UNV Jobs - 86221- UNFPA Youth Officer

UNFPA Youth Officer

Advertised on behalf of

UNV

Location :

Sarajevo, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Type of Contract :

UNV

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

26-Jul-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

UNV

Duration of Initial Contract :

31 July 2020

Languages Required :

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

UNCT in Bosnia and Herzegovina is conducting activities that will lead towards development of United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (former United Nations Development Assistance Framework) after the existing UNDAF expires. At the same time, UNCT is implementing a project that aims to capacitate and prepare private and public sector partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the SDGs implementation, thus directly supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina’s efforts to contribute to the largest global agenda that exists today – Agenda 2030.

UNFPA and UNICEF, UN entities that are directly engaged with youth, are focused on positioning youth issues prominently in the new UNSDCF development process, by doing three things: a) gathering evidence on youth needs in the country; b) cross-referencing global, regional and national plans and policies to identify strategic directions and gaps; and c) developing concrete, long-term solutions for youth needs.

11. Sustainable Development Goals:

17. Partnerships for the Goals
Supervision, induction and duty of care of UN Volunteers

UN Volunteers should be provided equal duty of care as extended to all host entity personnel. Host entity support to the UN Volunteer includes, but is not limited to:

Introductory briefings about the organisation and office-related context including security, emergency procedures, good cultural practice and orientation to the local environment;
Support with arrival administration including setting-up of bank accounts, residence permit applications and completion of other official processes as required by the host government or host entity;
Structured guidance, mentoring and coaching by a supervisor including a clear workplan and performance appraisal;
Access to office space, equipment, IT support and any other systems and tools required to complete the objectives of the assignment including a host entity email address;
Access to shared host entity corporate knowledge, training and learning;
Inclusion of the volunteer in emergency procedures such as evacuations;
Leave management;
DSA for official travel, when applicable;
All changes in the Description of Assignment occurring between recruitment and arrival or during the assignment need to be formalized with the United Nations Volunteer Programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of UNFPA Representative or his/her designated mandated representative(s), and in close collaboration with Youth Expert Consultant hired by the UN Youth Task Force, the UNV Youth officer will:

Conduct thorough desk research of all available data on Youth on Bosnia and Herzegovina (youth is defined as 10-30 years of age, for the UN in BiH).
Contribute to the development of the situation analysis on youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina that will synthesize the key findings, conclusions and recommendations for improving the situation of youth in the country (maximum 30 pages in English). This will need to be done in close collaboration with UNFPA Youth Expert and in consultation with all UN agencies, government partners at different levels, CSOs and youth themselves.
Closely collaborate with selected Youth Expert Consultant on :
An overall Youth vision and Strategy guiding the UN’s overall work on youth and with youth, and position youth issues within the upcoming UN strategic planning process (ie. Development of a new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-2025)
Proposed options for Youth Co-Management modalities for UN Country Team decision on how to best involve youth in the UN’s work in BiH (planning, monitoring, implementation of relevant activities)
Conceptualising a UN Joint Program on Youth that is focused on the UN’s unique comparative advantage in BiH and the prioritised needs of youth
Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

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;
Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
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.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active UNFPA team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNFPA and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

o Situation analysis on Youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina available to feed the vision and strategy on Youth in BiH, as well as the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021-25
o Co-management modalities proposed and endorsed by the Youth Task Force and UNCT
o Joint programme on Youth conceptualised

Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

Competencies

Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNFPA; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNFPA procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNFPA in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment;
Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNFPA’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Required Skills and Experience

Required Education Level:

Bachelor's degree

Required Experience:

1 year
University Degree in Social Sciences, Economics, Psychology or related subjects completed. Advanced degree is an Asset.
One year of relevant experience in the areas of research, monitoring and evaluation
Strong analytical background, in theory and practice;
Strong knowledge of youth related policy, governance and context;
Strong writing skills;
Strong skills to communicate in BHS and English verbally and in writing.

Language skills

Fluency in spoken and written BHS is required;
Fluency in spoken and written English is required;

Living Conditions:

Sarajevo is the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and the largest urban center. The city is situated along the Miljacka river and surrounded by the Dinaric Alps. The city is famous for its traditional religious diversity, with adherents of Islam, Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and Judaism coexisting there for centuries. There are no administrative or other restrictions, apart from visa (exceptions possible), on international staff members’ travelling in/within/from the country. In general, regular medical facilities are available, with two main hospitals and a significant number of small private clinics. General sanitary and hygiene conditions are adequate. Good local banking facilities are available (use of credit cards, ATMs). Communication services (domestic and international) are available on a regular basis. Availability of food, furnishings and other necessities is adequate (various grocery stores and markets with fresh food products, shopping centers, etc). Public transportation is 5 Jul 2019 Page 1 of 6 Assignment Title Youth Officer Sustainable Development Goals 17. Partnerships For the Goals available (tram, bus, trolleybus, taxi). International airport is 20 minutes drive from the UN buidling in Sarajevo. Public water supply, electricity and sewerage system are in place. The UN designated state of alert for Bosnia and Herzegovina is Security Level 1 which is minimal and lowest security level in the Security Level System for the entire country, including the capital of Sarajevo. The situation in BiH is generally quiet; all international agencies consider threats to their staff to be low at this time. However, BiH has the same problems as much of Europe, from pickpockets to traffic accidents, so all staff must exercise appropriate personal security awareness and common sense. Bosnia and Herzegovina is still the country with the largest mine contamination problem. Staff are advised not to deviate from well-travelled routes while in the country. See http://www.bhmac.org
As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.

Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.
Travel to duty station (if applicable) and a Settling-In-Grant will be provided in the event the duty station is not within commuting distance from the place of recruitment. The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.
Furthermore, in non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, a Well-Being Differential (WBD) will be provided monthly.

Application procedure:
* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?
First register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup.
Important: After creating your account, complete all sections of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink. Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.
* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?
First update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile . Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to apply.
This is a national UN Volunteer assignment, therefore only nationals of Bosnia and Hercegovina and legal residents with a residency permit, the status of refugee or with the status of being stateless are eligible to apply.
Application deadline: 26 July 2019

Application Code: BIHR000451--Youth Officer