Democracy Fellow, Atrocity Prevention
Washington, DC
Introduction
The Institute of International Education (IIE) seeks applications from qualified individuals for a full-time Democracy Fellow for Atrocity Prevention to serve within the United States Agency for International Development's (USAID's) Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance (DRG Center) in the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA). IIE manages the Democracy Fellows and Grants Program (DFG) for USAID. Initial appointment is for eighteen (18) months. Any extension is contingent on continued technical needs, available funding, and acceptable performance. Arrangements for qualified applicants to fill this role while on sabbatical can be considered. The Fellow will be hired as a full-time, salaried IIE employee, with benefits.
Background
The DRG Center's mission is to create and disseminate knowledge on the advancement of democracy, human rights, and governance abroad and to manage grants and provide technical support to USAID missions implementing programs in these areas.
Within its emphasis on human rights, the DRG Center is one of the key focal points for USAID's implementation of Presidential Study Directive 10 (PSD-10) on atrocities prevention. In 2011, President Obama introduced PSD-10 and announced atrocity prevention as a "core national security interest and a core moral responsibility of the United States." In April 2012, President Obama unveiled the results of PSD-10, a comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to mass atrocities, including the creation of the Atrocity Prevention Board (APB) to guide this effort. The DRG Center works collaboratively with other USAID offices, in particular USAID's Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM) and interagency partners, to support the work of the APB.
As part of these efforts, the Fellow will support the DRG Center to respond to the mandate of PSD-10 by contributing to the policy discussion, supporting USAID staff to understand and contribute to the approach to atrocity prevention, and engaging in the policy and programmatic processes that support the APB.
Purpose :
This fellowship will provide an opportunity for an individual with interest and experience working on atrocity prevention issues outside the U.S. government or outside the development sector to learn and understand USAID's policies and programs in this area. The Fellow will bring his or her own experience working on atrocity prevention issues from an academic, field, and/or advocacy perspective. This Democracy Fellowship is focused on five activity areas: (1) USAID Mission field support; (2) training and institutionalization; (3) outreach, (4) Atrocity Prevention Board (APB) and policy; and (5) technical leadership.
Objectives Within six weeks of onboarding, the Democracy Fellow will develop a fellowship work plan in coordination with the Division Chief for Human Rights and the USAID Officer leading the atrocity prevention process within the team. Areas of work may include:
USAID Mission Field Support:
- Establish contact with, learn the portfolio of, and maintain ongoing support for 2-3 USAID Missions in countries at high or substantial risk of mass atrocities. Activities may include TDYs to conduct focused assessments (USAID or inter-agency), support strategy processes, and design or review programs.
- Plan and support inter-agency and inter-governmental field activities related to atrocity prevention. For example, the Fellow may plan a collaborative training workshop with other donor governments on the role of development cooperation in the prevention of mass atrocities and responsibility to protect.
- Conduct training on human rights and atrocity prevention for USAID field officers.
Training and Institutionalization:
- In consultation with on-site manager, set individualized training plan to learn USAID's organizational mandates, roles, and business practices/processes.
- Support the use of AP tools in USAID regional bureaus and selected offices across the Agency through coordination and training.
- Serve as a Human Rights Division trainer and DRG Center's lead trainer for atrocity prevention.
- Work to integrate atrocity prevention issues into other Agency trainings (e.g., CMM trainings, non-permissive environment workshop, in-briefing of USAID Foreign Service Officers transitioning to key posts, and human rights training modules/workshops).
- Create and promote innovative ways to institutionalize atrocity prevention within USAID's development and humanitarian assistance programming and strategies.
Outreach:
- Support outreach to the U.S. Congress on USAID's work on atrocity prevention, in close coordination with USAID's Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA).
- Support and maintain outreach and partnerships with the non-governmental atrocity prevention community.
- Contribute to internal USAID reporting and external briefing of interested parties, as required.
Atrocity Prevention Board (APB):
- Contribute to the formulation of general and/or country-specific policy recommendations related to atrocity prevention.
- Prepare the Agency's lead POC for atrocity prevention issues for participation in APB working level meetings; provide technical support to USAID representatives at higher level APB meetings.
- Work with USAID regional bureaus and field missions to understand relevant USAID programs in countries prioritized through the APB process; help formulate Agency views on atrocity risks and recommended roles in atrocity prevention.
Technical leadership
- Serve as DRG Center's Human Rights Division representative for the review of Agency learning tools (research, survey tools, and monitoring and evaluation plans).
- Support after-action reviews and lessons learned activities specifically related to human rights and atrocity prevention issues and programs. Working with the DRG Center's Learning Division, distill and organize lessons and ensure they inform current and future activities.
- Explore linkages and define distinctions between AP, Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) and fragility, conflict prevention, and other sectors and approaches.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Experience
- US Citizenship.
- Successful background investigation for a secret level security clearance.
- Full-time Democracy Fellows may not have worked inside USAID as a technical professional (Direct Hire, Non-Direct Hire, PSC) for more than five (5) years cumulatively.
- At least seven (7) years of experience working on issues of foreign policy and development, human rights, democracy and governance, conflict mitigation, or other relevant areas.
- Completion of a relevant graduate degree (for example a Master's in political science, international relations, human rights). In lieu of this requirement, at least 5 of the 7 years' experience in previous bullet must be professionally relevant technical experience in atrocity prevention or human rights.
- Ability to research, analyze, and evaluate complex development issues, including atrocity prevention and democracy, human rights, and governance. Knowledge of principles, concepts, and methodologies involved in the design, development, implementation, management, and evaluation of technical assistance programs.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex programming elements into clear, concise documents and actions. Strong ability to foster relationships and coordinate the learning and expertise of multiple organizations engaged in the fields of atrocity prevention, human rights, and democracy and governance.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills, including the ability to exhibit tact, diplomacy, and resourcefulness while working in a variety of settings with high-level officials in the U.S. government, foreign governments, and international organizations. Experience serving as the lead on collaborative processes involving governmental and non-governmental participants.
- Relevant field experience working with U.S. government, international organizations, donor development agencies, non-governmental organizations, private sector, academic organizations or other agencies and processes involved in human rights, atrocity prevention, or democracy and governance issues.
- Knowledge of computer software, including Word, Excel, and Windows. General familiarity with networked computer systems.
- Ability to travel internationally, at least 3 – 4 weeks per year.
- Prior experience as a trainer desired.
- Prior experience with monitoring and evaluation processes desired.
Supervision and GuidanceThe Fellow will serve as a member of the DRG Center's Human Rights Division and will be supervised on a day-to-day basis by the Division Chief. The Fellow will partner with a USAID officer who directs the portfolio and serves as USAID representative in official inter-agency meetings. The Fellow will participate in relevant working groups in other parts of the Agency, as required. S/he is expected to exercise the highest degree of individual initiative, resourcefulness, responsibility, and authority, consistent with USAID's overall policy and procedural framework.
The Fellow will be an employee of IIE and will report for administrative purposes to the DFG Director.
LocationUpon successful completion of a background investigation for an interim secret level security clearance, the Fellow will be based at USAID headquarters in Washington, DC. International travel may be required.
Duration of the position
Initial appointment is for eighteen (18) months. Any fellowship extension is contingent on technical needs, continued funding, and acceptable performance.
Compensation
The salary for this fellowship will be competitive and commensurate with the candidate's salary history and experience.
The deadline for applications is 11:59 pm EST on Friday, November 20, 2015. Only complete applications will be considered.
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