Community Youth Empowerment Assistant- Foni, West Coast Region (WCR)

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Overview

Assist in empowering community youth through project coordination and support.

You have:

• Experience in project activity implementation related to youth, women, peace, development
• Experience working on initiatives geared towards the inclusion and empowerment of marginalized groups like women, youth, and Persons with Disability (PWDs)
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization is an asset
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines
• Have affinity with or interest in peacebuilding, gender and youth empowerment, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system

In The Gambia, UNDP supports national efforts for sustainable human development in line with the Gambia’s Recovery Focused National Development Plan (RF-NDP 2023-2027), which is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development/SDGs and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. To deliver on its mandate, UNDP partners with key government institutions and employs different means of actions including institutional capacity strengthening, harnessing strategic linkages, support to evidence-based policy formulation, planning and implementation, resource mobilization, support to national planning processes and mainstreaming of relevant issues to ensure no one is left behind.

UNDP The Gambia, with funding from the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB), is implementing a project on Promoting Sustainable and Inclusive Peace in The Gambia through the Holistic Empowerment of Women and Youth (2025-2026). The overall objective of the project is to contribute to sustainable peace by holistically empowering women and youth. This includes mitigating the risk of drug abuse exposure, enhancing their resilience against external shocks through innovative livelihood improvements, and promoting increased participation of women and youth in peace and security initiatives.

The Gambia faces multifaceted challenges that threaten sustainable peace and security. The 2024 Conflict and Development Analysis Report highlights economic vulnerability and the drug crisis as key drivers of violence and instability. Ethnic, religious, and political polarization —rooted in the country’s nascent democracy—exacerbates these issues. This division hinders effective governance and limits collaboration among diverse communities, which is essential for fostering inclusive economic development. Women and youth are the most affected by these challenges. Recognizing the interconnectedness of economic vulnerability, drug abuse, and peace, the project adopts a holistic approach to address the multidimensional needs of women and youth for sustainable peace and development. The project aligns strategically with the National Action Plan (NAP) for Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and the NAP for Women, Peace and Security (WPS).

The project’s specific objectives are: (i) enhancing the participation of women and youth in peace and security initiatives to contribute to inclusive and sustainable peacebuilding, (ii) strengthening the capacity of women and youth in community-based enterprises within agriculture to promote inclusive economic growth for sustainable peace, and (iii) establishing and empowering youth-led initiatives to effectively prevent and reduce drug abuse, thereby contributing to improved community well-being and sustainable peace.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the National UN Community Volunteer will carry out the following tasks: • Provide coordination support for the effective implementation of project activities, including initiatives led by regional youth. • Facilitate the mobilization of participants for project activities such as training, workshops, and related engagements. • Support the organization of logistical arrangements for project activities, including the procurement of venues, catering, and other necessary services. • Provide close support to regional youth in designing and implementing initiatives, including peer-to-peer sensitization on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) and Women, Peace and Security (WPS), development of community-level action plans, peer-to-peer sensitization on the prevention of drug abuse, and positive coping sessions. • Assist in the management of activity budgets related to youth-led initiatives, ensuring compliance with established procedures. • Contribute to the documentation and reporting of activities by preparing activity reports, drafting minutes of meetings, and maintaining accurate records. • Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the UNDP Country Office

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: includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance, and commitment towards UNDP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

• Experience in project activity implementation related to youth, women, peace, development • Experience working on initiatives geared towards the inclusion and empowerment of marginalised groups like women, youth and Persons with Disability (PWDs). • Experience working in the UN or other international development organisation is an asset
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Have affinity with or interest in peacebuilding, gender and youth empowerment, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

The successful National UN Community Volunteer for the West Coast Region will be based in their own community. This approach ensures that the volunteer remains closely connected to the local context and can effectively address community-specific needs. The West Coast Region of The Gambia is characterized by a mix of urban and rural settlements, with varying access to basic services such as healthcare, education, and clean water. While some areas benefit from proximity to the capital and better infrastructure, others face challenges related to poverty, limited employment opportunities, and inadequate public services. Having a volunteer embedded within the community fosters trust and enhances the impact of these initiatives.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”

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Potential interview questions

Added 10 months ago - Updated 9 months ago - Source: unv.org