Reconciliation & Social Cohesion Specialist at UNDP

Position Purpose

In this respect, UNDP seeks to recruit a Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist (Project Manager) to lead and coordinate the implementation of UNDP-specific component of the Action. S/He will work closely with other UN partner agencies to deliver on the day-to-day activities of the joint Actions. S/He will coordinate all UNDP-specific reconciliation/social cohesion activities of the project, ensuring effective implementation and achievement of all intended outputs and results relating to the UNDP component of the project. S/He will work closely with the State Government, UN agencies, and CSOs operating in the project areas. S/He will specifically:

• Provide strategic direction and leadership in the programme area of reconciliation and reintegration;
• Ensure adherence to the UNDP corporate and CO standards for effective and efficient project management;
• Support partnership building and resource mobilization for UNDP in the programme area:
• Promote UNDP mandate and corporate policy and provides senior high level policy advice to government and other partners:
• Ensure knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist,

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist provides strategic direction and leadership in the programme area of reconciliation and reintegration:

• Support the implementation of the UNDP-specific reconciliation and social cohesion activities of the project.
• Ensure close coordination with relevant partners, design and conduct process for a national and localized conflict analysis that aims to gain a comprehensive and shared understanding of potential or ongoing violent conflicts to identify key threats to the security, reconciliation, and social cohesion of communities.
• Support the review and assessment of existing local mechanisms for peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion and the formulation of relevant recommendations for the development of a coordinated and consistent approach for local peace/reconciliation infrastructures.
• Engage with civil society to catalyze and build upon existing initiatives for conflict management and dialogue.
• Undertake a rapid assessment with a view to identify risk factors for violence, including gender-based violence, and confidence-building opportunities to calibrate UNDP engagement on dialogue with various stakeholders
• Design and lead the implementation of activities aimed at strengthening community reconciliation, social cohesion and social contract between the Government and citizens
• Analyze the youth/civil movement in the project areas, to develop strategies to engage a wide range of key stakeholders, including youth and identify the gaps for UNDP to respond through project interventions in short and mid-term.
• Analyze the intertwined issues of religion, politics, and security in the context of North-East Nigeria to identify entry points within existing and new programming to work on reconciliation and social cohesion issues related to youth (both young women and men), which may include but not be limited to, participation and representation of both women and men
• Monitor the tendency for the escalation of violence, including gender-based violence and based on the analysis, advise the UNDP CO on possible actions in the context of social cohesion and dialogue efforts, including assisting in the setting-up of dialogue platforms as deemed appropriate and identifying dialogue entry points with key stakeholders
• Support local dialogue, confidence-building, and trust-building within communities, and between them and the authorities through joint decision-making, public consultation, and hearings.
• Assist the authorities on the local, district and oblast levels to develop conflict-sensitive communication strategies and public awareness approaches
• Liaise with the UNDP monitoring system and ensure that its information and analysis inform the Governance, Peace and Security activities
• Perform other functions as deemed essential for effective results.

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist will be held accountable for adherence to the UNDP corporate and CO standards for effective and efficient project management:

• In close consultation with the Programme Specialist and Senior Programme Management Team, overseeing the elaboration of coherent work plans and budgets for all activities in the programme portfolio and the continuous monitoring of project work plans
• Ensures timely and adequate reporting against plans in consultation with Programme Specialist and Senior Programme Management Team
• Preparation of high-quality project documents and proposals, and encouraging adequate peer review of the same through established mechanisms
• Integrity of financial and administrative operations in the programme area by oversight of financial and budgetary aspects of the projects, under advice of the Operations staff
• Strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations and ensuring the implementation of clear accountability mechanisms throughout the programme portfolio
• Cost recovery for services provided by the CO to projects, in collaboration with the Programme Management Support Team 
• Participates in internal control mechanisms for adherence UNDP rules and regulations in contracts, assets, procurement, recruitment, etc. as required
• Approval of financial transactions for the project in ATLAS/Quantum, up to the designated level.

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist supports partnership building and resource mobilization for UNDP in the programme area:

• Supports resource mobilization for the programme in close consultation with the Programme Specialist and Senior Management and is responsible for reaching the yearly fund mobilization and delivery targets.
• Advocates for UNDP with government counterparts, donor community, international financial institutions and the UN
• Liaises continually with and forges close linkages with other UN agencies, programmes, and entities, and other international and national stakeholders concerned with or providing assistance on reconciliation and reintegration issues to Nigeria
• Promotes joint programming and UN reform, and collaborates effectively in established frameworks for UN and other international coordination
• Contributes to the harnessing of effective partnerships and competitive selection of partners for implementation of UNDP projects. 

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist promotes UNDP mandate and corporate policy and provides senior high level policy advice to government and other partners:

• Promotes results of the reconciliation and reintegration interventions in close cooperation with the UNDP practice and regional, headquarter partners, ensuring maximum and appropriate levels of visibility and public awareness on results and ongoing activities.
• Provides high level senior policy advice to UNDP senior management, Government counterparts, donors and other partners on issues related to reconciliation and reintegration. 
• Represents UNDP as requested by Senior Managers or Resident Representative.
• Manage sensitive issues with great tact and positions UNDP as a neutral actor with high quality policy advice, in particular the handling and treatment of project beneficiaries.

The Reconciliation and Social Cohesion Specialist ensures knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the programme area for organizational sharing and learning as well as external information. 
• Actively participates in the knowledge networks and takes advantage of best practices and lessons learned that are available in the region and globally, and encourages staff in the programme area to do so by creating a culture of knowledge and learning
• Promotes the participation of UNDP Nigeria in regional programmes and regional activities related to the programme area as appropriate
• Supports capacity- and knowledge building of national and local counterparts
• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the CO and, in particular, within the Early recovery, Stabilisation and other components of the reconciliation and reintegration portfolios. 

Supervisory/ Managerial Responsibilities:

The reconciliation and social cohesion specialist supervises project staff established under the project. People Management is required competency for this assignment. The incumbent should aspire to create an enabling workplace, manage performance and ensure accountability, building capability of the team, motivating and directing the team to work towards a common vision and goal that is shared by the Country office and work of the suboffice.

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 & Technical competencies:

• Business direction and strategy - Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
• Business Direction & Strategy - Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
• Business Development - Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates “win-win” situations.
• Business Management - Resource Management: Ability to allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity.
• Business Development - Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
• Business Management - Results Based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results. 
• Business Management - Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences with a focus on peace and conflict studies, international relations, political science, development studies or a related field is required

Experience:

• Minimum 7 years’ experience at national and/or international level in advisory and analytical positions is required
• Extensive experience coordinating activities in social cohesion, reconciliation, peacebuilding, conflict resolution and management, consensus-building, dialogue processes, collaborative decision-making, and leadership is desired
• Excellent conflict analysis and reporting skills, experience in bilateral and/or multilateral negotiations is desired
• Practical experience in capacity-building, negotiation, facilitation and training skills, leadership development, and strategy development is desired.
• Strong experience in conflict sensitive programming
• Previous experience in planning and operationalizing development programming in post-conflict environment
• Prior experience in facilitation and/or coaching in negotiation processes and dialogue activities
• Knowledge of the programming of the United Nations (One UN), particularly in the context of crisis and post-crisis is desired
• Knowledge of M&E systems, and results and performance-based management and reporting
• Experience in partnership building and resource mobilization in conflict context is required
• Has a clear intellectual interest in the development process of national reconciliation and social cohesion
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, etc.).
• Proactive sharing of knowledge and experience
• Experience in special development situations in Africa would be an asset, as well as previous experience working in the Lake Chad region.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in Oral and Written English language.