UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT Preamble: 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. In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities. In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive. 1. UNV Assignment Title:
Project Assistant
2. Type of Assignment:
National UN Volunteer
3. Project Title:
Youth Volunteerism – skills development for increased employability in Cambodia
4. Duration:
12 months
5. Location, Country:
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
6. Expected Starting Date:
Asap
7. Brief Project Description: The UN Volunteers programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism. It was established by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and its mandate is to recruit, place and administer qualified volunteers, providing professional support to UN Agencies, Funds and Programmes as well as advancing programming and advocacy for an increased recognition of the contribution of volunteerism to countries’ development. The UNV programme is administered by UNDP but acts as a development partner for the entire UN system. UN Volunteers have made a considerable contribution to the post-conflict recovery and development of Cambodia. Since 1992, over 1,309 UN Volunteers have served in support of development activities. Volunteerism is well rooted in the Cambodian culture and in Buddhist structures and is also now part of the policy arena in Cambodia as a results of several years of advocacy work undertaken primarily by UNV and its partners, the network of international and national volunteer sending and volunteer involving organizations in Cambodia – VolCam and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. A National Policy on Cambodian Youth Development was endorsed by the Council of Ministers on 24th June 2011, in which Strategy 5.10 is devoted to the Promotion of Volunteerism. A Youth Action Plan has been designed to provide the strategic path through which the National Policy on Cambodia Youth Development will be implemented, currently focusing on the four priorities including Volunteerism. Volunteering can therefore be considered a traditionally well-established concept in this country which is getting more recognized by policy makers and development partners thanks to the advocacy work of key actors in the sector. Yet, strong misperceptions about Volunteerism continue to exist, in particular from the older generation. And although volunteers have contributed in many ways to peace and development in
Cambodia, there have only been limited attempts to evaluate or quantify the contribution of volunteering and in particular from the Youth perspective. This is in part because of limited resources to measuring volunteer action impacts and in other parts this is also owed to the still limited awareness of the significance of volunteer action. The Royal Government of Cambodia, as well as other development partners, including the UN are also currently providing a lot of attention to the country Youth population (Cambodia having one of the largest youth populations in Southeast Asia – two out of three Cambodians being under 25) – in particular in the context of building human capital through skills development in the context of the ASEAN Economic Integration. With the establishment of the AEC, the nations of ASEAN are indeed taking a further step towards eliminating barriers to the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour across the region, which will result in an increasing competitive job market where mobility and the ability to adapt to different environment will be crucial. Research and consultations indicated that there is a mismatch between the market needs and the skills developed through traditional educational institutions in the country, coupled with high dropout rates. One question to research is whether similar issues are faced in other ASEAN countries and to explore ways to leverage Volunteerism as an essential mechanism for skills development, which would increase Youth employability in the region, and would prepare Cambodian Youth for employment and active citizenship in the context of ASEAN integration, in particular soft skills often identified as missing once students leave school and enter the labor market.
8. Host Agency/Host Institute:
UNV Field Unit/UNDP
9. Organizational Context: The UNV Field Unit in Cambodia has two staff members based in Phnom Penh to implement programmes and providing volunteer support, as well as one international UN Youth Volunteer supporting advocacy and communications. 10. Type of Assignment Place:
assignment with family
11. Description of tasks: Under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator/Researcher, the Project Assistant will support the implementation of the UNV Project “Youth Volunteerism – skills development for increased employability in Cambodia”. More specifically, the tasks will include: -
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Assist the Project Coordinator in reviewing and updating the questionnaires supporting the research methodology; In close cooperation with the Project Coordinator, conduct face to face & telephone interviews, building on VolCam contacts and through identifying, and initiating contact with, local community service organizations (CSOs) or volunteer involving organizations; Support the organization of awareness sessions during events such as the 5th national Forum on Volunteerism and IVD 2015, presenting the research and collecting data with participants; Support the organization of stakeholders’ consultations on Youth, skills development and employability with the private sector, relevant line ministries, UN Agencies and VolCam If/when required, translate questionnaires and other relevant documents (English/Khmer) to increase outreach; If/when required, liaise and coordinate with other UN agencies, line ministries, government agencies, development partners, the private sector and national and international stakeholders including civil society organizations;
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Support the organization of field visits and regular consultative meetings and events, incl. by facilitating contact with local community service organizations (CSOs) or volunteer involving organizations; Provide assistance in research and identification of best practices and lessons learned in the area of Volunteerism in Cambodia; In close cooperation with the Project Coordinator, the UNV Programme Officer and UN Youth Volunteer in communications, ensure high visibility of the project by providing stories on results and achievements, assist in developing and maintaining close collaboration with the media as well as with groups and organizations whose support is essential to the achievements of communications and advocacy objectives; In close cooperation with the Project Coordinator and Online Volunteer(s), support the design of the final publication layout; In close cooperation with the Project Coordinator, support the translation of the executive summary in Khmer, as well as the printing of the publication; In close cooperation with the Project Coordinator and the UNV Field Unit, support the organization of the ceremony to launch the publication; Perform other task requires by supervisor.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to:
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 IVD); Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; 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.
12. Results/Expected Output:
Knowledge product documenting the changes in the Volunteering sector in Cambodia since 2008, with a particular focus on Youth volunteering & documenting the linkages between volunteerism and skills development for increased employability in Cambodia published. Recommendations to improve youth employability using volunteering as valuable “professional” experience and non-formal education mechanism Support provided to the implementation of the National Youth Action Plan. A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
13. Qualifications/Requirements:
Graduate degree in Development Studies or International Relations or Social Sciences or related discipline; 2 years’ experience (volunteering and professional) working in support of the volunteering sector in Cambodia, preferably in advocating and coordinating volunteer related activities at the national/subnational level; Good knowledge of issues related to civic participation, youth, skills development and employability in Cambodia will be an asset;
Hands on experience in conducting interviews/facilitating focus group discussions is an asset; Ability to summarize and systematize information and identify priorities for follow up activities Fluency in English in Khmer, with experience in translation an asset Computer proficiency
14. Living Conditions: The climate of Cambodia is tropical, monsoonal and is characterized by heat and humidity. The rainy season lasts from May to October and the hot, dry season from November until April. Houses and apartments are available to suit most budgets and preferences. House hunting is not difficult in Phnom Penh. The usual means of locating suitable accommodation is through estate agents/realtors. There are few taxi operators in Phnom Penh, so for daily transportation the cheapest, fastest and most frequent mode of travel is by motodup (you sit behind a driver of a motorbike). Some UN volunteers chose to purchase their own mode of transportation, be it a car, a motorbike or a pushbike. They are strictly recommended by UN security to wear seatbelts in cars and helmets when traveling on motorbikes, motodups or bicycling. In terms of health, common diseases in Cambodia are those which exist in other tropical countries like diarrhea, malaria, dengue and HIV/AIDS. Most of the serious cases have been reported contracted in hilly, rural and densely forested areas. City dwellers like in Phnom Penh can also be at risk due to poor disposal of waste. Generally in cities, people use purified water for drinking and cooking. The recommended vaccinations are those against typhoid, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tuberculosis and Japanese Encephalitis. While medical facilities in Cambodia are sufficient for the treatment of most routine ailments and minor accidents, illnesses and accidents of more serious nature require medical evacuation, usually to Bangkok or Singapore. 15. Conditions of Service A 12 months’ contract, monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to 631 US$ ; settling-in-grant, moving and travel costs(if applicable i.e. in the case the place of recruitment is different from the duty station); life, health, and permanent disability insurance; learning allowance and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.
Description of Assignment prepared by the UNV Field Unit: Isabelle Devylder, UNV Programme Officer, Cambodia Date: 12/06/2015 Description of Assignment approved by the UNV HQ: Name: Rafael Martinez, Portfolio Manager Date: 12/06/2015
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.