Background

Established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN Programme that supports human development globally by actively promoting the concept of volunteerism for development, including through the mobilization of volunteers. UNV is administered by and aligned with the strategic goals of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), including those relating to support to the United Nations System as a whole. It operates amidst growing recognition that achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - a set of internationally accepted targets that identify key elements of human development - will also require the ingenuity, solidarity, and creativity of millions of ordinary people though voluntary action.

As part of this, every year more than 8,000 UN Volunteers, representing some 160 different nationalities, are active participants in the programmes of the United Nations itself, and of almost all of the UN Funds, Programmes and Specialized Agencies in more than 140 countries. As the focal point for the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV2001), UNV is active in the follow up to the Year, for which the key objectives were the recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteerism. The financial equivalent of programme activities exceeds US$150 million annually. UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

The Special Operations Section (SO) is one of the major organizational groups within UNV, the others being the Programme Development and Operations Group (PDOG), the Support Services Group (SSG), and the Partnerships, Communications and Resource Mobilization Group (PCRG), plus a cluster of other units that report to the Office of the Executive Coordinator.

The Special Operations Section covers UNV’s global activities in crisis and post-crisis countries (CPR) in the areas of humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping and peace building, and support to electoral processes. All of these support UNDP’s CPR programme countries and field operations of the UN Secretariat / UN humanitarian agencies.

Duties and Responsibilities

The position is based in the UNV Support Unit of different United Nations peacekeeping missions. The position is at the mid-level in the professional category of UNV/UNDP programme operations and the incumbent is the senior-most professional in the UNV Support Unit. The incumbent is responsible for providing technical and professional guidance to a team of approximately 4-5 international UNV volunteers and national staff.

The incumbent is a staff member managed through UNV Headquarters in Bonn, albeit assigned to a specific field location, and shall serve as UNV’s field representative in such capacity. Under the overall guidance of the Chief, Special Operations, though exercising considerable independence of action, the Programme Manager will be expected to:

Programme Management:

  • Manage projects and special field operations from establishment through to completion, monitoring their progress to ensure adherence to UNDP, UN and UNV’s regulations, policies, and business plans / corporate goals. This includes intensive field monitoring and regular written reporting;
  • Manage UNV Support Office, international UNV volunteers and national support staff to ensure maximum efficiency and output of UNV involvement in UN activities in respective field locations / missions areas;
  • Manage UN Volunteer posts foreseen within UNV executed / implemented projects or those requested by executing partners. This includes the evaluation of new post descriptions and requests, and the monitoring of ongoing assignments. Regular assessment human resources requirements, and areas for improvement will be provided to UNV/HQ Programme Specialist staff for any administrative action which may be required;
  • Manage project and programme budgets for all programme activities. This includes regular financial reporting, preparation of project budget revisions and financial tracking of resources external to UNV/HQ.

Programme Development:

  • Develop regular contacts with numerous partners and colleagues at the country / field level, and as required, headquarters level, in order to strengthen existing and identify new UNV collaboration in the concerned programme areas. This includes becoming well versed in existing UNV programmes with the view to support and expand these where possible, as well as taking initiative to introduce new activities;
  • Develop and follow-up on leads and planning exercises with key partners including UNDP, DPKO, UNHCR, WFP, UNICEF, and OCHA, with the view to create new UN Volunteer programmes and positions with these organizations and agencies. This includes regular short and long-term programme analysis, preparation of official correspondence, preparation of programming advisory notes, strategy papers, and project documents;
  • Develop and follow-up on leads and planning exercises with key field level partners including UNDP Country Offices, UN Agencies and/or with DPKO with the view to create and expand collaboration. This includes regular short and long-term programme analysis, preparation of official correspondence, preparation of programming advisory notes, programme strategy papers, and project documents.

Communications Development:

  • Identify, pursue and develop section inputs to UNDP, UN, UNV, and other publications and working documents for programme development and promotional purposes. This includes the preparation of case studies, best practice guidelines, briefing notes, etc., vis-à-vis UNV’s work in peacekeeping, conflict, and electoral activities;
  • Identify, pursue and develop news stories, case studies, and briefs for publication in UNDP, UN, UN Agency, UNV and other publications. This involves close consultation with UNV/HQ’s Communications Unit.

Other:

  • Any other responsibility specifically related to the concerned programme portfolio as assigned by the supervisor.

Competencies

  • Strong managerial and supervisory skills;
  • Experience in project design, formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation;
  • Sound knowledge of UNV’s mandate, operational ideals, Conditions of Service, and the administrative structures of UNV Support Offices in field locations;
  • Highly developed inter-personal skills and strong ability to work in multi-cultural and multi-functional teams;
  • Ability to work under pressure and in difficult conditions;
  • Ability to analyse and concisely summarize in written text and/or statistical presentations;
  • Proficient user of MS Office applications (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint); experience with ERP Systems and Databases (e.g. ATLAS, ACCESS, SAP).

Required Skills and Experience

Essential knowledge and experience:
  • 3 - 5 years of relevant work experience;
  • At least several years familiarity and first-hand, field-level work-experience in United Nations peacekeeping (including electoral) operations, and/or with UNDP and UN Agencies in the areas of crisis and post-crisis relief and recovery programmes, preferably with UNV, UNDP, or one of the UN agency/other humanitarian and relief organizations;
  • Familiarity with UN/DPA, UNDP, DPKO, and European Union electoral assistance field activities, particularly in the areas of ground implementation, and operational support required of UN or EU electoral supervisors and observers, and technical assistance;
  • Familiarity with both geo-political trends and individual or regional socio-economic trends in the countries / region of the portfolio.
Qualifications:
  • Masters Degree in relevant field of study;
  • Masters degree can be substituted by first degree/graduate level studies combined with at least five years experience in a peacekeeping or humanitarian / relief setting; 
  • Fluent in English – spoken and written; 
  • Working knowledge of French (for locations where French is a working language);
  • Working knowledge of Arabic highly desirable (for locations where Arabic may be a working language).