“Driving Peace and Social Cohesion: A Deep Dive into the UNDP Pillar Coordinator Role in Sri Lanka”
Pillar Coordinator – Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion position with UNDP in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This includes an explanation of the role, expectations, competencies, responsibilities, required qualifications, and how the role aligns with UNDP’s global and country-level objectives.
1. Overview of the Position
Job Title: Pillar Coordinator – Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion
Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Location: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Grade: NPSA-10 (National Personnel Service Agreement)
Contract Duration: 1 year (with potential renewal)
Languages Required: Sinhala and/or Tamil, and English
Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
Education Requirement: Master’s (5 years’ experience) or Bachelor’s (7 years’ experience)
Practice Area: Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions
2. Strategic Background and Organizational Context
UNDP Sri Lanka’s governance portfolio is structured around SDG 16 – Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The country’s development context—marked by post-conflict recovery, ethnic diversity, historical grievances, and governance challenges—necessitates a multi-pronged, inclusive approach to strengthening institutions, building trust, and ensuring long-term peace.
UNDP’s Inclusive Governance Team supports this through a four-pillar structure, where each pillar addresses a critical facet of governance and institution-building:http://👉 UNDP Sri Lanka Job Posting – Pillar Coordinator – Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion
- Voice and Representation – Enhancing participation, civic engagement, and inclusion
- Rights and Justice – Promoting rule of law, access to justice, and human rights
- Strong and Efficient Institutions – Improving state service delivery, transparency, and responsiveness
- Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion – Addressing conflict drivers, promoting reconciliation, and building trust between communities and the state
This position leads Pillar 4, the Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion component. It focuses on conflict prevention, inclusive dialogue, post-conflict recovery, reconciliation, and creating enabling environments for sustainable peace.http://@vacancyspaces.com
3. Core Role Description
The Pillar Coordinator is a senior national expert role with both technical leadership and strategic management responsibilities. The incumbent will:
- Guide the design and implementation of peacebuilding and social cohesion projects
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders (UN, government, civil society, private sector)
- Lead cross-pillar work and ensure thematic integration
- Manage project teams, consultants, and budgets
- Serve as a key advisor to UNDP and national partners on policy and programmatic decisions related to peacebuilding and social cohesion
The role reports to the Policy Specialist and Team Lead of the Inclusive Governance Team, and works closely with counterparts across the UNDP portfolio and other UN agencies.
4. Key Responsibilities and Functions
A. Provide Technical Expertise and Coordination
- Deliver high-quality policy advice and technical inputs on peacebuilding and social cohesion aligned with international standards and best practices.
- Drive cross-pillar integration to ensure that governance, justice, and institutional strengthening strategies reinforce peacebuilding efforts.
- Support the UNDP leadership in strategic planning, drafting policy papers, and representing the pillar in various forums.
- Promote innovation, digital solutions, and community-driven approaches to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
B. Programme and Project Management
- Lead the implementation of projects within the pillar, ensuring results-based management (RBM) principles are embedded.
- Oversee planning, hiring, performance evaluation, and coaching of team members.
- Supervise financial management, including budget planning, disbursement tracking, and reporting.
- Ensure projects deliver high-impact, evidence-based results, and adapt based on feedback and context shifts.
- Collaborate with other UNDP teams (e.g., environment, resilience, digital) to create co-benefits.
C. Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization
- Develop and maintain partnerships with:
- Government stakeholders: Ministries, local authorities, and statutory bodies
- Development partners: Donors, INGOs, bilateral agencies
- Civil society organizations: Especially those working on reconciliation, youth, women, and minorities
- Academia and Think Tanks: For research and evidence-based programming
- Private sector: To explore private-sector peacebuilding and CSR partnerships
- Design and implement a resource mobilization strategy, including proposal writing and donor liaison.
D. Knowledge Management and Learning
- Promote a culture of reflection, learning, and adaptation, ensuring that field experiences inform policy and programming.
- Conduct and commission research, policy briefs, and knowledge products that shape national discourse.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange with other UNDP offices and global experts.
- Translate learning into improved project design and more effective implementation.
- Monitor international trends in peacebuilding, inclusion, conflict prevention, and human rights.
5. Cross-Cutting Themes & Focus Areas
- Gender Equality: Promote women’s participation in peacebuilding and ensure gender-sensitive programming.
- Human Rights: Align initiatives with international human rights instruments and national frameworks.
- Conflict Sensitivity and Do-No-Harm: Apply these principles in all programming decisions.
- Youth Empowerment: Enable youth engagement in peace processes and civic leadership.
- Digital Transformation: Explore use of technology for dialogue, civic engagement, and community monitoring.
- Disability Inclusion: Ensure accessible programming for persons with disabilities.
6. Required Qualifications and Competencies
Educational Requirements
- Master’s degree in Political Science, International Relations, Development Studies, Public Policy, Peace and Conflict Studies, or a related field (required)
- OR a Bachelor’s degree in these fields plus two additional years of experience
Professional Experience
- Minimum 5 years (Master’s) or 7 years (Bachelor’s) of experience in:
- Conflict prevention or peacebuilding
- Social cohesion projects
- Governance reforms
- Post-conflict recovery or reconciliation initiatives
- Proven ability to manage teams, oversee consultants, and coordinate with partners.
- Experience with policy advocacy, technical advisory roles, and dialogue facilitation.
- Familiarity with Sri Lankan governance structures, ethnic and regional dynamics, and post-war development issues.
- Strong project and financial management skills, including familiarity with RBM tools.
- Experience working with UN agencies, donors, and civil society is an asset.
- Proficiency in MS Office, web-based project management systems, and spreadsheet/database tools.
Languages
- Fluency in English, and Sinhala and/or Tamil is required.
7. Core and Functional Competencies
Core Competencies
| Competency | Description |
|---|---|
| Achieve Results | Set ambitious objectives and drive execution with measurable impact |
| Think Innovatively | Identify unconventional solutions and adapt to complex environments |
| Learn Continuously | Foster learning culture within teams and personally engage in development |
| Adapt with Agility | Respond to changing needs, manage multiple tasks, and lead through uncertainty |
| Act with Determination | Show resilience, take initiative, and deliver results under pressure |
| Engage and Partner | Build networks, influence strategically, and navigate power dynamics |
| Enable Diversity and Inclusion | Champion inclusive practices and create safe environments for all |
Technical Competencies
| Area | Description |
|---|---|
| Results-Based Management | Manage complex programs with measurable KPIs and frameworks |
| Risk Management | Anticipate risks and develop mitigation strategies |
| Project Management | Design, implement, and monitor multi-stakeholder projects |
| Conflict Analysis and Sensitivity | Use analytical frameworks to understand root causes and drivers of conflict |
| Gender and Inclusion | Integrate equality and inclusion into program planning and delivery |
8. Organizational Alignment and Broader Implications
This role is critical to UNDP Sri Lanka’s governance reform agenda. As the country navigates the post-conflict landscape, persistent ethnic divisions, trust deficits, and institutional weaknesses challenge its stability.
This post directly contributes to:
- Rebuilding social trust
- Preventing communal violence
- Promoting reconciliation and inclusivity
- Strengthening democratic institutions and civic engagement
- Supporting marginalized communities
By integrating with other pillars, the role ensures that peacebuilding is not an isolated effort but embedded across justice, governance, and service delivery systems.
The role also helps operationalize UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2022–2025) at the country level, particularly the Signature Solutions related to governance, resilience, and gender equality.
9. Travel & Field Engagement
While based in Colombo, the role requires frequent travel across provinces, especially to:
- Post-conflict regions (Northern and Eastern provinces)
- Locations of project implementation or pilot activities
- Community engagement meetings, dialogues, and reconciliation platforms
10. Application Guidance
Ideal Candidate Profile
- A politically savvy, technically competent leader who understands Sri Lanka’s complex social fabric
- Strategic thinker with the ability to navigate sensitive issues
- A team builder and mentor
- Passionate about human rights, peace, and social transformation
- Strong communicator—both in policy writing and in grassroots dialogue
To Strengthen Your Application:
- Demonstrate examples of previous peacebuilding work, particularly in Sri Lanka or similar contexts
- Highlight project leadership roles and budget responsibilities
- Provide evidence of partnerships with governments, CSOs, or donors
- Showcase understanding of conflict sensitivity, reconciliation, and minority rights
- Mention policy papers, training, or reports you’ve contributed to
- Provide strong references with national or international institutions
11. Organizational Values and Safeguards
UNDP emphasizes:
- Diversity, Inclusion, and Non-Discrimination
- Zero Tolerance for Harassment or Exploitation
- Merit-Based Recruitment
- Transparent Hiring Processes
All candidates undergo background checks, and any evidence of prior misconduct may disqualify them.
12. Final Thoughts
This is one of the most influential national positions in UNDP Sri Lanka’s governance portfolio. The post combines technical expertise, policy engagement, and strategic leadership in one of the country’s most important development domains: peace and social cohesion.
If you bring a deep understanding of Sri Lanka’s social dynamics, commitment to human rights, and proven programmatic success, this role offers the platform to shape national-level peacebuilding outcomes and drive real transformation.
Would you like help tailoring your CV and cover letter for this role or analyzing potential interview
Absolutely! Here’s an extremely in-depth (well over 3,000 words) breakdown of the Pillar Coordinator – Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion position with UNDP in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This version delves deeper into the policy context, peacebuilding methodologies, institutional frameworks, challenges, comparative country insights, and how your work would shape long-term outcomes for Sri Lanka.
Pillar Coordinator – Peacebuilding & Social Cohesion (UNDP Sri Lanka)
I. Introduction: Peacebuilding in the Sri Lankan Context
Sri Lanka, a country with a complex historical legacy shaped by colonialism, ethnic nationalism, civil war, and fragile peace processes, presents a unique terrain for peacebuilding. More than a decade since the end of the civil war in 2009, significant development has occurred. Still, many structural causes of conflict—ethnic polarization, regional disparities, governance deficits, and identity-based discrimination—continue to persist.
UNDP’s peacebuilding strategy in Sri Lanka operates on the understanding that sustainable peace is inseparable from inclusive development, governance reform, trust in institutions, and social justice. The Pillar Coordinator for Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion plays a pivotal leadership role in turning these principles into practice.
This role is designed for a highly experienced national professional who can fuse technical expertise, strategic oversight, stakeholder engagement, and political acumen to drive results in one of the most sensitive and high-impact areas of UNDP’s work in Sri Lanka.
II. The Governance and Peacebuilding Portfolio: A Four-Pillar Approach
UNDP Sri Lanka’s Inclusive Governance Team addresses governance and peacebuilding through a multi-dimensional framework structured around four interlinked pillars:
- Voice and Representation
- Enhancing civic engagement
- Strengthening democratic institutions
- Promoting youth and women’s participation
- Rights and Justice
- Improving access to justice and legal aid
- Upholding human rights mechanisms
- Strengthening rule of law and legal institutions
- Strong and Efficient Institutions
- Promoting public sector reform
- Improving service delivery
- Digitization, transparency, and anti-corruption
- Peacebuilding and Social Cohesion
- Conflict prevention and early warning
- Community reconciliation and inter-group dialogue
- Addressing root causes of violence and marginalization
The Pillar Coordinator for Pillar 4 assumes full leadership and oversight for this segment of the portfolio while aligning efforts with the broader UNDP country strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).
III. Policy and Strategic Frameworks Underpinning the Role
The work of the Pillar Coordinator is grounded in several key strategic documents and mandates:
- UNDP Strategic Plan (2022–2025)
- Emphasizes resilience, peacebuilding, governance, and leaving no one behind
- Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDG 16)
- Promote peaceful, inclusive societies; access to justice; accountable institutions
- UNDP’s Global Offer on Governance and Peacebuilding
- Outlines programming priorities, including prevention, inclusion, and civic space
- Sri Lanka’s National Policy Framework and Constitution
- Recognizes pluralism, justice, and equal access to services
- Global and Regional Human Rights Treaties
- Frame the legal and ethical dimensions of programming
Your leadership within this position will align with these frameworks to operationalize peace at the local and national levels, through projects, dialogue platforms, and institutional partnerships.
IV. Programmatic Domains and Thematic Scope
A. Conflict Prevention and Early Warning
As Pillar Coordinator, you will lead the design of conflict prevention strategies that:
- Identify and mitigate conflict drivers (e.g., land disputes, ethno-religious tensions)
- Develop local conflict early warning mechanisms
- Use participatory risk mapping and scenario planning
- Promote inclusive decision-making spaces at the local level
This may include working with local government, community leaders, and youth to set up District Peacebuilding Committees, Community Mediation Boards, or local grievance redress systems.
B. Reconciliation and Healing
While formal conflict ended in 2009, deep grievances remain among minority communities. Reconciliation work will include:
- Facilitating inter-community and inter-religious dialogue
- Promoting truth-telling, collective memory, and inclusive narratives
- Supporting transitional justice initiatives
- Addressing identity-based discrimination and hate speech
- Ensuring the inclusion of women, youth, and persons with disabilities in reconciliation processes
As Coordinator, you may partner with truth commissions, arts and culture organizations, and grassroots peace actors to explore creative approaches to healing.
C. Community Resilience and Inclusion
In many post-conflict communities, economic marginalization, weak governance, and trauma intersect. Your pillar’s work may focus on:
- Enhancing local governance capacities and citizen oversight
- Rebuilding trust in public institutions
- Youth empowerment and civic leadership
- Building networks of women peacebuilders
- Supporting social protection, economic empowerment, and livelihood initiatives for conflict-affected populations
You would supervise teams rolling out social cohesion scorecards, gender and inclusion audits, and local development plans in affected regions.
D. Policy Engagement and Advocacy
This role isn’t just operational; it also includes shaping policy:
- Advising ministries on peacebuilding and reconciliation frameworks
- Contributing to the national action plans (NAPs) on reconciliation or social inclusion
- Coordinating with the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, Human Rights Commission, and others
- Participating in donor roundtables and UNCT working groups
You must bridge the divide between community-level grievances and national policymaking processes—often a missing link in Sri Lanka’s peace efforts.
V. Core Responsibilities in Detail
1. Strategic Leadership and Coordination
- Lead the overall conceptualization of peacebuilding initiatives.
- Build synergy across other UNDP pillars, and with external peacebuilding actors.
- Provide technical quality assurance, thought leadership, and innovation.
- Embed gender, disability inclusion, and environmental sustainability in all initiatives.
2. Programme Management
- Supervise project teams, national consultants, and implementing partners.
- Prepare work plans, monitoring frameworks, and risk registers.
- Ensure alignment with UNDP’s quality standards and programmatic tools (ATLAS, Quantum).
- Develop theory of change models and logical frameworks (logframes).
3. Knowledge Generation
- Design participatory learning processes, reflections, and after-action reviews.
- Generate policy briefs and academic papers from project findings.
- Set up communities of practice and digital platforms for knowledge exchange.
- Link Sri Lanka’s learning to global south-south exchanges.
4. Partnership and Resource Mobilization
- Lead strategic outreach to embassies, donors (EU, USAID, DFAT, GIZ), and multilateral banks (World Bank, ADB).
- Respond to donor calls for proposals and concept notes.
- Negotiate project frameworks and co-financing agreements.
- Co-create initiatives with UN Women, UNICEF, OHCHR, ILO, FAO, and others.
VI. Required Profile: Competencies, Experience, and Soft Skills
Professional Experience
- Demonstrated leadership in designing and implementing peacebuilding programs in post-conflict or fragile settings.
- Minimum 5 years with Master’s or 7 years with Bachelor’s of progressively responsible experience.
- Experience with conflict sensitivity frameworks, political economy analysis, and reconciliation programs.
- Background in managing multi-stakeholder dialogues, especially in politically sensitive environments.
- Familiarity with Sri Lanka’s constitutional and ethnic landscape, and ongoing political dynamics.
- Prior work with donors, government stakeholders, and marginalized communities.
Education
- Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Conflict Resolution, Political Science, Human Rights, Development, or related fields.
- Bachelor’s holders with exceptional experience also considered.
Languages
- Fluency in English and Sinhala or Tamil is mandatory.
- Strong writing and report drafting skills in English.
Digital and Technical Skills
- Proficiency in UNDP ERP tools, Microsoft Office Suite, digital collaboration platforms.
- Experience with conflict early warning systems, participatory video, or mobile survey tools is an asset.
Core Values and Attributes
- High emotional intelligence and integrity
- Cultural sensitivity and non-partisanship
- Ability to work under pressure and manage politically sensitive scenarios
- Commitment to human rights and inclusive development
VII. Institutional Setup and Reporting
- Directly reports to: Team Lead – Inclusive Governance, UNDP Sri Lanka
- Supervises: Project Officers, National Technical Advisors, Interns, and Consultants
- Coordinates closely with other Pillar Coordinators, UNDP program teams, and the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office
- Participates in inter-agency groups and the UN Peace and Development Advisors network
VIII. Broader Impact and Legacy
The work of the Pillar Coordinator is not transactional—it is transformational. Your interventions will:
- Influence inter-generational peace outcomes
- Empower marginalized voices and amplify civic agency
- Build systems of trust, fairness, and accountability
- Create models of community resilience and healing
- Prevent the recurrence of violence through systemic reform and inclusive governance
Through this role, you contribute not just to post-conflict recovery, but to the foundations of a pluralistic, democratic, and inclusive Sri Lanka.
IX. Final Reflection: Is This Role Right for You?
This is not a job for someone who seeks routine, nor for someone uncomfortable navigating complexity. It is a post that demands courage, empathy, diplomacy, and intellectual rigor.
If you see yourself as:
- A systems thinker who understands power and inequality
- A pragmatic idealist who wants to make tangible change
- A strategic negotiator who can move between village meetings and ministerial boardrooms
- A believer in pluralism, dignity, and justice
…then this is a career-defining opportunity.
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