Experts for Support to Peacebuilding Fund Programming, Multiple positions

The UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund is the organization’s financial instrument of first resort to sustain peace in countries or situations at risk of affected by violent conflict. It addresses critical gaps for sustaining peace before, during and after conflict.

The PBF’s Strategy for the period 2020-24, sets a higher level of ambition than previous strategic plans. The aim is to invest  $ 1.5 billion  million in 40 countries over this period.

This new objective is driven by increased demand and the context of the Secretary-General’s reform efforts, in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Financing will retain a critical role to improve coherence across the Development, Peace and Human Rights Pillars. The PBF will build on its unique role as a timely, catalytic and risk-tolerant financing instrument to reinforce the reforms in three ways: i) driving cohesion of UN strategies in conflict situations in support of nationally-led efforts, through joint analysis, planning and implementation; ii) enabling strong integrated support from the broad set of organizational tools at HQ and in the field; and iii) strengthening partnerships, particularly with the Peacebuilding Commission the World Bank, the European Union, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States ( ECOWAS) and other (sub-)regional organizations.

In order to provide the best quality and most timely support to UN teams in PBF focus countries, in 2019 the PBF set up a surge mechanism, the PBF Programme Support Team (PST) made up of 10 peacebuilding experts. As demands increase and objectives become more ambitious; and in order to achieve the objectives of the 2020-2024 Strategy, the PBF is hiring additional talents to its surge mechanism. In support to the PST Mechanism, UNOPS will recruit experts under retainer contracts on the basis of their expertise in peacebuilding, monitoring and evaluation support, United Nations programme development experience, knowledge of PBF and thematic expertise. These experts are the backbone of the PBF PST Mechanism and are deployed to the field upon needs and/or demand from the field.

The team of experts helps ensure that the following four attributes of the PBF is continued:

1. PBF support is Timely and flexible. The experts will support the Fund with timely programme development in selected priority countries by providing additional capacities at the strategic time of priority setting and project developments, including thematic expertise.

1. PBF support is Catalytic. The experts will help ensure that the Fund will further expand its role as investor of first resort ensuring all its investments are catalytic. This means supporting programmes that enable peace processes to become unblocked, accelerate existing efforts, or kick-start longer-term change.

1. PBF is willing to be risk-tolerant. The experts will in close coordination with the relevant Resident Coordinator work to strengthen the national risk-management system through refined risk markers and streamlining mitigation strategies through all procedures.

1. PBF support is adequately monitored and evaluated, ensuring downward accountability of entities implementing projects and programs; and results-based evaluability assessments of PRF packages and PBF evaluations

The experts will also ensure that evaluations and all new funding proposals are developed jointly with government counterparts and submitted by the highest-ranking UN official in the country (SRSG or UNRC).

The peacebuilding experts will increase programming capacities of the Office of the Resident Coordinators and UNCTs through their thematic expertise in:  i) identifying; ii) leading development; iii) and finalization of PBF supported projects with a strong linkage to Peacebuilding and the Sustaining Peace Agenda. This also includes developing guidance notes, assisting Resident Coordinators with ensuring balance of RUNOs implementing the PBF-funded projects; well-developed results framework and M&E strategies; conducting evaluations of PBF-projects as well as providing advice in specific thematic areas linked to peacebuilding. 

Specific terms of Reference will be developed before each assignment.

•Performs consulting assignments, in collaboration with the client, by planning facilitating workshops, through other interactive sessions and assisting in developing the action plan the client will use to manage the change.

•Researches, analyzes and presents information gathered from diverse sources regarding peacebuilding design, measurement and monitoring.

•In Support of country-based partners, generates survey initiatives; designs data collection tools; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions.

•Organizes and prepares written outputs, e.g. draft background papers, analysis, sections of reports and studies, inputs to publications, etc.

•Leads and/or participates in large, complex field missions, including provision of guidance to external consultants, government officials and other parties and drafting mission summaries, etc.

In this round of recruitment, PBF is specifically looking for French speaking candidates who have a strong background in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning as well as candidates with expertise in one or more of the following thematic areas and their link to peacebuilding: Gender, Women, Peace and Security; Youth, PVE, Reintegration, Human Rights and Climate Change.

Supervision

The project is managed by the Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, Peacebuilding Support Office. The experts on the retainer roster are reporting on all technical issues directly to the relevant PBF programme officer, delegated by the Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, Peacebuilding Support Office.  The experts will also require clearance for any travel by the Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding Branch, Peacebuilding Support Office. 

Monitoring and Progress Controls

The consultants, based on the specificities of PBF portfolio in each country and needs of PBG, will be required to support and lead some (or all) of the following processes:

1. Perform conflict analysis. Lead UNCT and partners to develop conflict analysis relevant to PBF engagement in-country.
2. Perform the identification and consultations on peacebuilding priorities for UN and for PBF more specifically.
3. Perform PBF UNCT in project development on the basis of priorities identified ensuring quality and timeliness of project documents.
4. Lead Monitoring and Evaluation of PBF projects by ensuring project develop have quality results framework and M&E strategies.
5. Lead training and capacity development of UN staff and of PBF Secretariats (where applicable). More specifically, capacities to be strengthened include peacebuilding, M&E, and PBF modalities and Guidelines.
6. Advice and drafting of guidance documents on thematic areas linked to peacebuilding

Education:

●       A master’s degree in social science or other relevant discipline from a recognized university is required.

●       A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with additional two years of experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience

●       A minimum of seven years of experience in peacebuilding or related relevant field is required;

●       International expertise on UN peacebuilding approaches and programming is an asset;

●       Knowledge of PBF modalities, guidance, approaches and projects is an asset.

Proven areas of expertise

●       Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning in peacebuilding

And/or one or more of the following:

●       Gender, Women, Peace and Security and peacebuilding

●       Youth and peacebuilding

●       PVE and reintegration (DDR) in peacebuilding

●       Human Rights and peacebuilding

●       Climate change and peacebuilding

Languages

●       Excellent writing and speaking knowledge of English. Excellent writing and speaking knowledge of French required for monitoring and evaluation profiles.

●       Excellent writing and speaking knowledge of French, Spanish and other languages is a strong asset.

Contract type: ICA, retainer modality
Contract level: IICA-3ICS-11
Contract duration: ASAP -31 December 2020 with the possibility of extension

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. 
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.