Office/Unit/Project Description

The United Nations Development Programme works in about 170 countries and territories, helping Governments achieve their own development solutions to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion.

On October 21, 1974, the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Barbados entered into an agreement to “support and supplement the national efforts of developing countries at solving the most important problems of their economic development and to promote social progress and better standards of life.”

Subsequently, similar agreements were entered with Governments of the ten countries and territories that the UNDP Multi-Country Office (MCO) for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean serves: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the British Virgin Islands (BVI), the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

UNDP’s work in the region continues to evolve and is now classified under three main pillars (1) Sustainable Solutions, Energy and Climate Change (SSECC) (2) Prevention, Recovery and Resilience (PRR) and (3) Poverty and Governance (P&G).

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.

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 operationalization 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.

Scope of Work

The Project Officer for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean will coordinate activities on behalf of the Barbados Multi-Country Office in the Eastern Caribbean countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and be the main point of contact between the regional project team and the Eastern Caribbean countries.

The Project Officer will be expected to deliver results in the following areas:

• Project Implementation
• Project Monitoring and reporting
• Knowledge Building and Management
• Partnership Building

Project Implementation

• Supports the implementation of the PACE Justice workplan and implementation strategies for the Eastern Caribbean (EC).
• Ensures effective implementation of the project in the EC countries with a focus on timelines, targets, and milestones in alignment with the EC workplans.
• Advises the project team of local considerations within the EC countries and strategies to strengthen partnerships with beneficiary institutions.
• Supports follow-up communication with the EC countries and beneficiary institutions, including drafting official letters, requests for technical assistance, and the identification of participants and national experts for activities under the project.
• Research, analyses, and presents information gathered from diverse sources to inform the direction of the project.
• Prepares various knowledge products, e.g., draft background papers, analysis, concept notes, inputs to publications, etc.
• Provides substantive support to consultative and other meetings and conferences, training workshops, seminars, including proposing agenda topics, identifying participants, preparation of documents.
• Participates in missions focused on on-the-ground support in the EC countries and drafts mission documents accordingly.

Project Monitoring and Reporting

• Works closely with the Team Lead and Monitoring and Evaluation Associate to coordinate the collection of data in alignment with the project’s M&E Framework.
• Arranges regular meetings with EC country Focal Points to review and document progress and results to identify challenges and lessons learnt to facilitate improved project delivery.
• Identifies problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions to the project team, liaises with relevant parties, identifies, and tracks follow-up actions captured in periodic monitoring reports.
• Provides support to the M&E Associate in assessing the extent to which the project is achieving the set results.
• Prepares and submits necessary reports on project activities, in a timely manner, in accordance with formats and where applicable, providing all the necessary support information.
• Knowledge Building and Management
• Supports capacity and knowledge building of national counterparts through organization of knowledge sharing workshops, organization of study tours and regional dialogues as outlined in the overall EC workplan.
• Contributes to a culture of knowledge sharing and learning in the project.
• Assists in the identification and recruitment of relevant expertise needed for delivery of project objectives.
• Promotes the substantive quality of all knowledge products, reports, and services, and ensures effective integration and compatibility with other practice areas.
• Contributes to the production reports and publications and serves as peer reviewer.
• Partnership Building
• Represents and promotes UNDP’s value added in technical meetings and networks in criminal justice reform.
• Networks and builds credible working relations with Government, UN, and donor partners.

Perform any other duties within your functional profile as assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Institutional Arrangement

Reports to: Team Lead, Partnership of the Caribbean and European Union on Justice.

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements   

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in international relations, law, criminology, governance, political science, sociology, project management or related area is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience              

• Up to 2 years (with Master´s degree) or minimum 2 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of experience in project implementation in the areas of access to justice, criminal justice reform, judicial review or closely related area.

Required skills  

• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) and advanced knowledge of web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section 

• Good understanding/experience of citizen security or related field, with specific knowledge on criminal justice systems in the English-Speaking Caribbean.
• Experience engaging national interlocutors on access to justice, criminal justice reform, citizen security or other closely related areas.
• Experience in project management, project monitoring, reporting and evaluation.
• Experience in results-based management, project monitoring, reporting and evaluation.
• Demonstrable experience liaising with donors, such as European Union and/or other major bilateral/multilateral donors, trusts and foundations.
• Experience working              with      governments,   donors,       non-     governmental organizations and international development organizations is desirable
• Previous work experience in a UN agency/within the UN Common System, international/regional organization, government is an asset.

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English (both written and oral) is required.

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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