Job Description

Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.

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 Officer provides reinforced capacity to the PDA’s engagement in support of the RCOs (Resident Coordinators Office) and UNCTs (UN Country Teams) in the area of conflict prevention and sustaining peace. There current cadre includes 133 Peace and Development Advisors deployed globally, including 45 national positions.

In some contexts, Peace and Development Officers are deployed in contexts where an international PDA is not present.

Over the past two decades, Uganda has made significant political and economic progress, reversing the economic and political turmoil that engulfed the country during the first two and a half decades of independence. The brutal civil war in Northern Uganda waged by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) for almost 20 years ended in 2005 and there is now overall normalcy in the region, albeit with high levels of poverty.

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Uganda has one of the youngest populations in Africa. However, youth unemployment rates remain high and could pose a challenge if not carefully managed. Uganda stepped up its security following several terrorist attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in 2021 and suspected attacks in 2023. These attacks led to the deployment of Ugandan troops into the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support counter-insurgency efforts against the ADF in eastern DRC. There has been increasing humanitarian needs emanating from natural disasters in the country. In addition, an influx of refugees into the country poses its own humanitarian challenges amongst refugee populations.

With the signing of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (2021–2025), guiding the collective engagement and contribution of the UN Development System (UNDS) in Uganda, the UN Country Team would like to further leverage its collective voice on peace and sustainable development, as well as enhance its strong partnership with the Government on the Agenda 2030.

Position Purpose 
The Peace and Development Officer works under the direct supervision and guidance of the PDA, to provide substantive support in three main areas of activity, including:
  1. Assist on research, information-gathering and analysis with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding and conflict prevention;
  2. Identify entry-points and support inclusive and conflict-sensitive approaches in efforts to build national capacities for conflict prevention, particularly with regard to civil society, including women’s and youth networks;
  3. Provide technical support for coordination, partnerships and M&E of peacebuilding programming.
Key Duties and Accountabilities
1) 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 Uganda and the sub-region as relevant, including on key conflict prevention and peacebuilding actors and entities, with specific focus on supporting and promoting peacebuilding, social cohesion, conflict prevention and sustainable development;
  • Track and update relevant online tools related to peacebuilding and conflict prevention;
  • 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 through analysis of contextual factors;
  • Carry out and coordinate research on particular issues and thematic areas in particular conflict analysis, scenarios planning, dialogue and mediation.
2) 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;

3) 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), including relevant missions or other engagement with regional and global conflict prevention and peace stakeholders;
  • 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 team 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;
  • 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.
Competencies
Core competencies
  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/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 Development 

  •  Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Management: 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

Business Direction and Strategy

  • System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Agenda 2030: Peace: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive

  • Conflict Analysis and conflict sensitivity

Agenda 2030: Peace: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive

  • Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
  • Master’s degree in political science, conflict resolution, peace studies, sociology, international relations, international economics, law, public administration, or other related social sciences;
  • Bachelor’s degree in relevant field with additional two (2) years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s 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;
  • Extensive experience in analysis, research and sound drafting skills;
  • Experience in project/programme development, management;
  • Experience in national and community-level conflict prevention and peacebuilding initiatives and programming;
  • In-depth knowledge of and extensive experience in Uganda and/or the sub-region, 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.

Language:

  • Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
  • Knowledge of Luganda and/or Swahili is added advantage.
  • 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.
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