Coordination Assistant

Volunteering Communications & PR

Overview

Support youth engagement in social and behaviour change initiatives.

You have:

• Prior experience of working on projects related to social development programmes, disaster management, tribal/youth development, public advocacy or communications with focus on Social and Behaviour Change.
• Demonstrated interest in tribal, youth, social and developmental issues such as maternal and child health, adolescent development and mental health, with understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• A Scheduled Tribe certificate issued by the Government must be uploaded at the time of application.
• Preference will be given to youth with intersecting vulnerabilities (gender, income, disabilities, etc.).

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

The Coordination Assistant under the Adi Yuva Fellowship initiative is strategically aligned with Youth2030: The UN Youth Strategy (Phase 2: 2025–2030), which positions youth as essential partners in SDG acceleration.It is designed to directly complement & support the Government of India’s flagship national initiative-the PMJANMAN (Prime Minister’s Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) Development Mission). The mission’s goal to saturate PVTG households with basic facilities, secure livelihoods & socio-economic empowerment provides a critical framework for aligned & synergistic UN action.

Odisha, with its lush landscapes & rich cultural heritage, has been home to a diverse group of tribal communities for centuries. The state boasts 62 distinct tribal communities, each with its rich and unique cultural heritage, social norms & traditions, languages & lifestyles contribute significantly to the social, economic & cultural fabric. With a large tribal population, state ranks third in the most tribal-dominated states in India. The tribal population in Odisha constitutes about 23% of the state’s total population, with a variety of tribes, languages & customs that have been preserved for centuries.

a) The statistics below highlight the significant presence and diversity of tribal communities in Odisha. • Total Tribal Population: According to the 2011 Census, Odisha has a tribal population of 9,590,756, which constitutes 22.85% of the state’s total population. • Number of Tribal Communities: Odisha officially recognizes 62 distinct tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), which is highest in the country. • Top District by Tribal Population: Malkangiri district has the highest percentage of tribal population at 57.4%. • Lowest District by Tribal Population: Puri district has the lowest percentage of tribal population at 0.3%. • Language Diversity: The 64 Scheduled Tribes in Odisha speak as many as 74 dialects.

b) Some of the major challenges found in the tribal areas of Odisha are as follows: • Poverty and Underdevelopment: Many tribal areas in Odisha face significant economic marginalization, with high levels of poverty, malnutrition, and unemployment. Access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and clean drinking water remains limited in many remote tribal areas. • Health Issues: Tribal populations in Odisha often have limited access to healthcare services, leading to high mortality rates, malnutrition, and the spread of diseases. Traditional healing methods coexist with the formal healthcare system, but there is often mistrust of modern medicine. • Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing: Tribal adolescents and young people may face psychosocial stress, anxiety/depression, substance use vulnerabilities and stress related to poverty, discrimination and limited access to services. Stigma and myths often prevent help-seeking and timely referral. • Child Rights Violations: Issues such as child marriage, child labour, high infant mortality, and lack of education remain prevalent in some tribal areas. These challenges hinder the development and well-being of tribal children.

The significant challenges, pertaining to realization of child rights and wellbeing, calls for an inclusive social and behaviour change strategy.

The UN Volunteer will support the Social and Behaviour Change section in strengthening the engagement with the tribal communities in Odisha, especially the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). The UN Volunteer will work under the direct supervision of the Social and Behaviour Change Specialist (SBC). Technical guidance will be provided by the Health, Nutrition, Child Protection, Education and WASH sectors.

The UN Volunteer will support the following tasks:

1. Mapping and analysis: • Mapping of tribal population with focus on PVTGs across Odisha. • Analyze health, nutrition, WASH, education, and child protection issues affecting tribal women, children and adolescents • Analyse existing communication or SBC strategies available in the government departments aimed at tribal population • Use secondary data to document mental health vis a vis mental illness issues existing in the communities that are affecting tribal adolescents and young people • Identify the linkages between the social norms, traditional practices and stigma and discrimination due to mental health • Map psycho-social support services such as including services through Health, Education, Child Protection and community-based platforms to address the mental health issues affecting women, children, adolescent and youth people.

2. Programme support and strategy development: • Support in preparation of SBC strategy for engagement with tribal communities • Support integration of adolescents’ mental health and psychosocial wellbeing in the SBC strategy for engagement with tribal communities, including approaches for stigma reduction and enabling care-seeking and referral. • Support and coordinate stakeholder consultations with tribal institutions.

3. Capacity development: • Support in developing training modules for capacity strengthening of frontline functionaries, peer educators, youth platforms, PRI members and traditional healers on maternal and child health, nutrition, child protection and basic adolescent mental health literacy for reducing stigma and discrimination.

4. Documentation and knowledge management: • Support in documenting case studies, human interest stories, knowledge products focusing on PVTGs and their dissemination to the key stakeholders for upstream advocacy • Assist in preparing learning notes on effective community actions to reduce mental health stigma, address myths and misconceptions, and improve psychosocial support service uptake and referrals among the parents, adolescent and young people.

Accountability Adaptability and Flexibility Building Trust Commitment and Motivation Commitment to Continuous Learning Communication Creativity Empowering Others Ethics and Values Integrity Knowledge Sharing Planning and Organizing Professionalism Respect for Diversity Self-Management Technological Awareness Working in Teams

• Prior experience of working on projects related to social development programmes, disaster management, tribal /youth development, public advocacy or communications with focus on Social and Behaviour Change. • Demonstrated interest in tribal, youth, social and developmental issues such a maternal and child health, adolescent development and mental health, with understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). • Sound understanding of youth related challenges would be an asset.

NOTE: This position is open exclusively to candidates from Scheduled Tribe communities. The Scheduled Tribe certificate issued by the Government must be uploaded at the time of application. Preference will be given to youth with intersecting vulnerabilities (gender, income, disabilities, etc.

Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha State is the largest town and headquarters of Khordha district and Odisha State. Located in the eastern coastal plains, along the axis of the Eastern Ghats mountains, the city has an average altitude of 45 m (148 ft) above sea level. It lies southwest of the Mahanadi River which forms the northern boundary of the Bhubaneswar metropolitan area, within its delta. It has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million people. Bhubaneswar is supposed to have had over one thousand temples, earning the tag of the 'Temple City of India'. An administrative and educational centre of Odisha, it is well connected by railway and road. Bhubaneswar is an ancient city with a rich cultural heritage. Although the modern city of Bhubaneswar was formally established in 1948, the history of the areas in and around the present-day city can be traced to the 7th century BCE and earlier. It is a confluence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain heritage and includes several Kalingan temples, many of them from the 6th–13th century CE. With Puri and Konark it forms the 'Swarna Tribhuja' ("Golden Triangle"), one of Eastern India's most visited destinations. The living cost in Bhubaneshwar is equal to that in Kolkata or Hyderabad. The weather is moderate. Summer nights tend to get pleasant and not remain hot. It is well connected by flights from major international airports in the country. Medical facilities, banking facilities, communications and infrastructure are good.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, with frequent travel to the other state and remote tribal districts.. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

UN Volunteer entitlements and allowances: The purpose of the allowances and entitlements paid to the UN Volunteer 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. For more information on entitlements, please read the Conditions of Service (https://explore.unv.org/cos).

For information specific to your assignment, please see below: • Monthly Voluntary Living Allowance (VLA): INR 56,126.74 • Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 350 (equivalent in INR) • Relocation costs: $175 at the beginning and end of the assignment if the duty station is outside of commuting distance (as determined by UNV) • Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): $120 for each month served, paid on completion of contract • Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for health, life, and malicious acts • Annual leave: 2.5 days per month • Learning: Access to UNV's learning and career development resources

NOTE: This position is open exclusively to candidates from Scheduled Tribe communities. The Scheduled Tribe certificate issued by the Government must be uploaded at the time of application. Preference will be given to youth with intersecting vulnerabilities (gender, income, disabilities, etc.

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Potential interview questions

Added 13 days ago - Updated 2 hours ago - Source: unv.org