1. Job Purpose

The Conflict Early Warning and Early Response (CBEWER) Specialist will provide technical and operational support for the establishment, development, and operationalization of interconnected, locally owned Community-Based Early Warning and Early Response mechanisms in Anbar, Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Salah Al-Din governorates.

The position will be based in Al Anbar ad will be roving to the rest of the governorates mentioned above.

The Specialist will support conflict analysis, stakeholder mapping, the identification and monitoring of conflict risks, the development of early warning and early response procedures, and the strengthening of coordination among Local Peace Committees (LPCs), local authorities, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders. The position will contribute to strengthening local capacities to identify emerging tensions, communicate early warnings, assess risks, and implement timely, coordinated, inclusive, and conflict-sensitive responses.

In addition, the Specialist will support capacity-building activities, facilitate stakeholder consultations and participatory design workshops, monitor the implementation of early response initiatives, and undertake other relevant duties as directly assigned or requested by the Project Manager.

2. Key Responsibilities

• Support the establishment and operationalization of CBEWER mechanisms in Anbar, Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Salah Al-Din governorates.
• Conduct stakeholder mapping to identify relevant local authorities, security actors where appropriate, LPCs, civil society organizations, women’s and youth groups, community leaders, and other relevant peacebuilding stakeholders.
• Facilitate inception meetings, stakeholder consultations, and participatory design workshops to ensure that CBEWER mechanisms reflect local conflict dynamics, community priorities, and institutional capacities.
• Conduct and support conflict analysis, conflict-sensitivity assessments, and the identification of potential sources of tension, emerging risks, and early warning indicators.
• Support the development of context-specific early warning and early response procedures, including reporting formats, risk classification criteria, escalation pathways, referral mechanisms, and coordination arrangements.
• Develop and support the implementation of practical procedures for collecting, verifying, documenting, managing, and analyzing conflict-related information and early warning signals.
• Support the identification, assessment, prioritization, and follow-up of appropriate early response actions based on identified risks and community needs.
• Strengthen coordination and information-sharing among CBEWER members, LPCs, local authorities, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders, in accordance with agreed procedures and confidentiality requirements.
• Support the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), referral pathways, coordination frameworks, and other technical documents required for the effective functioning of CBEWER mechanisms.
• Identify operational challenges, capacity gaps, emerging risks, and barriers to effective early warning and response, and propose appropriate corrective measures.
• Monitor the functionality and performance of established mechanisms and follow up on agreed actions with relevant stakeholders.
• Support the implementation and monitoring of community-based early response initiatives in the targeted governorates.
• Maintain accurate documentation of consultations, stakeholder mapping, conflict analysis, early warning reports, response actions, and follow-up measures.
• Prepare regular technical updates, field visit reports, and progress reports on the establishment and implementation of CBEWER mechanisms.
• Undertake other relevant duties related to conflict prevention, early warning, early response, and community peacebuilding as assigned by the supervisor.

3. Training and Facilitation

• Assess the capacity-building needs of CBEWER members and relevant stakeholders in collecting, verifying, managing, and analyzing early warning information and implementing appropriate responses.
• Design, coordinate, and facilitate training sessions and workshops on conflict analysis, early warning indicators, risk classification, incident reporting, information management, referral procedures, coordination, and early response planning.
• Support the preparation and adaptation of training materials, practical exercises, case studies, reporting templates, and operational guidance tailored to local contexts.
• Ensure that training content reflects conflict sensitivity, gender-responsive approaches, social inclusion, confidentiality, safeguarding, and the Do No Harm principle.
• Coordinate the logistical, technical, and administrative arrangements required for training sessions, workshops, and stakeholder consultations.
• Monitor participant attendance, assess learning outcomes, document training outputs, and follow up on the practical application of acquired knowledge and skills.
• Support the development and use of practical tools to assess the effectiveness of training and identify additional capacity-building needs.
• Ensure that all capacity-building activities comply with KOHRW and UNDP quality standards and applicable project procedures.
• Document training materials, attendance records, pre- and post-training assessments, evaluation results, and recommendations for follow-up.

4. Coaching and Mentoring

• Provide ongoing technical guidance, coaching, and mentoring to CBEWER members and relevant stakeholders on conflict analysis, early warning identification, risk assessment, information management, and early response planning.
• Support CBEWER members in applying agreed procedures and tools to identify, document, assess, and communicate emerging conflict risks.
• Guide relevant stakeholders in developing practical, proportionate, and context-sensitive response measures.
• Strengthen the capacities of local actors to coordinate, document decisions, monitor response actions, and follow up on identified risks.
• Identify recurring capacity gaps and recommend targeted mentoring, refresher training, or additional technical support.

5. Peer Learning and Knowledge Exchange

• Facilitate peer learning and knowledge exchange among CBEWER members, LPCs, local authorities, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Promote the sharing of experiences, lessons learned, good practices, and practical approaches to conflict prevention, early warning, and early response.
• Document relevant case studies, emerging practices, operational challenges, and lessons learned from the establishment and implementation of CBEWER mechanisms.
• Encourage constructive coordination and experience-sharing among the four governorates, while ensuring that approaches remain appropriate to each local context.
• Support the development and dissemination of practical guidance and knowledge products to strengthen the sustainability and effectiveness of community-based early warning and early response systems.

6. Training Quality, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Ensure that training and capacity-building activities meet KOHRW and UNDP quality standards and contribute to the intended project outputs.
• Monitor the establishment, functionality, and operational readiness of CBEWER mechanisms against agreed work plans, procedures, and performance indicators.
• Support the development and use of monitoring tools to assess the quality of early warning information, timeliness of reporting, coordination effectiveness, and follow-up of response actions.
• Monitor the implementation of early response initiatives and document progress, challenges, results, and lessons learned.
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to track capacity-development results, learning outcomes, mechanism performance, and contributions to conflict prevention.
• Collect and verify relevant monitoring data and supporting documentation while ensuring appropriate confidentiality and protection of sensitive information.
• Identify implementation gaps and recommend corrective actions to improve the effectiveness, inclusiveness, and sustainability of CBEWER mechanisms.
• Contribute to periodic project reviews, assessments, lessons-learned exercises, and donor reporting.

7. Inclusion, Conflict Sensitivity and Safeguarding

• Ensure that CBEWER mechanisms and related activities are designed and implemented in an inclusive, conflict-sensitive, gender-responsive, and safeguarding-compliant manner.
• Promote the meaningful participation of women, youth, minorities, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented or marginalized groups in stakeholder consultations, mechanism design, capacity-building activities, and early response planning.
• Support the identification and analysis of conflict risks, social tensions, exclusion patterns, and potential unintended negative impacts that may arise during project implementation.
• Ensure that early warning information is collected, managed, shared, and used responsibly, in accordance with confidentiality, data protection, safeguarding, and Do No Harm principles.
• Promote equitable participation and ensure that early response actions are informed by community needs and do not unintentionally exclude or disadvantage particular groups.
• Identify and appropriately report protection concerns, safeguarding issues, and sensitive community feedback through established reporting and referral mechanisms.
• Coordinate with relevant project, safeguarding, and MEAL teams to address inclusion, conflict-sensitivity, and accountability concerns throughout implementation.
• Ensure that engagement with communities and stakeholders respects local sensitivities, avoids reinforcing existing tensions, and supports peaceful dialogue and constructive cooperation.

8. Coordination and Reporting

• Coordinate regularly with the Project Manager, project team, KOHRW technical staff, CBEWER members, LPCs, local authorities, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain effective communication with relevant stakeholders to support the establishment, operationalization, and continued functioning of CBEWER mechanisms.
• Prepare and submit regular technical reports, field visit reports, progress updates, and other required documentation, covering achievements, challenges, risks, lessons learned, and follow-up actions.
• Document stakeholder consultations, conflict analysis findings, early warning trends, response measures, and relevant coordination decisions.
• Provide timely updates to the Project Manager on implementation progress, emerging risks, operational challenges, delays, and issues requiring management decisions.
• Follow up on agreed actions with relevant stakeholders and ensure that outstanding issues are addressed within agreed timelines.
• Coordinate with the MEAL team and other relevant technical teams to provide accurate data and supporting evidence for monitoring, evaluation, learning, and reporting.
• Participate in project coordination meetings and technical discussions, document key decisions, and follow up on their implementation.
• Ensure that reports and information products are accurate, evidence-based, appropriately documented, and compliant with applicable confidentiality requirements.

9. Travel

The Specialist will be based at the location designated by KOHRW and will undertake regular field travel to Anbar, Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Salah Al-Din governorates, as required by project activities and in accordance with the instructions of the Project Manager.

Travel may include stakeholder consultations, inception meetings, participatory design workshops, capacity-building activities, field monitoring, coordination meetings, and follow-up visits related to CBEWER mechanisms and early response initiatives.

10. Key Performance Indicators

• Establishment and operationalization of CBEWER mechanisms: Progress in establishing and operationalizing the planned mechanisms across the four targeted governorates in accordance with approved work plans.
• Stakeholder mapping and engagement: Timely completion and documentation of stakeholder mapping, consultations, and engagement with relevant local authorities, LPCs, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Conflict analysis and risk identification: Quality and timeliness of conflict analysis, identification of early warning indicators, and documentation of emerging risks and tensions.
• Development of operational procedures: Completion and validation of agreed SOPs, reporting tools, risk classification criteria, referral pathways, and coordination arrangements.
• Capacity-building delivery: Completion of planned training and mentoring activities, supported by attendance records, training materials, assessments, and documented learning outcomes.
• Application of acquired knowledge: Evidence that CBEWER members apply agreed tools and procedures to collect, assess, communicate, and respond to early warning information.
• Early warning and response functionality: Timely documentation, assessment, communication, and follow-up of early warning signals in accordance with established procedures.
• Early response initiatives: Effective technical support, monitoring, and documentation of the implementation of planned early response initiatives in the targeted governorates.
• Coordination effectiveness: Quality and consistency of coordination among CBEWER members, LPCs, local authorities, civil society organizations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Inclusion and conflict sensitivity: Appropriate integration of gender, youth participation, minority inclusion, disability inclusion, safeguarding, and Do No Harm considerations into project activities and response planning.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning: Timely collection and verification of monitoring data, documentation of lessons learned, and contribution to assessments of project results and mechanism performance.
• Risk management and issue resolution: Timely identification, reporting, and follow-up of operational challenges, emerging conflict risks, and implementation issues, with appropriate mitigation measures proposed.
• Documentation and reporting: Accurate and timely submission of technical reports, field visit reports, meeting records, training documentation, monitoring updates, and supporting evidence.
• Achievement of project outputs: Contribution to the timely, inclusive, and sustainable delivery of planned CBEWER outputs in accordance with KOHRW and UNDP requirements.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Peace and Conflict Studies, Political Science, International Relations, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Law, or another relevant field. A postgraduate degree in a related discipline is an asset.
• At Least 3 years relevant professional experience in conflict prevention, peacebuilding, early warning and early response, social cohesion, community engagement, or related programming.
• Demonstrated experience in conflict analysis, stakeholder mapping, risk assessment, community consultations, or the development of conflict-prevention initiatives.
• Experience working with local authorities, LPCs, civil society organizations, community leaders, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Experience in designing or facilitating training sessions, workshops, and capacity-building activities.
• Knowledge of community-based early warning and early response approaches, including information collection, risk classification, reporting, referral, and response coordination.
• Experience in monitoring project activities, documenting results, and preparing technical reports.
• Understanding of gender-responsive programming, social inclusion, safeguarding, conflict sensitivity, and the Do No Harm principle.
• Strong analytical, communication, facilitation, coordination, and documentation skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to project locations in Anbar, Ninewa, Kirkuk, and Salah Al-Din governorates.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and collaborate effectively with a multidisciplinary team.

• Core Competencies

• Strong understanding of conflict dynamics, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and community-based early warning and early response approaches.
• Ability to identify and analyze conflict risks, emerging tensions, early warning indicators, and potential triggers of community conflict.
• Ability to design and apply practical tools for stakeholder mapping, risk assessment, information collection, incident reporting, and response planning.
• Strong facilitation and capacity-building skills, including the ability to translate technical concepts into practical guidance for local stakeholders.
• Ability to support the development and application of SOPs, referral pathways, coordination frameworks, and early response procedures.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and coordination skills, including the ability to build constructive working relationships among local authorities, LPCs, civil society organizations, and community groups.
• Understanding of gender-responsive peacebuilding, social inclusion, safeguarding, confidentiality, and the Do No Harm principle.
• Ability to monitor implementation, assess results, identify operational challenges, and recommend appropriate corrective actions.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, reporting, and documentation skills.
• Ability to handle sensitive information responsibly and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
• Ability to work effectively in the field, travel regularly to project locations, and adapt to changing operational and conflict-related contexts.
• Strong commitment to accountability, quality, impartiality, community participation, and the timely delivery of project outputs.

• Language Requirements

• Arabic: Excellent written and spoken proficiency.
• English: Good professional working proficiency.
• Kurdish: Desirable.

Interested and qualified candidates are kindly invited to submit their updated CV in PDF format to:

To: hr@kohrw.org 
CC: info@kohrw.org 

Please use “Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Specialist” as the subject line of your email.

Please note that, in order for an application to be considered, candidates must follow the application requirements below:

● The CV must be submitted as a PDF attachment. CVs submitted in any other format will not be accepted.
● Please attach the CV directly to the email. Links to CVs or online documents will not be accepted.
● The email subject line must clearly state “Conflict Early Warning and Early Response Specialist ” Applications without the required subject line will not be considered.
● Applications that do not meet the above requirements may not be considered as part of the recruitment process.
● The application deadline is 26 October 2026. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
● Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process.

We appreciate your interest in joining KOHRW and look forward to receiving your application.