Social and Outreach Officer

UNDP’s Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People (PAPP) derives its mandate from the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 33/147 of 20 December 1978. Called upon by United Nations Member States in that year, UNDP was requested “to improve the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people by identifying their social and economic needs and by establishing concrete projects to that end”. UNDP/PAPP is a responsive development agency that works together with the Palestinian people to fulfil their aspiration for sustainable human development based on self-determination, equality and freedom.

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme jointly with the Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-PAPP) is seeking 1 experienced national UN Volunteer Expert “Social and Outreach Officer”- for an initial duration of 6 months, renewable upon satisfaction and availability of funds.
This post is a United Nations Volunteers assignment and is based on the values of free will, commitment, engagement, and solidarity, which are the foundations of volunteerism. Volunteering brings benefits to the individual volunteer. It makes important contributions, economically, as well as socially. It contributes to creating social cohesion and capital, by helping to build trust and reciprocity
among citizens. The UNV Programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV volunteers contribute to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers. In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long-established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a
role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.

In all assignments, UN volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer 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 make the time they spend as UNV volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

UNDP/PAPP places empowerment, resilience, and sustainability at the center of its operation and focuses on three priority areas: the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and Area C of the West Bank, where the needs are the greatest. UNDP/PAPP is active in four thematic areas: democratic governance and the rule of law; economic empowerment and private sector development; environment and
management of natural resources; and public and social infrastructure.

In response to the emergency in the Gaza Strip and the deteriorating solid waste management sector, UNDP/PAPP has implemented immediate interventions to protect public health, reduce environmental impact, and support the basic rights of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The UNDP supports solid waste collection, maintains waste collection vehicles, rehabilitates waste management facilities, and provides technical assistance to the Joint Service Councils for solid
waste. Additionally, UNDP plans to support the solid waste management sector not only during the immediate emergency but also to lead efforts in the early recovery stage.
UNDP/PAPP is seeking to fill the position of Social and Outreach Officer under the guidance of the Portfolio Analyst and the direct supervision of the Project Manager. The candidate will provide support to initiatives in the field of sustainable use of natural resources and renewable energy, as well as the improvement of solid waste management in the Gaza Strip.

The Social and Outreach Officer will undertake the following functions:

1. Coordination of resilience/community infrastructure activities:
– Coordination and communication with the local communities and fully coordinate the implementation of activities and development of social and outreach plans with the JSC-KRW and other UNDP partners.
– Produce and coordinate all reporting, media outreach, and public information activities for the JSC-KRM and other UNDP partners.
– Development and operationalization of the “solid waste management awareness plans” for the implementation of social awareness activities, relevant to the specific context, to complement, sustain and build ownership around the community infrastructure initiatives.
– Identify any additional need of the selected stakeholders (JSC/ Municipalities/ Ministries/NGOs/CBOs) to ensure sustainable implementation of community infrastructure interventions.
– Supervise and assess the performance of JSC-KRW public awareness team.
– Develop and supervise the preparation of work plans and periodical reports.
– Monitoring project performance indicators and implementation of the results window in case the resulting negative or positive.
– Support the Project Manager in the day-to-day management of issues raised related to the communities concerning the ongoing activities.

2. Monitoring of project activities and expected results:
– Monitor the project’s assumptions related to community outreach and awareness, constantly assess the risks, and propose revisions in the action plan to the Project Manager, if necessary.
– Co-development with the environmental engineer for the social and environmental plan based on the UNDP’s Social and Environmental Screening Procedure of projects.
– Ensure the implementation of the Social and Environmental Screening Plan (SESP) in close
cooperation with assigned UNDP and JSC-KRM assigned staff; including carrying
out/coordinating monitoring of certain social parameters, as per SESP requirements.
– Ensure that social safeguards grievance mechanism is adhered to and successfully implemented and well reported.

3. Facilitation of dialogue among stakeholders and community engagement in social cohesion activities:
– Connect with and engage individuals and groups in the community around the targeted infrastructure.
– Leverage existing community planning exercises and ensure their inclusivity and the community’s active participation in decision-making.
– Ensure the mainstreaming of gender, environment, and digitalization across all activities in the community.
– Facilitate workshops on common topics between different stakeholders and communities to strengthen knowledge exchange and support decision-making.

4. Support the drafting of regular updates on the resilience/community infrastructure component and participate in donor progress reports:
– Draft lessons learned and best practices in collaboration with the project team feedback from the targeted communities.
– Participate in donor progress reporting related to social and outreach activities.
– Perform any other duties as assigned by the Supervisor