Background
The islands of Bougainville are an integral yet autonomous region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). In 2001, the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) was signed between the national Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) and leaders representing the people of Bougainville. The BPA marked the end of a decade-long civil conflict in which up to 20,000 men and women died and many more were left without family, access to basic services and infrastructure, and left a highly traumatized society. Two decades on from the cessation of hostilities, the progress of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville (ARoB) towards political, economic, and social normality is still slow. The combination of persisting trauma and societal fragmentation, continued prevalence of small arms, excessive consumption of alcohol and other substances by some, high rates of unemployment and violence against women, a ‘lost’ generation without education, and a still young and inexperienced autonomous administration are among the complex challenges facing the Region.
The Bougainville Programme within UNDP Papua New Guinea office supports the delivery of multiple initiatives focused on economic development, peace building and the environment. The programme strives to deliver outcomes focused on improving people’s lives and development outcomes across the region through multi-faced initiatives. A dynamic range of UNDP projects include support to gender transformative peacebuilding through joint programming on Women, Peace and Security; parliamentary strengthening support to the Bougainville House of Representatives, including dedicated support to the joint parliamentary Women’s Caucus of PNG; transparency and accountability support to civil society organizations; and rollout of renewable solar system for communities to build the resilience of Bougainville through expansion of renewable energy access. UNDP has continued to support critical meetings to progress the political dialogue between the national Government of PNG and the ABG and remains a convenor of UN peacebuilding support in Bougainville.
One of the key pillars that UNDP’s Bougainville Programme is supporting is the Bougainville peace process, which was formalised through the signing of the 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA). The BPA has three core pillars – weapons disposal, operationalising Bougainville’s new autonomous powers, and holding a referendum within 15 years of Bougainville’s 2005 Constitution which would provide guidance on whether the people wanted independence from PNG or some other form of governance. December 2019 marked a historical moment for PNG-Bougainville relations and implementation of the BPA, with the announcement of the Bougainville Referendum result (hereafter ‘Referendum’). The Referendum, conducted with little incident, saw 97.7% of voters choosing independence from PNG. Special efforts were made in advance of the vote to ensure the inclusion of women voters and younger voters, and it appears that the referendum process was inclusive and genuinely representative of the people’s will, with the results widely and peacefully accepted. The conduct of the Referendum was described by many in Bougainville as a key step in broader reconciliation processes. In 2025, the future of Bougainville is the topic of renewed discussion, as an appointed independent Moderator conduct talks on outstanding issues between GoPNG and the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) ahead of potential ratification of the results of the 2019 Referendum. Elections are then expected in the region in July 2025. Support to the Bougainville peace process of provided through the second phase of the Sustaining Peace in Bougainville project, started in December 2022 and funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. This project is jointly delivered by UNDP, UN Women and UNFPA with a focus on integrating and advancing the main activities aligned to the peace process.
Objective
To support this work at a crucial time, the project is seeking suitable and qualified candidates to join the Programme team as Governance and Peace Specialist of the Sustaining Peace in Bougainville project. The Specialist will play an important role in the delivery of the peace initiatives and manage important project partnerships with other colleagues in UNDP, UN agencies, implementing partners, the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government to deliver on agreed initiatives. The Governance and Peace Specialist will report to the Bougainville Programme Coordinator and work alongside the Project Manager to support activities centred on the post- referendum consultations.
Under the supervision of the Bougainville Programme Coordinator, the Specialist will assist with delivery of project activities and ensure that all agreed activities and initiatives are done in a transparent, timely and resource efficient aligned to the needs of the project beneficiaries., the Specialist will ensure the successful delivery of activities under Outcomes 1 and 3 of the projects. In so doing, the Specialist will contribute to facilitation and reporting of continued intergovernmental dialogue, ensuring technical expertise and guidance on peace and conflict resolution issues, preparation of institutions such as the Bougainville House of Representatives/Constituent Assembly and regular community engagement and awareness raising.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Governance and Peace Specialist will report directly to the Bougainville Programme Coordinator.
The Specialist will provide support across all aspects of the project through these key functions:
Provide top-level advisory support to the peace initiative
Guide and support facilitation of dialogues (high level meetings, community forums, etc) on key priorities of the post-referendum consultation process Identify capacity-building needs of the leaders, parliamentarians and senior officials, especially women representatives, and provide technical assistance for training and capacity development initiatives to ensure active and informed participation in the ongoing post-referendum negotiations and the Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) implementation Coordinate support to the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Liaison Officer to progress the mediation and consultation processes on the BPA and post-referendum process Identifying opportunities and supporting development of peace programming in BougainvilleEstablish strategic partnerships to support the project implementation
Provide technical advice to meetings of the Joint Supervisory Body of the Bougainville Peace Agreement, Joint Technical Team, and other key institutions with responsibilities for the BPA and post-referendum consultation Produce reports at the end of meetings and workshops related to the post-referendum consultations, and related peace processes Ensure well-maintained relationships with key stakeholders, including withing the Autonomous Bougainville Government, development partners, UN agencies and the Resident Coordinator’s Office Identify opportunities to support women’s participation in consultation and decision-making processes for meaningful engagement in the post-referendum negotiations Support project work to disseminate key messages on the post-referendum process with Bougainville Community Governments.Provide technical oversight and quality assurance for project implementation.
Provide technical advice and timely quality information to the Bougainville Programme Coordinator and Project manager to ensure effective development and delivery of the project Provide guidance and support when and if requested by the hiring manager or project.Facilitate knowledge sharing
Share knowledge and information by documenting lessons learnt and best practices from the projects contributing to the development of knowledge-based tools Support short-term technical experts to conduct research and analysis initiatives and/or conduct awareness raising or training activities.The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivityCross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy
Negotiation and Influence: Reach a common understanding/agreement, persuade others, resolve points of difference through a dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions and create ‘win-win’ situations. 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.Business Management
Partnership Management: Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies2030 Agenda: Peace
Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive institutions: Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Governance: Core Government FunctionsPartnership Management
Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platformsRequired Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, International Relations, Peace Conflict Resolutions, Public Law and Gender Studies and or a related field is required. Or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.Experience:
Minimum 5 years’ experience (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of progressively responsible relevant experience in the fields of politics, international relations, peace and conflict resolutions, legal and women, peace and security in post-conflict settings. Proven experience in leading projects is required. Proven track record of high-level of planning, reporting, organizing and time management is required. Experience in working in gender mainstreaming, and women's peace and security in post-conflict and or fragile settings. Experience of applied UN programming on peacebuilding, conflict prevention or rule of law. Demonstrated experience in strong facilitation and stakeholder engagement. Experience in facilitating dialogue and delivering training to government representatives. Working experience with the Government of Papua New Guinea or Autonomous Bougainville Government is desirable. Experience in implementing programmes with UNDP and/or joint programmes with UN agencies and the Government are definite advantages.Required Languages
Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of other UN language desirableEqual opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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