UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan 2022-2025. Within the GPN, the Crisis Bureau guides UNDP’s corporate crisis-related strategies and vision for crisis prevention, response, and recovery and other thematic which it anchors for the whole of UNDP. (e.g. Human rights).

Within the Crisis Bureau, the Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights (RoLSHR) team is responsible for practice/policy development in the areas of rule of law, security, and human rights as they relate to crisis prevention and recovery in conflict and disaster settings as well as the implementation of the Global Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights for Sustaining Peace and Fostering Development. The Global Programme is the main operational and financial instrument for UNDP globally to engage in justice, security and human rights in crisis-affected contexts and special development situations. It draws on some of UNDP’s most innovative rule of law programmes in these contexts, to assist UNDP Country Offices in developing multi-year, comprehensive rule of law programmes that respond rapidly and effectively to the needs on the ground. The Global Programme supports rule of law programmes in approximately 40 crisis-affected situations, with a total programming value of over USD 220 million. The RoLSHR team also leads UNDP’s engagement on the rule of law with the UN system through the Global Focal Point for Rule of Law, which was established in 2012 and has been increasingly operational in recent years.

Position Purpose

The Justice Action Coalition (JAC) with a Secretariat co-hosted by UNDP and Pathfinders for Peace and Justice, is a multi-stakeholder, high-ambition coalition of countries and organizations championing equal access to justice for all. The guiding ambition of the Justice Action Coalition is to close the global justice gap and the goal is to achieve measurable progress in justice outcomes for people and communities. The coalition calls for bold action to transform justice systems. It urges countries to pivot to people-centred justice. As a co-host of the JAC Secretariat, UNDP is implementing a workstream focusing on supporting strategic and innovative people centred justice initiatives at country level. UNDP is anchoring this workstream based on its comparative advantage and niche of in-country presence and strong rule of law and access to justice programmes in different development settings. This workstream focuses on the management of Catalytic Funds to deliver quality country level programming which is co-designed and implemented with national stakeholders. UNDP provides technical expertise at both policy and programming levels to support quality programming. The Catalytic Fund is being implemented with an initial inception period of two years aimed at demonstrating results and lessons on focused interventions on people centred justice.

The Project Specialist, RoLSHR based in Hague, The Netherlands will be responsible for the coordination and programme management of the Catalytic Fund people centered justice initiatives at country level. The Coordination Specialist will be directing key activities which include support towards country selections for Catalytic Fund investments, coordination with key stakeholders, and particularly JAC partners, facilitate continuous learning processes throughout implementation of country projects including putting in place a robust monitoring Learning and Evaluation tools, supporting conducting research and analysis to support of the team’s efforts to provide policy and programme advisory, advocacy, relationship building, and knowledge to the thematic area of Rule of Law, Justice and Security within the Crisis Bureau and UNDP as a whole across a range of development settings, particularly in conflict, crisis and fragile settings.

Working under the direction and support of the Senior Advisor, Justice & security and with matrix reporting to Project Manager -Global Programme for Rule of law Security and Human Rights, the Project Specialist collaborates with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, to provide quality project and policy services and deliver technical advice which advances UNDP’s credibility and coherence in the area of people centered justice, human rights and gender justice. S/he collaborates with the UN system and other JAC members to ensure the execution of quality and coherent policy and programme advisory services at the country level, as well as to ensure alignment with the UNDP Strategic Plan.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensure Effective Project Management and Coordination

• Advises and supports the development and implementation of country selection process for the Catalytic Fund on people centered justice.
• Contributes towards supporting the implementation of the Catalytic Fund projects at country level including activities related to work planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Under the leadership of the Project Specialists, supports the coordination and coherence of the country level support with the other JAC workstreams on Data & Evidence’, Communication, Narrative and Connection to the SDGs and Financing
• Contribute to the development of coherence in the implementation of guidance on people centered security related tools for the implementation of global policy standards, including testing and rolling out of tools and methodologies.
• Contribute towards coordination and conducting of analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes to inform policy formulation and guidance on people centered justice.
• Provide inputs to support the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation to promote partnerships for people centered justice through reviewing lessons learned and evaluations to enhance programme delivery.
• Contribute to the process of drafting reports including review of issues and trends.
• Supports the implementation of the Global Programme implementation.

Build Partnerships and Resource mobilization 

• Guides and supports ROLSHR engagements with current and prospective partners, including Member States, Private Sector organizations, CSOs/NGOs, and others to make available capacities for supporting Catalytic Fund programmatic efforts in the field and at HQ.
• Supports the implementation of partnership building and resource mobilization strategies, in line with Crisis Bureau’s and ROLSHR resource mobilization strategy in coordination with the ROLSHR Team Leader and Global Programme Manager.
• Contribute to the partnerships at field level for the implementation of JAC catalytic initiatives and provide advice and guidance to Country Offices on partnership strengthening.

Policy Positioning and Representation

• Facilitates teamwide efforts in strengthening strategic partnerships with JAC members, UN entities and other relevant bodies and provide inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives:
• Supports the preparation of briefing notes and speeches.
• Advises and supports efforts in advocating for the importance of people centered justice and UNDPs work in this domain in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms; and
• Facilitates team’s engagement in UN interagency and other coordination in relevant policy areas by providing research insight in specific thematic area.

Facilitate Knowledge Management

• Contributes to the maintenance of library of knowledge related to the thematic area, whether at the global, cross-regional, or region-specific level to and proactively share documents with team members and respond to their specific requests for information; and
• Contribute to the development and review of knowledge products in close coordination with HQ, Regional Hub, and country teams by analyzing and sharing lessons learnt and programme evaluation results.
• Participate in knowledge sharing processes and events within UNDP and with external partners and in particular JAC members and national counterparts at field level.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core:
Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Cross-Functional & Technical:
Business Direction and Strategy: 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.

2030 Agenda: Peace       

• Rule of Law Security and Human Rights Safeguarding human rights and protecting vulnerable groups.

Business Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organi􀁝ation􀂶s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment,

2030 Agenda: Peace – Rule of Law Security and Human Rights

• Access to Justice.

Partnership Management: Strategic Engagement

• Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Rule of Law Security and Human Rights

• Justice and Security for women including GBV.

Business Development: Integration within the UN

• Ability to identify and integrate capacity and assets of the UN system and engage in joint work; knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply this knowledge to strategic and/or practical situations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development Economics, Law, Governance, Human Rights, Development Studies, Political Science, Business Administration, Social Sciences, or related disciplines is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the area of justice, human rights, rule of law in development and/or crisis contexts is required.
• At least 3 years of experience working in developing country settings is required.
• Experience in project coordination working with a wide range of partners on justice, human rights, and rule of law (public, private, academic, civil society, business community leaders) is required.
• Proven track record and leadership experience in the UN System related to working on justice, rule of law and human rights in crisis and/or developments contexts is required.
• Proven track record of project management and project coordination is an asset.
• Experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in English, both written and oral, is required.
• Fluency in another UN language is an asset.