Community Engagement Analyst at UNDP

Job ID: 26005
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Practice Area - Job Family: Crisis Prevention and Recovery - STABILIZATION
Grade: NOB
Vacancy Type: FTA Local
Posting Type: External
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background

• The nexus of security-humanitarian-development issues around Lake Chad has given rise to an intractable extremist insurgency that has left tens of thousands of people dead, approximately 2.5 million displaced, and more than 10 million people in the region affected and in need. While robust national and multi-national military operations have re-taken territory previously controlled by Boko Haram, UNDP recognizes that a new approach is required to consolidate these gains and establish the conditions necessary to transition from military to civilian responsibility for security, and from the provision of humanitarian assistance to the resumption of stalled development processes.
• In this context, the UNDP is strengthening its presence in the North-East (NE) Region of Nigeria by establishing a sub-office in Maiduguri.  The sub-office will serve as the centre of operations for programming which will include a Regional Stabilization Facility, a Disengagement, Disassociation, Reconciliation and Reintegration (DDRR) and Recovery and Resilience programme. 
• The Sub-Office (SO) for NE Region of Nigeria has been operational since 2017 and establishes an Operations Service Centre to support management and operations functions related to the effective delivery of programmatic results in anticipation of launch of new programmes, such as Nigerian Window of the Stabilization Facility in NE Region.
• The National Window of the Regional Stabilization Facility for Nigeria aims to address the needs of immediate stabilization in the target areas in North-East Region of Nigeria with high degrees of insecurity, promoting the phased transition of insecure areas toward greater security, and the reduction of current volatility whereby previously secure areas have become more rather than less vulnerable.
• It is considered vital that community engagement  and  empowerment is mainstreamed into the Stabilization Facilities and other NE integrated recovery projects, responding to the growing needs for fostering solutions for stability and peace in the communities, promoting community social cohesion and establishing  inclusive and partipatory dialogues and peace activities at the community level, which lead to establishment  of a  community-level stabilization and peace  mechanism, including  cross-border peace committee.

Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:

Under the direct supervision of Conoflict & Political Economy Specialist and in close collaboration with the  respective Project Team in the Sub-Office, the Community Engagement Analyst will provide technical support to the following funcations:

• Support community-based socio-economic situations assessment of the target communities with the displaced/return population
• Provide technical  support for community mobilization and establishment of community dialogue platforms and community recovery plans 
• Facilitate day-to-day community-based activities
• Provide technical analysis support for promotion of social cohesion activities 
• Support community-based socio-economic situations assessment of the target communities for the Stabilization Facility and integrated recovery projects in NE Region  in close collaboration with Conflict & Political Economy Analyst and Monitoring & Reporting Specialist.
• Collect and conduct desk review on  the relevante data and research documents
• Conduct stakeholder mapping and multi-sector/perception assessment of the local socio-economic dynamics and priority socio-economic needs in the communities
• Facilitate focal group discussions with local and displaced populations in the communities
• Analyze the findings and finalize an assessment report
• Provide techncial support for community mobilization and establishment of community dialogue platforms and community recovery plans.
• Identify and establish community consultation groups, including vulnerable target population (including women, disability, etc.) to design an effective structure of dialogue platform
• Promote consultations with relevant parties to identify the need gaps and UNDP’s entry points for catalytic effects for the Stabilization Facilities and other NE integrated recovery projects
• Develop capacity of young people and women on collaborative leadership for social cohesion, bring local and refugee populations together
• Support selection, recruitment and training of local volunteers from the host communities and refugee populations on dispute resolution and mediation, including women’s empowerment, mine-risk education, and human rights in host communities.
• Provide technical support to formulate a community recovery plan through community dialogue in a participatory manner.
• Support day-to-day project activity implementation  for community engagement
• Identify entry points for multi-cultural/trust-building/community solidarity activities for social cohesion and support youth groups, NGOs/CSOs/CBOs to implement these activities.
• Assist in designing the detailed implementation plan of the identified interventions, including potential implementing partners, methodologies, and coordination mechanisms, in accordance with UNDP’s rules and regulations
• Provide technical and facilitation support to local volunteers and the community dialogue platform to organize multi-cultural/social-gathering events
• Monitor day-to-day project activities and provide guidance to UNVs and local volunteers. Promptly report to Head of Sub-Ofifce, resepective project teams in Sub-Office and relevant actors whenever the issues that require their attention arise.
• Prepare reports, information materials, and publications on the project activities  
• Provide technical support to ensure the project activities are implemented in line with the planned timeline and results.

Provide technical analysis support for promotion of commnity engagement activities:

• Provide policy advice to strengthen synergies and partnerships with other actors, such as the governments, the private sector, and the international organizations for greater positive impacts of the UNDP interventions
• Provide technical support to strengthen the capacity of community groups for advocacy, communications, and resource mobilization, including utilization of social media and other innovative communication tools.
• Support organization of roundtable discussions, press conferences, briefing sessions, interviews, launches, etc. in the area of community engagement and empowerment.
• Identifies the latest trends in Social Media, Organizational Development and other areas that can have an impact on the delivery of the project results.
• Assist identifying best practices and lessons learned directly linked to Social Cohesion projects from around the world.
• Engage in Community of Practice within the area of Community Development, support knowledge sharing and documentation of best practice.

Impact of Results:

• The key results have an impact on the success of the Stabilization Facility and other NE integrated recovery projects to promote community engagement  and  empowerment through fostering solutions for stability and peace in the communities, promoting community social cohesion and establishing  inclusive and partipatory dialogues and peace activities at the community level.

Competencies:

• Ability to think conceptually and flexibly, capacity to adapt, innovate, and propose multiple options.
• A team player with good interpersonal skills
• Ability to practice courtesy and diplomacy with high rank officials.
• Time management skills.
• Enjoy sensitivity for research and academic integrity.
• Ability to work well under pressure and stressful environment
• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning
• Fair and transparent  decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience
Education and Certificate:

• Master Degree in Social/Political Science, International Development, Conflict-resolution, and Peace-building or related field.
• Candidates with master studies in other fields might be qualified depending on their relevant work experience.

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience in social development, community development, or poverty reduction. Past experience working with UNDP/UN is an assset;
• Experience on community mobilization and engagement and social cohesion, addressing issues of community development and early recovery.
• Experience in post conflict environment is a strong advantage. Knowledge of socio-economic, culture, and community development issues in the the North-East Nigeira and Lake Chad Basin region is an asset.
• Proven experience in result-based reporting, public relations/communication. Prior experience on monitoring and evaluation is an asset. 
• Proficiency in usage of computers, office software packages and advance project management software as well as in handling of web-based management system.

Technical skills required:

• Functionally-related professional management skills.
• Knowledge on UNDP rules and  regulations and POPP is advantage
• Ability to plan and prioritise work activities to meet organizational goals and organize and oversee work processes efficiently to achieve quality results.
• Knowledge of strategic planning processes, programming.
• Reporting skills.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• The ability to communicate effectively in Kanuri, Hausa, or other local language spoken in the NE region is an asset.