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.
In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UNV 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, UNV 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 UNV volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

The Millennium Villages Project, supported by the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the UN Millennium Project, and Millennium Promise is a new bottom-up approach to lift developing country villages out of the poverty trap that afflicts more than a billion people worldwide. The Millennium Villages’ team of experts in agriculture, nutrition and health, economics, energy, water, environment and information technology are working with local communities and governments to apply a proven holistic package of interventions to help villages get out of extreme poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Community Development and Gender Specialist, the UNV volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

The Community Development Facilitators will assist the Community Development Team to:

• Mobilize village community to identify problems and possible interventions as well as facilitate their participation towards project ownership
• Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate) training programmes for communities across sector areas of Agric, Health and Education, Water and Sanitation together with sector specific facilitators and; coordinate trainings for Community members in leaderships, decision-making and organizational and management skills for development
• Coordinate (plan, implement, monitor and evaluate) strategic communication programmes for both key project messages and behavior change necessary as technical support to community based committee, so as to strengthen the overall performance of the project

Develop appropriate follow-up tools and organize follow-ups to ensure smooth

• Progress of activities
• Monitoring and evaluation of progress within the community
• Promote high level of collaboration, communication and co-operation with governments   ministries and other stakeholders and actor in the community
• Facilitate identification of appropriate intervention and develop capacity in the community to write proposals for presentations to donors for funding and ensuring continuing of existing project

Carry out any other relevant duties that may be assigned by the Community Development & Gender Specialist.

Furthermore, UNV 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 UNV 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.

Results/Expected Output:

The key results from the Community Development Facilitator activities are to promote the effectiveness of the interventions needed to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the village level. Enhance UNDP Nigeria business development potentials and the reputation of the organization with its key stakeholders. In particular, the key results have an impact on the implementation of UN Millennium Development Project and achievement of the Millennium Goals policy, as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
  

Competencies

The Community Development Facilitator must possess the following competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values
• Demonstrates understanding and commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s)
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism
• An excellent sense of judgment
• Creativity and innovation for coordination and management activities
• Strategic vision: strong technical and analytical capacities, sound judgment
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks effectively
• Dependability, reliability and initiative
• Sense of confidentiality

Communication Skills:

• Communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies
• Demonstrates excellent written, oral communication and presentation skills.

Partnering and networking:

• Initiates and sustains relationships with key constituents
• Builds and sustains effective partnerships with UN agencies
• Advocate effectively, engaging others to take action in desired directions
• Responds quickly to evolving clients needs and to manage several complex activities in parallel

Knowledge sharing and managing for results:

• Seeks and applies knowledge information and best practices from within and outside the UN Country Team
• Conceptualizes, elaborates and implements communications strategies, publications policies
• Advocate effectively; communicates sensitively and effectively across different constituencies
• Plans and prioritizes work activities to meet organizational goals
• Translates strategic aims into achievements plans, with established priorities; manages to them, making periodic adjustments as required.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Analyzes self performance problems seeking appropriate direction and support
• Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to UNDP Practice Areas
• Encourage office staff to share knowledge and contribute to UNDP Practice Areas
• Develops deep knowledge in Practice Areas
• Works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas
• Acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills

People Skills and Team Working:

• Recognizes and responds appropriately to ideas, interests and concerns of others
• Works as a team member, be a good listener, well organized, pay attention to details, and meets deadlines.
• Builds trust and engender morale by displaying open, transparent and credible behavior
• Respects individual/cultural differences; utilizes diversity to foster teamwork
• Ensures others’ understanding of, involvement in, adaptation and sustenance of a change process
• Sets clear performance goals and standards
• Executes responsibilities accordingly; provides and responds constructively to feedback (correction or recognition)

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Focuses on impact and result for the client
• Approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities

Innovation and Judgment:

• Devises new systems and processes, and modifies existing ones, to support innovation behaviours
• Generates creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations
• Conceptualizes and analysis problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate

Management and Leadership:

• Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Responds positively to critical feedback and differing points of view
• Solicits feedback from staff about the impact of his/her own behavior
  

Required Skills and Experience

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelors’ degree or equivalent in Community Health, Social Works, Agric and Rural Development, Sociology or related field
• Demonstrate ability to work and mobilize communities to implement development project
• Ability to work with minimum supervision
• Have good interpersonal and Organization skills
• Fluency in English and Yoruba Languages are essential
• Must be a team player

Experience:

• At least 1 year experience as community development agent in an African village situation in reputable organizations and NGOs particularly in Western Nigeria
• Must possess and apply depth and breath of knowledge and expertise to meet job demands
• Possess the ability and technical knowledge to use information technology effectively as a tool and a resource
• Demonstrated ability to successfully conduct research and manage projects in remote rural location with minimum supervision

Language Requirements:

• Excellent writing and oral skills in English is a fundamental requirement. Fluency in the local language highly desirable.