General

Description of assignment title

Assistant(e) to the Program

Country assignment

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected start date

01/11/2023

Sustainable Development Goal

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Volunteer category

National UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity

UNHCR

Type

Onsite

Duration

12 Months

Number of assignments

1

Duty stations

Bunia

Details

Mission and objectives

UNHCR’s primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. In its efforts to achieve this objective, UNHCR strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, and to return home voluntarily.

Context

The UNHCR office was established on December 14, 1950 by the General Assembly of the United Nations. The agency is mandated to direct and coordinate international action to protect refugees and provide them with durable solutions. Its main objective is to protect the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find refuge in another state, with the option of voluntarily returning home, integrate locally or resettle in a third country ( www.unhcr.org ) . For decades, the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) has maintained an “open door policy” for refugees,hosting hundreds of thousands of people on its territory fleeing the conflicts and violence of neighbouring countries. The DRC is a party to the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 AU Convention. In 2002, the DRC adopted the national law 021/2002 on the status of refugees, establishing the CNR (National Refugee Commission) to process asylum applications and ensure the protection of refugees. By the end of December 2018, the total refugee population is expected to reach nearly 555,000 people living in communities, camps and urban areas. As a reminder, many of the nine neighbouring countries of the DRC are facing socio-political instability, while the DRC itself is going through a turbulent period, which is,with a long pre-election period complicated by internal conflicts, massive displacement and a difficult humanitarian and development environment. The Sub-Delegation of Aru provides through its offices in Bunia and Faraje, protection and assistance to South Sudanese refugees and internally displaced persons based on an integrated services approach aimed at promoting the autonomy of persons within its competence and the’alternative policy to the camps. It intervenes, with the support of the National Commission for Refugees (CNR) and implementing partners, in several sites. It also pays special attention to the thousands of refugees who live in host communities along the border and who are facing major security problems, food insecurity and’the lack of access to basic social services. To strengthen the office’s activities, UNHCR is seeking to recruit a national UNV programme assistant from the Bunia field office. These activities include monitoring, planning activities for direct/indirect implementation, monitoring budgets and promoting the rights of displaced persons

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Officer associated with Bunia, the/holder is expected to(e) :

•  Have contacts within the organization and outside the duty station, as well as with partners and other stakeholders to gather information, and, monitor program activities and implement administrative requirements.
•  He/she is expected(e) to work in accordance with the multifunctional team (MFT) approach as defined in the program manual, and, ensuring the participation of relevant stakeholders in all phases of the management cycle of the programme.
•  Provide administrative assistance and support to routine programme services and activities to better meet the needs of those affected.
•  Carry out the collection, monitoring and use of the basic data, standards and indicators needed to measure and analyse results and programme developments.
•  Evaluate the implementation and performance of partnership agreements through appropriate physical monitoring in order to evaluate projects by analyzing work plans, progress reports, budget, etc, les
•  Financial reports and expenditures. This may include visits to the field for specific issues of monitoring and evaluation.
•  Contribute to the process of deploying monitoring and evaluation tools in the field and provide technical support for implementation to field teams. This includes support and facilitation of training workshops for field staff on monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
•  Track project results, track progress against indicators, and collect evidence and lessons learned from the field.
•  Provide support to ensure that partnership agreements are timely, regularly monitored and reported on, and, in accordance with established guidelines and procedures included in the framework for implementation with partners.
•  Guided by the MFT approach, support the development and implementation of follow-up plans for activities implemented through partnerships and those in the process of direct implementation, including, in accordance with the programme manual and programming instructions.
•  Contribute to the review and analysis of operational plans, mid-term and year-end reports, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with policies, and, established guidelines, procedures and standards.
•  Actively contribute to the programming of the UNHCR community of practice and continuously contribute to the improvement of programming tools and processes.
•  Travel as part of the mission and perform any other task that may be requested .
•  Perform other related tasks as required.

Eligibility criteria

Age

27 – 80

Nationality

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

Requirements

Required experience

3 Years of experience in social sciences, law, business administration, public administration, finance, accounting, project management, economics or any other related field IT skills: Internet, Office, Excel, etc, windows, Word, Powerpoint, ERP system (knowledge of COMPASS and ERP Cloud is an asset )

Area(s) of expertise

Administration, Information technology, Economics and finance

Driving license

–

Languages

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

Required education level

Bachelor degree or equivalent in university degree Bacc+3 in social sciences, law, business administration, public administration, finance, accounting, project management, economics or any other related field

Competencies and values

•  Integrity and professionalism: Demonstrated expertise in the field of specialty and ability to formulate a sound judgment; very high level of autonomy, sense of personal initiative and ability to take responsibility; willingness to accept responsibilities and ability to work autonomously according to established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while being discerning, and keeping its impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsiveness and sense of service.
•  Responsibility : Maturity and sense of responsibility; ability to operate in accordance with the rules and regulations of the organization.
•  Commitment to lifelong learning: Initiative and willingness to learn new skills and keep abreast of new developments in one’s area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in the work environment.
•  Planning and organization: Organizational efficiency and ability to solve proven problems, ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient manner and on time; ability to prioritize and plan, coordinate and track one’s (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with binding deadlines, and, and to manage several projects /activities in parallel.
•  Teamwork and respect for diversity : Ability to work effectively with other sectors/units within the’organisation ; demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relationships in a multicultural and multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and equality; and;
•  Communication: Confirmed interpersonal skills; good oral and written communication skills, including the ability to’write clear and concise reports; ability to make presentations, and, to clearly and accurately formulate different options; ability to make recommendations and defend them; and; ability to communicate and empathize with personnel (including national personnel), military personnel, volunteers, and, counterparts and local interlocutors from a wide variety of backgrounds; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful with staff, while being objective, without showing any personal interest; and; ability to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of target groups; and;
•  Flexibility, adaptability, ability and willingness to work in difficult, remote and potentially dangerous environments for long periods of time, involving difficult living conditions and little comfort, including frequent travel within the area of operations; availability to be deployed(e) /transferred to other duty stations in the area of operations, if necessary; and;
•  Demonstrated adherence to the principles of’ voluntary commitment, including solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and autonomy; and’s to the core values of the United Nations.

Other information

Living conditions and remarks

The RD Congo is larger than Western Europe, and therefore is very diverse. Living conditions – including the cost of living and the availability of food, the level of accommodation and public services – vary widely between duty stations. In Kinshasa, the cost of living is very high compared to all the other cities of the DRC. In most places, basic infrastructure is available and private accommodation can be rented ( power and water cuts can be frequent ). United Nations Volunteers often share their accommodation. Bunia is the city chief town of the province of Ituri. United Nations Volunteers are invited to open bank accounts in American Dollars, while in other places,banks may be absent and VLA payments will be processed in cash.

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 appearance 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

This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, without the UNHCR Medical Service approvals an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds