Job Title: -PROGRAMME MANAGER Brief Background The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace
and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.
UNV engaged 6,807 UN Volunteers in 2012, on a total of 6,912 assignments. With an average age of 38 years and the requisite professional skills and qualifications of some 5 to 10 years relevant experience, UN volunteers served in 127 countries in 2012 and came themselves from 159. The majority – 79 per cent – come from developing countries themselves. One third of UN volunteers served in their own countries, with the others carrying out international assignments. The financial equivalent of programme activities exceeds US$220 million annually.
UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has approximately 150 staff positions – with the majority in Bonn and some positions with different UN peacekeeping and political missions, and in other Headquarters locations (e.g. New York and Tokyo). The major organizational groups within UNV are:
- The Office of the Executive Coordinator (OEC) comprising the Evaluation Unit (EU) and the Corporate Planning and Performance Unit (CPPU);
- The Volunteer Programming and Management Group (VPMG) comprising the Peace Division (PD) and the Development Division (DD), Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS), Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS);
- The Partnerships and Communications Division (PCD) comprising the Partnerships Section (PS) and the Communications Section (CS);
- The Management Services Division (MSD) comprising the Information and Communication Technology Section (ICTS), Finance Section (FS), Human Resources Section (HRS), and the Administration Unit (AU). Additionally the Common Services Unit (CSU) provides support to the UN presence in Bonn.
Organizational setting:
The UNV Peace and Development Divisions oversee and implement UNV’s programme strategy. They advocate for the integration of volunteerism in peace and development at global, regional and national levels, targeting specific focus areas in which the role of volunteerism adds significant value.
They mobilize volunteers to support the peace and development agenda of UNV partners, including national volunteerism interventions as well as proactive mobilization of UNV and other volunteers. They ensure quality volunteer management of UN Volunteers.
They work to promote advocacy for volunteerism, and support the documentation of the contribution of volunteerism to peace and development, and target national development for governments and parliaments with a view to influencing national policies, legislation, statutory frameworks and budget in order to promote volunteerism for peace and development.
Both divisions focus on Development and Peace issues and areas. However, the Development Division oversees the “predominantly development” countries, and the Peace Division oversees the “predominantly peace” countries.
More specifically, the Peace Division works in some 20 countries and in the following focus areas:
- UN Missions (peacekeeping or political/peacebuilding) with a UNV component;
- Long-term humanitarian operations (excluding disaster-related operations);
- Electoral processes carried out under the auspices of EAD (regardless of the actual implementing framework, which could be UNDP, DPKO or UNOPS);
- Early recovery activities (e.g. restoration of basic services, community services) as well as peacebuilding and conflict prevention activities in the immediate aftermath of conflict (i.e. not long-term peacebuilding/conflict prevention);
- Short/medium-term thematical activities that are typically associated with a post-conflict setting, such as:
- Reintegration (of both IDPs/refugees/returnees and ex-combatants/persons associated with armed groups, for instance in a DDR/RR framework);
- Protection (including a range of human rights functions, refugee eligibility, assistance to vulnerable groups affected by conflict, etc.);
- Institution/state-building and rule of law (e.g. security sector reform, civil affairs, transitional justice, natural resources management, etc.).
The Portfolio Teams within the Peace Division are responsible for the implementation of the UNV programme strategy, including UN Volunteer management, at global, regional and local levels.
The UNV Field Units are efficient functioning units, providing full administrative, operational and programme support to the serving UN Volunteers, and fully integrated into the UN Mission’s functional structure.
Duties and Responsibilities Reporting to the Portfolio Manager of the concerned Portfolio Team in the Peace Division at UNV Headquarters, the Programme Manager is first and foremost responsible for the effective strategic planning, programming, and overall management of the day to day operations of UNV’s programme activity within the context of its programme collaboration with a United Nations peace-keeping operation in an assigned country. Additional responsibility includes promoting and programming UNV and volunteer activities within the host country and with other UN partners, host Government and other partners. The Programme Manager, though reporting overall to UNV Headquarters, will also be required to report locally on daily operational matters to the Director/Chief of Mission of the UN peace-keeping operation, as well as keep the UNDP Resident Representative updated on a regular basis.
Summary of key functions:
- Provision of administrative, operational and programme support to UN Volunteers;
- Continuing UNV programme development with UN Agencies in the country of operations;
- Advocacy and public information activities on UNV involvement and volunteer activities in the country;
- Integration of UNV’s work in the country of operations into UNV’s corporative business plan as well as strategic documents at country level (UNDAF, etc.);
- Managerial functions.
Provision of administrative, operational and programme support to UN Volunteers.
- Manage the UNV Field Unit and UN Volunteer Support Officers to ensure maximum efficiency and output of UNV involvement in UN activities in field locations, including the administrative and corporate backstopping to the UN Volunteers in the UN Mission (which includes contract management, payroll monitoring, leave and attendance monitoring, provision of induction briefings, ensuring appropriate working, living and security conditions, etc.), while ensuring UN Volunteers in the UN Mission are managed on an equal footing with other Mission-associated personnel, and in accordance with the stipulations of the Global MOU concluded between UNV and DPKO/DFS.
- Monitor the security situation in the country, liaising with the Designated Official and the Security/DSS staff;
- Manage project and programme budgets for all peacekeeping and elections-related activities in the country. This includes regular financial reporting, preparation of project budget revisions and financial tracking of resources external to UNV/HQ;
- Ensure adequate office management, including drafting, implementing and monitoring of annual work plans, designing and maintaining digital databases as necessary, set-up of in-country sub-offices as may be needed, ensuring proper daily functioning of office in terms of set-up, equipment, supplies and IT/communications, etc.
- Manage the efficient compliance of the UN Volunteers with UNV’s Volunteer Reporting System (VRS), including working towards a maximum response from the supervisors, and build on the outcome of the reports;
- Manage efficiently the training budget of the EOL (i.e.: mission budget) – in coordination with the UN Mission’s Training Unit – and the budget provided by UNV HQ for the promotion of volunteerism.
Continuing UNV programme development with UN Agencies present in the country of operations.
- Develop regular contact with relevant partners and colleagues at the sub-regional, country and, if required, headquarters level, in order to strengthen existing collaboration and promote/identify new opportunities for UNV in the areas of peacekeeping, humanitarian, and crisis prevention and recovery activities;
- Where appropriate, develop and follow up on leads and planning exercises with key post-conflict electoral activity partners, including the UNDP Country Office and the Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) at the field level, with the view to create new UN Volunteer involvement in the areas of electoral supervision, monitoring and observation with the view to create and expand collaboration. This includes regular short and long-term programme analysis, preparation of official correspondence, preparation of programming advisory notes, programme strategy papers, and project documents;
- In line with DPKO/DFS policies, position UNV as an apt partner that can assist the UN Mission in its national capacity development efforts in both substantive and technical support roles;
- Position UNV as a reliable programmatic and implementing partner in the UN Mission’s quick impact projects (QIPs).
- Identify, design and implement volunteer activities/events/projects (including the annual celebration of International Volunteer Day on 5 December), either at request of UN Volunteers, local or international volunteer associations or private stakeholders, or at own initiative, including exploring funding opportunities (both internally, e.g. POEM or SVF, and externally), liaison with local volunteer associations to ensure local ownership and local volunteer mobilization, and mobilization of UN partners and international stakeholders for volunteer mobilization, co-funding and logistical support in implementation of activities;
- Contribute to the creation of a corporate identity for the UN Volunteers and to the promotion of volunteerism through the UNV volunteers in the country.
Advocacy and public information activities on UNV involvement and volunteer activities in the country.
- Identify, pursue and develop inputs to UNDP, UNV and other publications and working documents for programme development purposes. This includes the preparation of case studies, best practice guidelines, Peace Division briefing notes, etc., on UNV’s work in peacekeeping, humanitarian relief and electoral support in the country;
- Identify, pursue and develop news stories, case studies, and briefs for publication in DPKO, DFS, DPA, UNDP, UNV and other publications. This involves close consultation with UNV/HQ’s Communications Unit.
Integration of UNV’s work in the country into UNV’s corporate business plan as well as strategic documents at country level (UNDAF, etc.).
- Participate in DPKO, UNDP and UNV corporate and country level discussions and planning, including the preparation of portfolio summary reports, contributions to UNV business plans, global programme inputs, project appraisal committees, and routine preparation of briefing and advisory notes.
Managerial Functions.
- Represent the UNV Programme with UN partners, including senior UN officials, with Government and with civil society and other partners;
- Manage the recruitment, performance and career management of international UN Volunteer Support Officer and national GS staff, to motivate and promote organizational excellence;
- Manage learning activities, including establishing Unit Learning Plans and ensure staff supervised meets their development needs while meeting the needs of the Mission;
- Implement procurement processes and provide oversight to contract implementation and certification of payments.
- Collaborate and liaise with the UNV Field Unit in the UNDP Country Office on a collegial basis and in the spirit of “One UN Programme”.
Other related duties that may be assigned.
Competencies Functional Competencies: Building Strategic Partnerships
- Effectively networks with partners, seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNV’s mandate and strategic agenda;
- Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UNV’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts;
- Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments
- Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved;
- Promotes UNV’s agenda in inter-agency meetings.
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
- Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
- Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
- Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;
- Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
- Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.
Client Orientation
- Anticipates client needs;
- Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
- Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
- Keeps the client informed of problems or delays in the provision of services;
- Uses discretion and flexibility in interpreting rules in order to meet client needs and achieve organizational goals more effectively;
- Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.
Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management
- Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach
- Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it
- Ensures the programme implementation and Financial Resources to obtain results
Core Competencies: - Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
- Building support and political acumen;
- Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
- Building and promoting effective teams;
- Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
- Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
- Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
- Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.
Required Skills and Experience Education: - Master degree in social sciences, public administration, humanitarian, international relations/development studies, law, human resources or other relevant field.
Experience: - Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience at the field level, preferably with UNDP/UNV, or in the areas of humanitarian relief, electoral assistance, special operations in DPKO environment and communications;
- Work experience as UNV Programme Officer in a field location is an asset;
- Strong recognition of UNV values and be able to identify fully with the programme is highly desirable.
Language Requirements: - Fluency in English and French required.
Applications should be submitted on line and include an up to date UNDP Personal History Form (P11) posted at
http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.doc. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.
The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment.
Click here for important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders).
Closing Date: Saturday, 27 July 2013
