Office/Unit/Project Description
The Caribbean region has a strong tradition of democracy and the application of the rule of law, and the protection of human rights is enshrined by all Caribbean National Constitutions. In addition, most countries in the region are party to major international instruments governing access to justice, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These legal provisions offer a framework for the promotion and protection of human rights and the consistent application of justice to all citizens.
Moreover, Caribbean countries have endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include Goal 16 on peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. SDG16 provides the guidelines for the equi-table administration of justice with a specific target on ‘promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring access to justice for all.’
Caribbean governments have identified justice sector improvement as a core priority, and it is a key element of the CARICOM Strategic Plan. Also, the CARICOM Crime & Security Strategy (CCSS) 2013 stresses the paramount importance of a strengthened criminal justice sector . Over the past two decades, countries in the Caribbean have made notable progress toward enhancing citizen security and access to justice. Nonetheless, several critical challenges to ensuring that national and regional justice systems are accessible, equal, and consistently deliver efficient justice, remain.
A Judicial Needs Assessment of 9 Caribbean Countries released by UNDP in 2020 (hereinafter referred to as the NAR) revealed that efficient access to justice is being undermined across the region by delays within several key stages of the criminal justice process, resulting in major backlogs of cases. The identified backlogs have been occasioned by pervasive human and technological resource and capacity constraints which, in turn, have contributed to massive bottlenecks in the work of the investigators, public prosecutors and courts. As a result, these backlogs directly contribute to the worryingly high levels of prisoners on remand for extended periods and serve to increase overall incarceration rates in the region which are already among the highest globally.
More broadly, the resource constraints have also resulted in gaps in the provision of support to survivors of violent crimes and for offenders re-entering society. The COVID19 pandemic has also underscored the need to respond to these challenges. Preliminary analyses have pointed to an increase in certain crimes which put further pressure on the already strained justice systems of the Caribbean.
Some countries have already launched efforts to reduce these backlogs, including the introduction of specialised courts, introduction of judicial procedures and increases in the number of court personnel. However, many of these have focused on civil matters and results have been mixed. An urgent approach that confronts and addresses the underlying causes of bottlenecks and case backlogs within the context of criminal cases is therefore needed to improve the functioning of the judicial system and promote equitable access to justice in the region.
UNDP, with funding from the European Union, has developed a project to address the pressing need for backlog and bottleneck reduction in eight Eastern Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago) . The project will focus on reform interventions in the criminal system that will reduce caseloads, including development and operationalisation of effective criminal procedures, plea bargaining and other pre-trial settlement mechanisms. In parallel, the project will deliver improvements to court and case management systems and modernization of procedures, deployment of information and communication technology, training of police, prosecutors, judges and court staff and enhanced coordination across the justice sector.
The National Officer for Trinidad and Tobago will coordinate activities on behalf of the country office and be the main point of contact between the regional project team and the country office.
Scope of Work
Institutional Arrangement
The Project Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative (Programme) TTO and under the guidance of the Project Team Leader Regional Justice Project. S/he will provide strategic planning, advisory services and problem-solving support to the Regional Justice Project team.
Competencies
Core
Core | |
Achieve Results: | LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline |
Think Innovatively: | LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements |
Learn Continuously: | LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback |
Adapt with Agility: | LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible |
Act with Determination: | LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident |
Engage and Partner: | LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships |
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: | LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination |
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area | Name | Definition |
Business Direction & Strategy | Effective Decision Making | Ability to take decisions in a timelyand efficient mannerin line withone’s authority, area of expertise andresources |
Business Development | Knowledge Generation | Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need |
Business Management | Project Management | Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures andprotocols to achieve specific goals |
Business Management | Partnerships Management | Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sectorpartners, experts andothers in linewith UNDP strategy and policies |
Business Management | Communication | Ability to communicate in a clear,concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels |
Business Management | Monitoring | Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results |
2030 Agenda: Peace | Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights | Rule of Law, Justice and Security
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Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA
Min. Education requirements
Min. years of relevant work experience
Required skills
Required Language(s)
Important applicant information
All posts in the NPSA categories are subject to local recruitment.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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