IUNV Staff Counsellor MONUSCO

7/31/2019 IUNV Staff Counsellor MONUSCO

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UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

Preamble:

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerismto support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature ofdevelopment and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes topeace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integratevolunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharingand support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms ofvolunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies andlocal communities.In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging involunteer 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 makethe time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

1. UNV Assignment Title: Staff Counsellor

2. Type of Assignment: International UN Volunteer

3. Project Title: Staff Counsellor

4. Duration: Until 30 June 2013, with possible 12-month extensions

5. Location, Country: Goma, DR Congo (duty station can change in course ofassignment; volunteer may be required to work anywhere in areaof operations, including in remote locations)

6. Expected Starting Date: Immediate

7. Brief Project Description:

Under the supervision of the Chief Staff Counselling Unit and the technical guidance of the CriticalIncident Stress Management Unit (CISMU) Regional Counsellor, the UNV Staff Counsellor will providea wide range of stress management activities, actively participating in emergency preparedness in thecountry/region as per the UNDSS CISMU Standard Operational Procedures on Critical Incident Stress.

8. Host Agency/Host Institute: United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Seehttp://monusco.unmissions.org

9. Organizational Context: MONUSCO/MONUC was established in 1999 under the auspicesof the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO)

10. Type of Assignment Place: Assignment without family

11. Description of tasks:

This assignment is located in the Region East (Goma), and the UNV Staff Counselor reports to theChief of Staff Counseling Unit based in Kinshasa. The UNV Staff Counselor must be ready at all times24/7 to provide support to Mission personnel as necessary. Within the terms of the organizationsdelegated authority, and under the direct supervision of Chief of Staff Counseling Unit, the UNV StaffCounselor will be responsible for the following duties:
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Provide adequate Counseling Services within the mission area, i.e. overall assessment of thepsychosocial needs of the staff members, development of the services, etc.;

Perform individual assessments in the case of individual staff members experiencing difficulty

coping and/or presenting mental health-related symptoms or syndromes; Advise the Chief Staff Counseling Unit as necessary on individual cases where an identified

problem is likely to have professional, vocational, and/or counseling effect, such as work-relatedproblem due to a psychological problem, conflict resolution, need-oriented medication, etc.;

Advise Chief/head of Section as necessary, or upon request, with the aim at improving the workingatmosphere in their Section and resolving problems of a work-related or personal nature thatadversely affect job performance and productivity;

Perform critical incident stress defusing and/or debriefings, including individual and/or groupdebriefing whenever and wherever there is a need for it;

Assure, in conjunction with the Medical Services, a continuum of services (referral, short-termsupportive intervention) to individual staff members who have HIV/AIDS or to those staff memberssuffering from other serious diseases or illnesses;

Establish a Staff Committee and work with members in order to develop programmers designed to

improve the quality of life of staff members within the mission area; Provide training sessions on crisis and stress management and conflict resolution as needed; Monitor environmental factors that could lead to stress with particular focus on stress related to

critical incidents including emergency and crisis situations; Develop, organize and implement a resilience-building programme for all staff; Liaise with National Mental Health professionals and other psycho-medical resources; Perform related other duties as may be required by the Chief of Staff Counseling Unit.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to:

Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevantUNV 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;

network and build relationships with local organizations, groups or individuals, and support and/orparticipate in local volunteering initiatives; reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action thatthey 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.; initiate and/or participate in local volunteer groups, includingassisting them in submitting stories and experiences to the World Volunteer Web site;

Promote or advise local groups on the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant localindividuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technicallypossible;

Encourage, mobilize and support co-workers, fellow UN Volunteers and members of the localcommunity to play an active part in peace and development activities on a voluntary basis;

Discuss with supervisors how volunteerism for peace and development can be mainstreamed inthe assignment and integrate activities promoting volunteerism for peace and development intowork plans;

Assist with the UNV buddy programme for newly arriving UN Volunteers.

12. Results/Expected Outputs:

Well-being of staff members and mission personnel improved by providing services in efficient,effective, timely, and professional manner;

Work relationships improved and stress-related health problems in the mission minimized; Productivity at large improved.


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13. Profile Requirements

a) Qualifications, skills, experience

Bachelor/Master Degree or equivalent in psycho-educational studies, psychology, psychiatry,Clinical Social Work, or other Clinical Mental Health Profession; knowledge of Conflict Resolution,Human Resources, or Administration would be an asset;

Minimum 3 years professional experience (of which 2 at international level) in psychologicalcounseling, training skills, with special emphasis on managing critical incident stress;

Additional training or experience in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substanceabuse, stress management, critical incident stress and cross-cultural communication an asset;

Knowledge of relaxation techniques would be an asset; Experience in United Nations System is an advantage; Have affinity with or interest in humanitarian relief, post-conflict situations, volunteerism as a

mechanisms for durable development, and the UN System; Well-developed communication, leadership and team building skills; Fluency in written and spoken English and French; knowledge of Kiswahili and/or Ligala is an

advantage; knowledge of other UN Language would be an asset; Fully conversant with common computer software, i.e. MS Word, Powerpoint and Internet/Intranet; Valid National driving license.

b) Competencies and values:

Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply goodjudgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness toaccept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in apolitically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability tomanage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rulesand regulations; Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast

of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment; Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage

a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan,coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, andto handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries;ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender;

Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills,including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate

options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability tocommunicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers,counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; ability to maintaincomposure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest;capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote andpotentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and littlecomfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations; willingness totransfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary;

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity,compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.


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14. Living Conditions:

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite

diverse.

Living conditions therefore vary between MONUSCO duty stations, with all usual amenities present inthe capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, forinstance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water. The ability to live andwork in difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential.

Accommodation is very expensive in both Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Supermarkets exist in the largetowns (e.g. Bukavu, Kisangani), but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything isimported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.

All MONUSCO duty stations are considered non-family duty stations, and most are currently under UNSecurity Phase III (relocation phase: internationally-recruited staff are temporarily concentrated or

relocated to specified sites/locations). In addition to insecurity related to the relatively volatile politicalsituation as well as various conflict situations, certain places are subject to increasing street andresidential crime, including in Kinshasa and Goma.

Some degree of medical service is provided in all MONUSCO duty stations. Certain vaccinations aremandatory for MONUSCO personnel to enter the DRC, while others are compulsory for all otherincoming persons. It is possible for incoming MONUSCO personnel, including UN Volunteers, to beasked to provide proof of some or all vaccinations at NDjili airport in Kinshasa, though this is unlikely(a MONUSCO protocol/travel officer is usually present and may be able to assist). All UN Volunteersmust ensure that they are up-to-date with all appropriate vaccinations, which should be clearly andproperly endorsed in the International Certificate of Vaccination (carte jaune). Malaria is presentvirtually throughout the DRC, and it is therefore recommended to take prophylaxis.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may beimpossible to exchange travellers checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually acceptedin major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu,Kisangani),UN Volunteers are recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places,banks may be absent (including ATMs) and VLA payments will be processed in cash. UN Volunteershave the possibility to send part of their allowances to a bank account abroad.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo,Tshiluba and Swahili.

15. Conditions of Service

Initial contract is issued until 30 June 2013, with possible 12-month extensions depending on mandate,

availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is noexpectancy of renewal of the assignment (or of conversion into another type of appointment), inaccordance with art. 5.4 UNV COS. Settling-In-Grant is provided. Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance(VLA) intended to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost-of-living expenses is US$ 2,554. Life,health and permanent disability insurances are included, as well as periodic home leave, finalrepatriation, and resettlement allowance. UNV will provide a copy of the UNV Conditions of Service tothe successful candidate together with the offer of assignment.

16. Application

Apply online here: If you have not yet registered in the UNV database, please apply by registering yourprofile athttp://one.unv.orgImportant: Please select the following code from the drop down menu on
http://one.unv.org/http://one.unv.org/http://one.unv.org/http://one.unv.org/


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the first page of the registration form: 12ZAI_STAFF. If you are registered in the UNV database,please update your profile throughhttp://myprofile.unv.organd then select code ZAI

Description of Assignment prepared by the Project Manager/UN Entity:Editha J. Minja, OIC Chief Staff Counselling Unit, 2/09/2012

Description of Assignment approved by UNV Country Office Team/Support Office:Sandrina da Cruz, Administrative and Recruitment Officer, UNV Support Office, 2/09/2012
http://myprofile.unv.org/http://myprofile.unv.org/http://myprofile.unv.org/http://myprofile.unv.org/

Documents

IUNV Staff Counsellor MONUSCO