UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME Junior Professional Officer (JPO) JOB DESCRIPTION. I. Position Information

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1 I. Position Information JPO functional title: Officer Main sector of assignment: Peacebuilding Agency: Department: Junior Professional Governance and UNDP UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster Grade Level: (P2) Country and Duty Station: Ethiopia, Addis Ababa Duty Station status: Family duty station Duration and Type of Assignment: One-year fixed-term appointment, renewable at least once subject to satisfactory performance, recommendation by respective office and partner country agreement Reports to:justice and Human Rights Specialist Position Status: Non-rotational II. Job Purpose and Organizational Context The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional programme for Africa outlines key achievements, opportunities and challenges towards advancing sustainable human development the process of enlarging space and inclusivity, transforming the economy to deliver for people and building a robust social contract. The specific objectives of the UNDP RSCA for governance and Peacebuilding project for Africa include the following: 1. Promote strong, inclusive and effective democratic governance systems to ensure participation and voice for the poor and other excluded groups, including women, youth and HIV affected populations, 2. Strengthen regional legislative and judicial institutions to perform their core functions, fight discrimination and address emerging issues such as corruption risks, and 3. Support the African Union and the RECs to harmonize policies, legal frameworks and regulations for expanding South-South and triangular cooperation to maximize mutual benefits for member states. To assist in the deepening of democratic governance in Africa, the Governance and Peacebuilding Team at the RSCA provides policy, programming, knowledge management and capacity development support to Country Offices and regional institutions in the areas of civic engagement, access to justice and human rights, electoral systems and processes, local governance and decentralization, anti-corruption, parliamentary development and political parties, public administration reform, women's political empowerment, and country led democratic governance assessments. III. Supervision Title of Supervisor: Justice and Human Rights Specialist 1

2 Content and methodology of supervision: As part of the UNDP JPO programme overall framework, the JPO will benefit from the following supervision modalities: Structured guidance provided by the supervisor, especially in the beginning of the assignment, with the purpose of gradually increasing the responsibilities of the JPO Establishment of a work plan, with clear key results Effective supervision through knowledge sharing and performance/development feedback throughout the assignment Easy access to the supervisor Participation in Unit/Team/Office meetings to ensure integration and operational effectiveness Guidance and advice in relation to learning and training opportunities within the field of expertise Completion of the yearly UNDP Performance Management Document (PMD) If more than one supervisor; clear agreement of the roles and responsibilities between the relevant parties The JPO will be working on a high-profile corporate priority. As such he/she will have frequent contact with immediate supervisor, senior management staff as well as UNDP RSCA partners. The work of the JPO will be situated within the Governance and Peacebuilding Cluster which focus on expanding and consolidating political space in the continent for more effective institutional performance, expanding citizen participation and representation and contributing to more effective economic governance through addressing corruption risks and illicit financial flows. The work of the JPO is expected to centre on building partnership and joint work in analysis, policy and strategy development processes, ratification and accession of regional instruments and norms; institutional reform and transformation. This will therefore require day to day work with the Cluster Director (Supervisor) and colleagues, weekly meetings, regular feedback meetings, quarterly and annual formal feedback sessions on performance against established work plan and taking lead and delivering on assigned tasks. III. Duties and Responsibilities and Output expectations 1. Technical Support to the African Disability Forum (20 %) Support establishment of the ADF and activities under the UNPRPD Grant. This includes formal registration, establishment of the ADF Office and secretariat, liaising with membership organisations, establishing links with other partners and capacity assessments of national membership organisations Support UNDP and ADF efforts on resource mobilisation and thereafter support implementation of new grants obtained to support the ADF Provide technical support to ADF s Executive Board and support the work being undertaken by the UNDP supported National Consultant 2. Technical Support to UNPRPD and UNDP s work on disability rights in Africa (40 %) Provide technical support to selected UNPRPD supported projects Collaborate with UNPRPD Technical Secretariat on UNPRPD-related matters with a specific focus on UNPRPD operations in Africa Prepare a database of UNDP CO projects in Africa which support persons with Disabilities or which have a significant potential to do so. Ensure regular linkages and thereafter ensure such projects are given visibility and are provided with technical support Provide technical support to preparation of Country Programme Documents including ensuring disability 2

3 issues are mainstreamed & thereafter implementation of country programmes as and when requested by Country Offices Participate in meetings on disability issues on behalf of UNDP and foster linkages with other UN, CSO, bilateral and multilateral organisations Assist in the mobilisation of resources for implementation of disability rights initiatives 3. Technical Support to UNDP s work at the Regional and Country level on human rights in Africa (40 %) Assist the Governance and Peacebuilding Team in ensuring that human rights are effectively mainstreamed into their work including through the Regional Programme and Country Office Support; Assist the governance and peacebuilding team in their efforts at supporting the AUC to domesticate AU treaties particularly those relating to human rights, peace and security Provide comments on new Country Programme Documents developed for Country Offices particularly as it pertains to Human Rights and thereafter proactively support Country Office requests for assistance as it relates to human rights issues Provide technical support to priority regional projects which have a significant human rights dimension including migration, radicalisation/violent extremism, elections, gender as well as the Great Lakes and Sahel Initiatives Undertake programme analysis work which will lead to the preparation of briefing notes/concept papers and the recording of all substantive matters in notes to the file / reports available on timely basis on the project Conduct analysis and provide policy advice on priority human rights issues and provide to senior management Undertake and contribute to policy analysis work in the field of human rights, disability issues and rule of law including the preparation and review of UNDP publications and the preparation of briefing notes for UNDP senior management in RSCA. Assist in the mobilisation of resources for implementing human rights activities under the Regional Programme and at country office level Others: Carry out other duties as may be assigned by the Governance Practice Leader and the Justice and Human Rights Specialist IV. Competencies and Selection Criteria Description of Competency at Level Required Core Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work 3

4 Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform Delivery Ability to get things done Technical/Functional Primary Governance and Peacebuilding Promoting disability rights Programme Management Policy analysis Level 1: Support (Reliable Replication) Level 1: Support (Reliable Replication) V. Recruitment Qualifications Education: Experience: Master's Degree or equivalent in law, political science, human rights, international relations or Social Sciences. Work Experience: At least 2 years, preferably 3 years, of relevant professional experience relevant to the duties and responsibilities outlined above. Experience in disability rights and programming is an asset. Key Competencies of the assignment: Good knowledge of democratic governance particularly rule of law, elections, justice or/and human rights; Experience in promoting disability rights is preferred Knowledge of Gender issues and experience working on issues relating to gender mainstreaming is preferred but not a requirement Experience in working on issues relating to migration, mobility and refugee rights is preferred but not a requirement Experience of programme development and policy analysis work Ability to work at a fast pace and to manage competing priorities Excellent inter-personal skills, proven ability to work in a multi-cultural environment Work experience in Africa (preferred); Excellent writing, editing and communication skills; Team-player and organizational skills. Language Requirements: Fluency in spoken and written English. Proficiency in French is preferred but not a requirement 4

5 Other desirable education, languages and work experience: Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Word, excel and PowerPoint. Knowledge of databases is preferred VI. Training and Learning As part of the UNDP JPO programme overall framework, the JPO will benefit from the following training and learning opportunities: Participation in a two-week long Programme Policy and Operations Induction Course in New York within the first 3 to 6 months of assignment Use of yearly JPO duty-related travel and training allocation (DTTA), as per the online DTTA guide Other training and learning opportunities, as presented in the UNDP JPO Orientation Programme In addition, the JPO will benefit from the following specific training and learning modalities/opportunities in the receiving office: The JPO will benefit from an orientation programme upon arrival to the Regional Centre in Addis Ababa comprised of in-house briefings, meetings with the Governance and Peacebuilding Team; other Clusters and external partners. S/he will work closely with the Governance and Peacebuilding Director, who will be responsible for the JPO's induction. Formalized training will include participation in relevant workshops, seminars and training courses. The assignment will give JPO the opportunity to become intimately familiar with democratic governance policy making and programming processes in Africa, and will have assisted in getting a clearer view on the role of political economy in development. More specifically, upon completion of the assignment the JPO will be able to: 1. Provide technical support on democratic governance issues, particularly on disability rights, human rights and rule of law more broadly 2. Provide capacity development assistance to Country Offices and senior representatives in democratic governance issues particularly disability rights and more broadly human rights and rule of law. VII. Background Information Information on the receiving office: The UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and with additional offices in Dakar, Senegal and Nairobi, Kenya, serves UNDP s 46 Country Offices in sub-saharan Africa, develops high quality knowledge and policy, is the organization s main interface with regional and continental bodies such as the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities, and implements UNDP s Regional Programme for Africa. The Governance and Peacebuilding Team has a focus on issues around a number of areas including rule of law, justice and security, enhancing voice and participation, increasing the responsiveness of institutions, youth inclusion, election support, migration urbanization and the development response to radicalization & violent extremism. The Justice and human rights portfolio includes a broad range of interventions. As well as our support to Country Offices, current priority initiatives have included completion of a landmark study on the state of human rights institutions in Africa. The report, which is the first of its kind will be launched in 2016 and will frame priority areas for UNDP engagement with national human rights institutions in Africa. UNDP will also focus on implementation & domestication of the Luanda Declaration on pre-trial 5

6 detention supporting the work of the African Commission on Human and people s rights. More broadly we will also focus on ratification and domestication of AUC Treaties and development responses to issues of migration and violent extremism. A key initiative supported by the Regional Service Centre is the establishment of the African Disability Forum (ADF) through a grant provided by the UN Partnership to promote the rights of persons with disabilities (UNPRPD). The ADF is an inclusive democratic independent Pan-African membership organisation of representative continental, sub-regional and national federations of organisations of persons with disabilities (DPO s). It is located in Addis Ababa focusing on communications with member organisations and capacity building activities. It works in partnership with the African Union Commission, other development agencies, civil society organisations, UN agencies and multi-lateral and bilateral donor agencies. The grant from UNPRPD has bene provided to support the establishment of the ADF including holding its first General Assembly and appointing its leadership. This has been done in October The ADF must also establish an office including development of a website and other communication tools such as newsletters, establish its secretariat, obtain registration by the Government of Ethiopia, undertake capacity assessments of membership organisations and establish its priorities. UNDP is supporting a national consultant who has been assisting with the day to day activities needed for the last six months. The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) working under the supervision of the Justice & Human Rights Specialist would be responsible for engaging with implementation of ADF activities including the UNPRPD Grant and broader capacity development activities undertaken by ADF. The JPO will be responsible for ensuring that disability issues are mainstreamed across the work of the Centre including in the development of country programme documents (CPDs) as well as initiatives in the Africa regional programme. The JPO will establish a database of Country Office activities which support persons with disabilities and where necessary provide technical support (or link to RSC or HQ expertise who may be able to provide advice or support). The JPO will also provide technical support to the work of the RSC in relation to its broader work on human rights, thus being exposed to different aspects of this portfolio. Living conditions at the Duty Station:Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic state with a variety of languages spoken in the country (83 with 200 dialects). The country has often been called the original home of mankind. The most famous Ethiopian river is the Blue Nile (also known as Abay), which runs a distance of 1450 kilometers from the source in Lake Tana, to join the White Nile at Khartoum. Coffee, hides, oil seeds, beeswax, meat, sugarcane, and flowers are the nation s main exported items. Addis Ababa lies at an altitude of 7546 feet (2300m). The city is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the African Union. Visitors to Ethiopia should be in possession of a valid health certificate for yellow fever. Vaccination against cholera is also required for any person who has visited or transited a cholera-infected area within six days prior to arrival in the country. As Addis Ababa is situated at an altitude of 2,400 meters, it is advisable to take precautionary measures to avoid health problems that might occur because of high altitude. Ethiopian currency is denominated in Birr and centimes. The exchange rate is about USD 1.00 = ETB as of February 2015, the exchange rate fluctuates. There is an ATM located on the ground floor of the RSCA building operated by Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. It accepts both Visa and Master Cards. There is also an authorized exchange center (Forex) at the Sheraton Hotel and ATM machines for Visa/MasterCard users in the Dembel City Centre (across from the RSCA building) and in various hotels including Sheraton, Hilton, Radisson Blu, Intercontinental, Ethiopia, and Wabe Shebelle. Ethiopia has two main seasons. The dry season lasts from October through May, and the rainy season starts in June and ends in September. Temperatures depend on season and altitude. The weather in February will be dry; warm during the day and cool at dusk and dawn. Visitors are advised to bring warm clothes to respond to the changing weather in the evenings and early mornings. The UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is Non-Smoking environment 6