Sudan is a country in transition with diverse development issues and challenges requiring a comprehensive stabilization strategy, with each area requiring customized interventions for stabilization and development. While Sudan is experiencing transition in political system and the peace negotiation for comprehensive peace is underway, it is also fraught with economic challenges coupled with the issues of youth unemployment, displaced populations, migrants, and reintegration of ex-combatants. Protracted and post-conflict displacements pose both humanitarian and development challenges. Resolving these requires a more coherent and effective course to stabilization approach that ends dependency on humanitarian aid and advances human development.

While UNDP continues to work with various stakeholders, it places emphasis on addressing these issues under SDGs, national and strategic plans. With the current crisis, Sudan requires support in promoting local economic development to ensure resilience of communities. Sudan can play a vital role in stabilization of the entire region as it stands as a bridge between Arab and African nations and this assumes more importance at the imminent drawdown of United Nations - African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the forthcoming establishment of United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS).

Aligned with the Government’s development priorities, the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), 2018-2021, and the multi-year humanitarian strategy, the Stabilization Programme involves highly functional partnership models with line ministries, civil society, development partners, academia, and private sector. UNDP supports peace efforts to stabilize communities and strengthen social cohesion all over Sudan. It will continue to support and advocate for dividends of peace, promote civic engagement, and work on reintegration component of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process for ex-combatants with an equal focus on host communities.

In principle, the incumbent will coordinate projects targeting stabilization, humanitarian development peace nexus, and DDR mainly in the Two Areas and other regions.

The objective of the stabilization programme, which is funded by diverse donors and implemented by UNDP in partnership with national stakeholders and other UN agencies, is to promote social and economic resilience of local communities, especially youth, women and displaced population, through improved access to livelihood, vocational training and business skills to address gaps in business and professional employment skills of youth across various categories like unemployed, displaced, returnees, people having potential to join violent conflict. In doing so, the programme aims to increase the space for reconciliation, confidence building, social cohesion, women empowerment and natural resource management. Given the prevailing situation of the COVID-19, the programme is also required to design innovative mitigating solutions for immediate action and address the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 with an ambition to build back the society better.

• Promoting humanitarian - development - peace nexus in all over Sudan particularly the Two Areas and the adjoining states
• Promote inclusive development in line with the UNDP strategic plan to address diverse issues under SDGs with focus on displaced and ex-combatants
• Improve access to sustainable livelihoods and promote local economic development
• Improve access to development arena for displaced and people with potential to join violent conflict
• Enhance dialogue across various stakeholders and target groups to promote reconciliation and peaceful co-existence
• Enhance participation of women in socio-economic spheres
• Enhance participation of private sector and promote value chain development
• The overall objective of the projects is to stabilize communities and promote development by promoting transition from humanitarian to development arenas.

Under the direct supervision of Stabilization Programme Manager and in close coordination with Project Coordinator, the incumbent translates the strategic direction to actual implementation of its diverse components at the local level across Sudan. He/she liaises with the country office’s senior management on development and implementation of the Programme, cost effectiveness and responses to emerging complex challenges in managing the Programme.

He/she leads and supervises the Programme staff working in different geographic areas of responsibility of the Programme ensuring cross-unit cooperation and coordination. He/she works closely with internal and external counterparts, including government counterparts, development partners, civil society, private sector, etc. to successfully deliver UNDP Programmes. He/she ensures a client-oriented approach and consistency with UNDP rules and regulations.

       Summary of Key Functions:

• Programme leadership and management focusing on achievement of the following results.
• lanning and Coordination of stabilization Programme focusing on achievement of the following results.
• Programme implementation: stabilization focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Ensure field operations and foster partnership building focusing on achievement of the following results.
• Knowledge sharing and development of systems and tools for effective implementation stabilization programme.

1. Programme leadership and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Work to ensure Stabilization Programme supports the overall local economic development peace processes in Sudan.
• Assist the UNDP Stabilization Programme Manager and Project Coordinator in the overall management and delivery of the UNDP Mandate on the stabilization  initiatives, which will include promotion of humanitarian-development–peace nexus, inclusive local economic development through business development and value chains, support to local communities to be resilient towards displacement, promote peace and reconciliation, promote dialogue among communities to foster peace, promote reintegration of ex-combatants.
• Lead strategic planning, and day-to-day Programme implementation, and overall coordination from substantive, administrative and financial aspects of the Programme across the Two Areas and the adjoining states.
• Guide the efforts and contributions of consultants, government counterparts towards the achievement of Programme objectives 
• Provide programmatic vision and operational guidance, manage and supervise the staff and field operations across the country
• Ensure monitoring and evaluation processes are in place to measure the achievements in all phases of the Programme as per UNDP procedures
• Coordinate public information and sensitization strategy for the Programme
• Contribute on resource mobilization and ensure coordination with development partners including private sector for stabilization initiatives
• Work with other UN agencies to implement joint project activities

2. Planning and Coordination of stabilization Programme focusing on achievement         of the following results:

• Work to ensure that there is close cooperation and collaboration with national stakeholders and other implementing partners, such as other UN entities, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the donor community;
• Develop project concepts and proposals for future phases of community security and stabilization Programmes and related topics jointly with the Country Office;
• Build partnerships with other UN Agencies, NGO and Government to support the preparation and implementation of state capacity development and reintegration plans for former combatants ;
• Support various ministries and commissions of Government dealing with the subjects of local economic development, displacement, and reintegration for former combatants.
• Identify entry points for potential partnerships and complementarities with other relevant players including Government Ministries and Commissions, Private Sector, NGOs, UNAMID, UNITAMS, UN Agencies, etc. to support capacity building activities;
• Ensure that “No one is Left Behind” while operationalizing development interventions and maximizing development by including all vulnerable sections of communities including unemployed youth, women, displaced population, migrants, people with potential to join violent conflict, ex-combatants by engaging government counterparts, development partners, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, civil society, UN agencies and local agencies.
• Ensure internal communication and coordination at the programme level, and effective and proactive communication between relevant CO units both programme and operations units;
• Ensure private sector is actively engaged in development initiatives;
• Explore the possibility of south-south cooperation initiatives;
• Coordinate and spin innovations towards development interventions;
• Collaborate with other UN agencies, UNAMID, UNITAMS, Government, NGOs, and others in building synergies in Programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation;

3. Programme implementation: stabilization focusing on achievement of the                        following results:

• Ensure the development of annual work plans and writing up of progress and annual reports of the Programme;
• Ensure that regular updates and reviews of the Programme are done in ATLAS;
• Overall implementation and management of all aspects of the stabilization Programme and its projects across Sudan with special focus on the Two Areas;
• Oversee the development and coordination of implementation of a comprehensive socio-economic reintegration framework for the members of armed forced and groups taking advantage of existing or planned recovery strategies and plans;
• Provide technical and policy advice and support as needed to Government, Commissions and Programme stakeholders and assist them in the development of strategies and work plans

4. Ensure field operations and foster partnership building focusing on achievement of  the following results:

• Be responsible for the management of staff and field operations in the Two Areas (South Kordofan and Blue Nile States), monitoring and evaluation, reporting, facilitating evaluations and overall coordination for the purposes of stabilization, capacity building, and reintegration of ex-combatants.
• Contributes to the development of the UNDP Partnership and Resource Mobilization (PRM) strategy, including planning tools to implement the strategy;
• Assist Programme Manager in resource mobilization efforts in consultation with local counterparts and following-up with donors on local opportunities.

5. Knowledge sharing and development of systems and tools for effective                       implementation of stabilization programme and capacity development                             counterparts including government and national entities:

• Promote the identification and performs knowledge extraction, codification of results/lessons learned in the partnership with peace building actors and other peace and development initiatives and verify that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools;
• Institutionalize best practices and knowledge sharing among programme staff and Country Offices
• Support South-South and talent management initiatives and the development.

Core:

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them.

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers.

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others.

Technical/Functional:

Programme issues and analysis

Knowledge of Programme issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, including analysis of projects from a stabilization perspective: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Programme and Institutional Development

Knowledge of systems for Programming and capacity development and interagency collaboration and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Strategic thinking/visioning

Ability to analyze the organization’s value proposition and shape visionary/long term plans.  Use insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform communication objectives, messages and solutions: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Coordination provider-recipient

Ability to manage complex relationships through pathways of knowledge exchange, capacity development, funding relationships and strategic engagement: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise.

Education:

Master’s degree in economics, political science or management, international development or any other equivalent discipline.

Experience:

• 7 years of relevant experience in the management or coordination of development projects and programmes with at least 3 years in the prevention of conflicts and peacebuilding.
• Experience in conflict analysis and conflict sensitive programming, programme management and results-based approaches.
• Experience in the facilitation of consultation with the government and donors, coupled with excellent oral and written communicate skills with high-level interlocutors to facilitate liaison with governments and international organizations.
• Experience in team supervision and leadership.
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation.
• Comprehension of the conc   epts of human rights, gender, and the promotion   of the roles of women and youth in peacebuilding is desirable.
• An understanding of PBF procedures is desirable.
• Experience with the UN is desirable, and knowledge of peacebuilding in Sudan an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent command of English both written and oral;
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset

Other:

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.
• Basic knowledge and knowhow of UNDP’s ERP software ATLAS.

• UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
• Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.
• UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.