Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, and build resilience so that countries can sustain progress. As the United Nations’ development agency, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In Ukraine, UNDP operates in five programmatic areas of support: government capacities for crisis response and management; sustaining provision of public services; emergency works facilitating return and reconstruction; incomes, livelihoods and the private sector response; and civil society and maintenance of the social fabric.

The war in Ukraine has resulted in significant loss of life; unprecedented displacement, internally and towards neighbouring countries; and devastating destruction of infrastructure. Eighteen years of socio-economic achievements in Ukraine are at risk. UNDP’s core engagement is to preserve development gains as fully as possible, and to return Ukraine to pathways towards achieving the SDGs as quickly as possible.

UNDP launched its Resilience Building and Recovery (RBR) framework for Ukraine on 11 April 2022 to immediately respond to the development and humanitarian challenges. The overall objective is to preserve development gains in Ukraine, mitigating risks of descent into a governance and service delivery crisis, embedding activities for recovery from the onset of the humanitarian effort, and facilitating a swift return to development pathways and processes for national attainment of the SDGs.

To respond to the time-critical needs emerging as a result of the full-scale war – while at the same time addressing drivers and long-term implications of the conflict – and to regain progress that had previously been made while preventing further deterioration of development gains, UNDP – with generous support from the Government of Denmark – has launched the “Enhanced Citizen Engagement for Improved Community Security, Strengthened Social Fabric and Increased Stability in Areas Affected by the War in Eastern Ukraine and Beyond” project. The project interventions are grouped under the following outputs:

• The effectiveness of security service provision and civil protection functions is maintained, with reinforced capacities for crisis response, and public institutions and civil society are enabled to strengthen the social fabric, uphold human rights for all people, and engage in inclusive response and recovery efforts.
• Access to and quality of services is improved due to enhanced law enforcement and access to justice and inclusion, strengthening perceptions of personal and community security among communities, particularly women and youth, veterans and other vulnerable groups.
• Communities, including internally displaced men and women, youth, veterans and other vulnerable groups, have enhanced capacities, are empowered and participate in local-level evidence-based recovery, development and decision-making.
• Conflict-affected communities in Mykolaiv Oblast have additional capacities to support themselves throughout the winter season, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups.

UNDP in Ukraine is recognizing youth as key agents of change in the recovery and development process, and in the longer term, building of a sustainable peace. As a strategic priority during and in the aftermath of the war, UNDP will apply substantive experience of working with youth engagement and social cohesion and focus on promoting participation of youth in decision making processes at all levels in the recovery efforts and leveraging the positive role young people play in preventing and resolving conflict, and strengthen social bonds across the country, in line with the Youth Peace and Security agenda (UNSCR 2250).

In line with this identified priority, UNDP Ukraine invites applications from highly qualified and experienced Ukrainian professionals for the post of the Youth Engagement and Volunteers Analyst (YEVA) to apply innovative development approaches to the engagement of youth and volunteers in civic life, and involve them in the drafting/consultation/revision of policies/strategies/services related to youth engagement and to the strengthening of the youth infrastructure at hromada and oblast level.

The incumbent will accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment with all implementations and promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance to any kind of discriminatory and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead project implementation in the substantive area of expertise

• Provide substantive input to the RPP outputs and ensure timely implementation of Programme’s activities, including reporting on progress vis-à-vis planned activities and expected outputs;
• Organize and facilitate activities aimed at the development of youth and volunteer movements; co-facilitate peer-led activities; facilitate evidence-based programs and workshops on youth engagement and volunteering, additional pro-social and recreational activities;
• Collect, analyse and interpret data on youth and volunteers’ networks’ development in the country, region, and globally. Ensure availability of up-to-date information on all critical issues related to youth development and volunteers related areas;
• Support engagement of youth, specifically young women and girls, in decision-making processes through building leadership and life skills, developing civic competencies for active citizenship, connecting them with regional and national civil society organizations;
• Support youth to gain critical understanding of societal problems through workshops: facilitate the creation of evidence-based narratives as tools for influencing policy making at community and national levels, and priorities setting; initiate public information forums as needed;
• Coordinate and supervise the work of relevant experts and consultants, including the preparation of the terms of reference, facilitation of recruitment and monitoring of work/results;
• Supervise work of a Social Cohesion Associate;
• Ensure full compliance of Programme activities with UNDP rules, regulations and procedures.

Establish partnerships and advocacy channels

• Provide the platform for networking and partnership building with youth and volunteers networks, national and local authorities, non-governmental, private sector and international development organizations or projects;
• Advocate and support the participation of youth CSOs, leaders, and networks in Community Security Working Group meetings and consultations with regional and local administrations, departments of state institutions and city/town councils; promote establishment and building capacities of youth CSOs for the monitoring of local policies, budgets and development of respective advocacy plans;
• Sensitize decision makers on youth’s situation and advocate for young people’s meaningful participation, through training activities and advocacy efforts;
• Sensitize local authorities and train youth workers (based on UNDP’s Civic Education trainings for youth worker), to promote young people’s activism for social cohesion and peacebuilding and participation in community development;
• Coordinate activities related to the Programme implementation with other UN agencies (in particularly UN Women, UNFPA). Ensure the development of cross-project linkages with other relevant UN projects and programmes and other stakeholders’ projects for mutually reinforcing impact;

Pilot innovative approaches to youth engagement

• Pilot innovative instruments for strengthening civic engagement, activism, volunteerism, and direct participation of youth in community development (including “Team of Teams” approach, enhancing youth’s fundraising opportunities through gamification/edutainment approach, etc;
• Promote innovative approaches for youth engagement by setting up of innovative civic education programmes, developing STEM education, distance learning, and promoting informal education in the region; contribute to the development of extra-curricular civic education courses in schools (based on best practices), with the goal to integrate these courses in the local schools’ curriculum;

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

The Youth Engagement and Volunteers Analyst (YEVA) will work under the direct supervision of the Projects Coordinator, Community Security and Social Cohesion, and the overall strategic guidance of the Community Security and Social Cohesion Specialist. The incumbent is responsible for providing support to the implementation of the programme activities. The YEVA will also be required to support close coordination with Community Mobilization Specialist, Civil Society Engagement and Capacity Development Specialist, Community Mobilization Officers and substance experts from other portfolios in UNDP Ukraine, in activities related to giving young people a voice to articulate their needs and participate in policy decisions and implementation, developing and promotion of the model of civic engagement of young people.

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Required Skills and Experience

          Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Social Development or related field is required, or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.Experience:
• Minimum 2 years (with Master’s degree) or 4 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of proven experience in youth mobilization and engagement, coordinating the development of youth-related policies, methodologies, guidelines, knowledge products or other related areas.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel) and advanced knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Desired experience

• Previous experience in working or liaising with national legislative bodies in the area of youth development and volunteers, including in the development or revision of policies related to youth and volunteers’ engagement would be desirable.
• Demonstrable experience in the implementation of innovative models for youth and volunteers’ engagement would be a strong asset.
• Experience in delivering capacity development, advisory and advocacy services to civil society in the area of youth and volunteer engagement would be a strong asset.
• Previous experience in conducting community-level conflict analysis would be an advantage.
• Previous experience in working with a multilateral or international technical assistance or development organization would be highly desirable.
• Knowledge of group dynamics, customer retention techniques, influencing skills, and the ability to effectively implement programs.Language Requirements:
• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in Ukrainian is required for local personnel.

Disclaimer
Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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