Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peace building, humanitarian and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.

New York Service Cluster (NYSC) supports the United Nations Secretariat, as well as other New York – based United Nations organizations, bilateral and multilateral partners in the delivery of UNOPS mandate in project management, infrastructure management, and procurement management.

Sustainable Development Cluster (SDC) supports diverse partners with their peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations. It was formed by combining the following portfolios: Grants Management Services (GMS), UN Technology Support Services (UNTSS), Development and Special Initiatives Portfolio (DSIP) It provides Services to partners’ programmes that are designed, structured, and managed with a global perspective and primarily serving partners that are headquartered in New York. The SDC has a footprint of approximately 125 countries.

UNOPS has signed an agreement with the United Nations Office for Counter Terrorism (UNOCT) to implement the project activities for the International Hub on Behavioural Insights to Counter Terrorism.

The ‘International Hub on Behavioural Insights (BI) to Counter Terrorism’ has been established as a UNOCT Programme Office in Doha, the State of Qatar, through an Agreement signed between UNOCT and the State of Qatar on 15 December 2019, as well as a contribution agreement signed on 8 December 2020, to perform three core functions: (conduct and advance research in behavioural sciences to better understand the drivers and factors contributing to radicalization leading to violent extremism and terrorism; provide capacity- building assistance to Member States, regional organizations and civil society partners to develop and implement programmes, projects and initiatives that integrate behavioural insights to counter terrorism; and promote communication, outreach and partnerships to share knowledge, expertise, experiences and lessons learned on behaviourally informed counter- terrorism interventions.

The first BI Academy was held in Doha, Qatar in May 2023. The 2024 edition of the BI Academy – designed to incorporate lessons learned as well as best practices in practitioner-facing pedagogy and adult learning – is currently scheduled for December 1-5, 2024.

The incumbent of this position will be a personnel of UNOPS under its full responsibility.

Functional Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Project Manager, the Programme Management Specialist will perform the following responsibilities in all three phases of the programme:

Preparation:

• Prepare presentation of broad relevance for core content delivery assignment, which could be either a) thematic course involving basic, intermediate and advanced levels of content; b) two-day behavioural design practicum for project incubation; c) individual sessions on specialized topics including gender and human rights; and d) keynote sessions of broad relevance to all participants;
• In addition, prepare materials for delivery of at least one ‘elective’ session on a specialized and ‘advanced’ topic to be chosen in consultation with staff members of the Hub;
• For all content, ensure coverage of key concepts within the above content area(s), including a basic introduction, problems and methods in the field, recommendations for practitioners and specific case studies with precise application to P/CVE;
• Develop resources to help participants take follow-up actions and realize further learning;
• Collaborate closely with other trainers and with supervisory staff as requested by Hub staff and the Hub’s experts retained for this purpose.

Delivery:

• Attend the Academy in person for at least the number of days on which content is to be delivered (excluding travel);
• Offer guidance and feedback to participants on how to apply this approach to their own P/CVE programs, including through group exercises and individual consultations;
• Produce and submit a final summative report on the trainings within two weeks of the completion of the training.

Follow-up:

• Assist in developing tools for monitoring and evaluation in line with the Hub’s strategy for measuring the increase in knowledge of beneficiaries as a result of the training, as well as gather feedback on their satisfaction and on the impact of the training;
• Provide guidance and mentorship support to participants who have developed clear and actionable project proposals, in consultation with and at the direction of Hub staff persons who will assign specific tasks to support specific participant projects.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Timely delivery of outputs as outlined in the Terms of Reference. Quality of materials produced and approval of all products/deliverables/outputs by the Senior Portfolio Manager;
• Engagement is professional, team oriented and positive;
• Demonstrates commitment to an interdisciplinary approach, i.e. one that inclusively utilizes findings from a diverse range of fields;
• Demonstrates the core values of the UN (Professionalism, Integrity and Respect for Diversity) and the core competencies described below in the discharge of their duties.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY

Education:

• Advanced degree in psychology, behavioural science, international relations, peace and conflict studies, criminology, human rights, gender studies or related fields;
• A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in researching, designing, implementing, and/or evaluating Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) or related disciplines with any of the following dimensions in required:
  • Gender;
  • Human rights/ethics;
  • Social psychology;
  • Clinical psychology or mental health;
  • Behavioural economics;
  • Behavioural analysis;
  • New media and technology;
  • Applied behavioural science or applied science methodologies.
• Demonstrated facilitation and communication skills, including the ability to work with diverse groups and create a safe and respectful learning environment for practitioners is desired;
• Knowledge of current debates, trends, and challenges in the field of P/CVE, as well as familiarity with relevant international and regional frameworks and standards is desired.

Language:

• Fluency in English (write, read, talk) is required.