UNV Post Title: Local Integration Assistant (Self-Reliance) Type of assignment: National UNV Volunteer

Project Title: Local Integration of refugees in Ukraine

Duration: Initially 12 months with possible extension

Location, Country: Odessa, Ukraine

Expected starting date: 1 January 2011

Brief Project Description:

UNHCR seeks to strengthen national asylum systems and safeguard asylum in the broader migration context through dynamic partnerships with the European Union, national governments and NGOs. In this context, UNHCR is implementing EU-co-funded Local Integration of Refugees project in Kharkiv, Kyiv and Odessa. The project aims at strengthening the refugee capacity to become part of Ukrainian society through language and vocational training, recognition of diplomas and job placement, as well as provision of the integration grants.

Host Agency/Host Institute: UNHCR

Organizational Context: The NUNV will work under the supervision of the Assistant Programme Officer of the Local Integration project

Type of assignment place: assignment with family

Description of Duties:

Under the supervision of the Assistant Programme Officer of the Local Integration project the incumbent will perform the following tasks involving a wide range of contacts within UNHCR, with NGOs, Government and other counterparts relevant to the project implementation:

• Implement local integration activities against established goals, objectives and agreed activities in the field of employment and self-reliance.
• Conduct regular outreach activities and meetings with refugees and refugee communities (involving other functional units of the office and UNHCR Implementing Partners (IPs) as appropriate) and ensure that they are informed of a) their rights and responsibilities; b) available initiatives to support their local integration; and c) procedures to follow for their involvement in project activities. Gather relevant information on the skills and qualifications of refugees through individual interviews, field visits and referrals from UNHCR IPs.
• Analyze the job market to provide advice on respective opportunities of job placement, organize meeting for the employers in cooperation with the State Employment Centre.
• Prepare individual integration plans for recognized refugees and assist the UNHCR IPs in the process of counselling refugees on integration matters, also advising on general individual cases’ issues, when required.
• Gather information on refugees willing to apply for the integration grant, creating and updating action sheets for individual integration plans; forward applications to the RR Kyiv Integration Grant Selection Committee; ensure proper and timely follow-up to requests by the Selection Committee for further information.
• Monitor the approved integration grants, reporting developments and constrains.
• Identify problems/concerns of individuals who either approach directly the office or address written requests.
• Provide individual counselling and timely follow-up, including house visits, in co-ordination with other UNHCR IPs when relevant, seeking solutions to the identified problems;
• Represent UNHCR in the Working Group on Local Integration at regional (Oblast) level
• Keep adequate records including timely statistics on persons assisted;
• Provide routine counselling to refugees on the status of their integration, including naturalization;
• Identify and refer (when applicable) cases with specific needs in co-ordination with UNHCR IPs and in close co-operation with Protection Unit;
• Provide information to NGOs, local authorities, donors and other interested parties on existing assistance/activities projects in areas of responsibilities implemented by UNHCR and it’s IPs;
• Ensure that all individual files of the cases are complete and up to date, and coordinate with RR Kyiv Programme Assistant (Local Integration Project) in overall maintenance of files;
• Assist the project in preparing communications with refugees, sending outgoing correspondence, registering incoming correspondence on local integration;
• Assist the project in the follow-up with Government, Non Governmental, and other organizations on the collecting of additional information necessary;
• Act as the back-up for Local Integration Assistant (Education) in case of his/her absence;
• Perform other duties as required by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UNV volunteers are encouraged to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark IVD);
• Get acquainted with and building on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submitting them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UNV volunteers;
• Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encouraging relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Output:

• At least 200 refugees are counseled a year.
• At least 100 individual integration plans are prepared a year.
• At least 50 cases are submitted for integration grants a year.
• Local integration process in Odessa region is well coordinated and implemented according to the UNHCR rules and regulations.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• At least 25 years of age, University degree preferably in Law, Economy or Political Sciences, 2-3 years of relevant work experience Computer skills: Computer literacy with good knowledge of computer application.
• Language skills: Excellent spoken and written skills in English;
• Fluency in Russian and Ukrainian.

Conditions of Service

A 12-months contract with possible extension; monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to UAH 5000; settling-in-grant (if applicable); life, health, and permanent disability insurance; resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.

Interested applicants should uplodad their curriculum vitae in English by 14 November 2010 through the UNDP website: http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?job_id=19831