General

Description of assignment title: IT Support Assistant

Assignment country: Ethiopia

Expected start date: 10/01/2023

Sustainable Development Goal: 17. Partnerships for the goals

Volunteer category: National UN Youth Volunteer

Host entity: UNDP

Type: Onsite

Duration: 12 months (with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments: 1

Duty stations: Addis Ababa

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System. It serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a continuous spectrum of in-depth local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. The United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UN Guiding Principles) is widely recognized as the most authoritative, normative framework guiding efforts to reduce or eliminate the adverse impact of business operations on human rights. Experts have described it as the single most important innovation in promoting sustainable business practices in the last 25 years – a role that is reinforced by its inclusion as one of the Means of Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda).

Context

UNDP/RSCA relocation: Since its relocation from Johannesburg to Addis Ababa in 2013, the Regional Service Center for Africa (RSCA) has been located at the Olympia Roundabout along the Airport Road. The current building was initially assessed as security compliant. However, subsequent assessment missions by UNDSS and the Regional UNDP Security Team have repeatedly highlighted several security vulnerabilities and made extensive recommendations to strengthen minimum compliance. While most mitigation recommendations under direct UNDP control have been progressively implemented as those considered most crucial for staff security, such minimum blast standoff and control over parked vehicles along the perimeter, were rejected by the Addis Ababa city authorities. Over the years, there have been several other developments that have further increased the vulnerability of the premises, including the construction of multi-story buildings on both sides of the main building. The ongoing security situation in Ethiopia, which recently resulted in increased insecurity in Addis Ababa, has also underlined the need for additional layers of access control at the RSCA building, which currently cannot be implemented because of the above restrictions. This increasing level of insecurity can thus only be remedied by relocation of the RSCA to a more secure location in the city at the earliest opportunity. ICT Relocation: UNDP/RSCA is relocating to another area where it can accommodate more users. The new building has 14 floors occupied by either RSCA staff, other agencies and/or tenants. The ICT infrastructure is in the process of being installed and configured and will fully be functional in the coming couple of weeks. ICT unit is doing its best for the smooth transition of the relocation in coordination with HQ/ITM and the landlord.

Task description

– Support ICT service provision during and after the RSCA relocation – Assist the provision of timely user support to UNDP/RSCA and other tenants – Help in the maintenance of an up-to-date inventory of the software and hardware. – Support in the maintenance of a library of ICT related reference materials – Assist in inventory and stock of supplies and spare parts management in cooperation with the Administration and Procurement Teams. – Assist the provision of ICT support to key events. – Support the installation of hardware and software related services – Support in the quarterly preventive maintenance of datacenter communication devices and servers – Assist in network administration of UNDP/RSCA and other tenants. – Support the monitoring of the network connection daily to ensure a reliable network environment. – Work with other teams in incident management activities – Act as a service desk to some service requests and escalate to other teammates as required.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 – 26

Nationality

Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements

Required experience

No experience required

Area(s) of expertise

Information technology

Driving license

–

Languages

English, Level: Fluent, Required Amharic, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in Computer science, Electrical engineering, Information technology or other related field with good knowledge of ICT networks and Microsoft applications

Competencies and values

•  Accountability
•  Adaptability and flexibility
•  Creativity
•  Judgement and decision-making
•  Planning and organising
•  Professionalism
•  Self-management

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

Addis Ababa is the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The population is estimated at about 4 million or so. Addis Ababa located in the Ethiopian highlands at an altitude of 2,500-2,700 meters. The climate is sunny and temperate, but it can be very cold at night, with freezing temperature at times. It is therefore advisable to bring warm clothing and foresee using heaters and/or log fires when necessary. Addis Ababa is the headquarters for the UN Economic Commission for Africa as well as the African Union (ex-OAU). Thus, there is a very large community of expatriates from all over the world. There are some 80 embassies/diplomatic missions. Housing is most of the time readily available and the rents are, on average, reasonable. Most foodstuffs, beverages, household goods, furniture and clothing, mostly imported from the Middle/Far East, South Africa and Europe, or local brands, can be found, although they can be expensive. Meat, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables are cheap and abundantly available. The basic infrastructures – roads, utilities, and telecommunications – are below standard, as are medical facilities, which are still largely inadequate, although a few private clinics and hospitals provide reasonably good routine care. There are lots of tourist attractions to visit around the country, although the amenities are often poor to average. Several restaurants around the city serve local or international cuisine and there are numerous social and cultural events throughout the year organized by the international and local communities. Sports facilities (fitness, tennis, swimming, riding, golf, etc.) exist in the major hotels or in different establishments around the city. There are no major or special security concerns within Addis Ababa city limits. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan.

Inclusivity statement

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements

Selected candidates for certain occupational groups may be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) in line with the applicable host entity policy