UN Volunteers seeks a HIV Focal Point in Senegal

Background

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.

The UNV Field Unit in Senegal  seeks to recruit a national UN Volunteer to serve as UN Volunteer HIV Focal Point at the United Nations Development Porgramme Country Office in Senegal. This assignment is open to senegale nationals, and persons living in Senegal with the legal status of refugess or stateless.

Organizational Context/Project

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies.  UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development.

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses.   Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment.  UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV – also known as key populations – such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

The UNDP Regional Centre is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund Africa Regional Project on HIV and Human Rights which will be implemented at the AUC and REC levels and in 10 countries (Botswana, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Seychelles, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia). The value of the regional grant is approximately $10.5 million over three years, and is jointly implemented by UNDP and four sub-recipients (ARASA, ENDA, KELIN, SALC). UNDP also implements other regional projects in cooperation with USAID and other development partners.

The UNV HIV Focal Point will be responsible for country level coordination of implementation of the Global Fund project and other regional projects in conjunction with the government counterparts and the UN Joint Team on AIDS. The UNV HIV Focal Point will provide country level logistical and coordination support to the UNDP Programme Management Team (PMT) as well as ENDA Santé, the Regional NGO serving as the sub-recipient for the Global Fund Grant, specifically for implementation of key activities in Senegal.  He/she will also coordinate any other UNDP CO projects should they arise.

The UNV HIV Focal Point will report to the UNDP Country Director in Senegal, with guidance provided by the UNDP PMT at the Regional Centre in Addis Ababa (RSCA).

The UNV HIV Focal Point will provide programmatic support to the National AIDS Commission, Global Fund Country Coordination Mechanisms (CCM), and other key national stakeholders’ including Sub Recipiendaires (SRs) in implementation of the GF Grant and other regional programmes.  He/she will also carry out M&E responsibilities in terms of collecting, reviewing, verifying data. Capacity building will be provided for this.

Conditions of Service for national UN Volunteers

A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA)  is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents), as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide programmatic support to the National AIDS Commission, Key Populations, Global Fund CCM and other key national stakeholders;
• Provide coordination support to the government to conduct the Legal Environment Assessment (LEA);
• Provide support to Enda Santé to do its work under the Global Fund Regional Grant;
• Provide support to SRs in the identification of appropriate government and Civil Society Organizations participants for the Regional trainings and capacity development fora;
• Provide general Monitoring & Evaluation support to the UNDP Programme Management Team (PMT), Addis Ababa;
• Provide general support to HIV, health and Development (HHD) Team in RSC Addis Ababa, including logistical support, as required;
• Provide input for reporting at national, regional and global levels;
• Coordinate support for general human rights and gender-related programming;
• Provide inputs to UN Joint Team on UNDP areas of leadership at national level;
• Represent UNDP at HIV-related meetings, as requested;
• Participate in HIV-related task forces and thematic groups and/or equivalent at national level; and
• Perform any other related tasks for the Global Fund and other HIV and health project activities.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required 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.
• Assist their supervisors in identifying how volunteerism for development can be mainstreamed through the assignment and integrating activities that promote volunteerism for development into work plans.

Results/Expected Output:

• Programmatic support will be provided for implementation of the Global Fund Regional Grant; to the National AIDS Commission; Key Populations; and other key national stakeholders
• Support to the formulation of programmes for Global Fund submission
• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs);
• 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.

Competencies

• Knowledge of HIV, human rights, and/or key populations.
• Knowledge of UN and/or UNDP procedures, grant applications and program implementation is desirable.
• Knowledge of Global Fund policies and procedures is desirable.

Competencies and values:

• Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented.
• Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations.
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working
• Fulfils all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced University degree in social sciences, development, public health, law, or similar field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience is required at the national level.

Language skills

• Excellent written and spoken French.
• Working knowledge of English

Computer skills :

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, ERP etc.).

Note:

This assignment  is open to Senegalese Nationals and persons living in Senegal with legal status of refugee or stateless only. Interested applicants are required to apply online and attach a CV or completed UNDP (P11) form available at: UNDP P11.  Kindly note that only completed applications will be reviewed.  Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

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.