Reintegration Support Officer

The Position:

The Reintegration Support Officer contributes to the implementation of UNFPA’s 8th Country Programme (2019-2023) by providing coordination and technical support for UNFPA’s humanitarian projects in Mindanao. The Reintegration Support Officer will be primarily responsible in coordinating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB), government partners and other stakeholders to explore opportunities for partnerships in support of the reintegration of former BIWAB members into the society towards the latter’s desired quality of life as part of the normalization process.  The Reintegration Support Officer is based in the UNFPA Sub-office in Cotabato City, and will work under the overall supervision of the Project Humanitarian Specialist/Programme Coordinator in close coordination with the UNFPA CO’s SRH Coordinator, SRH Programme Analyst and Gender Programme Analyst all based in Cotabato City.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  In 2019 UNFPA marked its 50th anniversary.  Since the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994, UNFPA has been assisting countries in implementing the ICPD Programme of Action to put sexual and reproductive health and rights and population dynamism as the foundation of sustainable development. UNFPA globally is promoting commitments to achieving three transformational goals by 2030 - ending preventable maternal deaths, ending unmet need for family planning, and ending gender-based violence and other harmful practices against women and girls including child marriage,

In the Philippines, UNFPA is implementing its five-year 8th Country Programme 2019-2023, in the same cycle as the UN-wide Partnership Framework for Sustainable Development (PFSD) with the Philippine Government.  UNFPA’s 8th CP is tightly aligned with the mid- and long-term development goals of the Philippines, as detailed in the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 towards the achievement of and Ambisyon Natin 2040, as well as the global Agenda 2030 including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The COVID-19 response is among UNFPA’s current priorities, in addition to addressing the triple nexus of humanitarian-development- peacebuilding in the Philippines, including through the prevention and response to gender-based violence.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction. UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

As Reintegration Support Officer, you will be responsible for providing technical support in protection, inclusion and social cohesion and establishing strategic alliances with the MILF, government partners, and other stakeholders to identify synergies and additional program activities and strategies suitable for the equitable reintegration of women ex-combatants that respond to their practical and transformative needs under the humanitarian projects in Mindanao. You will be attentive to and center protection issues and ensure that project activities cultivate strategic opportunities for gender-responsive leadership development, service provision and policy advocacy.

Under the direct supervision of the Humanitarian Specialist and with technical guidance from the UNFPA CO’s Humanitarian Coordinator, the Reintegration Support Officer post will carry out the following tasks:

Social Reintegration of Former Female Soldiers

• Provision of technical guidance on protection, inclusion, social reintegration and social coherence, focusing on achievement of project targets;
• Identify synergies and additional program activities and strategies suitable for the equitable reintegration of women ex-combatants that respond to their practical and transformative needs under the humanitarian projects in Mindanao; and
• Identify strategic opportunities for gender-responsive leadership development, service provision and policy advocacy.

Partnerships, Coordination and Advocacy

• Liaise and coordinate with national government, local government agencies and other organizations to ensure comprehensive communication and information sharing to facilitate effective program implementation;
• Liaise with UN, NGO, private and public sector reintegration, normalization and peacebuilding actors to gather information, identify synergies and program activities suitable for reintegration of the female ex-combatants; and
• Support the dissemination of findings, conclusions and policy recommendations of the project to the various target audiences in Mindanao, in close coordination with the Humanitarian Specialist/Programme Coordinator, SRH Coordinator, SRH Programme Analyst, Gender Programme Analyst, M and E Manager (based in Manila) and Communications Officer (based in Manila).

Other corporate tasks

• Any other relevant activities/responsibilities as assigned by the Humanitarian Specialist/Humanitarian Coordinator.

Qualifications and Experience

Education: 

University Degree in Public Health, Medicine, Health Sciences, Gender Studies, related Social Sciences, or any other relevant field of study with three (3) years relevant work experience.  Master’s Degree is required or its equivalent number of experience.

Knowledge and Experience: 

 Demonstrated experience in coordination, programme/project planning design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation;

 Substantive experience with programming and implementing peacebuilding or disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)-related initiatives;

 Strong results-based management skills;

 Experience in a humanitarian or crisis context would be an asset;

 Knowledge and experience working with the United Nations system would be an

advantage; and

 Work experience in the previous ARMM and knowledge on the implementation of the normalization package is an advantage.

Languages:

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including fluency in English and national language.

Required Competencies: