DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
Preamble:
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes
volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the
pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual
volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally,
encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing
volunteers.
In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of
sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various
forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers,
host agencies and local communities.
In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct.
Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local
and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host
community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and
productive.
1. Type of Assignment:
International UN Youth Volunteer
2. Type of Assignment Place:
Family Duty Station
UN Youth Volunteer assignments are always without family.
3. Assignment Title:
UN Youth Volunteer in knowledge management for
peaceful conflict transformation
4. Link to UNV Strategic Framework: Peacebuilding
5. Duty Station, Country:
Bolivia
6. Duration (in months):
12 months
7. Expected Starting Date:
July 2017
8 Host Agency/Host Institute:
UNDP
9. Organizational Context/Project:
The United Nations Development Programme is one of the UN system’s agencies.16
UN Agencies (9 with and 7 without representations) are actually working in the country.
UNDP coordinates the work of all the agencies and units. For this purpose, it counts with
the office of the Resident Coordinator (OCR), in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of activities at country level work.
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
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W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
In Bolivia, UNDP works under three thematic areas: poverty reduction, democratic governance and environment and energy, and it has a team of 104 professionals (staff, service contract and UN Volunteers).
The area of democratic governance seeks to strengthen the Plurinational State and intercultural society at national and regional level. Also seeks to strengthen dialogue capacities, conflict management and design politics in citizen security.
UNDP works on Capacity-building for dialogue, mediation and constructive conflict management with the participation of strategic actors that have direct impact on the implementation of key aspects of the Constitution. The intervention proposed a training process for dialogue, mediation and the constructive conflict management to strengthen the
capacity of strategic players to make a positive impact on conflict transformation.
Two types of actions have been implemented:
i. capacity building (SB), oriented strategic actors of public institutions and social organizations involved in problems and conflicts related to the implementation of the political
Constitution of the State.
II. training of trainers (ToT), aimed at the people responsible for providing training in
dialogue, mediation and the constructive resolution of conflicts.
This is the second phase of the project and UNDP has already many best practices and
lessons learnt to be published and spreaded.
10. Description of tasks:
Under the direct supervision of the project coordinator on peaceful conflict management,
the UN Youth Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
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As part of a team, the youth volunteer will learn about the political, economic, institutional,
social and cultural conditions of the county in order to support the implementation of
peaceful conflict management projects.
Assist in appraising project proposals, supporting to ensure they are properly prepared in
accordance with UNDP policies and procedures;
Support the evaluation, systemization and documentation of relevant initiatives for peaceful conflict management.
Support the knowledge management of UNDP’s best practices and lessons learned in
citizen security, intercultural dialogue and conflict management.
Contribute to researches and data collection on citizen security, intercultural dialogue and
conflict management.
Participate in the monitoring of ongoing local programs/projects funded and /or administrated by UNDP in the fields of peaceful conflict management. This would include assisting the preparation of program/project work plans, budget revisions and monitoring of
environment programs/projects, and follow-up progress in logical framework.
Furthermore, UN Youth Volunteers are required to:
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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);
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
F. +49 (0) 228-815 2001
W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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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 publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Youth 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.
11. Results/Expected Outputs:
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Knowledge products elaborated.
Best practices and lessons learnt on peaceful conflict management are documented.
Implementation and monitoring of peaceful conflict management initiatives supported.
Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and
documented in all activities throughout the assignment;
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.
12. Qualifications/Requirements (including competencies, values and skills):
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Academic: University degree in political and social sciences, economics or branches related to public policies or citizen security. Master degree in a related field would be an
asset.
Experience of two years in research, data collection, drafting documents, systematization
or knowledge management on governance, public policies, citizen security, dialogue or
conflict management.
Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies,
volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded; previous experience in South America is a strong asset.
Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others;
Good interpersonal, networking and communication skills;
Willingness to contribute and work as part of a team;
Flexible and open to learning and new experiences;
Respect for diversity and adaptability to other cultures, environments and living conditions;
Fluency in spoken and written Spanish (language) and English (language) is required;
Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies,
volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;
Computer skills (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others).
UN Youth Volunteers must be between 18 and 29 years for the whole duration of their assignment.
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
F. +49 (0) 228-815 2001
W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
13. Learning expectations
Learning and development are a central part of the UN Youth Volunteer’s assignment and take
place before, during and after his or her assignment in the field. Ideally, offering diverse opportunities for learning and development aim to strengthen the volunteer’s skills and competences, improve the quality of the assignment and keep the volunteer’s motivation high.
Learning elements for the UN Youth Volunteer include the development of:
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Professional skills: including specific competencies and reflection on assignment-related
abilities; and on-the-job skills such as time management, problem solving, team building;
and career preparedness such as interview skills, CV preparation, job searching.
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Inter-personal skills: including communication and listening skills; multi-cultural awareness and cultural competency; and conflict and stress management.
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Volunteering-related skills: including leadership; civic responsibility; and engagement and
active participation.
Beyond the learning opportunities provided by UNV, the host agency will support knowledge
and capacity development in the technical areas that are relevant to the UN Youth Volunteer’s
assignment. The host agency will provide, at its expense, UN Youth Volunteers with equal
opportunity to participate in training courses and workshops offered to its personnel.
14. Living Conditions:
Bolivia is a landlocked South American country of almost 11 million people. More than 50
percent are Amerindians who speak mainly Quechua or Aymara as well as Spanish. The others are mainly descendants of Spaniards and mestizos (part Indian, part Spanish).
Bolivia shares a border to the north and east with Brazil, to the west with Peru, to the southwest
with Chile, to the south with Argentina, and to the southeast with Paraguay. It has a varied
climate and terrain, or set of geographic features. In the western part, the Andean cordillera
(system of mountain ranges) extends from north to south. It has some of the highest peaks in
South America. The center of the country consists of fertile valleys. The lowlands extend east
toward the Amazon rain forest.
Thanks to a prudent macroeconomic policy, economic growth in Bolivia averaged 5 percent
between 2004-2014. The favorable economic context led to a reduction in moderate poverty
and in extreme poverty. Due to a more challenging international context, economic growth
decreased in 2015-2016 however there is economic stability.
Nevertheless, the country is one of the poorest countries of the Americas. Many Bolivians have
a very simple lifestyle. In the major cities, such as La Paz, Bolivians live a more modern lifestyle. Practically all towns are connected by extensive bus routes.
Local mosquito transmission of Zika virus infection has been reported in Bolivia. However the
mosquitoes that spread Zika usually do not live at elevations above 6.500 feet (2.000 meters)
because of environmental conditions.
The threat against UN system staff members from political activity is considered low.
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
F. +49 (0) 228-815 2001
W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
15. Conditions of Service for International UN Youth Volunteer
The duration of your assignment is 12 months.
A volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) per month and is paid at the end of
each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs.
The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base
rate of US$1270. The VLA base rate is a global rate, while the PAM is country-specific and
fluctuates on a monthly basis according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of
varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission
(ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website
(http://icsc.un.org). For example, if the PAM for the current month in Bolivia is 29.9%, then the
VLA for that month will be US$1270X1.299=US$1650. The actual VLA for the month of February 2017 in Bolivia is US$ 1650.
In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC,
international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up
the assignment) and also in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station.
UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual
leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements).
UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight
tickets for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). A resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.
UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service,
including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.
16. How to apply
Eligible candidates, i.e. candidates born on or after 31 July 1989, should do the following:
If you are not a candidate in the UNV database, please apply by registering your profile
through the following link: http://ereta.unv.org/html/index.php?module=myprofile&ad=YTH17FFSWEBOL2 .
Important: Once you have created your UNV account and after validating your email address, please complete all sections of your profile and make sure the correct advertisement
code ‘YTH17FFSWEBOL2’ is selected in the ‘Special Recruitment’ tab of MyProfile. Your application can only be considered once you have clicked on the green ‘Submit My Profile’ button. As a confirmation of your successful registration, you will receive an email with your
UNV roster number.
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
F. +49 (0) 228-815 2001
W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
If you already are a candidate in the UNV database, please update your profile through:
http://MyProfile.unv.org and select the code ‘YTH17FFSWEBOL2’ from the drop down list in
the ‘Special Recruitment' tab.
If you are interested in more than one assignment, please enter the codes of the respective
assignments in order of priority in the ‘Additional Remarks’ section of ‘My Profile’.
In case of technical problems when registering / updating your profile, please contact [email protected].
Closing date: Profiles of interested applicants must be fully registered in the UNV database
of candidates not later than 22 March 2017.
This assignment is funded by the Government of Sweden, therefore only Swedish nationals
are eligible to apply.
T. +49 (0) 228-815 2000
A. Platz der Vereinten Nationen 1, 53113 Bonn, Germany
F. +49 (0) 228-815 2001
W. www.unv.org
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).