Mission and objectives

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. We work with partners to integrate qualified, highly motivated and well-supported UN Volunteers into development programming and promote the value and global recognition of volunteerism. UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board. Read more about the added value of UNV, UN Volunteers and volunteerism.

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.

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 an 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

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighbouring Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; National Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services, and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel, mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN-HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in, is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment. 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