Support UNFPA South Sudan with emergency activities
Support implementation and monitoring of humanitarian activities in South Sudan.
Overview
Support implementation and monitoring of humanitarian activities in South Sudan.
You have:
- Master’s degree in public health, Humanitarian Affairs, Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences, or related field.
- At least 3 years of experience in humanitarian programming, emergency response, or crisis operations, preferably with UN agencies, NGOs, or international organizations.
- Knowledge of humanitarian coordination mechanisms, standards, and frameworks such as cluster system and humanitarian program cycle.
- Experience supporting program implementation, monitoring, and reporting in emergencies or fragile settings.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure in fast-changing environments.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
Contract
This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), established in 1967 as the UN Agency for sexual and reproductive health, works in more than 150 countries to promote gender equality and ensure universal access to reproductive health services, guided by its mission to achieve a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA advances global and national development priorities by supporting countries to end preventable maternal deaths, addressing unmet need for family planning, and eliminate gender-based violence and harmful practices, in line with the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Program of Action and the Sustainable Development Goals.
UNFPA has operated in South Sudan since 2006 and established a full Country Office in 2012, working closely with government institutions, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and development partners to strengthen health systems, expand access to quality reproductive health services, train midwives, improve population data for planning, and prevent and respond to gender-based violence. Within humanitarian and recovery settings, UNFPA delivers life-saving sexual and reproductive health interventions and coordinates technical and protection initiatives to support women, girls, and young people. This online volunteering assignment forms part of UNFPA program portfolio in South Sudan, supporting national priorities and UN cooperation frameworks to enhance rights, resilience, and wellbeing across the country.
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of UNFPA South Sudan Emergency Coordinator, the Online Volunteer will carry out the following duties:
· Support implementation and monitoring of humanitarian activities in line with UNFPA emergency response plans and standards.
· Contribute to needs assessments, situation analyses, and rapid field reporting to inform evidence-based response planning.
· Assist in coordinating humanitarian program implementation with implementing partners, and humanitarian actors.
· Track progress of emergency interventions and flag implementation bottlenecks, risks, and gaps for timely action.
· Support preparation of donor reports, situation reports, briefs, and updates related to humanitarian programming.
· Contribute to emergency preparedness initiatives, including contingency planning, risk analysis, and response readiness measures.
· Participate in relevant inter-agency coordination forums such as Health and Protection clusters, SRH working group, and Flood Response task force and support follow-up on action points.
· Monitor field activities and support quality assurance to ensure compliance with UNFPA technical standards and humanitarian principles.
· Support supply tracking and coordination related to emergency reproductive health and dignity kit distributions where applicable.
· Assist with documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and program achievements to strengthen institutional knowledge.
· Review work plan progress reports and provide constructive comments and recommendations.
· Support integration of cross-cutting priorities such as gender equality, protection, localization, environmental considerations, accountability to affected populations, and inclusion across emergency interventions.
Results/expected outputs:
As an active UNFPA team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNFPA and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
o Timely and coordinated implementation support provided to priority humanitarian interventions aligned with UNFPA response plans.
o Regular situation updates, briefs, and monitoring reports produced to support evidence-based decision-making.
o Strengthened coordination with implementing partners and stakeholders demonstrated through active participation in relevant inter-agency mechanisms and follow-up actions.
o Improved tracking of program progress through consolidated monitoring tools or tracking systems for emergency activities.
o Enhanced readiness for emergencies through updated contingency inputs, risk analyses, or preparedness measures.
o Quality assurance support provided to field interventions, resulting in improved compliance with UNFPA technical and humanitarian standards.
o Donor reporting inputs delivered on time and aligned with visibility and accountability requirements.
o Documented lessons learned and good practices produced to inform program improvement and future response planning.
o Strengthened collaboration with implementing partners through regular communication, technical follow-up, and problem-solving support.
o Integration of protection, gender, and accountability principles reflected in programme implementation and reporting.
· Master’s degree in public health, Humanitarian Affairs, Development Studies, International Relations, Social Sciences, or related field.
· At least 3 years of experience in humanitarian programming, emergency response, or crisis operations, preferably with UN agencies, NGOs, or international organizations.
· Knowledge of humanitarian coordination mechanisms, standards, and frameworks such as cluster system and humanitarian program cycle.
· Experience supporting program implementation, monitoring, and reporting in emergencies or fragile settings.
· Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
· Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure in fast-changing environments.
· 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.
· 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.
· Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.
· Desirable: valid national driver’s license and proven ability to drive manual gear 4x4 over rough terrain; (if not applicable, delete).
· Sound security awareness.
· Have affinity with or interest in UNFPA Humanitarian Action, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System
Potential interview questions
| Can you provide an example of a time you managed a humanitarian project in a fast-paced environment? | The interviewer wants to assess your real-world experience dealing with emergency situations. | Share specific examples of challenges faced and solutions implemented. |
| Describe a situation where you had to coordinate with multiple stakeholders in a humanitarian context. | This question evaluates your coordination and teamwork skills under pressure. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you ensure compliance with humanitarian principles in your work? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What strategies do you use for effective monitoring and evaluation of programs? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Can you share an experience where you had to adapt quickly to a change in the humanitarian situation? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| What are some challenges you expect in emergency programming and how would you address them? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| Tell me about a time you used data to influence a decision in a humanitarian context. | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |
| How do you incorporate gender and inclusion in emergency interventions? | Pro members can see the explanation. | Pro members can see the explanation. |