PEACEBUILDING, GOVERNANCE & RULE OF LAW EXPERT

Background                                                                                                                                                                                                           Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund (DCPSF) was established by late 2007 as a UN Multi-Partnership Trust Fund (MPTF) mechanism that supports community-level peacebuilding activities and fosters social cohesion by drawing diverse communities together through processes of dialogue, mediation, and reconciliation. The rationale of DCPSF is that alongside any progress in the local peace process, there needs to be a community-based, bottom-up approach to the stabilization of Darfur and the creation of conditions for local peace, and equitable and sustainable growth.  DCPSF supports initiatives which aim to restore trust and confidence between diverse communities in Darfur and respond to root causes and triggers of conflict.

DCPSF has made significant progress in promoting conflict-sensitive approaches that seek to engage diverse communities in processes of trust and confidence building. Two central elements of this approach have been through supporting the establishment or revitalization of local mechanisms for resolving and through preventing conflicts and providing tangible inputs which respond to and address root causes and triggers of conflict.

Through this approach, DCPSF-funded activities and processes have enabled diverse communities to coalesce around a common agenda towards reconciliation and peaceful coexistence at a local level. However, the new context requires the addition of  more dimensions to DCPSF interventions. In this new era for DCPSF and Darfur, it is crucial to mainstream gender equality in all project activities, and work in a coordinated manner with all peacebuilding actors, towards a common goal and better results.

Conflict dynamics in Darfur revolve around unresolved disputes over land, livelihood, and natural resources, prevalence of weapons, sexual violence, armed group activities, tensions around IDPs and host communities, as well as between returnees and communities, including new settlers. The drivers of the conflict in Darfur are complex, multi-level, politicized and encompass local, national, regional, and international dimensions simultaneously. An understanding of historical causal factors is required since each cycle of conflict has led to the current dynamics in the region.

Objective of the Assignment

The DCPSF launched a Call for Proposals from Friday 11th of September 2020 to Thursday 1 of October 2020. The Call for Proposals published guidance note and annexes, e.g. result framework, key thematic and priority areas, and technical eligibility criteria will be the base and reference for reviewing and assessing submitted proposals.  Proposals recommended for funding by the Appraisal Team will be presented to the DCPSF Steering Committee

The objective of this consultancy is to:

• Select and recommend proposals for DCPSF funding based on the guidance note and criteria approved by DCPSF steering committee.
• Ensure quality proposals are recommended in a transparent and objective way.
• Highlight the pros and cons of recommended proposals and ways to improve them.

Make recommendations for improving future call for proposals.  

 Scope of work                                                                                                                                                                                                               Under the supervision of the Head of DCPSF Technical Secretariat, the Peacebuilding, Governance and Rule of Law Expert is responsible for the following activities that include:

• Desk review and screen all eligible proposals submitted for funding. The reference for review and screening should be the guidance note and Eligibility Technical Criteria (DCPSF Form 1).
• Score reviewed proposals and record the rating/result in form provided by DCPSF. Proposals will be scored for relevance, sustainability, value for money and soundness of methodology and strategies.
• Record the scoring and remarks about submitted proposals and summarize them in the Proposal Appraisal Committee Report provided by DCPSF. Each window (1 & 2) will have a separate proposal appraisal report.
• Present the findings and recommendations of the appraisal exercise to the DCPSF TS
• Prepare all necessary documentations for the presentation, including a brief PPT.
• Revise all DCPSF forms based on the comments and inputs from the meeting with the DCPSF TS and other partners. 
• Work cooperatively with other appraisal team members to reach agreement on the merits of the proposals reviewed.
• The Peacebuilding, Governance and Rule of Law Expert will provide analysis of the context analysis provided in the proposal and of activities proposed that relate to governance, pastoral issues and land disputes.                                                                            

Duration of the Assignment

The assignment will include up to 14 fee days to be carried out in the period of 4 October 2020 to 31 October 2020. National holidays observed by the UN in Sudan  will be non-working days. The primary duty station will be  Khartoum, Sudan?

Reporting line:

The Peacebuilding, Governance and Rule of Law Expert will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the Head of DCPSF Technical Secretariat. This will among others include:

The consultant is expected to report to the head of the DCPSF Secretariat on the progress of activities and to immediately inform her of any challenges in performing the assignment. 

  Logistical arrangements:

Other logistical matters:

In the course of this consultancy, the consultant is responsible for providing their own computer as needed.  DCPSF will provide office space for Appraisal Team meetings.

Recommended Presentation of Offer                                                                                                                                                                    The following should be included in the offer;

• Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP.
• Personal CV or P11, indicating all experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three professional references.
• Brief description of why the candidate considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment.

Selection Criteria and Basis for Evaluation                                                                                                                                                   

Submissions will be evaluated based on the cumulative analysis of the technical evaluation (weight: 70%) and financial criteria (weight: 30%). Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 70 points from the technical evaluation would be considered for the financial evaluation.

Competencies  

• PROFESSIONALISM: Comprehensive knowledge of and exposure to a range of human rights issues related to operational, institution building and accountability of national institutions and actors; very good knowledge of  UNCT structures and mechanisms; very good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines related to human rights in the U.N. system; very good knowledge of national human rights protection systems, including law enforcement and security agencies; strong analytical and research skills and ability to conduct in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes and solutions to human rights problems; ability to develop frameworks, methodological tools and guidelines.
•  COMMUNICATION: Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to convey complex concepts, both orally and in writing, in a clear and concise style. 
• TEAMWORK: Ability to interact and to establish and maintain effective working relations across divisions and with people in a multi-cultural environment.
• JUDGMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Ability to identify the key issues in a complex situation, provide advice on sensitive issues and courses of action.
• PLANNING and ORGANIZING: Proven ability to plan and organize own work and the work of others.

Language Requirements:              

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic

Education:          

PhD in Anthropology, Gender, Conflict Resolution, Development, Social Science, Political Science, International Relations, or related fields

Experience:        

• At least 15 years relevant experience in research, proposal reviews and/or project management in the areas of the peacebuilding, social cohesion, anthropology, early recovery and recovery, agriculture, gender equality/women’s empowerment, pastoral livelihoods, environment, and other related field.
•  Extensive experience of research on conflict prevention and peace building in the context of Darfur
•  Knowledge of working context, challenges, and capacity development of INGOs/NGOs working in Darfur, and of goals of DCPSF
• Knowledge of or participation in international developments in the field of peace building, Governance and Rule of Law .