Justice Systems Analyst

.The role will focus on: justice systems within the English-speaking Caribbean with an emphasis on the functioning and processes of the criminal justice system including legislation, procedures, and challenges.

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.

Office/Unit/Project Description

The Caribbean region has a strong tradition of democracy and the application of the rule of law, and the protection of human rights is enshrined by all Caribbean National Constitutions. In addition, most countries in the region are party to major international instruments governing access to justice, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These legal provisions offer a framework for the promotion and protection of human rights and the consistent application of justice to all citizens.

Moreover, Caribbean countries have endorsed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include Goal 16 on peaceful, just, and inclusive societies. SDG16 provides the guidelines for the equitable administration of justice with a specific target on ‘promoting the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensuring access to justice for all.’

Caribbean governments have identified justice sector improvement as a core priority, and it is a key element of the CARICOM Strategic Plan. Also, the CARICOM Crime & Security Strategy (CCSS) 2013 stresses the paramount importance of a strengthened criminal justice sector. Over the past two decades, countries in the Caribbean have made notable progress toward enhancing citizen security and access to justice. Nonetheless, several critical challenges to ensuring that national and regional justice systems are accessible, equal, and consistently deliver efficient justice, remain.

A Judicial Needs Assessment of 9 Caribbean Countries released by UNDP in 20202 (hereinafter referred to as the NAR) revealed that efficient access to justice is being undermined across the region by delays within several key stages of the criminal justice process, resulting in major backlogs of cases. The identified backlogs have been occasioned by pervasive human and technological resource and capacity constraints which, in turn, have contributed to massive bottlenecks in the work of the investigators, public prosecutors and courts. As a result, these backlogs directly contribute to the worryingly high levels of prisoners on remand for extended periods and serve to increase overall incarceration rates in the region which are already among the highest globally.

More broadly, the resource constraints have also resulted in gaps in the provision of support to survivors of violent crimes and for offenders re-entering society. The COVID19 pandemic has also underscored the need to respond to these challenges. Preliminary analyses have pointed to an increase in certain crimes which put further pressure on the already strained justice systems of the Caribbean.

Some countries have already launched efforts to reduce these backlogs, including the introduction of specialized courts, introduction of judicial procedures and increases in the number of court personnel. However, many of these have focused on civil matters and results have been mixed. An urgent approach that confronts and addresses the underlying causes of bottlenecks and case backlogs within the context of criminal cases is therefore needed to improve the functioning of the judicial system and promote equitable access to justice in the region.

UNDP, with funding from the European Union, has developed a project to address the pressing need for backlog and bottleneck reduction in eight Eastern Caribbean countries (Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago). The project will focus on reform interventions in the criminal system that will reduce caseloads, including development and operationalization of effective criminal procedures, plea bargaining and other pre-trial settlement mechanisms. In parallel, the project will deliver improvements to court and case management systems and modernization of procedures, deployment of information and communication technology, training of police, prosecutors, judges and court staff and enhanced coordination across the justice sector.

Scope of Work

The post will support UNDP’s poverty and governance portfolio through the Criminal JusticeReform in the Caribbean project.

The incumbent will focus on the following key areas: justicesystems within the English-speaking Caribbean with an emphasis on the functioning and processes of the criminal justice system including legislation, procedures, and challenges. The incumbent is responsible for leading the following:

• Technical and Programme Support
• Support development for the programagenda
• Partnerships, representation, and advocacy

Technical and ProgrammeSupport

• Prepare concept notes and terms of reference to implement project activities in consultation with the Project Team Lead
• Provides technical guidance and thematic support to the Project Team Lead for planning, implementation and monitoring of criminal justiceand backlog-reduction- related interventions

Support development of criminal justicesector reform agenda with an emphasis on backlog reduction

• Provide technical support to the development of policies, processes, and systems to reduce backlog in the criminal justice system at national and regional levels.
• Supports the organization of training workshops on diversion and non-custodial processes for key staff in beneficiary countries.
• Coordinates workshops, policy dialogues, courses, meetings, study tours and events for training or sharing of experiences in criminal justice reform with a focus on backlog reduction and prevention
• Serves as primary technicalinterface with key institutions including DPP offices, prisons, and other relevant organizations.
• Engages governments, regional partners, civil society organizations, academia, and otherkey stakeholders on issues of human rights-based approaches to criminal justice reform

Partnerships, representation, and advocacy

• Support and promote increased knowledge management, sharing, and best practices in relation to criminal justice reform in the Caribbean
• Promotes partnerships among agencies responsible for the administration of justice including through strengthening coordination mechanisms, institutional capacities, and governance frameworks.
• Works with academia and other civil society organizations to raise awareness on criminal justice reform issues and sustainable solutions for backlog reduction and institutionalization of human- rights based approaches.

Perform any other duties within your functional profileas assigned and deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the office.

Institutional Arrangement

Reports to the Team Lead and the Programme Analyst – Poverty, Governance and Monitoring and Evaluation (PG M&E).

Competencies

Core Level 1

• Achieve Results: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional& Technical competencies

• Business Management |Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and control resources, procedures, and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Business Development | Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally
• Business Development | Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information in to useful knowledge, relevant for context or responsive to a stated need
• Business Management |Partnerships 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
• 2030 Agenda: Peace | Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights: Access to justice 
• 2030 Agenda: Peace | Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights: Justice Sector development 
• 2030 Agenda: Peace | Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights: Sector wide planning and reform (justice and security sectors)

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements

• Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Criminology or Law or a related field with emphasis in criminal justice international relations or a related area is required, or 
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Criminology or Law or a related field with emphasis in criminal justice international relations or a related area in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Min. years of relevant work experience       

• Master´s degree requires no experience or minimum 2 years with Bachelor´s degree of experience in Criminology or Law or a related field with emphasis in criminal justice international relations or a related area.

 Required skills

• Experience in law or in conducting assessments in the areas of criminal justice reform and in the development of policy recommendations in these areas, is an asset.
• Experience in working with governments, donors, non- governmental organizations, and international development organizations is an asset.
• Experience working in the Caribbean region is a requirement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Caribbean with reference to judicial, political and governance structures is an asset.
• Fundamental knowledge of citizen security/ justice issues in the Caribbean is a requirement.
• Relevant experience in a UN agency/within the UN Common System would be a distinct asset.

Desired skills       

• Experience working with and conducting assessments in the areas of administration of justice initiatives is highly desirable
• Experience working in the Caribbean region or previous work in any of the beneficiary countries is highly desirable.
• Experience in working at the national and/or international level in law, policy related matters, human rights is an asset
• Post-graduate qualification in Law or a related field with emphasis in criminal justice, international relations or a related area will be an asset

Required Language(s)       

• Fluency in the UN language of the duty station is required 
• Fluency in the national language of the duty station is required for local personnel. 
• Fluency in English (both written and oral) is required

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the NPSA categories are subject to local recruitment. Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDP’s policy on Probation upon assignment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience, and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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