Junior Partnerships Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

This UN Volunteer assignment is part of the WHO Country Office in Ghana. The UN Volunteer will support the work of the WHO Country Office External Relations Officer (P3) to strengthen the office in resource mobilization, advocacy and partnerships with all relevant partners, particularly non-State

Within the delegated authority and under the direct supervision of External Relations Officer and under the general oversight of WHO Representative, the UNV Junior Partnerships Specialist will:

• Support implementation of the multi-year WHO Country Office Partnership & Resource Mobilization Strategy and Annual Work Plan aimed at ensuring sustainable financing of core and emergency activities.
• Identify and promote new partnerships, primarily with non-State actors that include international, regional and local nongovernmental organizations, private sector (including business associations, high-net-worth individuals, etc.), philanthropic foundations, and academic institutions, in line with the WHO Framework of Engagement with Non-State Actors (FENSA) through systematically exploring and tapping into opportunities to expand the WHO engagement with non-State actors, facilitating FENSA clearances, agreements and MOUs to formalize those partnerships where appropriate, while working closely with External Relations Officer, the WHO Technical Units and Operations Officer along the process. • Ensure organization of regular FENSA awareness raising and “refresher” training sessions for the WHO Technical Units to facilitate the Country Office compliance with FENSA rules in engagement with non-State actors. • Pay a particular emphasis to strengthening the WHO’s engagement and partnership with public and private academic institutions and think tanks, particularly at the local and regional levels. • Support External Relations Officer in partner engagement and fundraising for the activities of the Multi-Country Assignment Team (MCAT), hosted by Ghana, consisting of high-level health technical experts who provide critical support to Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. • Assist in partner intelligence, through systematically updating key in-house tools, such as Partner Mapping, Partner Database, Partner Profiles, etc. as required, while developing and maintaining deep knowledge and familiarity with current and prospective partners (particularly non-State actors) and relevant stakeholders. • Strengthen the office culture with regards to application of Results-Based Management and robust Monitoring and Evaluation practices. • Contribute to ensuring quality and timely reporting to donors and in the context of the UN inter-agency work in line with the organizational requirements on result-oriented reporting through collaboration with the WHO Technical Units. • Support systematic donor visibility and knowledge management in collaboration with External Relations Officer and Communications Officer. • Provide general support to External Relations Officer and the WHO Technical Units in overall partners engagement, quality proposal and report writing, partner visibility and knowledge management (collaborating with Communications Officer) and other duties as required to develop, manage, and sustain partnerships at the WHO Country Office level.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to WHO; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to WHO 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 WHO 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 WHO’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

the relevant positions and involving proposal development and donor liaison; • Experience in engagement with private sector is preferred; • Experience working in the UN or other international development organization is an asset.

Other desired technical knowledge: • Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining good relationships with institutional donors or corporations; • Proven ability to engage with and quickly forge strong working relationships with a wide variety of diverse stakeholders; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Excellent interpersonal skills; • Results-oriented; • 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; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;

Ghana is a middle-income country with a population of 30 million people. The incumbent will be based in the capital city, Accra, Ghana. The duty station is within commuting distance. The country is generally peaceful with transport, medical, education and other services affordable and within reach. At sea level, the climate of the country is tropical-hot and humid with average yearly temperatures of about 27oC (80oF) and little daily variation. At the hinterland, there is higher altitudes with an average yearly temperature of 20oC (68oF), and nights are generally cool. Annual rainfall varies from 500 centimetres (200 in.) on the southwestern slopes to 100 centimetres (40 in.) in the northern lowlands. The dry season runs from October to May. Ghana is a Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) country and a family duty station. Regarding accommodation and food, houses and apartments can be rented from $300 to $800 per month depending on the location and meals at the restaurant cost between $5 and $25. Food, household commodities and clothing can be found in shops and local markets at reasonable prices. An entry visa is required for all travellers and must be obtained prior to arrival from an embassy. The Cedi is the local currency and according to the UN exchange rate system, currently 14.50 Ghana cedis is equivalent to USD 1. There are forex bureaux where foreign currencies can be exchanged. Some commercial banks are operating in the country and Visa cards are accepted in very limited hotels, restaurants and select service centres.

During rush hour, commute can become lengthy moving towards the city center. Walking and biking is not recommended due to the conditions of the road, absence of bike lanes and sidewalks as well as in terms of the temperature with high humidity levels.

Most modes of public transport in Ghana, including buses and tro-tros (informal mini-bus tax-is), are inexpensive but can be erratic and unreliable. For this reason, most expats living in Ghana opt to drive their own vehicle or hire a driver to transport them daily. However, the cost of purchasing a reliable car is quite high, and petrol prices are steadily increasing although it's still relatively cheap when compared with other countries. The price range for these differ de-pending on condition, type and age of the vehicle. Uber is offering a reasonable and reliable alternative.

The cost of public healthcare in Ghana is low, especially since the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, the quality of treatment offered by public hospitals in Ghana does not meet the standard that most expats are accustomed to. Private health care is a good option. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for UN personnel to enter Ghana, while others are compulsory for all other in-coming persons. It is possible for incoming UN personnel, including UN volunteers, to be asked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations at the Kotoka International Airport, for example yellow fever vaccination. All UN Volunteers must ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly and properly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (“carte jaune”). Malaria is present virtually throughout Ghana, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis. The UN clinic is based in the UNDP compound and accessible for UNVs. Ghana has been com-mended for its management of the COVID-19 crisis and started its vaccine campaign.

Ghana has been impacted by inflation and increased cost of living expenses for fuel and everyday commodities. Ghana’s annual inflation rate accelerated for the 17th straight month to 40.4% in October of 2022, up from 37.2% in September amid a strong depreciation of the cedi during the month. Accommodation costs are rising with a high demand and short supply. Costs for transport are increasing due to fuel price rises but still relatively low com-pared to other countries.