Project Coordinator/Youth Engagement Specialist

Post Title:                       Project Coordinator/Youth Engagement Specialist

Post Level:                      Service Contract, SB4/3

Position number:        00164453

Duration of the service: one year with possible extension

Duty Station:                 Kyiv

Full/part time:              Full time

The position:

Under the supervision of the UNFPA Programme Analyst Youth/HIV, the Project Coordinator/Youth Engagement Specialist is primarily responsible for overall coordination and implementation of UNFPA-led activities related to the youth component of UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme, in particular, aimed to address humanitarian needs of young people, strengthen their capacities to be effective humanitarian actors, supporting local youth-led initiatives and organizations in humanitarian response, as well as pave the way for sustainable peace in Ukraine following the current settlement of the war-affected regions of Ukraine by engaging young women and men from all regions of Ukraine and from the capital city of Kyiv to be effective humanitarian actors, to inform the development of peace-building policies and strategies and to promote social cohesion, national unity and a culture of dialogue. S/he is responsible for managing the assigned project in the following areas:

• Development, coordination and implementation of youth-targeted and youth engagement activities of the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme  and its youth-related outputs;
• quality reporting, monitoring, assessment and research planning in support of the sound implementation of designated outputs;
• advocacy support and facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing. 

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. The Fund operates globally since 1969 in more than 150 countries and territories. UNFPA focuses on women and young people because these are the groups whose rights are often compromised UNFPA has been active in Ukraine since 1997.

In accordance with the organizational mandate and national development priorities of Ukraine, UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, implements a country program of technical assistance to Ukraine for 2018-2022. Among several priorities, the program seeks to contribute to supporting platforms to promote the participation of young people in decision-making processes related to their lives; promoting life skills to allow young people to become more socially active, politically engaged and economically resilient; and advancing the youth and peacebuilding agenda, in support of United Nations Security Council resolution 2250.

Within the current UNFPA Country Programme for Ukraine for 2018-2022 and UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme, working with the government and other partners, UNFPA seeks to work around the following outputs:

• GBV coordination, protection, prevention & awareness-raising and access as well as economic empowerment
• SRH coordination and access to life-saving SRH services (MCH, FP, HIV, STI, CMR integrated)
• Integrated support of youth humanitarian needs with GBV and SRH areas as well as  youth engagement in humanitarian response and social cohesion building;

UNFPA will seek to equip young women and men with skills and capacities in civic engagement, advocacy, and social change, while at the same time in liaison with all partners to strengthen government capacities for institutionalizing support to initiatives across the country that foster dialogue on diversity and inclusivity, tolerance and trust, and shared norms and values, all of which reinforce a sense of solidarity and national unity. The focus on gender equality and women’s empowerment will be a central principle, including activities that target the leadership and soft skills potential of girls while sensitizing boys on gender equality.

UNFPA is seeking highly-motivated candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to delivering excellence in CO program results.

Job Purpose:

Project Coordinator/Youth Engagement Specialist works in a client, quality and the outcome-oriented manner in close collaboration with UNFPA Programme Team members, all units of the UNFPA Country Office (CO), UNFPA implementing partners (IPs), as well as personnel of other UN agencies.

S/he plays a vital role in planning, coordination, and monitoring of UNFPA-led activities targeting/engaging youth of the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme with various national state bodies/partners (Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, All Ukrainian Youth Center, etc), local partners at the national and regional levels.

S/he will be responsible for the achievement of the planned results of UNFPA-led activities targeting/engaging youth of the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme in liaison with all streams of UNFPA program. 

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Project management and implementation

• Ensure timely and effective implementation of assigned  UNFPA-led  youth activities;
• Deliver results in accordance with the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme and work plans of IPs, communication plan, and result log-frames;
• Ensures timely preparation of relevant work plans, procurement and communications plans as well as other related documents for timely commencement of the UNFPA-led activities within the youth output. Develop a detailed implementation plan, oversees its progress
• Plan, coordinate and supervise the work of all IPs, experts and consultants, including preparation of the required terms of reference for consultants, national experts and subcontractors recruited under the youth component of HRP, forward planning of activities and budget expenditures, activity scheduling, and reporting
• Monitor assigned activities within the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme   and relevant country program activities on youth engagement and participation by keeping a close record of activities and expenditures, revision of log frames, work plans (including those of IPs) and result matrix to track the progress towards set indicators;
• Develops and oversees the implementation of UNFPA knowledge products such as online courses, virtual space platforms for young people, etc with particular focus on girls and women, boys and men specifically from the vulnerable groups; 
• Prepares comprehensive, outcome and output-oriented, evidence-based inputs to progress reports under UNFPA-led activities within the assigned area of work;   

• Ensure adjustment of the UNFPA-led youth-targeted and youth engagement activities within the UNFPA Ukraine Humanitarian Response Programme  to COVID-19 response including piloting innovative digital solutions and online modalities;

• Perform other tasks as requested by the UNFPA Programme Analyst, Youth/HIV and UNFPA Senior Management

Inter-Agency coordination and partnerships building 

• Work in close coordination with joint UN Project partners, other UNFPA projects, national (Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, Ministry of Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, All Ukrainian Youth Center, etc.) and regional partners, ensuring optimum participation of all relevant stakeholders in planned project activities;
• Develop a professional platform for networking and partnership building with local authorities of the target regions, CSOs, youth centres and organizations, other international development organizations or programs working in the area of youth engagement, youth participation, social cohesion, Youth Peace and Security and youth-led peacebuilding;
• Ensure visibility of UNFPA through public relations, advocacy, working with the mass media and other communications activities.

Knowledge building and knowledge sharing

• Promotes knowledge products, identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing, learning and planning future strategies;
• Provides support to effective advocacy of activities
• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the Youth Programme and CO.

 Qualifications and Experience:

• A minimum three (3) years of relevant progressively responsible experience at the national and/or international level of progressively responsible experience in project management and coordination/implementation services or related field preferably in the international environment;
• Experience and understanding of implementing human rights, youth engagement and youth participation, social cohesion, Youth Peace and Security and youth-led peacebuilding or related areas will be a strong asset;
• Experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments is an advantage.
• Experience of establishing effective partnerships with relevant stakeholders from the governmental and non-governmental institutions involved into youth engagement and participation at the national and sub-national levels;
• Proven successful experience in developing of evidence-based publications, reports, advocacy materials is desirable;
• Experience of working on similar positions with international organisations/projects will be considered as an advantage;
• Knowledge of ATLAS system and/or UN procedures and working methods, particularly UNFPA policies and procedures will be an advantage;
• Proficiency in MS Office package, Google applications, and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and teleconferencing tools.

Education:

Advanced degree in Social Sciences, Public Policy, International Relations, Development Studies, Project Management, Business Administration or related field is required.

Languages:

Fluency in English, Ukrainian and Russian.

Required Competencies:

Apply here by 23 September