Announced at the Syrte talks in October 2007, the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund (DCPSF) is a pooled funding initiative aimed at promoting peace, stability, security, justice and social equity across diverse communities in Darfur.

The DCPSF is seeking to promote peace at the grassroots level by addressing conflict triggered by competition over scarce resources and a weak governance system. DCPSF is planning to commission discrete pieces of work that complement programming approaches, whilst serving to deepen contextual understanding of what drives conflict in Darfur. In this the DCPSF will work in partnership with civil society, UNAMID, UN agencies, INGOs and specialist for a as the Darfur Dialogue and Consultation process.
 
Through civil society, UN and INGO partners the DCPSF continues to reach across communities (Arab/non Arab, nomadic, farming and IDP, rural/urban), exploring community dispute resolution and processes of reconciliation. A Small Grants Mechanism has been established to systematically strengthen the capacity of CSOs/NGOs and improve operational service delivery.
 
The DCPSF is overseen by a Steering Committee (SC), chaired by voting members of SC on a rotational basis. A Technical Secretariat (TS) has been established to facilitate the workings of the DCPSF and shape policy and programming approaches.

Scope of the DCPSF

Based on empirical evidence the DCPSF is keen to support a wide range of innovative, community-oriented approaches to peace building that may include the following:

• Activities and processes that improve community democratization. Working with and through traditional authorities, and amplifying the voices of women and young people, facilitate processes that allow communities affected by conflict to play a prominent role in its resolution. Programming may focus on conflict mediation training, community workshops and/or arbitration forums, capacity building and community problem solving; 
• Activities and processes that incentivize peace through improved service delivery. Responding to needs within the health, water etc. sector can act as entry points to dialogue and consultation that, in turn, lead to a greater sense of trust and confidence amongst communities; 
• Activities and processes that provide equal livelihoods and educational opportunities thereby defusing inequity as a source of tension and driver of conflict; 
• Activities and processes that strengthen the capacity of civil society organizations/communities as facilitators of peace building processes. Training and improved organization of networks/fora will enhance the credibility/legitimacy of CSOs in the eyes of affected communities.

The Technical Secretariat of the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund is responsible for 1) preparing key policy, planning and prioritization documents for use by the Steering Committee, working groups and end-users;  2) undertaking programme and project appraisals and providing recommendations for funding allocations to the Steering Committee; 3) undertaking monitoring reviews, 4) providing regular narrative reporting of progress of DCPSF-funded programmes and projects, and 5) fulfilling the secretariat function to the Steering Committee.

The Monitoring &Reporting Officer will be responsible for the following duties, under the supervision of the Head, TS:

• Develop, in consultation with the Peacebuilding Specialist, an appropriate monitoring pro-forma for use by Participating UN Organizations and Non-governmental Organizations with their partners in reporting progress and constraints, which facilitates information sharing and informs decision-making, follow-up and audit;
• Ascertain, in consultation with the Head of TS, that Participating UN Organizations have responsive monitoring and reporting systems to ensure proper oversight of programmes and projects funded under the DCPSF by Participating UN Organizations and Non-governmental Organizations, with particular attention being given to timely, accurate and appropriate progress updates and the identification of constraints;
• Support, as requested, Participating UN Organizations and Non-governmental Organizations in developing a results-oriented monitoring plan, and help in identifying indicators to measure progress towards realizing the outputs of the plan;
• Operationalize in consultation with the Peacebuilding Specialist and Field Communication and Reporting Specialist, (a) progress indicators (outputs), (b) performance indicators (efficient use of resources), and (c) outcome indicators for ascertaining progress towards realizing the overall outcome and desired impact of each of the projects funded by the DCPSF;
• Advice and support the Head of TS in the preparation and facilitation of calls for proposals;
• Receive and interrogate progress updates and reports received from Participating UN Organizations and Non-governmental Organizations, seeking clarification regarding gaps, contradictions and ambiguities;
• Advise the Peacebuilding Specialist and participate in preparing guidelines for Participating UN Organizations and Non-governmental Organizations for capturing best practices and lessons learned, based on approaches pertinent to the funded interventions;
• Participate with the Head of TS, in the preparation of the consolidated progress updates and reports as required;
• Perform other TS-related duties as assigned from time to time by the Head of TS

Impact of Results :

The key results have an impact on the overall effectiveness and success of UNDP’s interventions and activities in achieving the objectives of the Darfur Community Peace and Stability Fund. 

Effective implementation and efficient management of the monitoring process, enhance the organization’s capacity and credibility to provide programme support to livelihoods, governance/rule of law, peace support at a local level and the expansion of basic social services.

Competencies :

Professionalism – Good working knowledge of and exposure to rehabilitation and development issues; conceptual and analytical capacity to analyze programmatic and budgetary; demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to use sound judgment in

applying technical expertise to reviewing proposals; ability to resolve complex issues/problems; strong negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement; ability to work under extreme pressure; good knowledge of institutional mandates, policies and guidelines pertaining to UN humanitarian  protection and  knowledge of the institutions of the UN system; demonstrated ability to complete studies and to formulate conclusions/recommendations; ability to relate key issues including gender, environment, governance, to political, economic, social and human rights programmes in affected country/region.

• Commitment to Continuous Learning – Willingness to keep abreast of new developments in the field.
• Communications – Very good communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to convey concepts and recommendations to staff at various levels in stakeholder organizations, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style.
• Planning & Organizing – Ability to coordinate the work of others, in this case the working groups, work to tight deadlines and handle concurrent projects/activities.
• Technology Awareness – Fully proficient computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, internal databases, Internet, etc.
• Teamwork – Very good interpersonal skills, including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.