Background

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.

Since 1970, UNV has collaborated with a variety of partners at different levels to promote volunteer contributions to sustainable human development and peace. Every year around 8,000 skilled individuals from about 160 nationalities serve as UN Volunteers in about 130 countries (Africa, Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Baltic States and CIS). Many live and work in challenging conditions. The majority of UN Volunteers are from low and middle income countries.

During 2010, UNV deployed 7,765 UN Volunteers from 158 countries who served in 132 countries. Of these, 40 per cent worked on crisis prevention and recovery, 30 per cent on poverty eradication and MDG achievement and 27 per cent on democratic governance. South-South cooperation continues to be a strong element of UNV engagement, with 80% per cent of UN Volunteers coming from developing countries themselves. Another 10,127 volunteers contributed to development though the UNV Online Volunteering service. About 62 per cent of these online volunteers were from developing countries, and 80 per cent were young people aged 18-35 years..

UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has approximately 150 staff positions – with the majority in Bonn and some positions with different UN peacekeeping and political missions, and in other Headquarters locations (e.g. New York and Tokyo). The major organizational groups within UNV are:
  • Office of the Executive Coordinator (OEC)
  • Evaluation Unit (EU)
  • Corporate Planning and Performance Unit (CPPU)
  • Volunteer Programme and Management Group (VPMG)comprising the Peace Division (PD) and the Development Division (DD), Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS), Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) and Volunteer
  • Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS)
  • Partnerships and Communications Division (PCD) comprising the Partnerships Section (PS) and the Communications Unit (CU)
  • Management Services Division (MSD) comprising the Information and Communication Technology Section (ICTS), Finance Section (FS), Human Resources Section (HRS) and the Administration Unit (AU). Additionally the Common Services Unit (CSU) provides support to the UN presence in Bonn.
Organizational setting and background:

In response to staff and management concerns and a changing external environment, UNV went through a comprehensive change process in 2009 to enable UNV to achieve its full potential as follows:

The difference UNV makes is by demonstrating peace and development results and impact through volunteerism. UNV’s comparative advantage is the ability and knowledge to bring about transformational change through volunteerism, community voluntary action and civic engagement in active partnership with civil society, volunteer involving organizations, UN agencies and Governments. This is inspiration in action.”
United Nations Volunteer programme (UNV). UNV’s “Changing Together” process has resulted in a fundamental realignment of the functions of the organization and impacted its staffing structure. Amongst others, a “Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section” as well as a “Quality Assurance Unit” were created in February 2010 and defined as follows:

The Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS) enhances UNV’s proactive capacity to mainstream volunteerism into peace and development initiatives through:
  • Innovative volunteering solutions, including new/improved volunteer modalities and initiatives on the basis of field experience.
  • Online Volunteering service.
  • Advisory support, knowledge products, and coordinated learning for integration of volunteerism for peace and development into policies and programming; and for enhancing the management of UN Volunteers and the quality/recognition of their contributions.
  • Knowledge management.
The Quality Assurance Unit (QAU) oversees the application of standard policies and procedures at all levels of the Volunteer Management Cycle and programme development and management as well as the coordination and facilitation of communication and collaboration among all sections of the VPMG. In addition, the QAU acts as the central service for the implementation of common functions of the Peace and Development Divisions.
The Unit undertakes 4 key functions and activities, namely:
  • Quality assurance and standardization
  • Oversight of volunteer management and programme implementation
  • Management of centralized programme and operations functions
  • Coordination within VPMG.
After a year and a half, operationalization of the new structure has revealed some functional unclarities within VKIS and QAU as well as functional overlaps between these units and with other units of the organization. Therefore, it is necessary to get greater clarity of VKIS and QAU unit-specific roles and responsibilities as well as the vision and scope of activities in order to ensure that they have an effective configuration to support the needs and vision of the organization (Field Units and HQ) as well as of the external stakeholders.

In September 2011, VKIS and QAU organized a one-day joint brainstorming to start a discussion on the above issues. Staff identified the issues to be addressed during the review as well as some elements of vision for the future VKIS and QAU. A report was produced and will be made available to the consultant. The report includes a road map and envisages the support of an Organizational Development Facilitator (consultant).

The VKIS review will result in the development of a project document to fully operationalize VKIS’ vision, functions and responsibilities including knowledge management and learning, support to the former volunteer network and online volunteering. The QAU review will result in revised and clarified vision, role, responsibilities, job descriptions and a 2012 workplan.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the Deputy Executive Coordinator and Acting Chief of VKIS and the day-to-day guidance of the Knowledge Management Specialist in VKIS, the Online Volunteering Specialist in VKIS and the Programme Operations Specialist in QAU (the three to work as a “core group”), the Organizational Development Facilitator will facilitate a process the following objectives:
  • Clarify UNV’s definition of “advisory services”, “quality assurance” and “innovation"
  • Review QAU and VKIS assigned vision, roles and functions and related issues based on UNV’s comparative advantage statement and the needs of internal stakeholders.
  • Recommend structural arrangements.
  • Define strategic direction and functions for refined/new unit(s) ensuring the elimination of overlaps and full alignment with the organization’s vision and stakeholders’ needs.
  • Develop an organizational structure, role and functions and work plan for QAU enabling it (or the structural entity replacing it) to operate at the optimum level to deliver on recommended services as a result of this exercise.
  • Develop a project document allowing VKIS (or the structural entity replacing it) to operate at the optimum level to deliver on recommended services as a result of this exercise UNV.
Methods, Approaches and Deliverables:
The Organizational Development Facilitator will be partly home-based with two to three travels to UNV Headquarters in Bonn, Germany for a total period of 14 days. Methods and tools can be combined at various stages of the process.

The incumbent is expected to review relevant documents, including but not limited to the following:
  • Changing Together recommendations
  • UNV annual and Executive Board reports
  • Staff retreat recommendations
  • QAU and VKIS vision, functions, roles and responsibilities, including job descriptions.
  • Desk review of similar functions in other organizations, including operations and policy development; results setting & reporting; work planning; coordination; R & D, knowledge management, learning, innovation and quality assurance vision and functions of similar entities in other organizations, particularly UNDP and other volunteer sending organizations.
  • Research and Development (R&D) Project (though which most VKIS staff positions are funded), other VKIS project documents (e,g. Capacity Development Project, Former Volunteer Networking Project, etc.).
  • R&D Project review report
  • Programme Strategy and project documents for IYV+10 and State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR).
  • Vision of a new development paradigm based on volunteerism and citizen engagement as articulated in the SWVR.
  • Recommendations from IYV+10 regional/sub-regional workshops, global conferences, capacity development workshops and various UNGA resolutions guiding UNV
  • Review of QAU and VKIS brainstorming session ( 22 September 2011) report.
  • Facilitate consultations and discussion/brainstorming sessions with stakeholders (all Units/Sections/Divisions at HQ with emphasis on VKIS and QAU staff, VPMG and SMT, selected Field Units, external stakeholders (primarily through IYV+10 workshops recommendations)to identify organizational needs and requirements. This will be done through focus groups, brainstorming sessions and individual consultations on current and proposed roles and functions for VKIS and QAU.
  • Propose changes and validate with internal stakeholders
Consultation Process and Deliverables:

Step 1:
  • Preparatory work, desk reviews and consultations, including elaboration of methodology (home based).
  • Duration: 3 days
  • Deliverables: Inception report
  • Deadline for completion: January 2012
Step 2:
Facilitate stakeholder consultations including with:
  • VKIS staff
  • QAU staff
  • Other internal stakeholders ( DD, PD/OEC, PCD, EU, CPPU, SMT – acronyms in full, please, IYV+10 and SWVR projects)
  • Duration: 3 days
  • Deliverables: Recommendations from stakeholder consultations compiled and presented to QAU and VKIS for comments and revision
  • Deadline for completion: TBD
Step 3:
  • Develop draft analysis and recommendations to SMT
  • Duration: 10 days
  • Deliverables: Draft analysis with recommendations on definition of “advisory services”, “quality assurance” and “innovation” at UNV.
  • A restructuring proposal for QAU and VKIS defining vision, roles, responsibilities and functions, including job description.
  • Project document for VKIS
  • Work plan for QAU
  • Deadline for completion: TBD
Step 4:
  • Facilitate final stakeholder consultations
  • Duration: 5 days
  • Deliverables: Fine-tune VKIS project document, and QAU work plan
  • Deadline for completion: TBD
Step 5:
  • Incorporation of comments into the report and preparation for second draft for presentation to SMT.
  • Duration: 3 days
  • Deliverables:Agreed structure(s), VKIS project document and QAU work plan Final report
Deadline for completion: TBD

Competencies

The assignment will be contracted to a consultant with demonstrated expertise and experience in organizational development and results-based management as well as project drafting skills.
  • Proven track record with strategic organizational development and structure review processes
  • Work experience in development, including in developing countries
  • Knowledge and experience of volunteerism with its diverse manifestations and cultural settings
  • Excellent analytical, report and project document writing skills
  • Excellent people and communication skills
  • Training and leadership/management development and staff empowerment skills
Experience of working with UN change processes would be a distinct advantage.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced university degree in management, organizational development, change process social sciences, or other relevant field.
  • Certification in management an asset
Language:
  • Fluency in written and spoken English is an absolute requirement.
Additional information required
  • Mandatory: Please supply at least three references from previous clients that we can contact. Name, address, e-mail and telephone details are required.
  • A brief presentation of your relevant company/consultancy.
  • Submit two previous studies carried out independently on organizational development.
  • **2 writing samples
  • Detailed list of services and specific areas of expertise that your institution (or you as an individual) may provide
  • Cover letter containing confirmation of current e-mail address and telephone contact number and availability to provide deliverables within the published timeline.
  • Curriculum vitae (CV)
The selected consultant will be required to provide a medical certificate certifying good health before the contract can be finalized.
How to apply:
  • Applications should be submitted on line and include an up-to-date CV or Personal History Form (P11). Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
  • If you submit an application, UNV expects that you have read and agree with the TOR and the UNV Terms and Conditions, available online: http://unv.org/fileadmin/docdb/pdf/2008/SSATerms2007.pdf
For any queries, please send an e-mail to procurement@unv.org , att: ‘Ref’ 431 Organizational Development Facilitator for QAU and VKIS Review att: 431 Organizational Development Facilitator for QAU and VKIS Review