Background

The overall mandate of the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) is to provide leadership, operational support, and oversight of the security management system to enable the safest and most efficient conduct of the programmes and activities of the United Nations System.

UNDSS facilitates the operations of United Nations agencies, funds, programmes, organizations and its implementing partners in Sudan through the delivery of security and safety services. UNDSS Headquarters is located in New York. The Department has operations in more than one hundred countries.

The primary responsibility of the UNDSS, CISMU Stress Counselor will be to develop a sustainable stress management system, providing psychosocial support services to UN AFP personnel in Juba and in other states in South Sudan and to improve the critical incident stress management preparedness of the UN security system in cases of emergencies.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected

Under the administrative supervision of the Chief Security Adviser and the technical guidance of the UNDSS CISMU the Regional Stress Counselor/East Africa, will have responsibility for the administration of a wide range of stress management activities, including contingency planning related to the impending referendum and implementation of the UNDSS CISMU standard operational procedure on critical incident stress.

Function / Expected Results:

• Assist in the development and implementation of a stress management programme for the UN Offices in the country; Provide individual and group counseling to the staff as needed;
• Provide preventative stress management, and other relevant training, on stress related issues; assist in the planning and establishment of Critical Incident Stress Intervention Cells (CISCs), the selection of peer helpers (including family focal points) and the organization of peer helper training sessions (jointly with the UNDSS CISMU);
• Develop and train peer support personnel in UN AFPs;
• Identify, address, and follow up on critical incident stress cases among the UN staff in the country.
• Travel regularly throughout Juba and states in order to implement preventative and mitigating stress management activities;
• Liaise with local experts and institutions in the country for referral purposes;
• Collaborate with UN managers, medical doctors, and local physicians on psychosocial issues with the objective of establishing a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in cases of need; Advise UN AFP; management on stress mitigating strategies and activities;
• Perform ongoing assessments and monitor the determinants of stress in the UN Offices, as well as stress levels among the UN staff—to include activities such as data collection, analyses and related documentation;
• Provide monthly reports to the Chief Security Adviser and UNDSS CISMU HQ and assist CSA and CISMU HQ in any other activities that fall under critical incident management in South Sudan.

Impact of Results

The incumbent will respond to critical incidents whenever UN AFP personnel get affected and other stress related issues in the hazardous working environment.
UN AFP personnel to appreciate that their well-being is considered a priority by the management. Stress management workshops will increase the knowledge of participants regarding the ways that stress can manifest, and constructive and realistic ways of addressing the resulting effects of stress. 
Individual sessions would help UN AFP personnel to deal with a variety of issues. This would make a significant difference in their productivity and capacity to cope with a stressful environment with improved quality of life in the mission area.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

• Ability to plan;
• Prioritize and deliver tasks on time;
• Ability to participate efficiently in a team-based information sharing environment; 
• Acceptance of additional responsibilities and capacity to work under pressure; 
• High client-service orientation;
• Well-developed communication, leadership and team-building skills; excellent analytical skills; excellent communication skills;
• Knowledge of the geography, basic history and culture of South Sudan is essential.

Building Partnerships
Identifying and building partnerships

•  Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build alliances.
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners.
• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.
  

Developing tools and mechanisms
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

• Participates in the development of mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
 In-depth knowledge of own discipline

• Understands advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Continually looking for ways to enhance financial performance in the office
  

Promoting Organizational Change and Development
Assisting the individuals to cope with change

• Performs appropriate work analysis and assists in redesign to establish clear standards for implementation

Developing innovative and creative approaches
Conceptual Innovation in the Provision of Technical Expertise

• Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes

Client Orientation
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Anticipates client needs.
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider.
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective.
• Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.
  

Core Competencies

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents.
• Building support and political acumen.
  
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation.
  
• Building and promoting effective teams.
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication.
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization.
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards.
  
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.
  

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree in psycho-educational studies, psychology, psychiatry, clinical social work or other related mental health professions;
• Certification or country-specific licensure authorizing the incumbent to deliver mental health services;
  

Experience:

• Minimum of five years relevant international professional experience in psychological counselling with special emphasis on critical incident stress;
• Additional training or experience in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, critical incident stress and cross-cultural communication would be an asset;
• Familiarity with the United Nations is desirable; working experience in South Sudan and/or the region a strong asset.
  

Language Requirements:

• Excellent English language skills, verbal and written.

FC 11920