United Nations Volunteers Programme
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.
UNV engaged 7,303 UN volunteers in 2011, on a total of 7,708 assignments. With an average age of 38 years and the requisite professional skills and qualifications of some 5 to 10 years relevant experience, UN volunteers served in 132 countries in 2011 and came themselves from 162. The majority – 81 per cent – come from developing countries themselves. One third of UN volunteers served in their own countries, with the others carrying out international assignments. The financial equivalent of programme activities exceeds US$235 million annually.
UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has approximately 150 staff positions – with the majority in Bonn and some positions with different UN peacekeeping and political missions, and in other Headquarters locations (e.g. New York and Tokyo). The major organizational groups within UNV are:
- the Office of the Executive Coordinator (OEC) comprising the Evaluation Unit (EU) and the Corporate Planning and Performance Unit (CPPU);
- the Volunteer Programming and Management Group (VPMG) comprising the Peace Division (PD) and the Development Division (DD), Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section (VRRS), Quality Assurance Unit (QAU), Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section (VKIS);
- the Partnerships and Communications Division (PCD) comprising the Partnerships Section (PS) and the Communications Section (CS);
- the Management Services Division (MSD) comprising the Information and Communication Technology Section (ICTS), Finance Section (FS), Human Resources Section (HRS), and the Administration Unit (AU). Additionally the Common Services Unit (CSU) provides support to the UN presence in Bonn.
Organizational setting:
The Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section enhances UNV’s proactive capacity to mainstream volunteerism into peace and development initiatives through:
- Promoting sound volunteer management practices, including the development of innovative volunteering solutions (volunteer modalities and volunteer management resources and tools) and the management of the Online Volunteering service;
- Leading the delivery of volunteerism advisory services for integration of volunteerism for peace and development into policies and programming; and for enhancing the recognition of volunteerism contributions;
- Leading initiatives for Volunteer Learning and Knowledge management.
Reporting to the Programme Specialist, Online Volunteering, Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section, the Programme Assistant, Online Volunteering supports the service users with regular day-to-day Online Volunteering activities and the daily administration of the service’s operations.
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1. Provide support to users of UNV’s Online Volunteering service focusing on achieving the following results:
- Respond to general queries in English and French or Spanish including updating of standard message templates;
- Guide users (organizations and online volunteers) on the registration process and other website-related issues and problem solving;
- Support the development of new content for the website and other communication tools;
- Update content of the Online Volunteering service website, including upload of the English, French and Spanish versions of the monthly newsletter;
- Prepare data on online volunteering and statistics for monitoring results and reporting on trends;
2. Support the Online Volunteering service Team on daily administration of operations focusing on achieving the following results:
- Perform screening of organization’s applications: ensuring required information is complete, verifying compliance with UN policies, verifying applicant organizations’ goals and activities through internet research, and getting timely feedback from Country Office Teams or Support Units;
- Perform screening of online volunteering opportunities submitted in English and French or Spanish: ensuring clear task descriptions, context and expected development impact ;
- Update organization and opportunity screening guidelines with relevant research on UN policies ;
- Support development of new functionalities and systems enhancements as needed ;
- Provide support to the development and implementation of the promotion strategy ;
- Collect information, stories and other relevant data for website posting;
- Maintain Unit’s files on reference materials.
3. Other related duties that may be assigned.
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Functional Competencies:
Promoting Organizational Learning And Knowledge Sharing
- Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things
- Documents innovative strategies and new approaches
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
- Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position (programme and administrative support)
- Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures related to the asset management and applies them consistently in work tasks
- Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning
- Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
Promoting Organizational Change and Development
- Demonstrates ability to identify problems and proposes solutions
- Documents processes to support change initiatives
Design and Implementation of Management Systems
- Uses information/databases/other management systems
- Makes recommendations related to work procedures and implementation of management systems
Client Orientation
- Reports to internal and external clients in a timely and appropriate fashion
- Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
- Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients
- Responds to client needs promptly
Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management
- Prepares timely inputs to reports
- Maintains databases
Core Competencies:
- Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
- Self-development, initiative-taking
- Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
- Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
- Creating synergies through self-control
- Managing conflict
- Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others
- Informed and transparent decision making
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Education:
- Secondary education. University degree is an asset but not a requirement.
Experience:
- At least 5 years of relevant experience including in online collaboration and/or communication;
- Knowledge of volunteer management and /or in a development context involving volunteers and of civil society organizations in developing countries context is required;
- Solid computer skills, including basic website content management.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English and working knowledge of Spanish.
- Working knowledge of Portuguese is an asset.
The successful candidate will hold a UNDP letter of appointment.
This post is for local recruitment only. All travel, interview and relocation costs, if any, incurred to take up an appointment at the duty station in Bonn are at the expense of the applicant.
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