Programme Coordination Officer

Volunteering Environment Medical & Health

Overview

Support WASH initiatives focusing on climate change resilience in Zambia.

You have:

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in programme coordination, partnership support, or project management in development, humanitarian, or environmental sectors.
• Prior experience working with UN agencies, government institutions, or international NGOs is an asset.
• Experience with knowledge management, documentation, or communication materials development is highly valued.
• Familiarity with WASH or climate adaptation programming is helpful but not required.
• Strong coordination and organizational skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Competence in drafting reports, summaries, or briefs.
• Good understanding of development or humanitarian programming.
• Commitment to teamwork, learning, and inclusion.
• Previous volunteering experience and/or exposure to cross-cultural settings is an advantage.

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.

Zambia is a land locked lower middle-income country in southern Africa home to approximately 18 million people. Of that population, 45% are urban. A 2018 survey of households revealed that 15% of children under the age of 5 years in Zambia had diarrhoea within the two weeks prior to the survey. In addition, 34.6% of children in Zambia under the age of 5 years are stunted. Globally, research has shown that consumption of poor-quality water can cause diarrhoea and waterborne diseases and may contribute to child stunting. While there is not currently a comprehensive dataset of water quality results in Zambia, various studies have published water quality results revealing contamination. Globally, climate change may increase the consumption of contaminated water. This is especially true in drought-prone areas of Africa where climate variability is likely to increase in the future. It is anticipated that Climate change will make sustaining WASH infrastructure and governing structures in Zambia more difficult. Data indicates that parts of Zambia where UNICEF works will have increased temperatures and less precipitation, yet significantly more water discharge and runoff. Increased flooding has already been observed in some of parts of Zambia. In addition, some parts of Zambia where UNICEF focuses its WASH work has been identified as locations for potential high winds and Flash Floods. To improve the sustainability of existing system and climate resilience, UNICEF would like to request a UN Volunteer to support the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section focusing on Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction/Response (CEED).

Under the direct supervision of the WASH Specialist, the UN Volunteer will:

• Support coordination of partnerships between UNICEF, line ministries (e.g. Health, Water, Green Economy), and development stakeholders on WASH and climate resilience initiatives. • Contribute to planning and preparedness efforts, including helping to review and update emergency response plans and supply logistics for cholera, floods, or drought response. • Assist in programme management, such as tracking implementation timelines, organizing meetings or workshops, and preparing briefing notes or activity reports. • Document lessons learned and good practices from field activities and stakeholder collaborations for internal knowledge-sharing and reporting purposes. • Conduct and support monitoring visits to UNICEF-supported sites; gather partner feedback and contribute to performance tracking. • Support proposal development and resource mobilization by gathering background materials, drafting inputs, and liaising with internal teams and external partners. • Help strengthen communication and visibility, including drafting updates or summaries for donor reports and stakeholder briefings.

• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Knowledge Sharing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Self-Management • Technological Awareness • Working in Teams

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in programme coordination, partnership support, or project management in development, humanitarian, or environmental sectors. • Prior experience working with UN agencies, government institutions, or internation-al NGOs is an asset. • Experience with knowledge management, documentation, or communication mate-rials development is highly valued. • Familiarity with WASH or climate adaptation programming is helpful but not re-quired. • Strong coordination and organizational skills. • Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. • Competence in drafting reports, summaries, or briefs. • Good understanding of development or humanitarian programming. • Commitment to teamwork, learning, and inclusion. • Previous volunteering experience and/or exposure to cross-cultural settings is an ad-vantage.

Zambia is land-linked, middle-income country with a population estimated at 19 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) 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 (2.5M) 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

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Potential interview questions

Added 1 year ago - Updated 11 months ago - Source: unv.org