Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located within the United Nations Organizations Stabilizations Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). The incumbent will be based in Goma and will report to the Civil Affairs Officer at a Higher level and the Chief, Civil Affairs.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Civil Affairs Coordinator, the Associate Civil Affairs Officer will be responsible for, but not limited to, the performance of the following duties: Core profile • Contribute to the development, management, and monitoring/evaluation of stabilization-related projects Support the reinforcement of democratic governance systems at the national, provincial, and local levels; and provide mentoring and advice to State and provincial administrations to enhance local participatory security governance and to develop and strengthen civil society engagement • Conceive and formulate project to support capacity building for local authorities and civil servants in the areas of decentralization, financing and participatory budgeting. Conduct confidence-building activities with communities, civil society, and authorities to consolidate participative security governance. While operations will focus in areas affected by armed conflict, Civil Affairs will continue to use its footprint to monitor and support local actors’ collaboration for security and peace • Enhance civil society engagement to promote and support their role in advancing democratic and participative governance, as well as in managing and preventing conflicts and to foster inclusion and tolerance which gear social cohesion Support Civil Affairs field offices in their contribution to the operationalization of Provincial stabilization strategy and other stabilization activities • Contributes to the development and implementation of sustainable, locally tailored reconciliation and conflict-prevention strategies by engaging and supporting local communities, civil society organizations and national partners; and conducts confidence-building activities with communities, civil society and authorities to consolidate participatory security governance • Perform other duties as required, in line with on Civil Affairs strategic guidelines and workplan. • Supports Field offices in the Implementation of programmatic funded projects on conflict management, reconciliation and social cohesion to promote peaceful coexistence among communities at the local level, in line with DPKO/DFS Policy Directive and mission specific priorities. • Establishes and maintains contact with interlocutors at the local level as directed, including representatives of local authorities and communities, civil society actors, non-governmental organizations and representatives of local interest groups on protection and stabilization matters • Contributes to overall mission monitoring and planning as required. • Performs other duties as required Protection of Civilians and Conflict Management • Works closely with state actors and civil society groups for contributing to the creation of the protective environment and promoting a culture of peace and reconciliation, including through organizing joint initiatives • Support protection tools and security governance mechanisms at local level to improve locally led response to civilians’ threats and issues • Support the collection and the analysis of the perception of population and support dialogue between state authorities and the population Support to state institutions • Assists local institutions to assess capacity building and support needs especially in development and implementation of capacity building initiatives for local authorities and civil servants. • Supports dialogue and cooperation between authorities and relevant interest groups with the aim of creating political space and accountability. • Supports civil society groups and/or institutions at the local level that promote a culture of peace and reconciliation. • Assists the civil society groups and institutions where appropriate, in becoming effective implementing partners for programmatic funded and other peacebuilding projects. Programme Management • Review and support the implementation of projects from Programmatic Funding budget with Mission priorities and the DPKO/DFS policy. This Includes, ensuring the effective and timely running of the project design, approval and implementation process, the keeping of accurate records, assistance with determining mission specific priorities, assessment of impact of the overall programme, and drafting of programmatic funded project submissions.

Competencies

Professionalism: Knowledge of political, social and economic environment and their impact on a mission mandate implementation. Ability to conduct political analysis and to identify and resolve sensitive issues. Knowledge of operational aspects of national, bilateral or multilateral aid programmes. Ability to identify sources for data collection. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Communication: Good communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to draft/edit a variety of written reports and communications and to articulate ideas in a clear, concise style. Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors’ language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Planning & organizing: Ability to plan own work; manage conflicting priorities and work under pressure of tight deadlines. Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, political science, international relations, public administration, anthropology, law, economics or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of two years’ experience in protection of civilian, conflict management, restoration of state authorities, stabilization initiatives, projects/programmes management is required. Progressive professional experience in civil affairs, protection of civilian, political affairs, public administration or related area is required. Experience in a UN Peacekeeping Operation, UN special political mission, UN agencies, funds, and/or funds or programmes, National or International NGOs, community-based organizations, or other related actors working on peace consolidation is desirable. Knowledge of the institutional mandates, the policies and the directives concerning assistance and transition / rapid recovery of civil affairs is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in both English and French (oral and written) is required.

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This position is temporarily available until 30th June 2025. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. This temporary job opening may be limited to “internal candidates,” who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as “retirement.” Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. Candidates for the National Professional Officer category shall be of the nationality of the country where this position is located.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.