Background
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and benefit 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 by mobilizing volunteers.
In most cultures, volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within communities. In this context, UN Youth 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 Youth Volunteers promote volunteerism through their actions and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activities can effectively and positively enrich understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between volunteers and the people in their host community. This makes the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.
Host Agency/Host Institute: UNFPA Country Office Indonesia
Organizational Context:
UNFPA Indonesia is seeking a UN Youth Volunteer for Youth Engagement, to support UNFPA in implementing its programme and strategy on Youth Engagement and Development.
To empower young people and to enable them to become drivers of change, UNFPA aims to understand the conditions facing vulnerable, marginalized adolescents, using data from censuses, demographic and health surveys, and other sources. It aims to bring together governments, civil society, donors, the private sector and youth-led organizations to advocate for greater investment in young people as a development priority. It also aims to build the skills of young leaders and involve young people and youth-led organizations in policymaking and programming, as well as supporting independent, effective and sustainable organizations led by young people, especially marginalized adolescents, to advocate for their human rights and development priorities.
The UN Youth Volunteer on Youth Engagement will support the ASRH and Youth unit in organizing and documenting programmes and activities related to youth development programmes.
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering services aiming at a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA expands the possibilities for women and young people to lead healthy and productive lives. Since UNFPA was found in 1969, the number – and rate – of women dying from complications of pregnancy or childbirth has been halved. Families are smaller and healthier. Young people are becoming increasingly connected and empowered.
There are more young people in the world today than ever before: Some 1.8 billion people are now between ages 10 and 24. Most of them live in developing countries, youth often comprising a huge proportion of the population. At least 65 million of these young people live in Indonesia, making up a third of Indonesia’s population. This huge cohort of young people will inherit the development efforts of today. It is vital that they are included in making decisions about the kind of Indonesia they want to live in. How well they navigate through adolescence will determine not only the course of their own lives, but that of their country as well.
UNFPA has worked with the Government of Indonesia since 1972. The Eighth Country Programme (CP8) for 2011–2015 provides a dynamic framework for UNFPA’s engagement in Indonesia. Tapping into UNFPA’s expertise and experiences, support is given to national partners in nine priority output areas:
1. Integrating population dynamics in development planning;
2. Advocating for International Conference on Population and Development principles (ICPD) and South-South Cooperation;
3. Enhancing universal access to reproductive health;
4. Responding to humanitarian emergencies;
5. Revitalizing family planning;
6. Preventing sexual transmission of HIV;
7. Addressing gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices;
8. Widening access to adolescent sexual and reproductive health education and services; and
9. Optimizing the use of population data.
In line with global commitments, promoting youth leadership, volunteering action and participation is key to UNFPA Indonesia’s work. Our efforts enable young people to develop the skills, knowledge and support they need to make informed decisions about their bodies, lives, families, communities, countries and the world.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the overall guidance of the UNFPA Representative, the direct supervision of the National Programme Officer on ASRH and Youth, and in coordination with the Youth Advocate, the UN Youth Volunteer on Youth Engagement will be expected to assist the Youth and ASRH unit in supporting youth engagement programmes. The tasks will include:
• Support in close collaboration with the Youth Advocate in organizing and documenting Youth Advisory Panel meetings and other activities related to youth development programmes;
• Collaborate, in close collaboration with the Youth Advocate, to support the Adolescent and Youth Unit to develop two briefs on adolescents and youth to feed into the National Youth Strategy;
• Support the project team to develop social media content and promote engagement of youth networks and organizations;
• Supporting national and local counterparts to develop an advocacy strategy for the local government and community to promote youth participation and leadership; and
• Supporting the development of UNFPA Indonesia Youth Booklet Chapter II.
Results/Expected Output:
• Efficient, timely, responsive, stakeholder-friendly and high quality support rendered to ASRH and the UNFPA Indonesia Youth Unit for youth development programmes;
• Production of youth-related advocacy materials of the highest professional quality;
• Compliance with strict deadlines, even with tight timeframes; and
• Improved communication between UNFPA and youth networks and organizations.
Competencies
Learning expectations
Learning and development are a central part of the UN Youth Volunteer’s assignment and will take place before, during and after his or her assignment in the field. Offering diverse opportunities for learning and development, the assignment aims to strengthen the volunteer’s skills and competences, improve the quality of the assignment and keep the volunteer’s motivation high.
The UN Youth Volunteer can expect to develop:
• Professional skills: including specific competencies and reflections on assignment-related abilities; on-the-job skills such as time management, problem-solving, team-building; and career preparedness, such as interview skills, CV preparation, and job searching;
• Inter-personal skills: including communication and listening skills; and multicultural awareness; and
• Volunteering-related skills: including leadership; civic responsibility and engagement competences.
Beyond the learning opportunities provided by UNFPA and UNV, host agencies are expected to support knowledge and capacity development in technical areas that are relevant to the UN Youth Volunteer’s assignment. Host agencies are also expected to provide, at their expense, UN Youth Volunteers with equal opportunity to participate in training courses and workshops offered to the host agency’s personnel.
Furthermore, the UN Youth Volunteer is encouraged to:
• Strengthen the knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications, and taking active part in UNV events;
• Become acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary actions that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities;
• Contribute articles/write-ups on volunteering experiences and submit them to the team at UNVHQ for consideration (beyond other communications responsibilities), and input to the UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Youth Volunteers; and
• 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.
Required Skills and Experience
A first University Degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, law, public health, nutrition, international relations.
• At least 2-3 years of experience in a youth network or NGO, preferably in the field of youth participation.
• Capacity to lobby and persuade others to partner with the UNICEF Indonesia Innovations Lab.
• Capacity to liaise and work collaboratively with service providers, networks, government, community and young people.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
• Strong communication skills both oral and written in Bahasa and English.
• Familiarity with using social media platforms.
Conditions of Service
A 10-month contract (until 31 December 2015); monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to Rp. 3,536,000; settling-in grant (if applicable); life, health, and permanent disability insurance; return airfares (if applicable); resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.
Living Conditions:
The position will be based in the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, where basic services, including accommodation, banking facilities, medical facilities and telecommunications/internet services are readily available.
All staple foods can be found in the markets, e.g.: rice, meat, vegetables, fruit, cooking oil, salt, etc. Many imported goods are available in Jakarta and other places throughout Indonesia. Jakarta has many good restaurants with high health standards.
In Jakarta, commonly used means of transportation are busses from the Trans Jakarta bus system and taxis. Mobile phones are the most dependable tool for staying in touch with colleagues and friends. Internet service is readily available and affordable at most apartment complexes. ATMs are everywhere in Indonesia and cards from Western banks can usually be used to withdraw Indonesian Rupiah.
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.