Community Volunteer in Social Services

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.

This UNV assignment is part of UNDP’s project titled Sustaining peace and social cohesion in Bosnia and Herzegovina through enhanced inter-municipal and inter-entity cooperation on local services (SPSC), implemented jointly with the International Organization for Migration (IoM) in eight local governments in West Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project supports interventions to strengthen social structures and services, with the aim to provide needs-based and quality-improved service delivery to men, women, and youth in the target communities. To that end, the project will focus on the services delivered at the community level, as well as on counselling services targeting families, children, young people, the elderly, people with mental and physical disabilities, the poor, and other disadvantaged individuals and families.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the UNV Community Volunteers Coordinator, a UN Community Volunteer will be catalysts of community engagement, supporting awareness-raising efforts in their communities, increasing community participation in decision-making, and contributing to the increased ownership and satisfaction of communities with the provision of social services. Concretely, the incumbent will be placed at the Center for Social Work in Sanski Most and will perform the following tasks:

1. provide support to the host institution in the targeted community,
2. assist the efforts in the mapping of priority social services,
3. support outreach to social services beneficiaries, e.g. through the provision of social support and improving outreach to vulnerable population
4. record and report on activities and best practices
5. any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

This will also include field trips to meet beneficiaries, provision of support in the organization of meetings, gathering and maintaining data, and other duties within the scope of work.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• 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 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.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNDP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNDP mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

• Bachelor’s degree in IT, economy, social sciences, or similar will be considered an advantage • Volunteer experience in activities and projects of civil society organizations will be considered an advantage • Working knowledge of English is an advantage • Ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners including grassroots community members • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in Microsoft Excel • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.