Community Engagement and Anticipatory Action Field Assistant

Volunteering Crisis & Emergency Response

Overview

Support the roll-out of Anticipatory Action and community engagement activities in Tanzania.

You have:

• At least 2 years of relevant experience in community-based projects, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, or humanitarian programmes
• Experience working with local government authorities and communities
• Knowledge of early warning, early action, or climate-related interventions is an asset
• Strong communication, coordination, and reporting skills
• Strong interpersonal and community engagement skills
• Ability to work independently in remote settings
• Flexibility and willingness to travel frequently
• Cultural sensitivity and professionalism
• Good understanding of the context of the district

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes, contributing to saving and changing lives. Access to climate services and early warnings by the most at risk contribute to better decision making on use of household resources prior to, during and after climate shocks impact on lives and livelihoods. The fundamental right of access to both high quality climate services and early warnings has been acknowledged in the recent call of the UN Secretary General (UNSG) to enhancing early warning systems (EWS) to reach a complete coverage, ensuring that within five years every person is reached through EW delivery (UN Early Warnings for All Initiative, 2022). WFP has committed to supporting this initiative through its global operational reach and expertise in the delivery of climate services through its global integrated climate risk management and anticipatory action portfolio.

Climate extremes are a key driver of food insecurity in Tanzania. The climate crisis is compounding drivers of food insecurity, including conflict and economic shocks. To successfully manage these intersecting issues, disaster risk management and humanitarian response systems need to evolve from crisis response to forward-looking risk management, closely linked to climate science and climate services. The impact of climate extremes can be reduced when reliable climate observations and forecasts, translated into actionable climate services geared towards more informed decision-making to support most at risk communities.

To spearhead the implementation of WFP’s engagement with government counterparts and partners to institutionalize Anticipatory Action and strengthen national systems for climate and Disaster Risk Management, Tanzania Country Office is seeking a community UNV position for 6 months to support the roll-out and readiness activities at the operational level in Arusha under Anticipatory Action (AA) in the targeted districts covering Monduli and Same. UNV will be key to support the critical phase of programme set-up. The UNV will provide critical on‑the‑ground support to ensure effective engagement with local authorities, communities, and partners during this start‑up phase. Since there is no WFP presence in this region, he/she will be based in Arusha with travels the implementation districts (Same, Monduli, Longido, Simanjiro).

Under the supervision of the Anticipatory Action Programme Lead, the UNV will: 1. Support the operational roll‑out and readiness activities of the Anticipatory Action project in the 3 districts (Same, Monduli, Longido) 2. Facilitate coordination and engagement with district authorities, line departments, community leaders, and local stakeholders 3. Support community‑level sensitization and awareness on Anticipatory Action concepts and planned interventions 4. Assist in the collection, verification, and documentation of baseline and operational data relevant to AA triggers and early actions 5. Support planning and organization of meetings, trainings, and field activities at district and community levels 6. Monitor implementation progress and provide regular field updates and reports to the WFP programme team 7. Support identification of operational challenges and practical solutions during the start‑up phase 8. Ensure proper documentation of lessons learned and good practices to inform scale‑up 9. Perform any other related duties as assigned by the supervisor

i. Strong interpersonal and community engagement skills ii. Ability to work independently in remote settings iii. Flexibility and willingness to travel frequently iv. Cultural sensitivity and professionalism v. Commitment to UN values and humanitarian principles

i. At least 2 years of relevant experience in community‑based projects, disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, or humanitarian programmes ii. Experience working with local government authorities and communities iii. Knowledge of early warning, early action, or climate‑related interventions is an asset iv. Strong communication, coordination, and reporting skills v. Good understanding of the context of the district

The assignment will be based in Arusha, with frequent travel to field locations including Simanjiro, Same, and Longido.

Arusha is a well-developed city with access to essential services including healthcare facilities, supermarkets, banks, restaurants, internet services, and suitable accommodation options. The city serves as a major hub for humanitarian and development operations in northern Tanzania and hosts several UN agencies and international organizations.

Field missions to Simanjiro, Same, and Longido may involve travel to remote and semi-arid areas with varying road conditions and limited access to some services. Volunteers should therefore be flexible and prepared for frequent movement between urban and rural settings. Basic amenities are generally available in district towns; however, occasional power and internet interruptions may occur in field locations.

The security situation in the duty stations is generally stable. Nevertheless, adherence to UNDSS security protocols and host entity guidance during field travel is required at all times.

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Potential interview questions

Added 4 days ago - Updated 8 hours ago - Source: unv.org