Brief Project Description:
Due to conflict, a whole generation of youth in Darfur has had their access to employment, education, and business and development opportunities drastically reduced. Many of these youth live in rural and peri-urban areas of Darfur with limited or no access to basic services and sustainable livelihood opportunities. Many of today’s young graduates lack employment opportunities, as well as access to professional development, microfinance services and markets, through which they can establish their own businesses. These youth, desperate to make a living, represent a destabilizing risk to the region.
To that end, in 2011, UNDP introduced a livelihoods and economic recovery interventions approach to its existing activities in Darfur, focusing on the promotion of sustainable and integrated livelihood and economic recovery, peace building and social cohesion, employment creation and capacity development, collectively known as the Darfur Livelihoods Recovery Programme (DLRP). The DLRP consists of four inter-connected and mutually reinforcing components, each addressing key shortcomings in Darfurian communities to sustain humanitarian gains and to ensure transition to recovery and development. In 2011-2013, the programme set a strong foundation for strengthening resilience and rebuilding livelihoods through the implementation of four components:

 Pro-Poor Value Chain Integration Project;
 Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur;
 Darfur Community Recovery for Coexistence;
 Recovery and Livelihoods Post-Return Package.

The Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur Project (YVRDP) is responding to the Government’s 25-years Strategy (2002-2027) priority “to establish a National Volunteers Scheme for Private Sector Development” by contributing to achievement of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) Outcome 1 “People in Sudan, with special attention to youth, women and populations in need, have improved opportunities for decent work and sustainable livelihoods and are better protected from external shocks, thereby reducing poverty”.

The project addresses the main challenges for environmentally sustainable poverty reduction in Darfur through a youth volunteers-led scheme that supports and complements existing local initiatives. These include entrepreneurship skills training, self-employment, and access to microfinance, value chain integration, natural resource management, forestry and climate change adaptation. In cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Finance, United Nations Volunteer (UNV) unit and 4 Universities in Darfur, the project provides a nationally owned, intensive and cost-effective approach to fill the enormous business and financial skills capacity gap among youth and women in Darfur, while at the same time contributing to the employment of skilled graduates and promotion of sustainable environment in Darfur. The first pilot phase of the project which was for 3 years came to an end by the end of 2014. A transitional phase is currently being implemented across 5 states of Darfur with the aim of bridging the gap, consolidating the gains of the pilot phase and generating lessons for the review and design of a new phase.

Host Agency/Host Institute: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Sudan

Organizational Context:

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 170 countries, working with people to overcome global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and its wide range of partners. UNDP’s focus is helping countries build and share solutions to the challenges of:

 Democratic Governance
 Poverty Reduction
 Crisis Prevention and Recovery
 Environment and Energy
 HIV/AIDS

UNDP helps developing countries attract and use aid effectively. In all its activities, it encourages the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women. UNDP focuses on key development issues, providing measurement tools, innovative analysis and often controversial policy proposals. In all its operations, UNDP uses well-coordinated and inclusive approach seeks to ensure the most effective use of UN and international resources.
The Youth Volunteer Coordinators will work within the Crisis Prevention and Recovery Unit (CPRU) under the direct supervision of the Youth and Livelihoods Officer based in El Fasher and the overall supervision of the Programme Manager of the Darfur Livelihoods and Recovery Programme (DLRP) based in El Fasher.

Description of tasks:
This position will have significant interaction with other Livelihoods project teams, the state Coordinators, and strong working relations with UNDP implementing partners, particularly the Peace and Development Studies Centers at the Universities of El Fasher, Nyala, Geneina and Zalengei. Through a matrix reporting arrangement, they will work under the direct supervision of the Youth and Livelihoods Officer and UNV Field Unit. Among others, the Youth Volunteers Volunteer Coordinators will perform the following duties/responsibilities:
Management of Volunteer Operational Issues:
 Manage the day-to-day activities of the Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur’s project (YVRDP) in the respective state/locality;

 Identify all operational issues related to the project and communicate to the Project Officer on timely basis;
 Attend all related meetings with local stakeholders and brief the Senior Management as appropriate;
 Support YVRDP State Coordination Units (national partners) to deliver the planned activities on time, which include preparing work plans and budgets for the implementation of activities at the field level, organising joint monitoring visits and providing technical support;
 Support the screening candidates applying for volunteer positions and take lead in their recruitment if they are selected for assignments; compile interview reports on related dossiers for recruitment;
 Extend technical support and guidance to the volunteers through the sharing of concerns and advice; and build-up a mutual support network for volunteers in Darfur;
 Encourage networking and discussions among former volunteers and utilizing their knowledge and experience to facilitate the volunteer activities;
 Receive and provide briefing and orientation to all in-coming volunteers;
 Provide guidance and administrative support to the in-country serving volunteers;
 Monitor the performance of serving volunteers through routine joint field visits to their duty stations, discussions with their supervisors and counterparts and follow-up on their periodic reports;
 Ensure timely monitoring of activities implemented at the field level, including small grants scheme, community trainings and documenting impacts and challenges;
 Provide technical and administrative support to IPs for the timely utilisation and reporting of financial resources including IP reporting, liquidation of sub-grants;
 Provide support for senior management visits, including coordination of flights and accommodation for donors, SMT from Khartoum and El Fasher and evaluation teams on ground.
Programme Development and Management:
 Keep abreast of development in the country and the region, which is relevant to the Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur’s project contribution, by drawing on locally available, relevant, up-to-date country and sectorial socio-economic information, in a systematic manner, and by working in partnership with the Government Counterpart(s), UNDP, other UN Agencies, the private sector, NGOs and CSOs;
 Familiarize with the development cooperation activities of the Government, the UN system and other development partners in Sudan that offer possibilities for the use of volunteers;
 Develop linkages, initiate and maintain networks among Government, NGO, CBO, UN agencies, the private sector and other development partners;
 Monitor closely project implementation based on the work plans and verify activities against actual budget expenditures;
 Carry out periodic budget revisions and rephasings, and scrutinise financial requests to advise the Project Officer on advance payments with a view to avoiding over-expenditures;
 Undertake field monitoring visits, provide technical guidance to project teams, analyse project performance and be able to deal with problems that might hamper progress;
 Ensure the implementation of the Monitoring and Evaluation strategy for the project in the state;
 Identify success cases, draft success stories, providing updates on risks and issues affecting the project;
 Maintain close working relations with other Livelihoods teams, particularly the Value Chain team to ensure integration and linkages of the two projects;
 Prepare analytic reports on field visits with appropriate recommendations for action;
 In coordination with Project Officer, prepare draft monthly, biannual and annual reports, Annual Work plans and convene review and coordination meetings;
 Any other duties deemed necessary by the Livelihoods Officer and or Programme Manager.

Promotion of the UN Volunteer Programme mandate1
UN Volunteers are expected to integrate the UN Volunteers Programme mandate within their assignment as well as promote voluntary action through engagement with communities (urban and rural) in the course of their work. As such, UN volunteers should dedicate a proportion of their working week to the following in support of and in synergy with their primary role as Youth Volunteer Coordinators. National volunteers can draw on their knowledge of local forms of volunteerism. Suggested tasks could include:
 Strengthen knowledge and understanding of the influence of voluntary action by the communities affected by issues of interest of UNDP through the following:
o Research of the subject matter;
o Develop knowledge of non-profit community-based organizations and promote major issues of these organizations through publications and dissemination of information that will influence development and peace-building initiatives;
o Undertake awareness-raising (promotion) activities in communities that will increase knowledge of issues of interest to UNDP’s mandate;
o Encourage communities to volunteer thoughts and actions to the development of their communities on the basis of core issues discussed in or for publications;
 Build relationships with a wide range (private/public) of Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to support and/or participate in community-driven voluntary activities and assist them to tell their stories to the World Volunteer Web site;
 Encourage, mobilize and support co-workers and fellow UN Volunteers to better understand the connections between the UNDP’s mandate and volunteerism;
 Monitor on a continual basis the impact of integrating UNDP’s mandate and activities voluntary action at the community level;
 Contribute to articles/write-ups on the peace-building and development process and experiences from the above outlined activities and submit them to UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
 Promote and/or advise CSOs and citizens’ groups in the use of OV (online volunteering), and encourage relevant groups to use OV whenever technically possible.
More specifically, she/he will:
 In coordination with UNDP Sudan and UNV Headquarters, assist as appropriate the Government and NGOs of Sudan and other institutions in promoting volunteerism for development to achieve national goals and the Millennium Development Goals;
 Assist as appropriate in promoting volunteerism in Sudan, participate in activities of Post-IYV Committee/IYV+10 Committee;
 Coordinate the annual celebrations of the International Volunteers Day (5 December);
 Closely work and collaborate with the media for a sound publicity and awareness creation;
 Encourage serving volunteers to embrace the ideals of volunteerism and be the best advocates of volunteer action through training and provision of promotional materials;
 Ensure that volunteerism is mainstreamed in major in-country development instruments, i.e. National Human Development Reports (NHDR), Strategies for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) achievements, Common Country Assessment (CCA), UNDAF, ISF (Integrated Strategic Framework) and other agencies’ Country Programmes and Evaluation Reports.

Results/Expected Outputs:
The Youth Volunteer Coordinators will play a pivotal role in improving the capacity of the Peace Centres in effectively implementing the Youth Volunteers Rebuilding Darfur Project, resulting in the improved livelihoods of both. The contributions of these assignments will impact the overall capacity of the UNDP team to effectively deliver the Project, as per the project document and the annual work plan, including the following:


 Project planning, implementation enhanced for timely achievement of project targets;
 Efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to stakeholders on diverse issues;
 Effective and high technical and administrative capacity-building provided of State Project Coordination Units in the respective states;
 High quality training provided to youth volunteers and community members;
 Vulnerable community members increased income earning and entrepreneurial capacity as a result of this project;
 Synergies among the YVRDP, the Pro-poor value chain integration project and Darfur Coexistence and Recovery Project enhanced;
 Accurate and reliable information generated for the monitoring, evaluation and further improvement of the project.

 Profile Requirements:

a) Qualifications, skills, experience:
 Academic background: Master’s Degree required, preferably in social sciences, development studies, International Relations, Youth Development, Entrepreneurship or other relevant area;
 Experience:
o Minimum 3 years of experience in development-related field, management capacity and organizational development, Youth Development and / or volunteer management;
o Knowledge of the country’s socio-economic situation, cultural dimensions and political structure, particularly knowledge of the Darfur region and its context;
o Previous knowledge and/or working experience in the Darfur highly desirable;
o Knowledge of UN system and particularly UNDP-managed programmes/projects an asset;
 Fluency in English and Arabic.
 Computer literacy (MS-Office, Internet);
 Strong interpersonal, advocacy, negotiation and presentation, team-building skills, and high degree of personal initiative;
 Driving licence;
 Experience in volunteerism will be an asset.
b) Competencies and values:
 Vision: an in-depth understanding of the unit’s strategic direction and ability to transform it into a results-oriented work programme;
 Professionalism: proven expertise in area of assignment; in-depth understanding of and ability to evaluate international political situations; experience in bilateral and multilateral negotiations;
 Leadership: proven ability to provide effective leadership and transfer advice and knowledge to staff at all levels and from different national and cultural backgrounds;
 Managing performance: proven effective supervisory skills; ability to mentor staff and provide guidance and support;
 Planning and organizing: proven ability to establish priorities and to plan, organize, coordinate and monitor own work plan and provide advice and guidance to others; in-depth understanding of division’s strategic direction; resourcefulness, sound judgment and decision-making skills;
 Judgment/decision-making: demonstrated sound judgment in resolving issues/problems; ability to proactively seek and recommend sound policy initiatives;
 Creativity: ability to actively seek to improve programmes/services, offer new and different options to solve problems/meet client needs;
 Communications: excellent and effective communication (verbal and written) skills, including ability to prepare reports and conduct presentations by clearly formulating positions on issues, articulating options concisely, conveying necessary information, making/ defending recommendations; diplomacy and tact; ability to convey difficult issues and positions to senior officials;
 Teamwork: excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
 Negotiation skills: effective negotiating skills and ability to work with others to reach mutually benefiting and lasting understanding.

Living Conditions:
Darfur is the western-most region of Sudan. The region's main towns are El Fasher, Nyala, and Geneina. The region has been in a state of humanitarian emergency since 2003. This environment requires a mature level of cultural awareness. The security situation within Darfur is unpredictable, though moderately calm in most areas. Risks to personnel are reduced by strict adherence to UN security guidelines, instructions and mitigating measures. Crime rate, though not alarming, gives some cause for concern. It is mandatory for all personnel to receive a security briefing upon arrival.
The cost of living in Darfur is relatively reasonable. The markets and shops are generally stocked with local and common cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat, fish and other common food items. These markets are easily accessible. Local restaurants hardly serve well-known non-local recipes. Telecommunications are appreciably reliable in Darfur. There are three main international telecommunication companies in Darfur which provide mobile phone, internet and other telecom services.

Conditions of Service:

A twelve-month contract, renewable depending on mandate, availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectancy of renewal of the assignment. Monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) – intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities – of 4,702 Sudanese Pounds per month (VLA rates are periodically reviewed). Settling-in-grant (if current residence is different from duty station); life, health and permanent disability insurance; return airfares (if applicable); resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.