Project description (Background) 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy.

UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Focus is on the development of a horizontal network of practitioners across UNDP and the broader development community and working closely with UNDP Regional Hubs.

Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response and recovery and its Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility Team supports Recovery and Stabilization; Human Mobility; Mine Action; Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR); and Prosecution, Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR).

Anchored in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and committed to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind, UNDP’s current Strategic Plan (2022-2025) is accompanied by the Integrated Result and Resource Frameworks which includes as outcome 3 to Resilience Built to respond to systemic uncertainty and risks and more specifically output 3.2.1 on Reintegration: “3.2.1 Number of cross-border, regional, national, and sub-national policies, strategies, and action plans for conflict prevention and peacebuilding”. UNDP’s engagement and support to reintegration takes place within disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and prosecution, rehabilitation and Reintegration (PRR) or through standalone reintegration programmes addressing informal exits from armed groups or conflict.

UNDP co-chairs the United Nations Inter-Agency Working Group on DDR (IAWG) together with the Department of Peace Operations (DPO). The IAWG was established in 2005 to develop and provide cutting-edge policies and resources to DDR practitioners. In 2006 the IAWG launched the Integrated Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Standards (IDDRS), providing guidance for the planning and implementation of DDR programmes. The IDDRS are a living document which requires constant review and updating to remain relevant for DDR practitioners.

The Inter-Agency and Partnerships Coordinator will support the discharge of the UNDP co-chair function by ensuring the functioning of the IAWG-DDR Secretariat alongside DPO as IAWG-DDR Co-Chair, ensuring UNDP’s engagement with the IDDRTG and its strategic partners, coordinating the Community-Based Reintegration Initiative and ensuring UNDP’s strategic partnerships in reintegration.

Scope of Work 

I.            Ensure functioning of IAWG-DDR Secretariat, including maintaining the IDDRS updated 

• Facilitate the day-to-day functioning of the IAWG Secretariat, by following the Internal Structures, Procedures and Practices Manual, which includes planning the IAWG-DDR calendar of meetings, organizing regular IAWG-DDR meetings chaired by UNDP, preparing draft minutes for approval, drafting and reviewing concept notes for new initiatives and preparing reports, incorporating member organizations’ input, among other tasks.
• Formulate and ensure implementation of procedures for adoption by the IAWG-DDR, such as for the functioning of the IDDR review mechanism, translation of the IDDRS into UN official languages, and lessons learned exercises on the review of the IDDRS.
• Facilitate UNDP’s leadership and/or review of the revised IDDRS modules and/or summaries for the Operation Guide to IDDRS; where relevant, collaborate with IAWG-DDR leads on modules and partners to ensure projects are led to completion, overseeing copy-editing, lay-out and design, and dissemination processes.
• Contribute to the collection of experiences, lessons and good practices by UNDP and among IAWG-DDR members that will contribute to the emergence of new standards or result in actionable outcomes by IAWG-DDR, such as contextualizing training on DDR for regions and countries in cooperation with all relevant stakeholders and partners.
• Manage information and maintain electronic records of all the materials collected versions of the documents produced. These materials should be saved in the relevant IAWG-DDR Library and shared folders, including all inputs received from the Crisis Bureau teams, regional service centers, hubs, country offices, or partners.
• Maintain the UN DDR Resource Center updated jointly with the IAWG-DDR Co-chair, including by overseeing the integration of the IDDRS search tool created by an IAWG-DDR partner.

II.           Ensure UNDP’s engagement as strategic partner of the Integrated DDR Training Group (IDDRTG) and other relevant training institutions in support of IDDRS-based capacity building and training

• Ensure UNDP representation in the IDDRTG annual meetings, including by liaising with IDDRTG Co-Chairs and coordinating contributions to meetings with the other IAWG-DDR Co-Chair, confirming participation in meetings, supporting preparation of IAWG-DDR updates and UNDP DDR and reintegration presentations to the IDDRTG.
• Facilitate UNDP’s engagement with IDDRTG member institutions on the planning and design of DDR foundation and specialized training courses at global, regional or country levels, including by supporting identification of UNDP facilitators and resource persons, consolidating UNDP comments on training schedules and ensuring alignment of UNDP presentations with the IDDRS.
• Collaborate with IDDRTG members and other relevant training institutions to ensure UNDP personnel access DDR training opportunities across HQ, regional hubs and country offices.
• Support the creation of an Exits and Reintegration Academy (DDR and PRR) in UNDP to enable learning and experience sharing across UNDP.
• Deepen collaboration and joint work by facilitating meetings, workplans and partnerships with relevant organizations, such as the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA), the African Union (AU), the European Union (EU) and other relevant other relevant institutions and strategic UNDP partners.

III.         Coordinate the Community-Based Reintegration (CBR) Core Group Project 

• Facilitate regular meetings of the Core Group and ensure actionable results and follow-up for the UNDP and CBR Core Group partners Elman Peace, GCERF, FBA, through the adoption and implementation of workplans.
• Take action to ensure that the concept of CBR is well communicated to relevant contexts, practitioners, partners, and events through the CBR Guidance Note or other relevant means (training, presentation, knowledge sharing, etc.).
• Collaborate with partners, such as Elman Peace, Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), FBA to adapt the CBR Guidance Note to relevant countries and contexts, through workshops, training sessions, online seminars and other events.
• Assist UNDP country offices and initiatives in the implementation of CBR approaches, through community committees or otherwise.

IV.          Strategic partnerships development and partnerships’ management, with the IAWG-DDR members, such as the World Bank, as well as regional organizations, such as African Union and the European Union, among others.

• Build relationships with organizations and institutions on DDR and Reintegration inside the UN Family, particularly with IAWG members to advance the implementation of reintegration and community-based reintegration approaches and beyond.
• Identify opportunities for thematic events, through policy dialogues, roundtables or otherwise, and ensure follow up to actionable results. Where relevant, provide event support and/or co-organize, ensuring UNDP’s representation, and coverage of UNDP mandate.
• Collaborate on DDR with academia and research organizations and institutions on topics of interest to UNDP DDR.

V.       The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation.

Institutional Arrangement

The Inter-Agency and Partnerships Coordinator will work under the supervision of the UNDP Global Advisor on Reintegration/DDR/PRR within the Crisis Bureau Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility Team, and in close collaboration with the IAWG co-chair from Department of Peace Operations and the training institutions and partners’ focal points. The incumbent will be required to travel on official business outside the home country or country of residence to New York and Geneva where most IAWG-DDR members are located as well as to regional hubs and countries for trainings and technical support to accomplish tasks related to this ToRs.

Competencies 

Expected Demonstration of Competencies

Core

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Minimum Qualifications 

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development, Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, International Relations and Social Work is required.   OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience              

A minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of international professional experience in topics related to peacebuilding, DDR, PRR, human rights, community engagement with focus on the reintegration of former combatants and persons formerly associated with armed forces and groups.

Required skills  

• Experience is backstopping chairs and secretariat functions of inter-agency working groups.
• Experience in coordinating inter-agency and stakeholders’ consultation processes within the framework of DDR/PRR.
• Experience in organizing high-level and technical multi-partner events and training courses in DDR/PRR.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating gender-responsive and age-appropriate reintegration programmes for former members of armed forces and groups, including veterans of armed forces is desired.
• Experience in implementing projects and programmes in conflict-affected environments is desired.

Required Language(s)   

• English fluency/proficiency required.
• Working knowledge of additional UN official languages would be desirable.