Deputy Chief Technical Advisor and Deputy Director, Justice & Rule of Law Programme

Job Description

BACKGROUND

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.

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.

The United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP has been working in Haiti since June 28, 1973. It is part of the United Nations System alongside 17 other agencies also present in the country. Its presence is defined by a basic agreement with the Government of Haiti which sets out the fundamental conditions under which the program will support it in the implementation of its development projects. UNDP supports the Haitian Government in its long-term approach to sustainable development by supporting the strengthening of the capacities of national institutions, the local private sector and those of communities in Haiti, in order to better prepare for the future of the country and build a strong and resilient nation.

The justice system in Haiti has failed to provide security to its citizens. For the past 15 years, the conviction rate is around 3%. This means that approximately 97% of prisoners are released from prisons and return to the streets without having been convicted for the offenses that led to their incarceration. There has been only one conviction in corruption cases, and very few with regards to gangs and gender base violence. Haiti is ranked 136th out of 140 countries in the WPJ Rule of Law Index. A recent survey reveals that only 2.88% of respondents are satisfied with the work of judges and 2.48% for prosecutors.

The malfunctions of the judicial system and its influence by political and economic operators have generated impunity which contributes to instability and insecurity. This has contributed to the collapse of the state and the emergence of gangs to fill this void. Recent international sanctions against these operators are already positively impacting sector institutions and are opening a window of opportunity for their transformation. Without a justice sector that meets the needs of the population, and an efficient and independent judicial system, efforts to support the National Police of Haiti (PNH) and international sanctions will not have the desired impact in terms of rule law.

This Programme aims to strengthen the capacities of institutions and actors of the judicial system and coordination with the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in order to fight impunity and insecurity.

The Programme contains a set of new approaches and strategies to overcome obstacles encountered in previous justice projects. At the end of it, impunity, insecurity and GBV will have decreased, and citizens will live together in a safer environment. They will resort more to formal justice to resolve their conflicts, thus breaking the cycle of violence.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Within the delegated authority UNDP Resident Representative Haiti and under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor and Director, Justice & Rule of Law Programme, the Deputy will be tasked to support the Director in day-to-day management of the project through planning and implementing envisaged project activities, management of resources and monitoring progress against the intended outputs and initial quality criteria.

Through this position the programme aims to deliver five key results:

Result 1. The independence and integrity of magistrates are strengthened, ensuring their accountability and performance in the fight against insecurity and corruption.

Result 2. The capacity of judges and prosecutors, and coordination with the PNH in the conduct of investigations, prosecutions and adjudication of crimes related to insecurity and corruption are increased, reducing impunity. The establishment of an anti-gang unit, a financial unit and a gender-based violence unit contributes to the achievement of this result.

Result 3. The legal and regulatory framework to fight against insecurity and corruption is adapted and put in place impacting these two issues.

Result 4. The judicial system at the community level, as well as access to justice in order to prevent and resolve conflicts are strengthened, contributing to increasing the resilience of the communities.

Result 5. The advocacy and monitoring capacities of CSOs are increased, ensuring the accountability of actors in the judicial system and the progress of justice reforms

Key duties and accountabilities include:

Technical and advisory support in the coordination and implementation of the project:

Oversee and monitor implementation of work plans and budgets for all activities.
Ensure that Program produces the results (outputs) specified in the Program documents (i.e. Result Framework) to the required standard of quality and within the specified constraints of time and cost.
Ensure activities are well coordinated with program components led by other UN agencies and partners.
Ensure effective governance of the Program through the organization of Programs’ Steering Committee meetings and preparation of technical inputs on the progress of work and risks management.
Ensure that a human rights-based approach, gender empowerment, and conflict-sensitive programming are mainstreamed throughout activities design and implementation.
Formulate a framework for data sharing among stakeholders, for Program implementation.
Identify and share experiences in other countries on strengthening rule of law, anti-corruption, SGBV and access to justice.
Provide policy advice to UNDP Management, government counterparts, donor and other partners on issues related to the Program’s field of focus including rule of law, anti-corruption, SGBV and access to justice.
Sharing international best practices on implementation of rule of law, anti-corruption, SGBV and access to justice policies and practices through participatory processes involving civil society, women, and minority groups.
Ensure systemic capturing of key lessons learned generated by the Program through feasibility studies, research, surveys as well as other primary and secondary sources to produce knowledge-based products.
Constantly monitor and ensure the highest UNDP standards in the provision of technical and advisory inputs, organization of workshops, seminars, training, and delivery of outputs (products).

Partnership and resource mobilization:

Assist the Chief Technical Advisor and Director, Justice & Rule of Law Programme in supporting key officials in the GoH responsible for legal and judicial reform in proposing, adopting, and implementing appropriate rule of law reforms, new legal framework for the independence of the judiciary, and the implementation of the new penal code and penal procedural code.
Provide support and advise, as request by its supervisor, to the MJPS and the High Judicial Council (HJC), to adopt their respective strategic plans and for the MJPS to develop a GoH criminal Policy and Overall justice sector strategic plan that will be necessary to enable a transition from program-supported and donor-driven to national program.
Contribute to the identification of key challenges Rule of Law, anti-corruption, sexual based gender violence (SGBV) and access to justice leading to constructive policy dialogue with government authorities, civil society, and other stakeholders.
Contribute to building trustful relationships and maintaining a continuous and constructive dialogue with government, civil society, local communities, and donors to maximize consistency and synergy and to maximize impact and results..
Collaborate with ongoing rule of law and good governance Programs strengthening existing initiatives
Assist the Chief Technical Advisor and Director, Justice & Rule of Law Programme in ensuring overall accountability of the use of Program funds as well as the strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations in all program operations.

Supervision and knowledge management:

Provide strategic guidance and supervision to Program staff as well as national and international experts/consultants in the delivery of assigned tasks/responsibilities as well as develop Terms of References.
Ensure timely and high-quality reporting to management and donors against work plans and according to the agreed structure
Contribute to building the corporate body of knowledge in the area of rule of law, by systematically (1) sharing knowledge with colleagues, and (2) ensuring that relevant experiences and lessons.
Contribute written inputs to UNDP flagship products/newsletter/policy briefs, based on Program results, data, and information, lessons learned and best practices.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

Incumbent will be responsible for supervising temporary staff including the consultants.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management Competencies:

UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy: Effective Decision Making

Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one´s authority, area of expertise and resources.

Business Direction & Strategy: Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates “win-win” situations

Business Management: Project Management

Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management: Partnership Management

Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Partnership management: Resource mobilization

Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

Legal: Legal research

The ability to identify and retrieve information to support legal positions and corporate decision making from all relevant sources. In the UNDP context, this skill includes, amongst other things, proactive seeking of information in anticipation of the different angles that any given issue may present.

HR - Learning and development: L&D design

Knowledge of adult learning principles, instructional design, learning styles, and learning programmes delivery modalities; ability to identify and design effective learning paths, programmes and initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent in a development related field, preferably in law, criminology, human rights.
Bachelor’s degree with 2 additional years of relevant experience may be considered in lieu of Master’s degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills

Required:

Minimum 7 years (Masters Degree) or 9 years (Bachelors Degree) of progressive experience working and managing international programmes in criminal justice matters, anti-corruption, human rights, or extensive experience in a relevant field.
Demonstrated ability working with diverse teams.
Demonstrated experience in program/project management or programme finance or operations management.
Demonstrated in-depth experience in providing policy advice and developing programmatic solutions, tools and methodology to support countries.
Proven track record of management and resource mobilization skills.

Language requirements:

Proficiency in oral and written French and English is required.

Desired:

Experience as a judge, prosecutors or lawyer in criminal law is an asset.
Experience working in Haiti is an asset
Experience of working in the United Nations System is a significant asset, especially in programme and operations management
Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems e.g., Oracle Cloud, PeopleSoft or similar is desirable.
Knowledge of Haitian Creole is an asset.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.