Mission and objectives

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.

Context

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers. Since 1971, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme have forged a robust alliance to ensure the protection and promotion of children’s rights. As of 2021, more than 1,000 UN Volunteers per year serve UNICEF around the world, actively supporting the organization’s mission to advocate for children’s rights, address their fundamental needs and create opportunities for them to thrive and fulfil their potential. UNICEF and UNV are partners in an initiative called UNICEF-UNV Accelerate Plus Program which offers to 6 UNICEF national staff to take on international assignment in a UNV Regional Office, as International UN Volunteer, to foster a culture of learning and development, by providing opportunities to enhance staff capacity and strengthen the local talent pipeline. Additional information: International Specialist UN Volunteers are entitled to: • Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) at the amount of USD 2565.48 (subject to change in monthly Post Adjustment Modifier). • Entry lumpsum, Exit lumpsum; and Travel Allowance • Annual and learning leaves; • Free Medical and life insurance; and • Free access to different learning platforms. For more information on UN Volunteer benefits, entitlements and support, please visit: https://www.unv.org/become-volunteer/volunteer-abroad

Task Description

Working as an integral part of the UNV Regional Office team and under the direct supervision of the Regional Manager, the UNICEF Partnership Support Officer will play a key role in supporting and strengthening partnership with UNICEF in the region, external communication and knowledge management practices, and perform the following tasks: – Assist with maintaining and reinforcing regional partnership with UNICEF, through identifying strategic collaboration opportunities aligned with UNV-UNICEF’s regional priorities – Present the UNV offer to UNICEF regional office and country offices, i. e. in the format of regional webinars or meetings – Collect data to gather best practices for creating external communication documents, such as visuals and presentations, to advocate for UN Volunteers with UNICEF – Plan, deliver and evaluate innovative learning activities and workshops for UN Volunteers serving with UNICEF in the region, including an international capacity development learning facility for national UN Volunteers supporting UNV in the fields of partnership, mobilization, and communication – Represent UNV/UNICEF Accelerate Program initiative in interagency committees and thematic working groups – Actively contribute to knowledge management and sharing regarding partner intelligence within the Field Units in the region, i. e. by facilitating introduction sessions on customer relation management system or sharing information about the bigger, regional picture of the partnership with UNICEF. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Competencies and values

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

Living conditions and remarks

Location: The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is located in the Middle East. Bound by Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, Red Sea to the south and the Palestinian National Authority to the west. Weather: Jordan’s climate can be classified as semi-arid (Bsh) on the Koeppen-Geiger classification. It features a hot, dry climate characterized by long, hot, dry summers and short, cool winters. The climate is influenced by Jordan’s location between the subtropical aridity of the Arabian desert areas and the subtropical humidity of the eastern Mediterranean area. January is the coldest month, with temperatures from 5°C to 10°C, and August is the hottest month at 20°C to 35°C. Daily temperatures can be quite hot, especially in the summer; on some days it can be 40°C or more, especially when a hot, dry southerly wind blows. Such winds can sometimes be very strong and can cause sandstorms. About 70 percent of the average rainfall in the country falls between November and March; June through August are often rainless. Rainfall varies from season to season and from year to year. Precipitation is often concentrated in violent storms, causing erosion and local flooding, especially in the winter months. Safety and Security: Jordan is a relatively stable country. The potentials for internal or external armed conflict are considered very unlikely in the current political environment. Peaceful demonstrations, and sometimes road blockages, do occur in Jordan, motivated by domestic factors such as unemployment, deprivation of resources and development or for regional issues such as solidarity with the Palestinian cause or with the Syrian crises. Most of these events are driven by civil society unions and Islamic parties. Domestic tribal civil unrest sometimes turns violent, especially outside main cities, due to tribal disputes or socio-economic reasons. In all occasions law enforcement agencies usually manage to contain the situation rapidly. Road traffic accidents are the primary threat against UN personnel in Jordan. Poor road conditions and bad driving behaviours are the main reasons for the high rate of traffic accidents. Amman is a category A duty station with security level 1. Transportation and housing: Taxis as well as ride-hailing services (Uber and Careem) are abundant and affordable in Amman. Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Public minibuses are the most common form of public transport. They normally only leave when full, so waiting times of an hour or more are inevitable, especially in rural areas. The larger air-con buses offer a speedy and reliable service, departing according to a fixed schedule. Housing is readily available with rents for one- to two-bedroom apartments ranging between 500 and 800 JD (1 JD = 0.708 USD) depending on the location. Health Services: Medical facilities are generally very good, particularly in Amman where there are several modern, well-equipped public and private hospitals. Almost all doctors (and most pharmacists) speak English; many have studied abroad. Language: The official language of Jordan is Arabic, but English is widely spoken – especially in the cities. Many Jordanians have travelled or have been educated abroad so French, German, Italian and Spanish are also spoken, but to a lesser extent. Learn more about Jordan from the Ministry of Tourism’s website: https://www.mota.gov.jo/Default/Ar You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.”