IUNV for External Relations and Partnerships Assignment – WHO Mali

Organizational context and brief project description:

The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region has embarked on a new Global Programme of Work (GPW13) and a new Programme Budget for the next 2 years (2022-2023). Through these two strategic documents, Mali aims to deliver public health outcomes through an integrated results-based structure that includes strengthening activities of External Relations Communication and Visibility. On this purpose the Communications Officer will contribute to the External Relations Activities of the office under the lead of the External Relations Officer.

The Communication Officer will be responsible for the development of the WCO Mali Communication plan and will contribute to national, regional and worldwide strategies that includes advocacy, visibility and information management content. The objective of the position is to develop and improve communication materials aiming to reach different public including general public health stakeholders, donors, partners as well as Malian and worldwide populations.

Supervision, induction and duty of care of the IUN Volunteers

The UNV for External Relations and Partnerships should be provided equal duty of care as extended to all host entity personnel. Host entity support to the UN Volunteer includes, but is not limited to:

• Introductory briefings about the organisation and office-related context including security, emergency procedures, good cultural practice and orientation to the local environment;
• Support with arrival administration including setting-up of bank accounts, residence permit applications and completion of other official processes as required by the host government or host entity;
• Structured guidance, mentoring and coaching by a supervisor including a clear workplan and performance appraisal;
• Access to office space, equipment, IT support and any other systems and tools required to complete the objectives of the assignment including a host entity email address;
• Access to shared host entity corporate knowledge, mandatory training and learning; ​
• Inclusion of the volunteer in emergency procedures such as evacuations;
• Leave management;
• DSA for official travel, when applicable​;
• All changes in the Description of Assignment occurring between recruitment and arrival or during the assignment need to be formalized with the United Nations Volunteer Programme.

Description of tasks

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the External Relations Officer the UN Volunteer will:

• Assist the External Relations Officer
• Participate, take notes and contribute to secretariat work for the national health dialogues and multi-stakeholders working groups
• Develop and implement a communication & visibility strategy and plan for WHO activities containing:
  • Key communications materials supporting WHO projects and programmes
  • Identify key subjects and stories to showcase WHO work in Mali
  • Short documentary or video footage
  • Social media and press contents
  • Audio-visual content
  • Photos
  • Bulletins and other reporting support
  • Sitreps
  • Interviews
  • Website
• Draft, review and contribute to briefing notes, donor propositions, concept notes and reports and all other tasks linked to external relations and partnership upon request of the supervisor
• Collect articles, cases studies, and best practices across WHO projects for evidence gathering and format, so they are suitable for external audiences
• Understand key activities and programmes ongoing in the office to develop press releases and social media posts on key WHO activities, achievements, and milestones
• Contribute to develop communications and advocacy materials on public health subject and health emergencies
• Work with partners to develop common communication strategy and materials
• Promote WHO visibility among partners communications and events
• Contribute to organise WHO events
• Support and develop website and social media contents following WHO norms and standards to guarantee WHO coherence on external communication
• Prepare communication material, talking points, tables, charts and other graphics required by the resource mobilisation team to raise funds and awareness on WHO activities and programmes
• Ensure donor visibility in line with donor agreements and ensure WHO accountability on the different agreements
• Conduct support visits to produce quality and accurate communication materials

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV 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;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/expected outputs

As an active World Health Organization team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to the World Health Organization and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

• Contribute to the Partnership intelligence gathering and sharing information as well as building and managing close working relationships with key stakeholders
• Capacity development through coaching, monitoring and continuous training, working (including supervision) with national staff or counterparts from the counterpart (governmental or non-governmental, including partners execution (IP);
• The age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective are systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment
• A report of achievements is produced in the field of volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as the number of volunteers mobilized, the participation in activities and contribution to capacity development

Qualifications/requirements

Required Degree Level: Bachelor’s degree

Required Experience: 2- 4 years

• First level university degree in public health, business administration, management, communications, international relations or a related field.
• At least 2- 4 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level experience in field related sectors (communications, partnerships management, proposal development, and resource mobilization)
• Desirable: Accuracy and professionalism in document/graphic/video/photo/charts production and editing
• Experience in WHO or other UN organizations would be an asset.

Skills

• Excellent Microsoft Office tools including excel and power point skills
• Good knowledge of software for graphic design, visual design, social media, website development and publishing.
• Good management, communications, resource mobilization, public relations and interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, editing and reporting skills
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel
• Ability to work with tight deadlines with lot of different stakeholders

Competencies and values:

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to World Health Organization; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to World Health Organization procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and World Health Organization in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• 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, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• 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 to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards World Health Organization mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Language skills

• Fluency in spoken and written French and English is required
• Knowledge of local languages ​​is an asset

Living Conditions

Mali is a non-family duty station and main part of the country has difficult security and working environment. However, living conditions are acceptable in Bamako. Bamako is a lively city were lot of NGO and UN agencies have presence. Living in Bamako implies to follow strict

security instructions from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) but you will be able to have quality personal life and independent with adequate housing is available for rent at US$ 500-1500 per month. Different groceries supply points exist in the city ranging from supermarkets to street markets. In addition, there are various restaurants and maquis and a lot of different cultural events that may be discovered over time. While French is the official language of Mali, it is only mastered by 5 to 10% of the population and there are lot of other local languages.

With respect to health issues, a yellow fever vaccination certificate is compulsory for all travelers entering the country. It is advisable to take precautions against malaria. Similarly, vaccination against typhoid fever, tetanus, hepatitis, poliomyelitis and diphtheria is highly recommended. Basic medicines are available from pharmacies, but provision needs to be made for specialized medication. Bamako is deserved by several international airlines.

Conditions of Service

The initial contract is issued upon arrival for the period indicated above. The contract can be extended depending on continuation of mandate, availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectancy of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), which is composed of a Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs. The VLA can be calculated using by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,602. The VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis according to cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website – http://icsc.un.org.

In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.