Job Title: Community Relations and Peace Building Officer
Vacancy code: VA/2013/B5302/2125
Duty station: Abuja, Nigeria
Organisation: United Nations Office for Project Services – UNOPS Nigeria
Level: ICS-9
Department/office: AFO, CIOH, Cote d'Ivoire
Contract type: Local ICA Specialist
Contract level: LICA Specialist-6
Duration: 6 months
Application period: 05-Apr-2013 to 12-Apr-2013
Background Information – Job-specific:
Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producers. Since 2004, an insurgency has broken out in the Niger delta, Nigeria's oil-producing region. The desperately impoverished local residents of the delta have seen little benefit from Nigeria's vast oil riches, and rebel groups are fighting for a more equal distribution of the wealth as well as greater regional autonomy. Violence by rebel groups has disrupted oil production and reduced output by about 20%.
In 2006, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has launched the Niger Delta Job Creation and Conflict Prevention Initiative, funded by the SHELL Petroleum Development Company and the Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers State Governments. The general objective is to participate in mitigating the violence in the Niger Delta area by offering opportunities to the youths of the militant groups. To reach this objective, the project's aim is to convert three existing state owned vocational training facilities into Multi-Purpose Youth Centres (MPYCs). The Niger Delta militant youth groups and the youth from the immediate surrounding area are the target beneficiaries.
Following a progress review undertaken in late December 2006 in the course of which the findings and recommendations of the technical experts were considered, the initial implementing partner requested that a new management arrangement should be put in place, given the increased scope and complexity of the project. UNOPS has been chosen to be the implementation partner of UNDP and therefore wishes to appoint a Community Relations & Peace Buidling Officer to undertake the tasks as described hereafter.
Functional Responsibilities:
The Niger Delta Job Creation & Conflict Prevention Initiative (YEP Program) will hold a number of Stakeholders Workshops with the objective of equipping all the project partners and stakeholders with the various findings of research conducted and documentation available on ex-militants and armed groups in the Niger Delta. In addition, the YEP will carry out various community development work, conflict prevention programs, mindset change and re-orientation, and various interactions and capacity building programs with youth groups, private sector, civil society and grass-root organizations. In view of above, the incumbent under the direct supervision of the Head of Office will undertake the following tasks:
• Develop and maintain collaborations and strategic relationships with civil society partners and other stakeholders in the Niger State.
• Survey and review all literature (research, documents, reports...etc) available on ex-militants and armed groups in the Niger Delta analyzing the structural and proximate causes of conflicts in the region and ways to mitigate conflicts in the long term.
• Consolidate the findings of the pertinent studies that deal with all aspects of the Niger Delta vulnerable youths including ex-militants with the view of equipping the mindset change instructor and center psycho social counselor participants with all available information to enable them mainstream their expectations.
• Make detailed informative presentations on the above findings in the various workshops.
• Identify local partners at community level who could be contracted by the project to work with the ex-militants and armed groups.
• Contribute to development of relevant training programs for implementation by the local partners for rehabilitation/reintegration of the vulnerable youth.
• Contribute to production of a profile on employment potential for restive youth as per the feedback/findings from the Labour Market Surveys.
• Contribution to the strengthening of the institutional capacity for managing diversity and conflicting interests.
• Identify and prepare lists of the various groups in their different forms.
• Contribute to various documentations to be developed on mind-set change, conflict management, social mobilization and others.
• Implement all activities related to community works within the host communities.
• Assist in coordination and liaison works with all partners in the public and the private sectors.
• Undertake the task of monitoring all activities, surveys, and studies to be conducted by the Implementing Partners.
• Take part in data collection for monitoring and evaluation purposes of all program activities.
• Assist in conducting the program baseline survey.
• Perform other related duties as required.
Competencies:
• Integrity
• Professionalism
• Respect for Diversity
• Creativity and innovation
• Commitment to continuous learning
• Planning and Organizing
• Results orientation
• Communications skills
• Teamwork skills
• Client orientation
• Technological awareness
Education:
Master degree in development studies, Social Sciences, peace and conflict management or related social sciences.
A first level university degree in development studies, Social Sciences, peace and conflict management or related social sciences in combination with 2 additional years of relevant professional experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master degree.
Experience
A Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in community development or related field is required. Familiarity with procedures, reporting requirements and systems of UNDP and UNOPS will be an added advantage.
Languages
Fluent in oral and written English. Knowledge of the local language of the area would be an added advantage.
Contract type, level and duration
Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Agreement (L-ICA)
Contract level: L-ICA-6
Contract duration:6 months initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.
For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: http://www.unops.org/ENGLISH/WHOWENEED/CONTRACT-TYPES/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements-ICAs.aspx
Additional Considerations:
• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time (CET)
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• For staff positions UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.
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