Uganda: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Policy Consultant - 2015

Organization: UN Children’s Fund

Country: Uganda

Closing date: 06 May 2015

Level: P4/NOD

Duration: 4 months

Justification

Aim:To support the development of child/adolescent rights-informed Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Policy in Uganda in partnership with the OPM’s Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Platform, through the deployment of a technical expert consultant to the Task Force mandated by OPM to develop the said Policy.

Background:The four-year Peacebuilding, Education and Advocacy Programme (PBEA), is a partnership between UNICEF, the Government of the Netherlands, the national governments of 14 participating countries and other key supporters. The goal of the PBEA is to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and human security in conflict-affected contexts, including countries at risk of – or experiencing and recovering from – conflict. One of the global and country level outcomes (Outcome 1) outlines the distinct contribution that education sector interventions can make to build sustainable peace in conflict-affected contexts. With this aim in mind, the PBEA program has contributed to strengthening the capacity of its partners to develop and deliver conflict sensitive and peace-promoting programs and policies. Moreover, the PBEA program continues to seek strategic partnerships within and outside of the education sector to ensure the needs of Uganda’s children and adolescents are at the heart of current and future peacebuilding efforts*.*

A key strategic partnership recently established is that with the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management, where the Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Platform (CPPB Platform) that is the Government body charged with leading peacebuilding efforts in Uganda sits. The CPPB Platform includes representatives from relevant Government agencies, development partners, and international/local NGOs working on conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

The Platform has been engaged in efforts to develop a Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Policy (CPPB Policy) in Uganda since the end of armed conflict in Northern Uganda in 2007. Comprehensive and inclusive consultations at national and sub-national level led to the development of a Issues Paper that will serve as a basis for the drafting of a CPPB Policy. UNICEF was invited to join the Platform in July 2014 following a presentation by the PBEA Team of its program activities, and through our engagement the Platform has enjoyed a ‘new lease of life’ with more frequent meetings taking place and a growing membership following UNICEF PBEA Team advocacy with other strategic partners (e.g. USAID-Safe Program, DGF) who know attend regular meetings.

***Why a peacebuilding policy?*** Civil society organizations have lobbied Government for years to have a policy that would articulate the hopes and aspirations of millions of Ugandans to have sustainable peace and development, and that would articulate the relevant institutional framework to ensure its implementation and effectiveness. Despite the end of armed conflict in Northern Uganda, the root causes of the conflict have not been comprehensively addressed. Meanwhile grievances around inadequate or inequitable service delivery and local level conflicts around land and resources continue to affect many communities around the country, undermining development and peacebuilding efforts and negatively affecting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities including women and children.

Why a child and adolescent driven peacebuilding policy? A future-looking and forward-thinking peacebuilding agenda for Uganda can be generated through the engagement of children and youth. Their hopes and aspirations can provide a dynamic and less-politicized platform for Ugandan government and civil society to engage in a renewed peacebuilding dialogue.

Why should UNICEF get involved? UNICEF’s PBEA team has been invited by the Office of the Prime Minister’s Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management to support this process (See letter attached). UNICEF’s work to promote and protect the rights of children and adolescents depends upon a peaceful and stable environment, where the views and concerns of the most vulnerable are heard and institutions are responsive and accountable. A participatory, inclusive, and child/adolescent-led process to develop a Peacebuilding Policy can generate important peace capital and promote social cohesion. Moreover, adolescents and youth have a distinct role to play in the process and are fully capable when supported and empowered to drive change within their families, schools, and communities. The PBEA program is investing in developing a peacebuilding community in Uganda where the role of education and the needs of children and adolescents are placed at its core.

Supporting documentation:

· Concept Note outlining the overall strategy for supporting a child/adolescent led peacebuilding policy developed in consultation with Communications/Youth Engagement and SPE

· OPM Letter Requesting UNICEF support2. Scope of Work

The recruitment and deployment of a technical expert to facilitate the process of developing the policy will ensure the mainstreaming of a child/adolescent perspective throughout the process and guide the work of UNICEF and its partners through the implementation of the following activities in close consultation with the CPPB Policy Task Force and the CPPB Platform:

1. Review the Issues Paper and formulate the short, medium and long-term gender and child/adolescent focused conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategy of the CPPB Policy


2. Desk-based review of existing conflict prevention/peacebuilding-relevant policies and initiatives in Uganda and regionally to ensure that the Policy encompasses and strengthens existing frameworks and processes, and to identify opportunities to advocate for a gender and child/adolescent-focused policy.


3. Facilitate broad stakeholder consultations at national and sub-national levels to develop an inclusive, gender and conflict sensitive, and child/adolescent-informed and publicly accepted CPPB Policy document


4. Regularly update the CPPB Policy Task force, the CPPB Platform and other key stakeholders on the progress of the policy development process through reports, presentations, and briefs.


5. Develop an advocacy, fundraising and implementation strategy for the CPPB Policy


6. Compile a final draft of the CPPB Policy for presentation to Cabinet. 3. Areas to be Considered

The methodology for this assignment will encompass desk-based research, the facilitation of extensive consultations of relevant stakeholders nationally and sub-nationally, information and knowledge management, as well as the drafting of a gender and child/adolescent focused CP/PB Policy to be presented to Cabinet and Parliament for approval before final endorsement by the President’s Office. The assignment will be undertaken by the technical expert while embedded within the OPM’s CPPB Policy Task Force. The technical expert will report to the Peacebuilding Specialist who is a member of the said Task Force. The technical expert will work on monthly-rate basis within between 1 June to 30 September 2015 to support the development, enactment and implementation of the CPPB Policy.

4. Expected Deliverables and time frame***Time frame 1 June – 30 September 2015*****Tasks End Products/ Deliverables

Task 1: Review the Issues Paper and formulate the short, medium and long-term conflict prevention and peacebuilding strategy of the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Strategy to be incorporated in the CPPB Policy developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 2: Desk-based review of existing conflict prevention/peacebuilding-relevant policies and initiatives in Uganda and regionally. Deliverable: Brief on CPPB-relevant national and regional policies/initiatives developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 3: Facilitate a CPPB Platform workshop to elicit key elements of the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: CPPB Policy framework and structure developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform.

Task 4: Facilitate broad stakeholder consultations at national and sub-national levels. Deliverable: Report of national/sub-national level consultation workshops developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform.

Task 5: Consolidate inputs from consultative workshops into a zero draft of the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: Zero draft developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 6: Facilitate a high-level national stakeholder validation of the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: Report of high-level national stakeholder validation developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 7: Consolidate inputs from high-level national stakeholder validation into a second draft of the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: Second draft developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 8: Compile a final draft of the CPPB Policy for presentation to Cabinet. Deliverable: Final draft developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform in preparation for submission to Cabinet

Task 9: Develop an advocacy, fundraising and implementation strategy for the CPPB Policy. Deliverable: Advocacy, fundraising and implementation strategy for the CPPB Policy developed, presented to, and endorsed by the Policy Task Force and CPPB Platform

Task 10: Regularly update the CPPB Policy Task force, the CPPB Platform and other key stakeholders on the progress of the policy development process through reports, presentations, and briefs. Deliverable: Bi-weekly Policy Task Force and monthly CPPB Platform reports developed and presented

Desired background qualification and experience and competencies

§ Advanced university degree (or equivalent) in peace and conflict studies or relevant discipline;

§ Demonstrated practical experience in peace-related advocacy and policy development work;

§ Demonstrated knowledge of gender and conflict sensitive approaches to policy development

§ Demonstrated experience of developing and implementing child/adolescent friendly participatory processes

§ Demonstrated experience of facilitating national and sub-national consultation processes on conflict and peace issues

§ Demonstrated experience of collection, processing and analysis of diverse data

§ Proficient in management of large data sets and of innovative data collection/management systems

§ In-depth knowledge of Uganda’s context, specifically of past/current conflict drivers and peace processes essential

§ Knowledge of relevant global and regional peacebuilding policy and institutional frameworks an advantage

§ Willing to undertake regular field visits and interact with different stakeholders e.g. high level government officials at central and district levels, media, donors and development partners, civil society, community leaders, and diverse communities.

§ Excellent facilitation, research, drafting, presentation, and communication skills

§ Minimum 10 years of relevant work experience in peacebuilding policy and advocacy

§ Fluency in spoken and written English is required 6.Conditions (Important)

The consultant will be deployed the Office of the Prime Minister’s (OPM) Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management but report to UNICEF offices weekly for review meetings with the Peacebuilding Specialist who will provide overall supervision to the assignment.

How to apply:

Applicants interested in the above position should send their Applications accompanied by a resume and P11 Form Via email to: ugderecruit@unicef.org, clearly indicating the position applied for and using the specified order to name attachments (Firstname_Lastname followed by document e.g. First name_Last Name P11 or First name_Last Name CV or First name_Last Name Application.

UNICEF is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff; qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNICEF is a smoke free environment.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted. Closing date for applications is 6 May 2015.