Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Officer

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The Supporting Communities through Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Strategies (Social Cohesion) project aims to strengthen social cohesion and prevent conflict in Timor-Leste by empowering excluded groups, particularly youth and women, to claim their rights through participation in inclusive community engagement, civic education, and dialogue-based activities. This approach generates deeper insights into conflict dynamics and promotes community resilience through inclusive governance and peacebuilding, contributing to a safer, more cohesive, and inclusive society. Building on the lessons learned from the pilot initiative in Vila Verde, Dili municipality this new project aims to refine and consolidate the tested methodology through its replication in selected rural communities. The pilot initiative in Vila Verde provided joint problem-solving workshops that integrated state institutions with communities to enhance cooperation and reduce intra-community conflict, attended by 580 community members (47% women) from the target community and additional neighbouring communities of Madohi, Manleuana, and Camea. Additionally, the initiative empowered 160 youths (58% women) through capacity-building programs that provided specific economic and market-relevant skills, thereby reducing their likelihood of engaging in violence due to their new employable skills. By adapting the approach to diverse local realities, the project will generate deeper insights into the social fabric and conflict dynamics of more remote communities, where exclusion and mistrust in institutions persist. Through inclusive community engagement, civic education, and dialogue-based activities, the initiative addresses the root causes of violence and weak state-community relations. It aims to strengthen trust between communities and government institutions, promote peace and social cohesion, and enhance youth participation in civic processes. These efforts will reinforce ongoing work by the Ministry of Interior and the G7+ to promote active citizenship, accountable, and gender-responsive governance. The project will also validate a practical, context-specific toolkit that will streamline the implementation of a locally grounded methodology for peace consolidation. This will enable more effective, community-led approaches to conflict prevention and resilience building, while also providing a scalable framework for national use.

The Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Officer is a professional facilitator who will coordinate with the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant in Baucau and Viqueque municipalities. This will include coordination and mobilization of community groups to build constructive relationships, resolve disputes peacefully, and prevent future violence by addressing root causes of conflict. Key responsibilities include regular coordination and supervision of daily project activities in Baucau and Viqueque, evaluating progress, and ensures adherence to schedules and quality standards. Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager of the Social Cohesion project, the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Officer will undertake the following tasks: - Field-Based Supervision: Ensures effective implementation of social cohesion activities in Baucau and Viqueque by facilitating regular coordination meetings with the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant to review progress, address challenges and strengthen collaboration amongst municipalities. Provide day-to-day guidance and technical support to the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant, clarify roles, priorities, and expectations. Promote adherence to project methodologies, safeguarding standards, and gender-responsive practices across field teams. - Coordination: Serves as the focal point for coordinating day-to-day activities with the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant in the field, ensuring that all of activities planned and implemented are aligned with the approved work plans, timelines, and budget. Including sup-porting planning and logistical coordination of the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant in the field, local communities, women’s groups, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders to conduct field activities, workshops, consultations, and foster community participation and ownership of project activities. Support the integration of conflict-sensitive approaches, “do no harm” principles, and gender inclusive practices into daily project implementation and coordination processes. - Monitoring & Reporting: Regularly monitor the progress of activities in Baucau and Viqueque and identify challenges, risks, and lessons learned to be reported to the Social Cohesion Project Manager and project team. Ensure and track project targets are met within the set timelines, and data collection is conducted as per targets and deliverables. This includes supporting harmonization of field approaches, methodologies, and reporting practices to ensure consistency in implementation. - Communication: Assists in organizing awareness-raising sessions, develop communication material, and campaigns, in coordination with the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant, to promote media engagement and outreach. Development and dissemination of communication and visibility materials to highlight project activities, results, and impact at field level. Draft social media content (including Facebook posts, captions, short stories, and updates) in coordination with the project team and following organizational communication guidelines and branding requirements. - Community Engagement: Builds strong relationships with the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant in the field, local communities, women’s groups, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders to foster community participation and ownership of project activities. Represent the project in local coordination meetings when delegated. - Capacity Building and Conflict Prevention: Assists and ensures the Social Cohesion, Peace Consolidation and Conflict Prevention Assistant in the field are implementing the Social Cohesion project in the target communities and involving beneficiaries as per the project document, particularly youth and women. Coordinate and support the implementation of capacity-building activities for community stakeholders, local partners, and field teams to strengthen knowledge and skills related to social cohesion, conflict prevention, gender equality, and inclusive peacebuilding. Facilitate dialogue spaces, community consultations, and participatory activities that promote trust-building, wide-ranging participation, and constructive engagement among diverse groups, including women, youth, marginalized populations, and local leaders.