United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
DUE: 20 JUN 2025
Mission and objectives
In support of the Government of Zimbabwe, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has embarked on the implementation of a five-year Country Programme Document (CPD) 2022-2026.
UNDP focuses on areas that have a multiplier effect through a targeted build-up of capacities, policies, the creation of dialogue space, and scalable downstream interventions. Proposed downstream interventions will seek to provide platforms for citizen engagement in democratic processes and facilitate access to skills, knowledge and new technologies for increased income generation.
In so doing, UNDP Zimbabwe renders its support through the following three programmatic areas:
1. Democratic Governance
2. Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Livelihoods
3. Climate Change and Resilience Building
Context
The Transformative Governance Unit in the UNDP Zimbabwe Country Office has the core objective that seeks to see an effective and inclusive participatory social development dialogue facilitated in Zimbabwe ensuring women and youth participation in meaningful social and economic processes is enhanced contributing to their engagement in sustaining peace and development as per the UNDP Zimbabwe CPD 2022-2026 and the Zimbabwe United Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2022-2006.
The primary responsibility for governance, peace, stability, social cohesion and development lies with the host Government. The Government of Zimbabwe has prioritized this responsibility through the National Development Strategy (NDS) 1 by emphasizing that social cohesion will be achieved by the promotion of inclusive dialogue and tolerance among citizens; the promotion of peace building initiatives among communities; the strengthening of citizens’ engagement; and upholding and promoting the Constitution as a form of social contract.
Therefore, the main goal of the Transformative Governance Unit is to strengthen the national efforts in establishing a sustainable conducive environment for transformative governance that promotes citizen’s confidence, co-existence, trust, and ensuring citizen participation in the development processes in Zimbabwe.
Task description
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Specialist and/or Team Leader, the Volunteer will support the delivery of the Programmes and be responsible for supporting coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting obligations of the project in consultation with partners and the UNDP Transformative Governance Unit. He/she will work in close collaboration with the UNDP Governance Unit and Project staff in assisting partners to achieve desired goals within the Annual Work Plans. Specifically, the UN Volunteer will under-take the following tasks:
Support the project planning, and monitoring processes in line with UNDP Quality Assurance standards
• Support Implementing Partner and Responsible Parties in the preparation of Quarterly and Annual Work Plans, Budgets and M&E Plans, and other relevant project management.
• Provide support in organizing and facilitating partners key learning, knowledge exchange and coordination meetings.
• Facilitate communication and information relays between partners and UNDP Zimbabwe.
• Support processes geared towards monitoring the implementation of Annual Work Plans and specific output deliverables.
• Provide quality analysis and substantive inputs to the development and management of the project, in close cooperation with partners and UNDP
Support the implementation of key project activities as per the project documents
• Assist partners in the planning and roll out of proposed activities (including preparation of Concept Notes, Agenda, writing of the minutes and reporting);
• Track the implementation progress and performance of the project by ensuring proper planning, benchmarking and target setting;
• Assist in managing the accurate and timely narrative and financial obligations reporting of the Programme
• Assist in tracking the mainstreaming of gender perspectives throughout the Programme ‘s implementation process.
• Propose innovations for e- governance and AI tooling.
Provide support in creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Actively track and update on new and available opportunities for funding;
• Environmental scanning for resource mobilisation efforts.
• Provide tracking and reporting on mobilized resources;
• Support the Programme Specialist with preparation of donor reports;
• Support the strengthening of UNDP’s strategic partnership with Commissions, security sector, CSOs, government; donors and other UN agencies.
Support knowledge sharing, information codification, and reporting obligations of the Programme
• Provide support to the project in gathering and sharing information on the implementation of the programme;
• Assist in the compilation of data collection tools for the Programme progress reports;
• In consultation with UNDP Transformative Governance Unit and the Communications Unit, develop Project related articles and briefs;
• Provide and identify best practices and lessons learned from the Programme ’s implementation.
• Assist with entry points for private sector inclusion in governance development
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 International Volunteer Day);
• 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.
Eligibility criteria
Age
18 – 80
Required experience
3 years
Donor priorities
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Additional eligibility criteria
This assignment is funded by JICA, therefore only former Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JICA-JOCV) recommended by the JICA-JOCV Secretariat are eligible to apply. Please consult the JICA website (https://www.jica.go.jp/volunteer/obog/career_support/unv/index.html) for further information on the eligibility criteria.
Deployment is scheduled between 1 October and 30 November (no later than 31 December 2025).
Assignment requirements
Relevant experience
3 years
Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in Social sciences, governance or international relations or human rights or political science or development studies or any other related field.
Competencies and values
- Accountability
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Building Trust
- Client Orientation
- Commitment and Motivation
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Communication
Ethics and Values
- Integrity
- Judgement and Decision-making
- Planning and Organizing
- Professionalism
- Respect for Diversity
- Self-Management
- Technological Awareness
- Working in Teams
Skills and experience
- Demonstrated interest and/or experience in governance and peacebuilding including programme management will be considered
- Previous experience as a volunteer and/or experience of another culture, (i.e. studies, volunteer work, internship) would be highly regarded;
- Interest in facilitation, consensus-building, multi-stakeholder peace, dialogue processes, mediation, negotiation, dispute resolution.
- Interest in strategy and programme development, proficient analytical and writing skills, a high degree of political and cross-cultural sensitivity and in-depth experience of working in conflict environments.
- Interest in building national capacities for dialogue, conflict prevention, and transformation would be an asset.
- Experience in enhancing women’s participation as stakeholders dialogue and reconciliation processes is also highly desirable.
- Programming experience and knowledge will be desirable.
- Knowledge of a broad range of national and regional issues pertaining to sub-Saharan Africa.
- Strong analytical, writing, communication and advocacy skills
Area(s) of expertise
Development programmes
TO APPLY
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