Adolescent Engagement Support Volunteer

Contract

This is a UNV Community Volunteer contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV Community Volunteer contracts.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) works in the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents – and to protect the rights of every child, everywhere. Across more than 190 countries and territories, UNICEF staff do whatever it takes to help children survive, thrive, and fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. UNICEF is the world’s largest provider of vaccines, supporting child health and nutrition, safe water and sanitation, quality education and skill building, HIV prevention and treatment for mothers and babies, and the protection of children and adolescents from violence and exploitation. Before, during, and after humanitarian emergencies, UNICEF is on the ground, bringing lifesaving help and hope to children and families. Non-political and impartial, UNICEF is never neutral when it comes to defending children’s rights and safeguarding their lives and futures. For 75 years, UNICEF has been the defender of children around the world, regardless of gender, religion, race or economic background. When the world’s most vulnerable need a champion in the face of conflict, disease or exclusion, UNICEF has been there.

Child participation is one of the key programmatic work areas of UNICEF Romania, with the goal of mainstreaming the meaningful participation of children and adolescents in decision-making processes, in accordance with art. 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. To this end, UNICEF Romania works with different child-led groups, such as the Romanian Children’s Board and the Romanian National School Students’ Council, as well as other partners, in order to ensure that children’s voices and views are heard and listened to. The selected UNV will have the role of providing day-to-day support to the child participation activities, including, but not limited to, logistical and administrative support.

U-Report is UNICEF's flagship digital platform started in 2011, to engage young people in programme priorities, emergency response and advocacy actions. It supports adolescent, youth, and community participation; and works as a tool to share information, raise awareness, and collect quantifiable data on specific areas that impact children, including the most vulnerable. The received responses are analyzed in real-time, mapped, and displayed on a public dashboard, ensuring the young people's feedback can be actioned by local and national decision-makers. At global level, there are more than 25 million users registered across the 95 different countries implementing this platform.

As part of the national-level child participation work, UNICEF Romania has launched its own U-Report, to support its programmes and more specifically to provide a space for participation to children and young people to advocate for their rights. The selected UNV will contribute to this effort and ensure its success. More information can be found by consulting the different U-Report platforms available: U-Report global https://ureport.in/ U-Report Romania: https://romania.ureport.in/ U-Report for Ukrainians on the move: https://europe-uk.ureport.in/ U-Report Ukraine: https://ukraine.ureport.in/

Under the direct supervision of the Child Participation Officer, the Community UN Youth Volunteer will: - Maintain constant communication and interaction regarding UNICEF’s child participation work with the child-led groups involved in the organisation’s activities. - Support with the planning, implementation, and evaluation of different child participation activities and events. - Provide methodological support for designing child-friendly workshops, trainings, and other activities. - Support internal recruitment processes for child participation opportunities, on a need basis. - Ensure children and young people’s engagement under U-Report - coordination of participation from adolescents and children, gathering inputs, ideas, and suggestions for the use of U-Report as well as inputs to other relevant programmatic areas (as peers). - Stay connected to the global/regional community and attend webinars to keep abreast of the latest organisational and partners policy change. - Help in disseminating and promoting the platform, including support to produce communication products, materials, and designs; ensure coordination with programmatic areas specialists (Protection, Education, Health, SBC, etc.) for technical support and guidance on content and approaches. - Support community management in the Romanian language for the online platforms used under the U-Report platform. - Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Results/Expected Outputs:

• As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, beneficiary-friendly, and high-quality support provided to our interventions in the accomplishment of her/his function.
• Children’s participation in different events and activities is supported, ensuring the full implementation of UNICEF Child Safeguarding rules and principles.
• Engagement and communication with child-led groups is properly maintained, ensuring meaningful child and adolescent participation.
• U-Report Romania is operational and provides the support needed to the targeted community of beneficiaries, including key messages and two-way communication.
• Support to ensure the U-Report Romania platform is technically maintained and functional.
• Timely documents are being drafted and leveraged to influence policy and decision-making.

-Affinity or interest to learn and ensure technical management of digital/online platforms; previous experience in this field is an advantage; -Strong computer skills (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others); -2 years of experience in voluntary service, community engagement or professional experience is desirable; -Good oral and written skills; good drafting, formulation, reporting skills; -Good interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organization, and authorities at different levels; -Skills in community development and experience in leading or contributing to community initiatives (such as volunteer groups, youth-led initiatives; ideally experience in representing the community at different levels); -Ability to mobilize and understand different groups in Romania, and be familiar with the characteristics, sensitivities, and dynamics of the different communities in Romania; -Proficient in using social media and digital communication platforms for community engagement; -Have affinity with or interest in working with young people, capacity building, volunteerism and other relevant areas as a mechanism for durable development and the UN system; -Show interest for the mandate of UNICEF, more specifically the promotion of children’s rights; -Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others; -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; -Affinity with creative arts (drawing, illustration, painting, etc.) or experience in production of creative materials (e.g., graphic design) is an advantage.

Core competencies: -Professionalism -Integrity -Teamwork and respect for diversity -Commitment to continuous learning -Planning and organizing -Communication -Flexibility

-Affinity or interest to learn and ensure technical management of digital/online platforms; previous experience in this field is an advantage; -Strong computer skills (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, social media, and others); -2 years of experience in voluntary service, community engagement or professional experience is desirable; -Good oral and written skills; good drafting, formulation, reporting skills; -Good interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organization, and authorities at different levels; - Skills in community development and experience in leading or contributing to community initiatives (such as volunteer groups, youth-led initiatives; ideally experience in representing the community at different levels); -Ability to mobilize and understand different groups in Romania, and be familiar with the characteristics, sensitivities, and dynamics of the different communities in Romania; -Proficient in using social media and digital communication platforms for community engagement; -Have affinity with or interest in working with young people, capacity building, volunteerism and other relevant areas as a mechanism for durable development and the UN system; -Show interest for the mandate of UNICEF, more specifically the promotion of children’s rights; -Motivated to contribute towards peace and development and to serve others; -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; -Affinity with creative arts (drawing, illustration, painting, etc.) or experience in production of creative materials (e.g., graphic design) is an advantage.

The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

Flexible work arrangements can be offered for this UN Volunteer assignment.

UN Community Volunteer entitlements and allowances:

Monthly Living Allowance: RON 2550 Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 50 Please note that the amounts in local currency can vary according to fluctuations in the exchange rate.

The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to UN Volunteers is to enable UN Volunteers to sustain a secure standard of living at the duty stations in line with United Nations standards without incurring personal costs. The allowances are in no way to be understood as compensation, reward, or salary in exchange for the UN Volunteer’s service.

For more information on entitlements please read the Condition of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos).

Medical and life insurance: • Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment.

Leave entitlements: • Annual Leave:  UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. • Learning Leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive 7 days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year.

All UNICEF staff and complementary personnel are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with the ‘primary series’ of WHO-approved vaccines. This global mandate applies to all UNICEF staff members and complementary personnel i.e. *consultants, *interns, *secondees, *UNVs, and *others who are employed by other organizations but currently work for UNICEF (through loans, standby partnerships, and other individual contracts).