Coordinator, Technical Secretariat of the Peace Building Fund, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, P4

Level: P-4

Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment

Closing date: 08 Dec 2023 07:08 AM (America/New_York)

Duty station: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

The Position:

Overall, the Coordinator of the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) Technical Secretariat is responsible for ensuring that the mandate assigned to the Secretariat is fulfilled, by improving coordination and facilitating the implementation of PBF-financed projects in Burkina Faso.

The Secretariat Coordinator contributes to the strategic supervision of the portfolio of projects financed by the PBF, through the following functions: i) ensuring the quality and monitoring of the portfolio of PBF projects; ii) supporting the Joint Steering Committee (CCO), the Technical Monitoring Committee (CTS) and supervising the Secretariat team; iii) supporting inter-agency coordination and collaboration in the area of peacebuilding and social cohesion, within the Peace Pillar of the United Nations Interim Development Action Plan (UNIDAP) 2023-2025; iv) supporting resource mobilization.

He/She will be under the general supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) of the United Nations System (UNS) and the direct supervision of his/her Head of office, to whom he/she will report on all tasks that fall under the responsibility of the Secretariat. The Resident Representative of the implementing agency of the Secretariat will ensure administrative supervision and contractual management of the Coordinator and PBF Secretariat staff. The Secretariat Coordinator will have an indirect line of supervision with the Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) regarding strategic aspects of the PBF portfolio in the country and the performance of PBF projects. He/she will work in close collaboration with the team of the Office of the Resident Coordinator (RCO), in particular with the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA), as well as with the General Directorate of Territorial Development (DGDT) of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Foresight (MEFP). PBSO will participate in the recruitment and performance evaluation process of professional staff of the PBF Secretariat.

Background and Context:

Burkina Faso has been experiencing a multidimensional crisis since 2016, marked among other things by insecurity affecting almost every region of the country, a worrying humanitarian situation and institutional instability. The security crisis was initially fostered by the situation in the Sahel sub-region, then developed by exploiting endogenous factors of fragility. In 2022, the country faced two unconstitutional political changes, following the exacerbation of the security crisis, the rise of protests from populations severely affected by the violence, against a backdrop of tense social and political dialogue.

Security and humanitarian challenges persist. Numerous attacks against the Defense and Security Forces (FDS) and the civilian population (public officials, community and religious leaders, places of worship and gold-mining sites) have contributed significantly to Burkina Faso's decline in the Global Peace Index ranking, dropping from 134th place out of 163 countries in 2021 to 150th in 2023. Considered unstable by standards of this ranking, Burkina Faso is also the second most affected country by terrorism in the world, according to the Global Terrorism Index 2022.

The continuing deterioration of the security situation has led to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso. As of 31 March 2023, 2,062,534 internally displaced persons (IDPs) had been registered, according to the Conseil National de Secours d'Urgence et de Réhabilitation (CONASUR). On 30 June 2023, 6,149 schools were closed due to insecurity, depriving 1,041,681 children of their right to education, according to the Ministry of Education. At the same date, 373 health facilities were closed and 347 others were operating at minimum capacity.

To provide a response to the security challenges and its underlying causes, in 2017 the Government set up the Emergency Program for the Sahel in Burkina Faso (PUS-BF), which aims to improve security conditions and reduce the vulnerability of the population in the regions of: the Boucle du Mouhoun, the Centre-East, the Centre-North, the East, the North and the Sahel. The PUS-BF is scheduled to end in December 2024. In January 2023, the Transitional Government adopted the Action Plan for Stabilization and Development (PA-SD). This plan targets four priority areas: 1) combating terrorism and restoring territorial integrity; 2) responding to the humanitarian crisis; 3) reforming the State and strengthening good governance; and 4) strengthening national reconciliation and social cohesion. 

In a difficult context marked by a security and humanitarian crisis, the country faces multiple peacebuilding challenges, particularly in the areas of political, economic, judicial and security governance. Socio-economic challenges, such as poverty, social inequalities, disparities between rural and urban areas, as well as poor governance practices, particularly tied to corruption, illicit financial flows, natural resource management and the rule of law provide a fertile ground for conflicts to intensify. Inter- and intra-community tensions, exacerbated by insecurity, are contributing to the erosion of social cohesion and the Burkinabe way of life. Although the social contract has been shaken and insecurity persists, the population's resilience remains remarkable. 

PBF in Burkina Faso

The United Nations System continues to engage with the transitional authorities in the areas of development, humanitarian assistance and peacebuilding. In June 2023, the UNS and the Government signed the United Nations Interim Development Action Plan 2023-2025. The UNIDAP aims to provide support for recovery, stabilization and development, following the four pillars of Peace, People, Planet and Prosperity, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and with a focus on social cohesion and reconciliation as a means of ensuring the Nexus between humanitarian, development and peace. The PBF is an important instrument for the implementation of UNIDAP, particularly in the Peace pillar. 

Based on the factors of fragility identified by an initial conflict analysis, the priority areas for PBF support are: (i) improving trust between the population and the State, (ii) strengthening social resilience and the active participation of women and young people, and (iii) the peaceful management of local conflicts. Burkina Faso benefits from PBF support through the funding of various projects in the aforementioned areas. Since 2017, the PBF has allocated a total of US$ 46,336,112 to support peacebuilding projects. The portfolio active in 2023 includes 13 projects with a total budget of US$ 25,632,943.

Portfolio governance is ensured at three levels:

At the strategic level, through a Joint Steering Committee (CCO), acting as the strategic guidance and decision-making body;

At the technical level, through a Technical Monitoring Committee (CTS) and

At the operational level, through Project Coordination Committees.

PBF projects are implemented in a complex environment and the Coordinator will play an essential role in strategic oversight of the portfolio, support to recipient agencies and NGOs and collaboration with national counterparts. 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

Master’s degree (or higher) in Economics, Social Sciences, or Management, International Development, or any other related discipline.

Knowledge and Experience: 

Relevant experience of at least 7 years in management or coordination of development projects or programs, including at least 3 years in the field of peacebuilding;

Relevant experience in project cycle management, results-based management and reporting in the area of development programming;

Experience in consultations and negotiations with governments and TFPs;

Experience in team supervision and leadership;

Experience in leading inter-agency teams not under one’s direct supervision;

Proven experience in conflict analysis and conflict-sensitive programming;

Working knowledge of PBF processes and guidelines is required;

Excellent oral and written communication skills with high-level interlocutors, to facilitate liaison and negotiations with government and international organizations;

Experience and good skills in monitoring and evaluation;

Previous experience with the United Nations would be an asset;

Good knowledge of peacebuilding issues in the Sahel sub-region and Burkina Faso would be an asset.

Languages: 

Excellent command of French and good knowledge of English are required.

To view the complete job description and apply to this position, please follow the link below :

https://www.unfpa.org/jobs/coordinator-technical-secretariat-peace-buil…