Agency: UNHCR
Title: UNV Community Services Assistant
Job ID: 14122
Practice Area - Job Family: Basic Social Service - COMMUNITY
SERVICES
Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA) 01/02/2018
Duty Station: Kaoma, Zambia
Education & Work Experience: G-Bachelor's Level Degree -
2 year(s) experience
Languages: eNGLISH
Grade: GP
Vacancy Type: National Regular UN Volunteer
Posting Type: External
Bureau: United Nations Volunteers
Contract Duration: 1 Year
Background
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General
assembly. The agency is mandated to
provide protection and assistance and seek durable solutions for refugees and
other persons of concern.
Zambia has hosted refugees from Angola since the 1960s, who
lost refugee status in 2012. In the 1990s, Zambia received influxes of Rwandan
refugees; most of whom lost their refugee status in 2013. The Government of
Zambia pledged in 2011 that it would locally integrate an initial group of
former Angolan refugees; in 2015, the Government expanded the local integration
criteria to cover all 18,685 Angolans and also some 4,000 Rwandans. In April
2014, the Government (Ministry of Home Affairs) and UNHCR developed and
launched a three-year local integration strategy and resulting program. The
program operates within the dimensions of peacebuilding/coexistence and
develop-ment: it seeks to implement local integration as a durable solution to protracted
displacement, moving from a humanitarian relief approach focused on protection,
to a development approach focused on enabling sustainability and self-reliance.
The Senior Supply Assistant provides support supply to all
local activities pertaining to the supply chain function including planning,
sourcing, transport, shipping, customs clearance and warehousing in the
operation.
The incumbent is supervised by a Senior Officer who provides
regular guidance. S/he works inde-pendently on routine tasks while follows
instructions of the supervisor or more complex issues. The incumbent maintains
regular contact on a working level on routine issues with other UNHCR offices,
UN agencies, NGOs, government partners and commercial contractors in the area
to facilitate the operation. The duty of the incumbent is to support the
management of material resources within the geographical area covered by the
office while exercising efficiency in the use of those resources.
Duties and
Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Head of Unit
(Protection), the incumbent will provide
assistance to the Field Office in the daily organization and
monitoring of Community Service activities in the following areas:
Assesses the social conditions of the refugees and their
needs for community development and social services with attention to the needs
of vulnerable refugees;
Work closely with UNHCR’s main implementing partner to
assess the needs of vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers and identify
assistance as required;
Undertakes research and assessment of community services
programmes for purposes of planning and provision of targeted assistance
particularly in education, SGBV prevention, child protection, health care and
self-help activities;
Assist in providing individual counselling to refugees and
asylum seekers in need of UNHCR’s intervention and support;
Assist in mainstreaming age, gender and diversity in all
programmes using a Multi-Functional Team Approach;
Assist the refugee community in identifying its own needs to
establish priorities and to meet these needs through developing community
structures and self-help groups;
Assist in the formulation of project proposals based on the
results of evaluations carried out with specific needs to develop durable
solutions;
Prepare correspondence, reports and statistics as required.
Perform other duties as required.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:
Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept
of volunteerism by read-ing relevant UNV and external publications and take
active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD).
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 publica-tions/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
Output:
Regular participatory assessments conducted to identify the
needs, capacities and solutions available among persons of concern and input
provided to the Country Operations planning.
Standard Operating Procedures on Sexual and Gender Based
Violence (SGBV)/Child Protection reviewed; and capacities of existing community
structures involved in SGBC prevention/child protection strengthened.
Durable solutions proposed for problems affecting refugees
with specific needs; and plight of unaccompanied minors, elderly and persons
with disabilities addressed.
A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for
development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of
volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
Competencies
Ability to establish and maintain good working relations
with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.
Ability to work well within a team environment.
Ability to work effectively in difficult field locations.
Ability to deliver the required work in a self motivated
capacity with minimum supervision.
Competence in delivery of deadlines in a timely manner.
Required Skills and
Experience
Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or training in any
related field of work.
Minimum of 2 years relevant work experience.
Computer skills (MS Office, including Excel, Word, Power
Point and Access).
Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant
UN language or local language.
Disclaimer
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.
United Nations Volunteers reserves the right to select one
or more candidates from this announcement.
We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this
opening for other openings with United Nations Volunteers with similar
assignment description, experience and educational requirements.
