Committee on Peace Building (NSC), the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks :

•  Support implementation of the peacebuilding programme Work Plans (Transcending Peace, Uwiano, PBF etc) ;
•  Lead the preparation and dissemination of consolidated national and county-specific early warning reports, situation reports, incident reports, alerts, briefs, activity reports, conflict mapping and progress reports ;
•  Lead data verification and data analysis at the National Conflict Early Warning and Response System (NCEWERS) at the NSC Situation Room ;
•  Support the production of UWIANO monthly reports, updates, thematic reports and situation briefs ;
•  Coordinate processes for conducting conflict assessments resulting in mapping of ‘hotspots’, conflict assessments reports and recommendations for action ;
•  Prepare minutes and reports arising from meetings and forums at the national and/or county level ;
•  Establish linkages with social media entities and support the production of early warning and make recommendations to a wide range of stakeholders, including social media platforms, on addressing incitement to violence ;
•  Support the operationalisation of the Peace Messaging Kitchen and dissemination of peace messages ;
•  Contribute to resource mobilisation through development of concept notes, proposals, reports etc in line with the Resource Mobilization Strategy ;
•  Support administrative functions in the Situation Room including the day-to-day coordination with peace actors ;
•  Liaise with County Peace Secretariats and other county-based peace structures to coordinate, monitor, and document peacebuilding interventions ;
•  Support interventions to strengthen mediation capacity strengthening at the national and sub-national level ;
•  Facilitate linkages and networking with and among a wide range of stakeholders during the electoral period and support production of thematic reports ;
•  Promote understanding and commitment to the volunteer spirit within peace committees and the community. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to :
•  Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day) ;
•  Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country ;
•  Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities ;
•  Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. ;
•  Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers ;
•  Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 27 - 80

Nationality

• Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

• 3 years of experience in development work, community mobilization, project implementation, training, coordination
•  Demonstrate experience in peace building and conflict management at the community level, including familiarity with mediation efforts in Kenya
•  Demonstrate experience in resource management and mobilization.
•  Excellent report writing skills
•  Proven proficiency in MS Office such as MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
•  Excellent interpersonal skills
•  Proven teamwork and trust-building skills
•  Experience in early warning early response, including familiarity with the NCEWERS ; familiarity with Kenya’s peacebuilding echo system including the UWIANO Platform for peace, peace committees and Civil society networks ; experience in conducting conflict assessments and writing conflict analysis reports ; experience using data from SMS, hotlines and social media ; familiarity with Kenya’s electoral cycle is an advantage

Area(s) of expertise

• Crisis and emergency response, Elections and governance

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required Kiswahili, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Required education level

• Bachelor degree or equivalent in any of the following disciplines : Peace, Conflict Management, Political Science, Criminology, Anthropology, Sociology, Law, Diplomacy and International relations, Public Administration, Security Studies, Disaster management, Military and Police Sciences

Competencies and values

Accountability - Adaptability and Flexibility - Building Trust - Client Orientation - Commitment and Motivation - Commitment to Continuous Learning - Communication - Creativity - Empowering Others - Ethics and Values - Integrity - Judgement and Decision-making - Knowledge Sharing - Professionalism - Respect for Diversity - Self-Management - Technological Awareness - Working in Teams