UNV Jobs - 65181- Community Solidarity Officer

Community Solidarity Officer

Advertised on behalf of

UNV

Location :

Sulaimaniya, IRAQ

Type of Contract :

UNV

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

31-Mar-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

UNV

Duration of Initial Contract :

6 months with a possibility of extension

Languages Required :

Arabic English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

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

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. 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.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in 177 countries and territories, supporting their own solutions to development challenges and developing national and local capacities that will help them achieve human development and the Millennium Development Goals. UNDP helps countries attract and use aid effectively. In all its activities, UNDP promotes the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women.

The hosting programme is Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP) implemented by UNDP in response to the on-going crisis. The programme is focusing on: 1) coordination, 2) basic services and accountability, 3) livelihoods recovery, 4) protection and 5) social cohesion. The overall objective of this program is to build the resilience of the communities that are most affected by the displacement of refugees and IDPs.

ICRRP-Component 5 “Strengthening of social cohesion through dialogue and capacity building of local and national actors and communities” fosters community dialogues and advocacy to reduce inequality and tensions among ethno-religious groups and to strengthen social capital by involving key community actors, local networks, policy-makers, government institutions. Key activities focus on strengthening the mechanisms for channelling needs, opinions and concerns of communities to decision-making circles (e.g. Council of Representatives, Iraqi Human Rights Committee). The programme enhances governmental accountability by supporting local networks and increasing responsibilities for all - citizens and the government through dialogue platforms. The project also develops monitoring tools to assess social tensions in Iraq at sub-district levels and to institutionalize data collection mechanisms in collaboration with the Government, research institutions and the civil society.

Participatory dialogue processes with 3,420 people in the communities, in which the local population, IDPs, and Syrian refugees live alongside each other, promoted mutual understanding and social cohesion and has contributed to less social tensions within these communities. On average, 40% of beneficiaries were women.

Host Agency/Host Institute: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Iraq

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of Social Cohesion Component Leader with the day-to-day guidance of Area Coordinator for Sulaimaniya, UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks under the framework of Iraq Crisis Response and Resilience Programme (ICRRP):

Assist in establishing foundations for a multi-ethnic society;

Support the creation of conditions for initiatives to promote community solidarity and dialogue among refugees, IDPs and the host community;

Identify the problem areas encountered by returnees, IDPs and host communities as they seek solutions within municipal and other structures;

Monitor the provision of essential services for the host communities, IDPs and refugees;

Participate in the meeting with municipal staff and existing humanitarian coordination groups under instructions from Social Cohesion Component Leader and/or Area Coordinator in areas as health care, education, economic development and reconstruction, general civil affairs and public utilities;

Ensure that developed projects are coordinated with the municipal structures and ensure that projects have an integrated approach for all communities and prevent duplication;

Assess refugee, IDP and host community needs in the various fields of assistance, using existing data and via contact with communities, and make recommendations, based on humanitarian standards, for the establishment of projects or discontinuation of existing projects and advise accordingly;

Maintain good working relations with local government officials, community leaders and the community in general;

Monitor programme activities, report on progress to UNV/UNDP and suggest changes/improvements of the implementation as appropriate;

Plan, coordinate and monitor needs to determine how best to empower the Volunteer Coordination Teams, and suggest appropriate interventions and assistance;

Collect information and statistics on displacement and other issues arising from internal conflict, through regular contacts with government and non-government authorities, other conflict entities, international organizations, and the UN Cluster system, and through interviews or consultations with individuals and communities;

Organize workshops on the use of technical standards, project planning, community development, monitoring techniques, etc.;

Identify indicators and implementation of survey activities to assess beneficiaries’ opinions;

Organize and implement schedule monitoring visits to all project activities to assess achievements and potential stumbling blocks in reaching the programme targets;
Meet with the programme beneficiaries and partners whenever necessary to disseminate and reinforce programme information with a view of dispelling rumours, etc.
Provide logistic support to ICRRP Operation in UNDP Sulaimaniya Office, if required.
Perform other related duties as may be required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required 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 International Volunteer Day);
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 UN 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.

Competencies

Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others;
Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team;
Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions;
Flexible and open to learning and new experiences;
Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions;
Have affinity with or interest in humanitarian relief, post-conflict situations, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications:

Academic; degree in law, political science, international relations, social sciences or any other relevant discipline; advanced university degree preferred.

Languages:

Fluency in spoken and written Kurdish , Arabic and English is required , and knowledge of (additional language) is an asset.

Experience:

Demonstrated interest and/or experience in the field of development and/or programme management and/or community development;
Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills;
Good writing and analytical skills;
Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;
Computer skills (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others).

Conditions of Service National UN Volunteer

The initial contract will be for 6 months with a possibility renewable on a 6-month basis (depending on availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance). However, there is no expectancy of renewal of the assignment.

Travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. Monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to US $1,289.00 per month (VLA rates are periodically reviewed). Life, health, and permanent disability insurance; resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.