Community Mobilization Senior Assistant

Contract

This is a LICA-5 contract. This kind of contract is known as Local Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally only for nationals. It's an external contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about LICA-5 contracts.

Background Information - UNOPS

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development.

UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management and human resources.

Working with us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce — a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Work life harmonization

UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands.

Background Information - Pakistan

UNOPS Pakistan (Project Office) is part of the Sri Lanka Multi Country Office in the Asia Region. UNOPS commenced operations in Pakistan in 1999 and significantly upscaled activities from 2005 onwards to support populations affected by and vulnerable to earthquakes. In 2010, UNOPS opened a permanent office in Islamabad to support the Government of Pakistan and other partners to undertake humanitarian and reconstruction services, following the most devastating floods in the nation’s history.

UNOPS Pakistan has been implementing projects in the areas of early recovery and reconstruction of community infrastructure, project management, monitoring and evaluation, community development, fund management, human resources management, procurement, and infrastructure design and implementation. Supported strategically by a regional operational hub and UNOPS headquarters in Copenhagen and within the overarching framework of the ONE UN Programme, UNOPS Pakistan continues to deliver projects across the country under its core delivery practices of sustainable infrastructure, sustainable procurement, and sustainable project management.

With a steady growth of the project portfolio in recent years and a new strategic direction, UNOPS Pakistan is looking to strengthen the relationships with existing partners as well as build new alliances and diversify the portfolio of work, in line with UNOPS strategic and Asia regional objectives.

Background Information - Job-specific

The WASH KP and Sindh project Funded by USAID, the project “Improved Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh” was initiated in September 2021. The project aims at improving access to clean and safe water, hygiene and sanitation and increasing the resilience of communities affected by floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces. It is expected to last 5 years, until December 2026.

The project is articulated around three main components:

• Improve quality and reach of water supply services and increase access to community and household sanitation (Infrastructure);
• Provide more effective, gender-responsive and transparent WASH services through enhanced capacity of government and communities (Capacity Building);
• Reduce waterborne diseases and improve resilience of communities through improved community and household hygiene practices (Behavioral Change).

The project will start with a participatory needs assessment phase in coordination with all its stakeholders in view of identifying priorities and precising the specific outputs under each of the three components of the project.

To implement the two main components community engagement and behavior change under the supervision of community engagement senior officer, new team members will be hired for district Tank and Umerkot as Community Mobilization Senior Assistant.

Functional Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected

Under the supervision of the Community Engagement Senior Officer, Community engagement Senior Assistant will perform the following tasks:

• Implement community sensitization activities as per assigned area;
• Support and monitor the implementing local partner NGO and/CBO as per CESO
• Feed the CESO with information required for internal and external activities update
• Implement the community feedback mechanism at field level
• Support in implementing the gender action plan in field activities

The Community Engagement Senior Assistant is moreover expected to actively promote gender equality across all her/his tasks.

Community Management

• Sensitize the local community on the sustainability aspects and factors of project activities (Regular tariff and O&M of schemes)
• Provide data/information required for the preparation of community action plans in order to design a sustainable WASH programme in the targeted area
• Ensure carrying out the activities related to community engagement in the field.

• Undertake duties as directed/ requested by the CESO to support the delivery and Implementation of distinct projects.

• Apply UNOPS minimum requirements on accountability to beneficiaries in the implementation of community engagement activities

• Encourage women and minority groups’ opinion to be taken in consideration on the community decisions.
• To ensure that wherever possible an empowering approach to working with communities is employed, ensuring that all work is carried out in a way that is sensitive to community needs, protection and gender issues.
• Act as a link between the organization and the beneficiaries.
• Provide appropriate field reports to CESO upon request.

Community Sensitization

• Ensure public health promotion activities are carrying out in the field
• Mobilize, organize and encourage the Communities to take ownership of maintaining best practices in public health promotion activities.
• Conduct basic participatory hygiene promotion sessions within communities, schools, groups of persons with specific needs, according to age, gender and diversity, community-based committees and other groups, such as duty bearers and stakeholders.
• Collect regular feedback and understanding of context – especially related to hygiene practices /community belief and perceptions
• Manage home visits to assess, inform and motivate families to improve hygiene and living conditions when required.
• Promote basic hygiene education through a variety of means, such as information sharing, dissemination, and communication materials.
• Support the supervisor to produce the audio-visual tools, for training and sensitizing the community with the participation of the engineers and the beneficiaries
• Apply UNOPS minimum requirements on accountability to beneficiaries in the implementation of promotion activities
• Encourage women and minority groups’ opinion to be taken in consideration on the community decisions.
• To ensure that wherever possible an empowering approach to working with communities is employed, ensuring that all work is carried out in a way that is sensitive to community needs, protection and gender issues.

Need Assessment

• Participate on KAP surveys (Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice) as well as detail need assessments with Consultant/partners/third party in field area

• Monitor the work of enumerators/promoters and volunteers on a daily basis and report on activities to the supervisor.

Monitoring and reporting on project’s community engagement components - Participate in monitoring the effectiveness of the community engagement activities and contribute to the adjustments of methodology and material based on the lessons learned from current practices. - Participate in pre- and post-programme assessments and collect quality data. - Report timely and accurately on the progress of all the community engagement components of the project, with a focus on impact, quality, risks & issues, and lessons learned. - Report community feedback

Grievance redressal mechanism setup and management

Implementation of grievance redressal mechanism allowing all stakeholders of the project (starting with the members of the beneficiary communities) to voice concerns, complaints and/or recommendations about any aspect of the project. Community Mobilization Senior Assistant will be responsible to create awareness among communities about grievance redressal mechanism.

Impact of Results

The Community Engagement Senior Assistant directly impacts the success of the community engagement components of the project by ensuring a close liaison with the communities, community-based organisations and NGOs; the quality, accuracy and inclusive nature of the data collection of the communities WASH needs, issues and priorities; the participatory and inclusive implementation of all WASH interventions; contribute to development of community engagement plans;; passion and persistence in the implementation of community engagement interventions;

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others.Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education: - Completion of high school diploma is required - Bachelor Degree, preferably in Social Sciences, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Health or equivalent is highly desirable - Master Degree, preferably in Social Sciences, Sociology, Anthropology, Gender Studies, Development Studies, Public Health or equivalent is an asset

Experience:

• Minimum 5 year of relevant experience in community engagement / social mobilization.
• Minimum one year of relevant experience in health promotion.
• Experience with UN agencies, NGOs or governmental agencies active in water supply, sanitation and/or solid waste management in Sindh province is an asset.

Language Requirements: - Full professional knowledge of English is essential - Fluency in Urdu and one or more Pakistan regional languages (in particular Pashto or Sindhi)

Contract type, level and duration

• Contract type: Individual Contract Agreement Agreement (ICA)
• Contract level: Local ICA Support (L-ICA 5)
• Contract duration: Open ended -subject to satisfactory performance, continued relevance of the role to the project and funding availability

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:

https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

*It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

Cover Letter:

Applicants are required to submit a Cover Letter with their applications and specify the location for which they are submitting the application.

Gender mainstreaming:

In line with UNOPS’ global gender parity strategy, female candidates are especially encouraged to apply.*