Historique

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity, as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.
 
UNV engaged more than 7,765 UN Volunteers in 2010, on a total of almost 8,000 assignments in more than 130 countries. At an average age of 39 years with professional skills and qualifications and 5-10 years of relevant experience, UN Volunteers came from more than 158 countries. More than three quarters came from developing countries and one third served in their own countries. The financial equivalent of programme activities exceeds US$150 million annually. 
 
UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has approximately 150 staff positions – the majority in Bonn with some dozen positions in different UN peacekeeping missions, and other Headquarters locations (e.g. New York and Tokyo).
 
The major organizational groups within UNV are:
 
  • Office of the Executive Coordinator (OEC); comprising the Evaluation Unit (EU); the Corporate Planning and Performance Unit (CPPU);
  • Volunteer Programming and Management Group (VPMG) comprising: the Peace Division (PD) and the Development Division (DD), the Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS), the Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), the Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS);
  • Partnerships and Communications Division (PCD) comprising: the Partnerships Section (PS), the Office in New York (ONY), the Communications Unit (CU);
  • Management Services Division (MSD) comprising: the Information and Communication Technology Section (ICTS), the Finance Section (FS), the Human Resources Section (HRS), the Administration Unit (AU).
 
Organizational settings:
  • The Volunteer Programming and Management Group (VPMG) comprising the Peace Division (PD) and the Development Division (DD), Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS), Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS);
  • The Development Division has a dedicated team of people in the field and at UNV’s Bonn headquarters working to programme and support volunteerism and volunteer interventions in all regions.
While both Divisions focus on both development and peace issues, the Development Division oversees the predominantly “development countries”, and the Peace Division oversees the predominantly “peace countries”, which includes countries characterized by crisis and post-crisis situations. Each Division is made up of geographical portfolios.
 
Project:
 
The wave of youth-led transformational change processes in the Arab region has highlighted youth as a positive asset for peace and development. To address the challenges and aspirations of youth, volunteering provides a viable sustainable mechanism that can turn their grievances and frustrations into positive energy and a social asset. Youth particularly have the time, energy, and skills that can be readily drawn upon to address national development challenges. Youth volunteering can engage young men and women in a range of activities that can improve their participation and positively harness their energy to contribute to the realization of national and global development goals, while enhancing their life, citizenship, and work-related skills. At the same time, young people can improve their qualifications and readiness for employment through the professional and interpersonal expertise and leadership skills gained through volunteering.
 
Although non-formal volunteerism is embedded in many cultural and religious values in the Arab
Region, the limited institutional infrastructure hinders development of formal volunteering to different degrees. The limits of existing laws on civil society and volunteerism, of research on volunteerism, of volunteering centres and of capacity of NGOs and governments in volunteer management are some of the issues holding growth of volunteering initiatives and engagement of youth in such activities.
 
In response to this popular uprising in the Arab region spearheaded mostly by youth activists and concurrent with UNDP and UN regional strategies where volunteering has been recognized as an important criteria in addressing youth unemployment, UNV has decided to develop a regional youth programme to be implemented in six Arab countries (Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco).
In addition, promoting youth employment through volunteering has been part of the UNV mandate and a key component of its programme strategy. The strategy calls for supporting policies and
legislation that recognize the role and contribution of youth to peace and development as well as the role of governments and development partners in devising innovative ways of enhancing youth participation in socio-economic development of their societies. This will be achieved by supporting the establishment and/or strengthening of youth volunteering infrastructure such as youth centers, youth volunteer corps, university volunteering programmes and/or youth networks to promote and sustain volunteering among youth in six Arab countries where youth unemployment has been identified as a major trigger for instability. This will be done in close collaboration with the relevant UN agencies with a mandate on youth, academic institutions, existing civil society organizations and the private sector. In order to finalize this youth regional programme, an Initiation Plan (IP) has been developed to recruit the necessary human resources and implement activities.
 

Devoirs et responsabilités

The main purpose of this consultancy/assignment will be to:

  • Review the state of volunteerism and youth in the target countries in the Arab Region through existing literature review and national consultations with a view to identifying opportunities and challenges;
  • Organization of a regional consultation workshop which will bring together, youth organizations, representatives of governments and select UN entities with a mandate on youth aimed at discussing the findings of regional assessments, identifying national and regional implementing partners and opportunities for resource mobilization;
  • A complete programme document developed in line with Result Based Management Tools (RBM) and UNDP format. The document should include a detailed work plan, budgets, management arrangements, project phases, baselines and targets, detailed terms of references;
  • A document, which will be a component or subset of the complete programme document, showing the elements of the programme document to be funded by BMZ.
 
Duties and Responsibilities:
 
Under the overall guidance of the IP Reference Team and direct supervision of the Portfolio Manager for Arab States, the Senior Volunteerism and Youth Advisor (SVYA) will undertake the following tasks:
 
  • Review background documents, national and regional strategies including those of the UN related to youth development, youth volunteering and employment in the Arab region.
  • Review past and existing UNV documentations including lessons learned and best practices related to youth development and volunteering.
  • Conduct surveys and mapping of existing youth organizations, networks and activities in each target country.
  • Undertake consultation meetings and convene workshops with relevant stakeholders to encourage buying in and create enabling environment for implementation of the regional programme.
  • Support the organization of a regional workshop to discuss and validate the findings of national consultations and to identify implementing partners.
  • Consult with UN, government and donor agencies to develop a realistic resource mobilization strategy.
  • Manage a team of six national UN Volunteers Youth Development Specialists who will be deployed as national volunteers in each of the six target countries to carry out tasks identified in the IP.
  • Provide substantive inputs and lead the development of a full programme document as per objectives above.

Compétences

Methodology:
 
The SVYA will carry out his/her task in a consultative manner with the project reference team in UNV HQ in Bonn, UNV Field Units and other stakeholder at the regional and national levels to ensure:
  • A participatory process is followed;
  • Coordination with other international, regional and local entities engaged in youth activities to avoid duplication and overlap;
  • Inclusion of gender and other cross cutting issues as defined in the UNV programme strategy;
  • Alignment with UNV mandate on youth and volunteerism, UNV programme strategy and UNDP and UN regional strategies on youth.
Deliverables:
 
Using a sound research methodology and evidence based analysis it is expected that the SVYA will provide the following deliverables:
  • A detailed work plan and a detailed methodological plan to be presented and agreed within the first two weeks of the assignment;
  • A mapping and needs assessment report;
  • A realistic resource mobilization strategy;
  • A validation workshop report;
  • A document, in the form of a project document, clearly showing the elements of the complete programme document that will be funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ);
  • A programme document that follows UNDP project format that includes a comprehensive and results oriented with clear objectives and results; monitoring indicators should be visible and measurable and a Management arrangement should be simple and cost effective.
 Core Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by respecting the UN's values and ethical standards;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Ability to advocate for youth and provide advice;
  • Strong research, analytical and problem-solving and negotiation skills;
  • Sound judgment;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
  • Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment;
  • Proficiency in the usage of computers and office software packages;
  • High professionalism.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:
Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in Development Studies, Economics, international Development, Political and Social Sciences or any related field;
 
Experience:
  • At least 10 years progressively responsible experience in the development sector preferably in youth development and participation and/or the voluntary sector;
  • Proven track record and experience with volunteerism for development;
  • Knowledge and experience of volunteerism with its diverse manifestations and cultural settings;
  • Demonstrated knowledge of research methods and project development using Result Based Management (RBM) tools;
  • Experience working in the Middle East and familiarity with UN project management and project document formats would be a distinct advantage.
  • Proven experience establishing and strengthening inter-agency and cross sectorial collaborative mechanisms.
  • Excellent analytical and English language report writing skills;
  • Competence in survey techniques and computerized data processing;
  • Competence in gender analysis;
  • Good people and communication skills;
  • Knowledge of UNV’s national UNV modality is a distinct advantage.
Language:
Fluency in English and ability to work in Arabic and French.
 
Evaluation:
 
The technical proposal is evaluated on the basis of its responsiveness to the Term of Reference (TOR).
 
Only those who pass the 70% technical evaluation score will be considered. The award of the contract would be made to the individual consultant whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:
  • Responsive/compliant/acceptable;
  • Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.
Interviews will be additionally used to determine the technical competencies of the candidates. Excellent language and report writing skills are prerequisites for even being considered for the interview process. Only consultants with relevant experience in supplying similar services will be considered qualified.
 
Evaluation criteria/weight:
  • Knowledge and experience of youth development with an emphasis on volunteering and skill development – 15 %
  • Knowledge of research methods and project development using Result Based Management (RBM) tools – 15 %
  • Experience in working in the Middle East and familiarity with UN project management and project document formats– 10 %
  • Verbal and written Skills in Arabic and English, French is an asset – 10 %
  • Facilitation and Team Work – 10 %
  • Interview – 40 %
 
How to apply:
DOCUMENTS TO BE INCLUDED WHEN SUBMITTING THE PROPOSALS:
 
Interested individual consultants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:
  • Cover letter explaining why they are the most suitable for the work.
  • Personal Curriculum Vitae including past experience in similar projects and provide at least three references (Name, address, telephone number, email address).
  • Financial proposal (requested lump sum fee) to be sent in a separate email to procurement@unvolunteers.org, ‘Consultancy Senior Volunteerism and Youth Advisor’, Att. Iris Klesing.
The financial proposal shall specify a total lump sum amount according to the number of anticipated working days (up to 120 working days). The consultancy is home based whereas approximately four missions to Bonn/Germany are to be foreseen in addition to a one week mission to each of the proposed Arab Countries if security permits.
A technical proposal corresponding to the ToRs.
Applications should be submitted on line no later than 12 August 2011 and include an up to date CV or Personal History Form (P11).   Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
 
Financial Proposals should be submitted at the following address: UNV Procurement, United Nations Volunteers by email to procurement@unvolunteers.org, Consultancy Senior Volunteerism and Youth Advisor, Att. Iris Klesing, no later than 12 August 2011.
 
If you submit an application, UNV expects that you have read and agree with the TOR and the UNV Terms and Conditions, available online:
 
http://www.unv.org/fileadmin/docdb/pdf/2011/procurement/UNV-IC_Terms%20%20Conditions.pdf
 
Any request for clarification must be sent in writing, or by standard electronic communication to the e-mail indicated above. UNV will respond in writing or by standard electronic mail and will send written copies of the response, including an explanation of the query without identifying the source of inquiry, to all consultants.