UN Volunteer Management Tools

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A buddy scheme for

UN Volunteers

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Foreword

A buddy scheme for UN Volunteers (use is optional): is a practical

guidance to help UN Volunteers rapidly integrate into their volunteer

assignment by putting UN Volunteers in contact with each other. The tool

is part of a Volunteer Toolkit, which contains eight (8) volunteer

management tools: The Volunteer Toolkit has been developed to support

the implementation of UNV Programme Strategy 2011- 2013, more

specifically to enhance the effectiveness of volunteer management and

the skills of UN Volunteers to become good advocates of Volunteerism for

Peace and Development.

The Volunteer Toolkit is to be disseminated and/or made available to UN

Volunteers over the course of their volunteer assignment. The objective is

to ensure that UN Volunteers (POs, other international UN Volunteers,

and national UN Volunteers) can benefit from each tool at the relevant

stage of their assignment: Pre-assignment; Support during assignment

and End of Assignment.

Front Cover: A national UN Volunteer engages with a woman from a local community. Referred toas Yanapiris (‘people who help others’) in the local languages (mainly Aymara and Quechua),indigenous UN Volunteers work to advance the MDGs in the Department of Oruro, Bolivia. With adeep knowledge of the region’s sociopolitical context, they are able to adapt MDG messaging tothe indigenous philosophy and culture. (Nicolas Josserand, 2010)


A BUDDY SCHEME FOR UN VOLUNTEERS . 3

On 15 November 2007, the development

of a proposal for a buddy system was

approved. This buddy system will

structure and support incoming UN

Volunteers during the initial transition into

their volunteer assignments. The buddy

system relies on peer-to-peer sharing of

information.

Buddy systems are extremely useful for

people who have expatriated from their

home locations or who are operating in

new organizational cultures. The need of

a “buddy” might be especially helpful for

those who, for different reasons, find it

difficult to seek advice. Buddy systems

promote improved adjustment to the work

and social aspects of an assignment.

Proper cultural induction is important, as it

will maximize the effectiveness of the UN

Volunteers and ensure that each

volunteer is the best advocate for

volunteerism for peace and development

and UNV.

Introduction

1. Objectives

The buddy programme links currently

serving or former UN Volunteers with in -

coming UN Volunteers. The overall

objective of the programme is to ensure

that UN Volunteers receive culturally

appropriate and timely support to help

them integrate rapidly and smoothly into

their assignments. The buddy programme

is designed for both international and

national UN Volunteers. This programme

is applicable to every UN Volunteer, and it

is further recommended that it appears in

every standard Description of Assignment

(DoA)

2. Timeframe

The formal buddy process lasts for the

first month of a new UN Volunteer’s

assignment. During this month, the

buddies meet or communicate at least

once a week and, ideally, the first meeting

should take place before the new UN

Volunteer arrives at his/her duty station.

After the first month, the buddy process

may continue on an informal basis.

3. Commitments of UNV Field Units

The Field Units are responsible for finding

a buddy for the in - coming UN Volunteer

before the volunteer arrives at his/her duty


4 . A BUDDY SCHEME FOR UN VOLUNTEERS

automatically sent to the Field Unit for

them to make a suitable match.

5. Profile of the buddy

Each currently serving or former UN

Volunteer is a potential buddy to someone

else. The preferences of the in-coming

UN Volunteer will determine who will be

the suggested buddy in each case.

In the questionnaire generated by UNV it

is possible to indicate preferences for a

buddy with regard to:

■ the person (age, gender, nationality)

■ the status (marital status, currently

serving or former UN Volunteer)

■ the type of assignment (national or

international UN Volunteer, host

organization, first mission or

experienced UN Volunteer)

The questionnaire informs the incoming

UN Volunteer that the Field Units will do

their utmost to fulfill his/her preferences,

but explains that the buddy matching

process also depends on the availability

of potential buddies.

In-coming UN Volunteers can choose to

‘opt out’ of the buddy programme, thereby

avoiding the issue of PO/PMs setting it up

for incoming volunteers that do not feel it

station. A questionnaire, in which the in -

coming UN Volunteer indicates the type of

buddy he/she would prefer, provides the

Field Unit with the information required to

identify a suitable buddy for the new

volunteer. The UNV Field Unit contacts a

currently serving or former UN Volunteer

residing in the country who matches the

requirements, asking if they would be

interested in serving as buddies. Once the

match has been made and the two

buddies are put in contact, no further

action is required by the Field Unit. Only

in cases where there has been a

mismatch should the Field Unit takes

action to find an alternative, more suitable

buddy.

The Field Unit is not responsible for the

content of the information that the buddies

share. There should be no costs linked to

the buddy system except for

communication costs which should be

borne by the Field Unit or the host

agency.

4. Matching questionnaire

The questionnaire is generated by UNV:

the in-coming UN Volunteer will

automatically receive the questionnaire

when the travel date is entered into the

system. In the questionnaire, the incoming

volunteer is asked to indicate his/her

preferences for a buddy. The response is


A BUDDY SCHEME FOR UN VOLUNTEERS . 5

is relevant. UN Volunteers returning to the

country, national UN Volunteers or UN

Volunteers with previous UNV experience

may feel that the buddy programme is not

relevant. The form therefore has a ‘I do

not want a buddy assigned’ tick box.

All Description of Assignments for UN

Volunteers explicitly mention that UN

Volunteers are expected to assist with the

UNV buddy programme for newly-arrived

UN Volunteers.

6. Ways of implementation

There are three different options as to

how the buddy programme can be

implemented. It is up to every UNV

Field Unit to choose the one that is most

relevant in their context. It is also possible

to combine different options and/or come

up with an entirely new way to implement

the scheme.

■ Face-to-Face Buddying: If possible, all

in-coming UN Volunteers should have

the opportunity to meet their buddies

face-to-face. As the buddy may well be

working in a similar field, the pair could

meet at the buddy’s site/workplace or at

another appropriate place.

Arrangements for meetings should be

made by the buddy team, and should

follow the principle of least -cost and

easiest arrangements. Costs of any

formal meetings must be pre-approved

by the UNV Field Unit or the host

agency. The buddy programme can also

involve informal or social activities, with

costs for these being borne entirely by

the buddies.

■ E-Buddying is a buddy relationship by

email and telephone which is offered to

UN Volunteers who serve in remote

locations and where face -to-face

meetings are impossible due to financial

or time constraints. Even in this

situation though, the buddy partners

would ideally meet at least once, e.g.

when the volunteers are both passing

through the capital.

■ An Online Buddy Forum could be set-

up at the country level and would either

complement or substitute Face-to-Face

Buddying. This forum would be open to

questions of a buddy nature and would

be moderated by an online facilitator -

appointed by the Field Unit for a period

of six months.

The on-line facilitator could be a serving

or former UN Volunteer, or an online

volunteer. This option could be

particularly applicable in contexts where

there are many UN Volunteers and

constant new arrivals, as in

assignments with Special Operations.


6 . A BUDDY SCHEME FOR UN VOLUNTEERS

7. Budget

Within most buddy programmes, activities

are completely voluntary and associated

costs are therefore borne by the

participants. Still, some administrative

costs might occur (like telephone

expenses) depending to the option that is

put in place.

8. Appropriate behavior

The buddy relationship is expected to

follow the same rules as usual work

relations among staff members.

Confidentiality and trust are important

attributes as well as inter cultural

sensitivity. This applies to communication

between the buddy partners as well as to

the way they approach the cultural context

in the country of assignment.

9. Evaluation and monitoring

After the formal ending of the buddy

relationship, each UN Volunteer will

evaluate the buddy programmer and how

it supported them. This will be done via

the volunteer reporting system (VRS).

Questions relating to the buddy

programme will be included in the UN

Volunteer’s Initial VRS report. The

Volunteer Learning Manager at UNV

headquarters will be responsible for

monitoring this information.

This is a living document that will change as your needs change. If you have comments andadditions that you feel can make it more useful, please send your feedback [email protected] is hoped that the exercises and topics discussed will help to make yourtransition a successful one. We look forward to hearing from you in the future.



UNV is administered by the

United Nations Development Programme

(UNDP)


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