Details
Mission and objectives
L'UNICEF est une agence humanitaire internationale pour les enfants créée par la chart des Nations Unies en 1946. L'organiisation est présente dans plus de 192 pays et travail dans le domaine de la santé, de l'éducation, de l'eau et de l'assainissement, de la protection de l'enfance, du VIH et du Sida, de la nutrition, de la politique et de la protection sociale. L'UNICEF opère a la fois dans les contextes humanitaire et de development en répondant aux besoins des enfants et des femmes en particulier des filles et des plus vulnérables.
La présence de l'UNICEF au Cameroun remonte à 1975. L'organisation intervient dans dans les domaines de l'éducation, de l'eau et de l'assainissement, de la protection de l'enfance, du VIH et du Sida. Tandi que ses efforts en amont se concentrent sur le plaidoyer et le lobbying pour des conditions budgétaires favorables aux enfants et aux femmes et a la formulation de politiques pour la promotion de leur croissance et de leur developement . Sur le plan opérationnel UNICEF Cameroun se concentre sur le renforcement des capacité des partie prenantes la prestation de service et la création de partenariats pour l'amélioration des aux enfants et aux femmes.
Le Programme Protection de l'Enfant vise globalement a garantir que les enfants en particulier les filles adolescentes dan sles zones vulnérables sont mieux protégés contre la violence, l'exploitation et les pratiques néfastes y compris dans le contexte d'urgence humanitaire. Le programme contribue ainsi au renforcement des systèmes gouvernementaux et communautaires de protection de l'enfance, afin d'identifier et de combattre plus efficacement les violations des droits de l'enfant. Une attention particulière est portée a l'enregistrement. des naissances la préventions et la réponses aux violences physiques et sexuelles ainsi qu'a l'élimination du mariage des enfants en s'apppuyant sur les évidneces.
La présence de l'UNICEF au Cameroun remonte à 1975. L'organisation intervient dans dans les domaines de l'éducation, de l'eau et de l'assainissement, de la protection de l'enfance, du VIH et du Sida. Tandi que ses efforts en amont se concentrent sur le plaidoyer et le lobbying pour des conditions budgétaires favorables aux enfants et aux femmes et a la formulation de politiques pour la promotion de leur croissance et de leur developement . Sur le plan opérationnel UNICEF Cameroun se concentre sur le renforcement des capacité des partie prenantes la prestation de service et la création de partenariats pour l'amélioration des aux enfants et aux femmes.
Le Programme Protection de l'Enfant vise globalement a garantir que les enfants en particulier les filles adolescentes dan sles zones vulnérables sont mieux protégés contre la violence, l'exploitation et les pratiques néfastes y compris dans le contexte d'urgence humanitaire. Le programme contribue ainsi au renforcement des systèmes gouvernementaux et communautaires de protection de l'enfance, afin d'identifier et de combattre plus efficacement les violations des droits de l'enfant. Une attention particulière est portée a l'enregistrement. des naissances la préventions et la réponses aux violences physiques et sexuelles ainsi qu'a l'élimination du mariage des enfants en s'apppuyant sur les évidneces.
Context
As part of the decentralization process and efforts to strengthen local governance, municipalities play a central role in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of local public policies that benefit children and adolescents. The Child-Friendly Municipalities (CFM) initiative aims to support municipalities in systematically integrating children’s rights into their development plans, budgets, and governance mechanisms.
However, many municipalities face structural constraints, including a shortage of local human resources, limited capacity for community mobilization and citizen participation, and weak institutionalization of mechanisms for listening to and holding local authorities accountable. These constraints reduce the effectiveness of municipal plan implementation and limit municipalities’ ability to respond in an appropriate and inclusive manner to the needs of children and families.
In this context, community volunteering (including United Nations Volunteers—UNV) serves as a strategic lever for strengthening local public action. Rooted in their own communities, community volunteers support municipalities in implementing the CFM initiative while fostering a gradual and structured transfer of skills to municipal services—an essential condition for sustainability.
Objective and Purpose of the Program
The overall objective of the community volunteer program is to sustainably strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of municipalities to design, implement, and monitor local initiatives that incorporate children’s rights, within a framework of participatory and community-based governance.
Specifically, the program aims to:
• support the implementation of CFM plans and budgets.
• strengthen municipal mechanisms for dialogue, citizen participation, and accountability.
• improve local monitoring of the accessibility and quality of social services for children.
• ensure a gradual transfer of skills, tools, and practices to municipalities, with a view to their institutional management.
Guiding Principles
The deployment of volunteers in CFM municipalities is based on the following principles:
• Local roots: Volunteers are natives of or residents in the municipality where they serve, ensuring a deep understanding of local dynamics.
• Institutional ownership: the actions carried out are exclusively aligned with municipal priorities, plans, and budgets.
• Non-substitutive support: volunteers support and strengthen municipal capacities without replacing municipal functions.
• Sustainability and handover: each action is designed with a clear path for handover to municipal services.
However, many municipalities face structural constraints, including a shortage of local human resources, limited capacity for community mobilization and citizen participation, and weak institutionalization of mechanisms for listening to and holding local authorities accountable. These constraints reduce the effectiveness of municipal plan implementation and limit municipalities’ ability to respond in an appropriate and inclusive manner to the needs of children and families.
In this context, community volunteering (including United Nations Volunteers—UNV) serves as a strategic lever for strengthening local public action. Rooted in their own communities, community volunteers support municipalities in implementing the CFM initiative while fostering a gradual and structured transfer of skills to municipal services—an essential condition for sustainability.
Objective and Purpose of the Program
The overall objective of the community volunteer program is to sustainably strengthen the institutional and operational capacities of municipalities to design, implement, and monitor local initiatives that incorporate children’s rights, within a framework of participatory and community-based governance.
Specifically, the program aims to:
• support the implementation of CFM plans and budgets.
• strengthen municipal mechanisms for dialogue, citizen participation, and accountability.
• improve local monitoring of the accessibility and quality of social services for children.
• ensure a gradual transfer of skills, tools, and practices to municipalities, with a view to their institutional management.
Guiding Principles
The deployment of volunteers in CFM municipalities is based on the following principles:
• Local roots: Volunteers are natives of or residents in the municipality where they serve, ensuring a deep understanding of local dynamics.
• Institutional ownership: the actions carried out are exclusively aligned with municipal priorities, plans, and budgets.
• Non-substitutive support: volunteers support and strengthen municipal capacities without replacing municipal functions.
• Sustainability and handover: each action is designed with a clear path for handover to municipal services.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of CFO Bertoua (Mandjou, Ngoura, Batouri, Garoua-Boulai, Djohong, Ngaoundere III), CFO Maroua (Lagdo, Garoua II, Mokolo, Moutourwa), CFO Buea (Limbe II), and Social Policy Specialist in Yaounde (Bikok, Bana), the UN Community Volunteer will, in the municipalities participating in the Child-Friendly Municipality (CFM ) initiative, provide support structured around four complementary areas.
Support for the implementation of municipal CFM plans: Volunteers assist municipalities in operationalizing child-rights-sensitive plans and budgets. They support the organization of local activities, facilitate coordination among municipal services, community actors, and local partners, and contribute to monitoring the implementation of planned actions.
Community dialogue and local accountability: Volunteers support the establishment and facilitation of municipal mechanisms for dialogue and citizen engagement (community meetings, local forums, community radio stations). These mechanisms enable municipalities to incorporate citizens’ concerns into decision-making and improve transparency and accountability.
Community monitoring of social services: Volunteers contribute to the participatory monitoring of the accessibility and quality of social services for children and families, in collaboration with municipal and technical services. The information collected informs municipal planning and supports the continuous improvement of services.
Strengthening municipal capacity: Volunteers play a key role as community mentors, supporting municipal officials and local liaisons in using tools for community mobilization, participatory monitoring, and the analysis of local data.
Furthermore, UN Community Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) 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.
13. Results/Expected Outputs:
The deployment of volunteers in CFM municipalities will lead to:
• a measurable improvement in the implementation of municipal plans that are sensitive to children’s rights.
• a sustainable strengthening of citizen participation and local accountability.
• capacity building within municipal services.
• a solid and lasting institutional foundation for the CFM approach within municipal governance.
Support for the implementation of municipal CFM plans: Volunteers assist municipalities in operationalizing child-rights-sensitive plans and budgets. They support the organization of local activities, facilitate coordination among municipal services, community actors, and local partners, and contribute to monitoring the implementation of planned actions.
Community dialogue and local accountability: Volunteers support the establishment and facilitation of municipal mechanisms for dialogue and citizen engagement (community meetings, local forums, community radio stations). These mechanisms enable municipalities to incorporate citizens’ concerns into decision-making and improve transparency and accountability.
Community monitoring of social services: Volunteers contribute to the participatory monitoring of the accessibility and quality of social services for children and families, in collaboration with municipal and technical services. The information collected informs municipal planning and supports the continuous improvement of services.
Strengthening municipal capacity: Volunteers play a key role as community mentors, supporting municipal officials and local liaisons in using tools for community mobilization, participatory monitoring, and the analysis of local data.
Furthermore, UN Community Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) 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.
13. Results/Expected Outputs:
The deployment of volunteers in CFM municipalities will lead to:
• a measurable improvement in the implementation of municipal plans that are sensitive to children’s rights.
• a sustainable strengthening of citizen participation and local accountability.
• capacity building within municipal services.
• a solid and lasting institutional foundation for the CFM approach within municipal governance.
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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.