Background

Preamble:

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.

In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.

In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

UNV Strategic Framework 2014-2017; Outcome 1, Output 1.2: ‘Volunteerism is integrated within UN entities’ programming through the implementation of UNV-UN partner joint programmes/projects in four priority areas: (a) youth; (b) peace building; (c)  basic social services; (d) community resilience for environment and disaster risk reduction’

Brief Project Description:

Sierra Leone has made notable progress in consolidation of peace and democratic governance since the end of the 11-year civil war in 2002. This includes the successful administration of three elections, including a peaceful transfer of power in 2007 and peaceful presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections in 2012, with significantly less international involvement than the previous elections. However, a lot more remains to be done to address the underlying challenges in the country as well as to solidify democratic norms. The 2012 elections while hailed as a milestone in country’s consolidation of democratic governance also demonstrated deep seated ethno-regional political divisions – that need to be addressed. Despite major progress, young people – who constituted the majority of combatants during the civil conflict and now comprise almost 70% of the population – face a very high unemployment rate, which in turn poses a key challenge to the consolidation of peace.

Organizational Context:

In early 2013, the Government of Sierra Leone indicated its intention to initiate a major review of the 1991 Constitution. This will be done through an appointed Constitutional Review Committee, comprised of 80 members representing political parties, independent bodies, CSOs, the judiciary and the legislature. The CRC composition and TOR are currently being finalized and the constitutional review process has been formally launched in July 2013.

The overall project objective is to ensure that the constitution is prepared in an inclusive participatory manner involving all sectors of the population and adopted by popular referendum.

The UNDP Constitutional Support Programme now seeks the services of Consultants who will work under the direct supervision of the Chief Technical Adviser to provide high level constitutional expertise and technical advice to the CRC.

Duties and Responsibilities

Description of tasks: Under the Supervision of the Chief Technical Advisor,

Key functions and result expected

• Responsible for creating design solutions that have a high visual impact;
• Create designs for CRC website websites,  posters, Newsletters and Public Submission Forms;
• Develop creative ideas and concepts, choosing the appropriate media and style to meet Sub Committee objectives;
• Review Newsletters designs for errors before printing or publishing them;
• Develop graphics and visual or audio images for product illustrations and  logos.

Results/Expected Output:

• Excellent coordination and communication among key stakeholders;
• Excellent and up to date data and information available for decision making purposes;
• Appropriate documentation of actions and activities of UNDP and other partners;
• A final statement of achievements towards UNDP’s activities during the UN Volunteer assignment, such as quality of the coordination and communication among key stakeholders, quality and reliability of the data, support material and documents prepared and other relevant activities under the responsibility of the UN Volunteer.

Impact of Results

The key results of the posts will ensure that UNDP’s Constitutional Support Programme provides sustained and high-quality support to CRC. It will also ensure that the project’s activities are fully coordinated with other programmatic interventions within the UNDP other development partners.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Ability to work with a multi-cultural and diverse team.

Functional Competencies:

• Planning and Organizing: Ability to establish priorities and to plan, organize, coordinate and monitor own work plan and provide advice and guidance to others;
• Troubleshooting: Ability to proactively solve problems;
• Teamwork: Excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working;
• relations with subordinates, supervisors, officials, Commission members, and civil society representatives;
• The incumbent must be a dynamic, multi-functional person, who supports the host entity with professionalism, dedication and client orientation.

Competencies and values:

• High degree of integrity, professionalism, personal initiative and willingness to accept wide responsibilities; ability to take ownership, and work independently without supervision under established procedures;
• Ability to operate in compliance with organisational rules and regulations;
• Effective organizational, planning and problem-solving skills. Ability to manage large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner, ability to establish priorities; plan, coordinate and monitor work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Ability to operate effectively in a team across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender;
• Proven interpersonal and organisational communication skills; good spoken and written expression;
• Flexibility and willingness to live and work in hazardous and remote places, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possibility of extensive travel within the Mission area;.
• Commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance and commitment towards the UN core values.

Required Skills and Experience

Profile Requirements:

The following qualifications are required:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in Graphic Design or related field.

Experience:

• Work experience of at least 1 year in related field, preferably in Sierra Leone and/ or in management capacity;
• Previous experience as a volunteer and/or promotion of volunteerism will be an asset.
• Solid computer skills, including full proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word etc) and other IT applications and office technology equipment;
• Ability to perform duties under stress and in insecure, isolated and potentially hostile environments;

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in oral and written English.

Living Conditions:        

Sierra Leone enjoys relative stability in the last few years and the living condition is therefore reasonable.  Infrastructure, such as transportation and social services is poor in general, and western amenities such as food, restaurants, apartments, etc. tend to be a little bit expensive but it will not be difficult to get by.  Electricity and water supplies will remain volatile and many people are relying on generators and private delivery services.

Since May 2014, Sierra Leone is suffering an Ebola Outbreak that has further weakened its health system and its economic growth. Most UN Programmes have been redirected to the Ebola response and UNMEER has been established in Ghana and the 3 most affected countries (Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea) to coordinate the response. The Mission will be temporary and will respond to immediate needs related to the fight against Ebola.

Security recommendations from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) must be followed by all UN Staff and UN Volunteers in the course of their assignments in Sierra Leone.

Conditions of Service

The contract will be issued for 6 months, renewable depending on funding availability, operational necessity and/or satisfactory performance.  Monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to  SLL 1,976.590 (contains 30% increase as a temporary measure to alleviate the aggravated living conditions due to the EVD outbreak); settling-in-grant (if applicable); life, health, and permanent disability insurance; return airfares (if applicable); resettlement allowance (if applicable). UN Volunteer will provide a copy of the UN Volunteer Conditions of Service to the successful candidate together with the offer of assignment.

Applications should be addressed to:

The UNV programme Officer,

United Nations Development Programme,

55 Wilkinson Road, Freetown-Sierra Leone

To reach him on or before 5th March 2015   by 3pm.

Kindly indicate the position applied for on the top right hand corner of the envelop.