Mission and objectives

The UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund, promotes gender equality, reproductive health, youth empowerment. The organization was created in 1969, the same year the UN General Assembly declared “parents have the exclusive right to determine freely and responsibly the number and spacing of their children”. Together with partners, UNFPA works in 150 countries, and in Ukraine since 1997. Our mission is to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA in Ukraine works for: • creating conditions in which every young person can fulfil the potential, lead a healthy lifestyle, know their reproductive rights and take an active social life; • conducting sexual and reproductive health campaigns to improve access to health and care services and improve its quality, especially for young people; • combating gender stereotypes in society (through the media, compulsory education for civil servants on gender mainstreaming, the improvement of national gender policy and anti-discrimination expertise of school textbooks); • providing information and services to gender-based violence survivors through the creation of crisis centres, supporting the work of mobile teams of psycho-social and support, providing expert support and raising general awareness in society.

Context

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Dnipropetrovsk region in southeastern Ukraine has become a refuge for nearly half a million internally displaced persons (IDPs), primarily from the neighboring Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Currently, 466,890 IDPs have found safety in the region, a figure amounting to almost half of Dnipro’s pre-war population. Dnipro has also become a hub for displaced regional authorities from Luhansk and Donetsk, who have faced conflict-related challenges for nearly a decade. Despite missile and artillery attacks, Dnipropetrovsk remains resilient, leading youth-driven efforts and recognized for its innovative approaches to youth engagement. This resilience has fostered collaboration between displaced and local youth, exemplified by initiatives driven by local youth centers, which connect displaced youth from Luhansk with their peers in Dnipro. Other regions, such as Odesa, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv, which remain heavily affected by hostilities, are also home to thousands of vulnerable IDPs in need of urgent support. The conflict continues to impact these regions, altering their demographic landscape and increasing the burden on local communities. The Youth Embracing Strength (Y.E.S.) project, which started in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Luhansk regions, aims to safeguard the human capital of young people in war-affected areas. It focuses on supporting both local youth and internally displaced young people who have stayed or relocated within these regions. Many young people in Ukraine have become first responders since the onset of the invasion. The Y.E.S. project embraces this trend by fostering a localized response where youth volunteers, equipped with the necessary skills and support, play a key role in humanitarian activities. They engage in peer-to-peer outreach, help identify pressing needs within their communities, and connect vulnerable populations with vital services, such as gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. This youth-driven approach amplifies the leadership and innovative potential of Ukrainian youth, ensuring their voices are integral to the country’s recovery. Youth have proven to be central to the humanitarian response, with many contributing to volunteer efforts and taking an active role in their communities despite the challenges of displacement and ongoing war. The Y.E.S. project recognizes the resilience and determination of youth, ensuring that they are not just beneficiaries but also key drivers of change in their regions. As the war intensifies, particularly in the eastern regions, there is a pressing need to reinforce the resilience and coping capacities of young people, including in regions like Sumy, Odesa, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv, now included in the project’s scope. By extending the project’s reach to these regions, the Y.E.S. project continues to prioritize mental health, resilience, and the safeguarding of young people’s well-being against the war.

Task Description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of UNFPA, the UN Volunteer Specialist will: – Coordinate and oversee the work of all Y.E.S project Community Liaison Coordinators (Community UN Volunteers) in six regions of Ukraine (up to 18 communities). – Liaise with regional state administration and/or municipal authority(s) to coordinate efforts and consolidate needs assessment data. – Cooperate with other partners and stakeholders at the regional and/or local levels to ensure cohesive and complementary actions in response to the crisis. – Ensure effective communication among the UNFPA Ukraine, coordination of work with implementing partners, and the Community liaison coordinators, facilitating smooth and productive operations. – Monitor and evaluate the performance of Community liaison coordinators, ensuring adherence to the project’s goals and objectives. – Conduct regular meetings and check-ins with Community liaison coordinators to provide support and address issues promptly. – Coordinate and monitor the provision of essential support to local and internally displaced young people, including referral and facilitating access to specialized services such as GBV and SRH support, targeted psychosocial support, counseling, and trauma-informed interventions. – Report on the progress, challenges, and achievements of Community liaison coordinators, and develop strategies for enhancing their work and the success of the project. – Monitor timely reporting of needs assessment results to UNFPA. – Ensure UNFPA’s visibility on the products and services. Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Results/Expected Outputs: Effective support provided to local youth and young IDPs through the implementation of various activities tailored to meet their humanitarian needs, including the delivery and distribution of humanitarian aid, establishment of support mechanisms and referral systems, and enhancing the provision of psychosocial support, counseling, and trauma-informed interventions. Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. A cohesive and well-coordinated team of Community liaison coordinators operating efficiently across both regions. Clear documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and recommendations for improving liaison efforts. Prepare a final statement of achievements highlighting your contributions to volunteerism in humanitarian response and development, including reports on the number of young people assisted, activities participated in, and capacities developed.

Competencies and values

– Professionalism – Leadership – Integrity – Empathy and compassion – Communication skills – Teamwork and collaboration – Planning and organizing – Resilience – Commitment to social justice and human rights – Adaptability and flexibility – Commitment to continuous learning

Living conditions and remarks

As it is a national UN Volunteer’s assignment, the UN volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves. The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. This is a full-time contract. Allowances: • Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD 1587 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”. • USD 400 entry lump sum, one-time payment. Medical and life insurance: • Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins from the Commencement of Service and normally ceases one month after the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract date. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum. Leave entitlements: • Annual leave: UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.