UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

Transcription

1 Preamble: UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT 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: Forestry Officer 2. Type of Assignment: National UN Volunteer 3. Project Title: Fast Tracking Millennium Development Goals and Safeguarding Development Gains (MDGTFI) 4. Duration: 6 months 5. Location, Country: Maadi Municipality, Chitwan district Nepal 6. Expected Starting Date: June Brief Project Description: Nepal has made significant strides towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets by But the country still faces daunting challenges in key area such as poverty and hunger reduction and environmental sustainability. People living in rural areas are poorer and have less adequate nutrition, also more vulnerable to climate change due to their high dependence on natural resources for livelihoods. Unfortunately, The 7.8M earthquake of 25 April 2015 and several powerful aftershocks following it over the next two days has affected over 33 districts of Nepal including 12 districts very severely resulting in loss of over 5,000 lives and injuring more than 8,000 people. Quick estimates indicate that a significant proportion of the houses, buildings and community infrastructures in these districts are severely damaged creating huge mounds of rubble and debris hindering basic services, accessibility and on-farm and off farm livelihood activities. The government has declared a state of emergency in these districts. UNDP s approach envisages eight major areas of support to respond to this national crisis through the following interventions that are implemented as an integrated package with short, medium and long term

2 interventions all starting early but with varying intensities depending on the specific local needs and context in the affected districts. Realizing this, the Fast Tracking Millennium Development Goals and Safeguarding Development Gains Initiative (MDGTFI) funded by Republic of Korea (RoK)-UNDP MDG Trust Fund is running for the timeframe of 2 years (May 2014 to April 2016) under UNDP/ CDRMP. The Initiative s overall objective is to accelerate sustainable achievement of MDG target 1 (Poverty and Hunger Reduction) and 7 (Environmental Sustainability) among high risk marginalized communities of two sub-watershed, Riu-Khola (Chitwan) and Sindhu-Khola (Shinchupalchowk). The Initiative will promote an integrated approach of watershed management for sustainable use of natural resources and thereby reduce poverty and hunger. Key results of the project include: Sustainably increase incomes and food security in high-risk households in Maadi Municipality (former 4 VDCs namely Aayodhyapuri, Kalyanpur, Baghauda and Gardi) and 3VDCs (Bhotechaur, Hibung and Thakani) and 4 Wards in Melamchi Municipality (former Sindhukot and Bansbari VDCs) in 2 selected sub-watersheds currently facing environment degradation and at high risk from natural hazards. Sustain and increase the percentage of land covered by forests and wetlands in target areas through the use of proven environmentally sustainable practices to contribute to livelihood improvement of poor and vulnerable communities. Promote active knowledge exchange between Korean experts, UN agencies and Government departments to fast track action on MDG Target 7 to Integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs and reverse the loss of environmental resources 8. Host Agency/Host Institute: UNDP Nepal 9. Organizational Context: The Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Programme (CDRMP) has been formulated as part of the Strategic Partnership Framework signed between the Bureau of Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) (former Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nepal, and in accordance with the Nepal Risk Reduction Consortium. The programme aims to strengthen the institutional and legislative aspects of DRM in Nepal, by building the capacities of Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), other ministries, and local government agencies. The programme s intervention in the area of Climate Risk Management (CRM), Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM), and emergency preparedness and response plans to strengthen the overall system of disaster risk management in Nepal. It integrates gender equality and women empowerment as well as social inclusion issues for sustainable DRM. In course of implementing the programme, UNDP is building partnerships with the government, NGOs, international agencies, and academic institutions and expands the institutional and knowledge base of disaster risk management in Nepal. Early recovery is the current need in the earthquake hit communities and HHs. Thus, the national UNV will work under supervision of Senior Project Officer and in guidance of two Project Officers (Livelihood and CRM & Environment) and closely collaborate with the other national UN Volunteer stationed in Chitwan district. During the tenure of her/his service, the UN Volunteer will be involved with the broad

3 range of stakeholders from national to local level and a large number of meetings/workshops/trainings which will benefit to shape her/his career in the future. 10. Type of Assignment: Assignment without family 11. Description of tasks: The main role of the national UNV will be to facilitate the implementation of Micro Capital Grants (MCG) through community based organizations by providing technical and managerial assistance to the grantees. Micro Capital Grant is provisioned for non-credit activities to be implemented through local community based organizations (CBOs) or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) mainly with following objectives; a. Strengthening the institutional capacity of local NGOs and CBOs, b. Supporting community based self-help initiatives which may include income generating designed to alleviate poverty, c. Promoting advocacy activities and networking between civil society organizations (CSOs), government and donors and d. Supporting NGOs and CBOs involved with local environmental protection and poverty eradication activities. The incumbent will ensure that the planned activities of AWP 2015 under RoK-UNDP MDGTFI through MCG are implemented timely and with high quality complying with UNDP s administrative and financial process. The incumbent works in close collaboration with MCG grantees and with concerned line agencies, municipality, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), Professional Service Providers (PSP) and CDRMP/UNDP. Under the direct supervision of Senior Project Officer and the guidance of Project Officers (Livelihood and CRM & Environment) and in close collaboration with National UNV stationed in the working area, the incumbent will undertake the following tasks: a. Technical support: Support to establish linkage between MCG grantees and district forest office, district soil conservation office, National park and forest and wetland inputs and service suppliers such as; public and private nurseries, agricultural farms, livestock farms and agro-vets for technical services. Support to implement following activities; by developing realistic implementation and procurement plan, training, technical backstopping and quality assurance. 1. Assist on revision/ preparation of community forest operational plan as a part of its overall risk management plan. 2. Support stakeholders and local communities to improve/restore forest cover in community forest area, public and private land. Assist to coordinate communities with private and government nurseries to get/ purchase seedlings. 3. Provide technical guidance on types of species that can be planted (number of plants, species, and technique for plantation) particularly agroforestry practices, trees, Non Timber Forest Products species (NTFPs) and medicinal herbs, fast growing fodder and other

4 multipurpose plants that has link with livelihood promotion and floods and soil erosion/ landslide control. 4. Provide technical support to CFUGs and coordinate with VDCs/ Municipality, Chitwan National Park, and DFO/ Ilaka to improve/ restore forest cover through extensive plantation of multipurpose species (fruits, ornamental, fodder, fuelwood, trees and NTFPs). 5. Support to carry-out Emergency fund generating activities for D/CRM at VDC level. 6. Restore wetlands for enhancement of services, natural resource conservation and to promote economic activities (livelihood promotion through fishery and eco-tourism and biodiversity conservation). 7. Establishment of multipurpose community nursery in Basantpur, Maadi, carry out plantation in forests and communal land. Provide training to local resource person on nursery management. 8. Support to promote environmentally sustainable livestock management (forage and fodder plantation). 9. Implement Payment for Environmental Service (PES) mechanism in selected sites as appropriate. 10. Support to revisit and implement Performance-based Grant Mechanisms (PBGM) among CFUGs of watershed. 11. Promote and support improved sanitation and alternative sources of energy (such as biogas attached toilet, bio-briquettes, solar etc). 12. Training on income generating/livelihood activities, natural resource management, D/CRM, governance, institutional development, etc. organized for local community, local government, partners and project staff. 13. Conduct awareness on integrated approach of poverty reduction, environment sustainability and risk. b. Coordination, monitoring and Managerial support Strengthen coordination mechanism among concerned line agencies (DDC, District/ Ilaka Forest Office, District Soil Conservation Office (DSCO), Chitwan National Park, Buffer Zone Management Committee (BZMC), District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), District Livestock Services Office (DLSO) including LDRMC and Agriculture Forest University (AFU) for the relevant activities. Liaise with District Disaster Risk Management Committee (DDRC), District Project Coordination Committee (DPCC) and update the progress. Facilitate to establish coordination of MCG Grantees with district line agencies (District Development Committee, Municipality, District Forest Office, District Soil Conservation Office, DADO, DLSO; DDRC and DPCC, National Park, buffer zone management committee and with local bodies (DDC, Municipality) and with others Support the MCG Grantees to keep all the reports, meeting minutes, contracts and other related documents intact for maintaining transparency and accountability Support MCG grantees to apply appropriate tools for downward and upward accountability tools like; public hearing, social audits, financial audits, placing hording boards etc. Maintain the database of the beneficiaries in the format provided by M&E of the project Prepare and plan for joint monitoring (district line agencies, UNDP/ CDRMP and donors), exposure visits and sharing and interaction meeting as appropriate. Coordinate with UNDP field office in Bharatpur, Chitwan. Coordinate with thematic NUNVs to bring synergy in the project implementation. Support MCG grantees to develop monthly and activity completion reports.

5 c. Knowledge management and reporting Prepare monthly reports of programme activities implemented by communities and share with concerned stakeholders at the local, district and UNDP/CDRMP. Regular follow up of activities implemented by communities. Prepare success study reports, case study reports and share with CRM team members. d. Other responsibility: Perform any other related task that may be reasonably requested by the CRM team e. 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. 12. Results/Expected Outputs: Procurement plan for each activities agreed between CDRMP/ UNDP and MCG grantees prepared. Develop training module and training plan for each activities as appropriate in coordination with concerned agencies prepared and implemented. Monthly progress reports and completion report of each completed activities submitted. Downward and upward accountability tools at the community level to ensure transparency, accountability and value for money are in place. At least 5 Case studies and or success studies documented and shared. Documentation on technical and financial progress updated. 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

6 13. Qualifications/Requirements: Minimum Qualifications and Experience: University degree preferably M. Sc. in Forestry with at least 1 year of experience or B.Sc. in Forestry/ Natural Resource management Environmental Sciences with 3 years of experience in above area. Demonstrated skills & experiences in forest restoration, wetland management and NTFP promotion for environmental protection, livelihood promotion and integrated climate risk management Knowledge of project cycle management, participatory planning process, result based monitoring and evaluation. Familiarity with the project district/region will be an advantage. Knowledge & skills of basic computer based applications like; MS Office, internet, s etc. Proficiency and report writing skills in English and Nepali languages. 14. Core Competencies Demonstrates commitment to the UN mission, vision and values. Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. 15. Functional Competencies Effective oral and interpersonal communication skills with staff at various levels of the organization with clarity and concision. Knowledge on programme monitoring and reporting. Strong understanding of the local context (district/regional). Strong skills on documentation and report writing. Self-motivation and ability to recommend options for resolution of issues. Strong service orientation. Consistent approach toward work with a positive and constructive attitude. 16. Work station and Living Conditions: The incumbent will be positioned in Maadi of Chitwan, stationed at field office or relevant agency at Maadi. Maadi is a buffer zone area, with warm humid climate. It is connected to the Bharatpur, the district HQ of Chitwan by road. 17. Conditions of Service A 6 month contract; monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities: NPR 40,242.00; settling-in-grant (if applicable); life, health, and permanent disability insurance; return airfares (if applicable); resettlement allowance for satisfactory service. Description of Assignment prepared by the UNV Field Unit/UN Agency: Deepak K.C, Senior Project Officer, CDRMP/UNDP, Kathmandu, Nepal Date: 08 May 2015

7 Description of Assignment approved by UNDP/RR/CD or UNV Field Unit: Tatiana Prokhorova, UNV Programme Officer, UNV Field Unit Nepal Date: 11 May, 2015