Disability Officer

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The UNICEF Country Office Zambia through the Social Policy and Research Section supports the Government of the Republic of Zambia in strengthening the availability and relevance of social protection services to persons with disabilities. A particular interest lies on cash transfers. The Zambian Social Cash Transfer as flagship social assistance programme is expected to cover up to 1,374,469 beneficiaries in 116 districts, 17% of which are households with members with severe disabilities. In addition to the provision of cash, there is also ongoing work to strengthen linkages from cash transfers to add disability-related needs in a cash-plus framework.

The UN volunteer will be embedded into the social policy and research team, and con-tribute to the Section’s technical assistance to strengthen disability mainstreaming of social policy, as well as work with other sections in UNICEF and other UN Agencies. The Disability Officer will also participate in the UNICEF country office Disability Inclusion Taskforce.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist - Disability Inclusion, the Disability Officer will undertake the following tasks:

• Support technical assistance to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to strengthen the disability-inclusiveness and appropriateness in the use of evidence-based planning for national disability surveys, documentation and studies. • Support technical assistance to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services to strengthen the disability-inclusiveness and appropriateness of the Social Cash Transfer and cash-plus interventions. • Identify relevant disability linkages in the 8th National Development Plan and the Decentralisation Policy, among others (such as education support, reasonable accommodation, assistive devices, and community-based rehabilitation) and conceptualise strategies for delivery of these linkages in collaboration with other UN and Government partners. • Support coordination with other UN agencies (ILO, UNDP, and other UN Agencies). • Support the UNICEF Country Office Disability Inclusion Task Force as Secretary. • Support the data and knowledge management of the office in regard to disability and its mainstreaming, tagging and documentation. • Support communication, visibility and communication for development activities in collaboration with relevant Sections and Units within UNICEF and organisations of persons with disabilities. • Provide support to the Social Policy Team in planning, facilitating and reporting on meetings, trainings and fieldwork, within and outside Lusaka. • Support the financial management of activities implemented with Government and other implementing partners and support end of activity financial reporting.

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Building Trust, Commitment and Motivation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Creativity, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Knowledge Sharing, Planning and Organizing, Respect for Diversity, and Working in Teams.

• Persons with disabilities and/or parents of children with disabilities who meet the educational and work experience requirements. Successful candidates will be provided with reasonable accommodation during application and onboarding processes and throughout the incumbency. This means they will be given the necessary support to apply and be considered on equal basis with all others, in line with United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS). Examples for reasonable accommodation include mobility measures, special computer software, or assistants such as sign language interpreters. Candidates should reach out to UNICEF HR to clarify support required. • Please disclose your disability status if you have any in the UNV portal and also click the same box if you are a parent of a child with disability (this can then be clarified later in the process). • Ability to communicate effectively in English is required, this can be satisfied by the ability to use English in disability specific communication methods (such as Zambian sign language, Braille, voice transcription software, etc.). • Prior work or volunteer experience in the disability and/or inclusive development sectors/movement is an added advantage. • Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team, in a multi-cultural setup is an asset. • Knowledge of some local languages.

Zambia is a land-linked country with a population estimated at 18 million. It is a resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) that serve as an expanded market for its goods. Lusaka became the capital city of Zambia in May 1935. Lusaka’s central position in Zambia and its pleasant climate were two of the main reasons for its selection as the capital. It is a metropolis, which provides a home to about two and half million (3.3 M) inhabitants of different nationalities. It has grown to become the seat of the Government of the Republic of Zambia and as such all diplomatic missions, international organizations, industrial and commercial entities are based there. Its political, social, economic and cultural significance has also increased through the years.

Public transport is provided by private operators using minibuses and taxis. The bus routes are not mapped, and roads are often congested. Good modern housing for rent is available on the open market. The official language is English, which is widely spoken. The country is generally food secure, with sufficient local fresh fruits and vegetables available in the markets, as well as various dairy, poultry and meat products. There are several international schools using the Cambridge GCSE or IGCSE syllabi, from key stage one through to A levels. Health conditions are generally good, although malaria is endemic. Zambia is generally a safe place to live in, although not free of crime. Some prudence is required. For more info, visit: http://www.zambiatourism.com.