Community Volunteer in Social Services

Details

Mission and objectives

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, working in 177 countries and territories. In line with its 2021-2025 Country Programme, UNDP in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH) focuses on sustainable and inclusive growth, people-centred governance and social cohesion. UNDP is fully committed to support BIH with regards to its Agenda 2030 commitments as well as the European Union (EU) accession process. The CPD outcomes correspond to 3 outcomes of the UNSDCF 2021-2025 (outcome 1 on resilient, sustainable and inclusive growth, outcome 4 on accountable and transparent governance systems, and outcome 5 on social cohesion and trust). We are individually and collectively responsible for nurturing and promoting an organizational culture of ethics and integrity where we respect and uphold the organization’s values, and where staff are empowered and motivated to deliver sustainable development results. We seek people who are fair, impartial and honest. We value dynamic and adaptable persons who are not afraid to think creatively and are proactive, flexible and responsive.

Context

This UNV assignment is part of UNDP’s project titled Sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services (SPSC), implemented jointly with the International Organization for Migration (IoM) in eight local governments in West Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project supports interventions to strengthen social structures and services, with the aim to provide needs-based and quality-improved service delivery to men, women, and youth in the target communities. To that end, the project will focus on the services delivered at the community level, as well as on counselling services targeting families, children, young people, the elderly, people with mental and physical disabilities, the poor, and other disadvantaged individuals and families.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UNV Community Volunteers Coordinator, a UN Community Volunteer will be catalysts of community engagement, supporting awareness-raising efforts in their communities, increasing community participation in decision-making, and contributing to the increased ownership and satisfaction of communities with the provision of social services. Concretely, the incumbent will be placed at the Municipality of Bosanski Petrovac and will perform the following tasks: 1. provide support to the host institution in the targeted community, 2. assist the efforts in the mapping of priority social services, 3. support outreach to social services beneficiaries, e.g. through the provision of social support and improving outreach to vulnerable population 4. record and report on activities and best practices 5. any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. This will also include field trips to meet beneficiaries, provision of support in the organization of meetings, gathering and maintaining data, and other duties within the scope of work. 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 an 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.