Back UNHABITAT - Community Mobilization Officer

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.

In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development – Habitat III – member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities. Through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors, including at all levels of government as well as the private sector, UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978 to address the issues of urban growth, UN-Habitat is a knowledge institution on urban development processes and understands the aspirations of cities and their residents. For forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. Because of these four decades of extensive experience, from the highest levels of policy to a range of specific technical issues, UN-Habitat has gained unique and universally acknowledged expertise in all things urban. This has placed UN-Habitat in the best position to develop achievable solutions to the current challenges faced by our cities. UN-Habitat is capitalizing on its experience and position to work with partners to formulate urban visions of tomorrow. It strives to ensure that cities become affordable living spaces of inclusive economic growth and social development for all citizens.

Since 2015, UN-Habitat Syria Programme has worked closely with Syrian cities and communities to develop an urban resilience and recovery approach. UN Habitat supports local authorities and communities (1) to collect better urban data to reach a common understanding on urban recovery needs; (2) to jointly identify neighborhood and municipal area response priorities – from humanitarian, to resilience, to recovery; and (3) to design and implement housing, infrastructure and basic services, urban environment, and urban cultural heritage projects that directly respond to these local priorities.

UN-Habitat Syria currently has offices in Damascus, Homs and Aleppo and plans to open an office in Deir Azzor., The UN-Habitat Syria programme operationalizes projects across Syria.

The Community Mobilization Officer shall support the team in the different domains of project tasks which mainly described as follows:

• Develop a community mobilization/community empowerment strategy in line with ‘Peoples’ Process’ of UN-Habitat;
• Design and conduct training on community mobilization and community development to the field project support team;
• Empower Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) in order to implement the project as planned;
• Conduct baseline survey and prepare family profiles as and when needed;
• Liaise with UN agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations, CBOs and relevant Government departments to implement the settlement improvement plans, especially on livelihood improvement, health and hygiene promotion and sustainable environmental development;
• Collect and disseminate success stories and lessons learned of the project to the management;
• Facilitate beneficiary selection and consult with community on grievances, coach the community for their fullest participation in the whole process;
• Supervise community mobilization team’s activities and provide necessary support when needed;
• Contribute to the overall planning, implementing and monitoring of the project. Report to the management monthly, quarterly and yearly and as per the need;
• Notify the Project Manager about anticipated delays or any project related community concerns;
• Undertake any other duty that may be assigned by the Supervisor.

Core:

Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional:

Communication:

• Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork:

• Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Planning & Organizing:

• Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently.

Education:

• Master’s degree in in engineering, economics, social sciences, development studies, or related field of study.
• A first-level university degree in combination with 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted.

Experience:

• 1 year of proven experience in the area of local planning and community engagement with the public sector, local governments, nongovernmental sector or international organizations for master’s degree.

Language Requirements:

• Proficiency in English and Arabic. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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Contract Duration: 1 year with possibility for extension