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Background

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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.

Violent conflict has surged in recent years, and in 2016, more countries experienced violent conflict than at any time in nearly 30 years. While the complex relationship between conflict, security and development is increasingly understood, international assistance and investment in conflict prevention have remained relatively low. At the same time, approaches to preventing conflict have been refined considerably, as policy and practice on peacebuilding have evolved – and the UN, its Member States and other partners are increasingly looking to prevention as a critical strategy for sustaining peace and nurturing development. Conflict prevention is increasingly recognized as a rational and cost-effective strategy for countries at risk of violence and for the international community. 

The joint UNDP-DPPA programme on building national capacities for conflict prevention has made a ground-breaking contribution in bridging the gap between political engagement and development assistance in pursuit of preventing conflict and sustaining peace. In its new phase (2019-2023), the Joint UNDP-DPPA Programme will further strengthen the analytical capacities of national stakeholders and the UN system in support of Member States’ efforts to advance policy and programmatic coherence on conflict prevention and support strategies for sustaining peace. 

The deployment of Peace and Development Advisors has been the primary instrument of the Joint Programme to provide capacity for Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to support national partners in dialogue and national or local mediation processes, the establishment and operationalization of national infrastructures, and mechanisms for peace; and other initiatives aimed at sustaining peace. 

In an effort to ensure that PDAs are better equipped and empowered to deliver on their mandates, the Joint Programme has established in a number of contexts small ‘Peace and Development teams’ where a national Peace and Development Analyst provides reinforced capacity to the PDA’s engagement in support of the RCOs (Resident Coordinators Office) and UNCT (UN Country Teams) in the area of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. There current cadre includes 120 Peace and Development Advisors deployed globally, including 40 national positions.

Sudan Country context 

Sudan, one of the largest and most geographically diverse states in Africa, has long been beset by conflicts and lack of development. After three decades of military rule, President Omar al Bashir was removed from power during the 2019 revolution, which laid out a path towards civilian governance through agreements between the Forces for Freedom and Change and the Transitional Military Council. In the following years, the country reached important milestones, advanced democratic governance and peacemaking efforts, and undertook ambitious economic reforms, despite major challenges. However, many important benchmarks were not met and the security and economic situation remained dire, while tensions between the power-sharing partners persisted.

In October 2021, the military removed civilian members of the government in a coup which halted the transition and resulted, amongst other issues, in the freezing of all international development aid to Sudan. Various Sudanese-led initiatives then emerged to bring together civilian and military actors around an agreement to restore the civilian-led transition, but to no avail. The UN supported the political process through the Trilateral Mechanism comprising the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). In April 2023, the security situation deteriorated dramatically with the onset of armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which started in the capital and has since spread across the country.

The conflict has inflicted unimaginable suffering on the Sudanese people, caused a nationwide humanitarian catastrophe and has dramatically worsened Sudan’s human development outlook. Close to 6.9 million people have fled their homes since the beginning of the armed conflict of whom over 5,4 million individuals have been displaced internally, making Sudan the largest internal displacement crisis worldwide. With more than 3 million children fleeing the violence, Sudan is also the world’s largest child displacement crisis. The IDP caseload has been observed in 5,939 locations across all of Sudan’s 18 states putting immense pressure on host communities. 

The number of people who need humanitarian assistance has increased from an estimated 15.8 million in November 2022 to 24.7 million in May 2023, representing a 57 per cent increase. In 2024, every second person in Sudan (24.8 million people) will need humanitarian assistance with the severity of needs increasing. The number of food-insecure people (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification/ IPC phase 3 or above) is estimated to remain at about 17.7 million through February 20247 while the conflict is endangering Sudan’s farming season thus further threatening food security in 2024. 

Without urgent support to restoring livelihoods, the situation will become increasingly tenuous. 

There has been an alarming escalation of protection threats, and the human rights situation has deteriorated rapidly since the outbreak of the conflict. The use of heavy artillery as well as airstrikes have inflicted high numbers of civilian casualties while deliberate targeting of civilians based on ethnicity and mass killings have been reported from Darfur. 

Reports indicate a steep increase in Conflict-Related Sexual and Gender Based Violence (CRSV/SGBV) in addition to reports of women and girls abducted and held in slave-like conditions in Darfur. Meanwhile violent intercommunal conflict and ethnically motivated attacks have escalated in several of Sudan’s states. New contamination with Explosive Ordnance (EO) – through use of artillery and airstrikes – is threatening lives and livelihoods amongst local communities and displaced populations, and limits humanitarian access. 

Following 5 years of continuous decline, Sudan’s economy is expected to experience a further massive contraction of 18 percent in 2023. The armed conflict has destroyed the industrial base, halted services including wholesale/retail sales and banking services, severed trade links and damaged critical civilian infrastructure, including many education and health facilities, as well as private residences. The price of the local food basket is 71.8 per cent higher than prior to the conflict and the cost of wheat flour is 88.6 per cent. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the PDA, the main duties and responsibilities of the PDO will include:

Assisting on research, information-gathering, and support analysis with a specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention. 

  • Gather and process data and information relevant to the UN’s role and activities in Sudan and the sub-region as relevant, with a specific focus on supporting and promoting conflict transformation, peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention, and sustainable development. 
  • Support the PDA in undertaking political, political economy, and/or conflict analysis, monitoring the situation in the country, and reporting of issues related to peace and security, including through analysis of local sources. 
  • Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas, in particular local level conflict analysis. 

Identify programming entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, women, and youth.

  • Assist the PDA in identifying areas of programmatic engagement with national stakeholders related to social cohesion, dialogue, conflict prevention, and consensus-building; and contribute to the development of conflict-sensitive approaches. 
  • Under the guidance of the PDA, support the exploration of entry points with key national counterparts including the Government and civil society.
  • Advise on mainstreaming conflict-sensitive approaches, including the provision of training UN Country Team staff and key national partners on conflict analysis, conflict prevention, and/or conflict-sensitive development. 
  • Undertake mappings and analysis of civil society actors, including youth, women, and marginalized groups, and their capacities for conflict prevention/ peacebuilding at the local and national level. This analysis will inform and provide support to the PDA and UNCT throughout the duration of the assignment. 
  • Support the PDA in their engagement with national and local stakeholders, focusing particularly on engaging with civil society actors at the local level and academia, to help link local initiatives to national-level institutions, structures, and processes. As well as reinforcing dialogue between government and civil society and/or people-to-people dialogues.

Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships, Monitoring, and Evaluation.

  • Support the external coordination of existing partnerships between stakeholders (government, civil society, private sector, and the international community, including the UN system). 
  • In close collaboration with the PDA and the Joint Programme Secretariat, support monitoring and evaluation function, including collecting, processing, and analyzing data in the framework of peace and development teamwork workplan.
  • Support knowledge management and sharing of good practices on conflict prevention and peacebuilding; ensure that stories and lessons learned are shared with the Joint Programme Secretariat, and respond to specific requests for information; and
  • Perform an array of duties that support UN coordination and effective Peace and Development Team programme implementation. These may include assisting in organizing meetings and consultations, organizing and implementing consultation processes with national and international partners.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: N/A

Competencies

Core Competencies 

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by the deadline
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem-solver, makes improvements 
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open-minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident 
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, be aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional and Technical Competencies

  • Business Development: 
  • Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
  • Business Management:
  • Partnership Management: 
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UN strategy and policies
  • Communication: 
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels
  • Agenda 2030: People
  • Gender: Women, Peace, and Security
  • Agenda 2030: Peace
  • Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive
  • Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity 
  • Peacebuilding and Reconciliation 
  • Social Cohesion 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in political science, conflict resolution, peace studies, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences. OR
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentionned fields combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree,

Experience:

  • Minimum of 2 years (with Master`s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible experience in conflict analysis, development and/or conflict prevention in a governmental, multilateral, or civil society organization is required. 

Knowledge and Skills:

  • Experience in project/programme development, management is required
  • Extensive experience in analysis, research and sound drafting skills is desired.
  • Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming is desired.
  • In-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in Port Sudan, Sudan, including in dialogue and conflict prevention initiatives. And awareness and familiarity of key actors and stakeholders across the political, economic, and development spheres alongside knowledge of government, civil society, and other non-state actors is desired.

Languages:

  • Fluency in written and spoken Arabic and English is required.
  • Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders) 

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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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