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UNV Community Services Assistant

Kakuma

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Kakuma
  • Grade: Volunteer - National Specialist - Locally recruited Volunteer
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Social Affairs
    • Administrative support
    • Civil Society and Local governance
    • Basic Social Service
    • COMMUNITY SERVICES
  • Closing Date: Closed

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.

This vacancy is now closed.
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