Jobs - 32909- Country Community Mobilization & Networking Advis

Country Community Mobilization & Networking Adviser (CMNA)

Location :

Abuja, NIGERIA

Type of Contract :

FTA Local

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

09-Oct-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

NO-C

Duration of Initial Contract :

Initial period of one year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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.

Background

Leadership in the response to HIV, as well a the work of UNAIDS, is about social justice and social change – not only is the health of those affected crucial, but also their dignity and security, and the enabling social, cultural and legal social conditions necessary to achieve these. High level policy, technical and programmatic advice to civil society and strategic support to community mobilization, through GIPA and civil society engagement, are both human rights and public health imperatives, as people living with HIV and other members of civil society will be and should be, the engines of health and social change efforts in their countries.

Objectives:

Reinforce and reignite the engagement and leadership in the AIDS response of people living with HIV, women and key populations
Ensure the HIV response has a powerful human face and is an engine for community mobilization for prevention, treatment and HIV-related social justice
Provide global leadership, advocacy, strategic information and programme coherence on human rights, gender equality, GIPA, community mobilization and civil society leadership towards achievement of the 10 goals of the 2011 Political Declaration
Support excellence in national efforts to achieve HIV-related human rights, gender and GIPA goals through mobilization of leaders in government and civil society on law, gender equality, civic and social action and faith.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the UNAIDS Country Coordinator, specially, Country Community Mobilization and Networking Adviser (CMNA) will focus on catalysing and increasing effective community mobilization, advocacy and demand creation across social movements and reinforcement of community capacities to become service providers, partners in policy development, and watchdogs for rights, programming and transparency of funding flows. Critical to this position will be in-depth knowledge of and engagement with national and sub-national networks of people living and HIV and key populations, particularly in relation to attainment of the Political Declaration targets.

Collaborate with the National HIV Coordination Authorities and other sectors active engagement with civil society, improving the effective leadership of communities, including of people living with HIV and key populations, within strategic planning, policy development, social dialogue, service delivery, data collection and monitoring of rights and policies programmes and funding flows.
Provide direct assistance and insight into the local context to the Joint UN team on AIDS and other partners for sustained and consistent capacity development of networks and organisations for effective advocacy and demand creation, service delivery, data collection, analysis and monitoring of rights and policies, programming and funding flows.
Identify multilateral grant opportunities (especially Global Fund and PEPFAR) and bilateral aid available at national/regional level to, harmonize resources for civil society, communities and other non-governmental institutions.
Provide support to national strategic alliances/partnerships to ensure UNAIDS provides technical support to civil society and communities in tracking and monitoring of budgets and resources made available to different stakeholder groups in the governmental and non-governmental sectors and in the monitoring of government accountability for attainment of the Political Declaration targets and commitments.
Liaise with national civil society activists and leaders (e.g. prominent people living with HIV and key population network leaders, religious leaders, parliamentarians etc.). Stay abreast of current/hot national issues, and tensions, provide strategic information, national context insight and analysis to the UCC, taking a key role in consensus building, & conflict resolution during crises.
Provide assistance to local communities to strengthen links between AIDS and other social movements and enable them to take ownership of a new, more expanded and inclusive development paradigm, based on rights and equity.
Ensure the principles of human rights, gender equality and the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and key populations are adhered to in the work of the Joint Programme and its partners, serving as a focal point for civil society engagement, activism and intelligence for the country office, RST and HQ.
Engage with non-traditional national partners, social networking technology, socio/political and youth movements to promote social change.
Provide technical input to national social protection plan, policies, programmes and legislation to ensure that they are HIV sensitive and include: predictable transfers of cash, food, access to social health insurance or other transfers for those affected by HIV and those who are most vulnerable.
Any other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Linkages:

Internal: Staff at all levels in the Country Office
Purpose: To provide information and analysis to the UCC on current/hot issues, and tensions. Participate in conflict resolution with civil society and communities. Conducts planning within the UCO around all work focusing on GIPA, civil society engagement, capacity building and community mobilization.To coach and support youth fellows/interns.

Internal: Counterparts of technical and administrative units in UNAIDS RST and Geneva
Purpose: To provide technical inputs to global and regional ‘virtual teams’ as related to GIPA, civil society engagement and community mobilization.

Internal: UNAIDS staff throughout the Secretariat
Purpose: To ensure the principles of human rights, gender equality and the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and key populations are adhered to, serving focal point for civil society engagement, activism and intelligence from this country for the UCO, RST and HQ.

External: Joint UN Team
Purpose: Provide support to develop strategies and tools for technical support and capacity building of CS and communities mobilization. Support communities in tracking and monitoring of budgets and resources and in the monitoring of government accountability for attainment of the Political Declaration targets and commitments.

External: National AIDS programme/partnership forums
Purpose To support the capacity for the NAC to engage effectively with civil society, PLHIV and key populations. To promote collaboration and ensure coordination of activities /responses, especially during sensitive crisis situations. To broker resources for civil society/community systems strengthening.

External: Civil Society/PLHIV, key population networks NGOs labour, FBOs, youth and women’s networks etc
Purpose: Support community leadership capacity in policy, strategy, planning, implementation, M&E of national responses. To cultivate and manage relationships with national civil society activists and leaders and prominent young leaders.

Competencies

Functional/Technical Knowledge and Skills:

Strong interpersonal, representational and advocacy skills.
Ability to facilitate and strengthen the involvement of a range of external partners in HIV work.
Knowledge of the UN system and development issues.
Understanding of AIDS epidemic essential.
Ability to ensure that the principles around human rights, gender and the meaningful involvement of people living with HIV and adhered to and applied in all UNAIDS partnership work and strategies.
Other partnerships skills as articulated in the cross cutting competency set.

UNAIDS Values:

Commitment to the AIDS response
Integrity
Respect for diversity

Core Competencies:

Working in teams
Communicating with impact
Applying expertise
Delivering results
Driving change and innovation.
Being accountable

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Essential: An advanced university degree ( Masters) in social sciences, health, or related field.
Desirable: Specialization in one of the above fields.

Experience:

Essential: At least 5 years relevant working experience in civil society/community mobilization collaboration and partnerships. Considerable experience in the country where the post is located in the field of HIV, fostering partnerships with a range of sectors, Broad experience in working with and mobilizing a range of external partners.
Desirable: Experience in the UN system; regional and/or international experience in the field of HIV; experience of living with HIV.

Languages:

Essential: Advanced level of English or another UN official language depending on the duty station as well as an advanced level of the local language.
Desirable: Good working knowledge of another UN Official language.

The UN 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.