UNDP Jobs - 4247- Consultant: Translator

Consultant: Translator

Location :

Port-of-Spain, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

14-Apr-2008

Application Deadline :

10-Apr-08 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

nine (9) months

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

Twenty five years into the AIDS epidemic, the number of new HIV infections has yet to decline. Almost 40 million people around the world are living with HIV and AIDS – half of them women. In Latin America the rate stands at 1.6 million people living with HIV-AIDS and in Central America alone, there was a 16% and an 18% increase in the number of women living with HIV over the past two years.

The AIDS epidemic has swiftly escalated from a public health challenge into an unparalleled development crisis. AIDS has reversed valuable development gains, and resulted in illness and death among the most productive age group of societies. The long-term human development impact is felt in all sectors of public and private life. National and local budgets have been strained by AIDS-related costs, sectors such as education and health are being deprived of skilled workers, and the capacity of various sectors to sustain previous levels of productivity and services is weakened. The epidemic has impoverished families and communities, and has resulted in social exclusion and countless human rights violations. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to HIV and its impacts, and bear the burden of providing car for affected families.

UNDP’s mandate in the LAC region

As a cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV-AIDS (UNAIDS), UNDP has a specific and well-defined role in the overall response of the United Nations system and in helping countries to implement the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV-AIDS as well as in achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). UNDP’s response strategy focuses on four services that are complementary and mutually reinforcing:

HIV-AIDS and human development
Governance of HIV-AIDS response
HIV-AIDS, human rights and gender
HIV-AIDS and sexual minorities

Under the first service line, activities planned for 2008 include the mainstreaming of HIV-AIDS into national strategic plans and instruments such as PRSPs, developing guidelines on Mobile Populations, Decentralization and income generating and improved legislative environment for sustained access to AIDS medicines. Under the second service line, one country “governance diagnostic study” in Honduras and one in Barbados and the OECS countries is planned. The third serves line seeks to strengthen policy legal and human rights frameworks to address stigma and discrimination, address gender related vulnerability and impact on women and girls, empower PLWHA in the AIDS response and strengthen the CO response to the epidemic. The fourth service line will consist of the development of a regional programme on sexual minorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working in the Latin American region and the Caribbean requires liaising with colleagues and partners in the two predominant languages (Spanish, English and French) and as such, the Regional HIV-AIDS Programme for Latin America and the Caribbean needs to have its documents and publications translated from English to Spanish and French and vice versa. The translator shall undertake translations of the following types of material:

1. MS Word documents – large and small including:

Terms of Reference
Programme and Project documents
Briefing notes
HIV-AIDS meeting reports
UNDP HIV-AIDS publications for distribution (internal and external)
Workshop Reports

2. Power Point presentations with the required formatting
3. Any other official documentation required.

The translator should submit the translations within a time-frame agreed to between her/him and UNDP.

Competencies

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN's values and ethical standards.
Excellent team working capacities.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
A high degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc).

Required Skills and Experience

Certification of training in translation
Excellent translation skills
Previous experience working with a UN agency.
Experience with working in diverse cultures and multi-cultural groupings