Disability Inclusion & Social Protection Project Officer - NPSA 9

syrian arab republic

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: syrian arab republic
Grade: Junior level - NPSA-9, National Personnel Services Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Social Affairs
- Human Rights
- Poverty Reduction
- Civil Society and Local governance
- Project and Programme Management
- Disability Rights
Closing Date: 2023-05-24

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

As of March 2021, it was reported that more than one in four individuals or 28 per cent of the total population aged 2 and above, have some form of disability in Syria[1], including 1.8 IDPs and 146K returnees.

As a group, persons with disabilities (PWDs) experience worse socioeconomic outcomes than persons without disabilities, such as less education, worse health outcomes, less employment, and higher poverty rates.”[2] These reduced outcomes may be attributed to several institutional and social barriers. In turn, they negatively impact PWDs' lifecycle and life span. According to reports, 10,000 individuals with disabilities die daily due to extreme poverty globally.

The Syrian crisis has caused immense damage to the social fabric of the country, with a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities. They are more likely to experience exclusion and poverty, as well as lack of access to basic services and opportunities for social and economic participation. According to the United Nations Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme report (HNAP), the disability situation in Syria is undermining households’ livelihoods. The disability prevalence rises to almost 60% for the age group of 50-54 years old. Considering that 85% of the total population aged 30-64 are heads of households, the exclusion of PWDs from the labour market is already negatively affecting beyond the livelihoods of the households. For example, the report shows a higher rate of child labour in households with disabled members.

The unit of social protection, inclusion and empowerment at UNDP Syria (SPIE) is seeking to recruit a project officer to contribute to the design and implementation of its disability inclusion and social protection programme. The Officer will be responsible for providing technical support to overall disability inclusion programme, with a focus on the third pillar of the unit strategy related to legislative framework and social inclusion(https://www.undp.org/syria/publications/undp-syria-disability-inclusion-programme). In addition to providing support to develop the office strategy on soeical protection.

[1] United Nations Humanitarian Needs Assessment Programme DISABILITY IN SYRIA INVESTIGATION ON THE INTERSECTIONAL IMPACTS OF GENDER, AGE AND A DECADE OF CONFLICT ON PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, 2021

[2] The World Bank. (2012). World Report on Disability

Duties and Responsibilities

Elaborate on the current disability inclusion strategy in line with the new country project document (CPD), the portfolio approach focusing on youth empowerment and the overall strategic framework and humanitarian response plan. Also support developing a strategy for social protection programme at UNDP Syria.
Support the development and implementation of disability inclusion and social protection project activities, including the following tasks:
- Revising project proposals
- Follow-up on day-to-day implementation of project activities including administrative tasks
- Monitoring activities (field mission, documentation, phone calls, interviews and meetings)
- Develop and submit relevant reports including donor report.
- Follow up on monitoring and evaluation activities for the related projects
Contribute to knowledge sharing, such as producing technical and analytical reports, good practices and lessons learned.
Support mapping of stakeholders and building partnerships with active partners, UN Agencies, private sector, NGOs/ CBOs and other local partners in coordination with the programme manager and in line with the agreed annual work plan
Support in resource mobilization activities
Lead on knowledge sharing efforts and promotion of inclusive workplace culture.
Support in the United Nations disability inclusion implementation in UNDP and UNCT.
Ensure the timely and effective delivery of programme activities in line with the approved work plan and budget. With the focus on activities under the third pillar of the UNDP Syria disability inclusion strategy (https://www.undp.org/syria/publications/undp-syria-disability-inclusion-programme ), which is related to enabling the legislative and social environment.
Establish working relationships with national, regional, and international stakeholders to exchange knowledge and extract good practices.
Establish a working relationship with national civil society organisations and groups, particularly those working on policies and social awareness.
Provide technical support and guidance to programme partners and stakeholders on disability inclusion and social protection issues.
Suggest, develop, and manage an operational plan for implementing activities under pillar three in line with the ongoing annual working plan for 2023. Operational plans should be comprehensive, including a detailed action plan, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation plan.
Support the development and implementation of project activities including the following tasks:

Institutional Arrangement

Project Manager on Disability Inclusion.

Competencies

Core
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
Learn Continuously:	LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
Adapt with Agility:	LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
Act with Determination:	LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
Engage and Partner:	LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

People Management
Competency	Definition
Lead with Humility:	Be authentic and transparent, act with integrity Be accessible and available to team members they lead Encourages debate and discussion, creating a culture where people are comfortable to challenge senior leaders and feel listened too Be modest, giving credit for success to others and admit own shortcomings
Build an Enabling Workplace	Create a working environment where people are engaged and want to do their best; empower and enables team members to perform and have a positive workplace experience Promote honestly, openness, trust and psychological safety and create opportunities to innovate and learn
Demonstrate Empathy and Emotional Intelligence	Enable the wellbeing of the team(s) See the positive in people, situations, and events

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Development	Collective Intelligence Design	Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions
Business Direction & Strategy	System Thinking	Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
Digital & Innovation	Behavioural insights	Knowing when it is appropriate to use behavioural insights, having theoretical knowledge and basic understanding of principles of human behaviour; Being able to define specific behavioural goals (what to change), explore and understand barriers and contextual factors to desired behaviours

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements	Advanced University Degree (Master's Degree or equivalent) in social sciences, disability studies, social work, development studies, or related field. Or First Level University Degree (Bachelor's Degree or Equivalent) social sciences, disability studies, social work, development studies, or related field with additional 2 years of experience will be given due consideration.
Min. years of relevant work experience	Minimum of 4 years of professional experience for bachelor’s degree holders or 2 years for master's degree holders in designing, implementing, and monitoring disability inclusion and social protection programmes is required.
Required skills	Knowledge of the human rights-based approach to disability inclusion
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section	Developing strategies and project documents Designing, implementing and monitoring project activities. Drafting analytical reports Knowledge in behavioral change intervention Exerience working with NGOs and local authorities, communities' representatives, and other active stakeholders. Experience working with UN agencies, international organizations, or NGOs, in the context of humanitarian or development programmes
Required Language(s)	Proficiency in written and spoken Arabic and English is required.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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