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.
Insecurity and conflict, driven by a persistent insurgency now in its 14th year, continue to challenge Northeast Nigeria. The conflict affects over 8.5 million people, with 2.3 million internally displaced and an additional 250,000 seeking refuge across the Lake Chad Basin. The crisis has led to severe infrastructure damage estimated at US$9.2 billion, impacting governmental functions and community shelter, while disrupting local economies—particularly agriculture—resulting in losses of approximately US$8.5 billion.
This prolonged conflict not only threatens to deepen inter-generational poverty but also hinders access to essential services such as health and education, jeopardizing the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals in the region. The appointment of new Service Chiefs in 2021 and the shift to Operation Hadin Kai marked a strategic counterinsurgency shift, resulting in operational successes and a notable increase in insurgent surrenders.
The security situation in 2023 has evolved, with increased incidents in Northern Borno and escalated conflicts affecting civilian populations. The insurgent landscape is fragmenting, with groups reorganizing into smaller factions, indicating a weakening coherence and capability due to military pressures and significant defections. Amidst these challenges, the Nigerian Government has initiated several measures to address the crisis, including the Buhari Plan, Operation Safe Corridor, and the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), aiming to stabilize and rehabilitate the region through integrated governmental efforts at both national and state levels. Moreover, international support has been robust.
The United Nations, through the “One UN Offer,” has coordinated with various agencies to support the implementation of the Borno Model, which focuses on reintegration and reconciliation around the return of people who exited areas under control of the insurgent groups. The UN Offer – a consortium of four UN Agencies including International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UNDP acting as convening agency – has established a Basket Fund to support the Borno State Government in its endeavor until 2028 under the overall leadership of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria. Concurrently, the Durable Solutions initiative has been pivotal in addressing the displacement crisis by advocating for long-term resettlement solutions, local integration, and sustainable livelihoods for displaced persons. These initiatives are integral to broader strategies endorsed by the African Union and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), aiming to foster stabilization, in the affected areas under the banner of the Regional Stabilization Recovery, and Resilience Strategy (RSS).
In support of the aforementioned initiatives, UNDP has established the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) with four country windows and a regional window to catalyze and accelerate the implementation of the RSS. The second phase of the RSF Nigeria Country Window is concluding five years of immense impact bringing back essential services and community safety to over 1 million people. The RSF is poised to commence its third phase, building on the significant groundwork laid in its first two phases and the lessons learned. This upcoming phase aims to continue addressing immediate stabilization needs, such as restoring security, revitalizing the economy, and reconstructing essential infrastructure. Furthermore, it will incorporate strategies for sustainable peace and development, supporting the implementation of LCBC’s RSS whilst leveraging existing initiatives in North Eastern Nigeria.
Position Purpose
The overall objective of Facility intervention in Nigeria is to achieve ‘immediate’ and ‘extended’ stabilization of the Boko Haram-affected States of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Building on UNDP experience and lessons learnt from the past five years in the Northeast, the following three outputs are understood as the basis of successful stabilization:
- Security & the Rule of Law strengthened;
- Essential Infrastructure & Basic Services functioning; and
- Livelihood Options available.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Resident Representative, the Head of Stabilization is responsible for performing the following functions:
- Manage the Stabilization Facility and its timely implementation:
- Promote UNDP’s mandate and corporate policy and provides senior high-level policy advice on stabilization:
- Support partnership building and resource mobilization for UNDP’s Stabilization Programme:
Ensure knowledge management:
Manage the Stabilization Facility and its timely implementation:
- Leads the project teams and works closely with a wide array of partners to ensure that the projects under stabilization directly respond to the UNDP country programme strategy;
- Supervises the project staff, provides coaching to staff and effective leadership;
- Develops, oversees and monitors work plans and budgets for all activities in the project portfolio;
- Ensures timely and adequate reporting against plans, including timely and articulate progress reports;
- Ensures appropriate levels of visibility and public awareness on results and ongoing activities;
- Identifies risks and challenges to the ongoing operations of the projects and provides advice to the Resident Representative on mitigation strategies;
- Participates in or ensures appropriate presentation of the Northeast Office at the ASMT meetings.
- Regularly updates the Resident Representatives on security and safety measures to be applied for the office and staff in the Northeast security management area;
- Ensures the integrity of financial and administrative operations in the project area through financial oversight, under advice of UNDP Deputy Resident Representative for Operations;
- Ensures strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations and ensuring the implementation of clear accountability mechanisms;
- Participates in internal control mechanisms for adherence to UNDP rules and regulations in contracts, assets, procurement, recruitment, etc., as required;
- Manages day to day administrative matters for the project with support from administrative staff and the performance of consultants and specialist advisers;
Promote UNDP’s mandate and corporate policy and provides senior high-level policy advice on stabilization:
- Promotes early and extended stabilization approaches and provides strategic policy advice to UNDP Senior Management, government counterparts, donors and other partners on integrated approaches to further stabilization objectives in country and at the regional level (RSF Regional Window);
- Assesses implications and makes recommendations to senior management on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives, in particular implications for UNDP programming;
- Identifies, monitors and provides risk informed analysis on political and socioeconomic developments, trends and emerging issues, and conflict dynamics to UNDP senior management in their engagement with high level g0vernment officials and other relevant stakeholders. This requires identifying appropriate entry points for stabilization and proposing actionable and timely recommendations
- Provides thorough risk analysis of political/social and economic situation of the country/ region and identifies strategic areas of support for UNDP in stabilization and its transition to recovery proposing actionable and timely recommendations;
- Facilitates the linking of political economy considerations, conflict and political analysis and strategies as well as risk informed approaches to UNDP’s stabilization programming and policy engagement at the country level
- Ensures the integration of cross-cutting issues, such as gender, peace building, durable solutions, human rights and resilience into stabilization and post crisis response;
- Liaises closely with other UNDP programs and ensure smooth transition of stabilization to longer term development programmes;
- Ensures systematic and effective analysis, project monitoring, including but not limited to regular field visits, as appropriate, and participation in Project Board Steering Committee and Technical Committee;
- Represents UNDP and perform any other tasks as assigned by the Resident Representative.
Support partnership building and resource mobilization for UNDP’s Stabilization Programme:
- Deepens partnerships with national and local stakeholders including Government, Security and Justice providers, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, academia, think tanks, women’s and youth networks and key international actors (including International Financial Institutions and regional organizations) to identify entry points, to strengthen strategic alliances to enhance stabilization objectives;
- Ensures sufficient resource mobilization for the project in close consultation with Senior Management and is responsible for reaching the annual resource mobilization targets;
- Advocates for UNDP’s work and represents UNDP with national authorities, the donor community, and international financial institutions, where requested;
- Liaises regularly and forges close linkages with other UN programmes, agencies and entities, as well as other international and national stakeholders concerned with or providing assistance on early recovery or stabilization issues in Nigeria;
- Ensures high-quality and timely reporting to government partners and donors involved in the project;
- Contributes to the harnessing of effective partnerships and competitive selection of partners for implementation of UNDP projects;
- Collaborates effectively in established frameworks for UN and other international coordination
Ensure knowledge management:
- Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the project area for organizational sharing and learning as well as external information;
- Actively participates in UNDP knowledge networks and takes advantage of best practices and lessons learned that are available in the region and globally, and encourages project staff to do so by creating a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
- Uses and promotes the use of the Regional Service Center;
- Promotes the participation of UNDP Nigeria in regional programmes and regional activities related to the project area as appropriate;
- Encourages, conceptualize, and oversees the development of knowledge products on issues related to or arising in conjunction with Nigeria CO’s stabilization work;
- Ensures that the office shared drive is operational, and all teams regularly save project documentation to sustain institutional memory.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The Head of Stabilization would have the following reporting to the incumbent:
- Programme Associates
- Various RSF Team Leads
- Security Focal Persons
- Monitoring and Evaluation Analyst
Competencies
Core Competencies
Achieve Results-LEVEL 4: Prioritize team workflow, mobilize resources, drive scalable results/strategic impact
Think Innovatively-LEVEL 4: Easily navigate complexity, encourage/enable radical innovation, has foresight
Learn Continuously-LEVEL 4: Create systems and processes that enable learning and development for all
Adapt with Agility-LEVEL 4: Proactively initiate/lead organizational change, champion new systems/processes
Act with Determination-LEVEL 4: Able to make difficult decisions in challenging situations, inspire confidence
Engage and Partner-LEVEL 4: Construct strategic multi-partner alliances in high stake situations, foster co-creation
Enable Diversity and Inclusion-LEVEL 4: Create ethical culture, identify/address barriers to inclusion
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross Functional & Technical Competencies
Business Direction & Strategy-Business Acumen: Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks
Business Direction & Strategy-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 Direction & Strategy-Entrepreneurial Thinking: Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate
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 at improved performance and demonstrable results
Business Management-Partnerships 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 UNDP strategy and policies
Business Development-Integration within the UN: Ability to identity, and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system, and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in conflict resolution, peace studies, political science, human rights, sociology, international relations, economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences. Or;
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- At least 10 years with Master’s degree or 12 years with a Bachelor degree of relevant experience in stabilization projects of which at least five years in senior management position;
- Proven experience in Resource Mobilization,
- Proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with senior officials, such as in the United Nations, government and external partners;
- Experience in national and community level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming is an asset
- Experience in working in crisis or conflict country;
- Experience working in a multi-cultural and/or international work environment.
- Functionally-related professional management skills;
- Plan and prioritizes work activities to meet organizational goals and organizes and oversees work processes efficiently to achieve quality results;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, as well as experience in the handling of web-based management systems;
- Previous UN Experience – Experience from previous UNDP assignments and/or UN agencies or multilateral banks (World Bank, African/Asian Development Bank, etc.) and bi-lateral aid organizations would be an asset.
Language:
- Fluency in oral and written English Language;
- knowledge of other official UN languages is an advantage.
Note: Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest Performance Evaluations (if applicable).
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Disclaimer
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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