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:
Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section enhances UNV’s proactive capacity to mainstream volunteerism into peace and development initiatives through:
- Promoting sound volunteer management practices, including the development of innovative volunteering solutions (volunteer modalities and volunteer management resources and tools)and the management of the Online Volunteering service;
- Leading the delivery of volunteerism advisory services for integration of volunteerism for peace and development into policies and programming; and for enhancing the recognition of volunteerism contributions;
- Leading initiatives for Volunteer Learning and Knowledge management.
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Reporting to the Knowledge Management Specialist, the Volunteer Learning Resources Specialist is the focal point for coordination of UNV’s learning activities, and the learning and development of the UNV volunteers. The Volunteer Learning Resources Specialist advocates, facilitates and coordinates learning on volunteerism and sustains a learning environment and culture in UNV that is in line with UNDP/UNV corporate priorities. The Volunteer Learning Resources Specialist assists volunteers in identification of the appropriate resources and tools for their learning, opportunities to upgrade competencies, addresses learning/training needs through the effective and efficient use of internal and external training resources.
Specific duties include the following:
Ensure coordination of learning on volunteerism for peace and development in UNV, focusing on achieving the following results:
- Design, coordinate and deliver UNV Field Unit’ Programme Officers (PO), Programme Managers (PM) and Programme Assistants (PA)’ trainings and workshops on volunteerism and ensure quality of training delivery; regularly assess trainings, training needs, capacity of training providers, etc.;
- Design and develop training guides and material on volunteerism, e.g. presentations, web-based modules, PO Handbook, ToR development guidance note, etc;
- Proactively use knowledge sharing tools and platform to enhance volunteer learning.
Ensure coordination of learning of the UN Volunteers, focusing on achieving the following results:
- Draft of revised relevant policies to support the implementation of the Volunteer Learning strategy and corresponding learning plan for UN Volunteers based on the assessment of learning needs; advocate, facilitate and co-ordinate learning and volunteer development;
- Manage the Capacity Development and Learning Facility.
- Design and develop training guides and material, e.g. presentations, web-based modules;
- Design orientation for incoming UNV volunteers;
Other related duties that may be assigned.
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Functional Competencies:
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;
- Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies;
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines (learning);
- Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;
- Continues to seeks 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.
Conceptual Innovation in the Provision of Technical Expertise
- Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes;
- Develops innovative and creative approaches to meet programme and capacity development objectives.
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.
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.
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Education:
- Master’s degree in education, social sciences, political science, public or business administration, or related fields
- Formal training in adult education/training and facilitation required.
Experience:
- 5 years of relevant professional experience; 3 years of this experience should be training and development of training in an international organization, preferably UNDP/UNV;
- Experience in managing volunteer programmes and/or in a development context involving volunteers is desirable.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English; proficiency in an additional UN language is desirable.
The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment.
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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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