UNV VOLUNTEER TERMS OF REFERENCE

Preamble:
The United Nations Volunteers (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 contributes 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, UNV 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, UNV 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.

1.  UNV Assignment Title: Information Management Officer
2.  Type of assignment:  National UNV Volunteer
3.  Project Title: China Climate Change Partnership Framework
4.  Duration: 1 year
5.  Location, Country: Beijing, China with travel to project sites
6.  Expected starting date: March 2009
7.  Brief Project Description:  
----The China Climate Change Partnership Framework is a multi-agency programme (nine UN organizations working in China and eleven national bodies) funded by the Spanish government. Building on previous experience it aims at: a) incorporating the National Climate Change Strategy guidelines into national policies and legal measures, delivering a shift in climate change policies and policy enforcement, b) improving local capacities and partnerships for financing technologies transfer and replicating innovative technology models and c) ensuring vulnerable communities’ adaptation to climate change impacts.
----The strategy of the programme is to support policies needed to achieve climate change goals and to develop and disseminate innovative pilot partnerships and technology models on the ground. According to the experience of the UN in China, once a successful pilot is demonstrated, China moves quickly to expand the model and replicate it for wide use.
----The proposed joint programme will address three major areas: (1) climate change policy, (2) mitigation, and (3) vulnerability assessment and adaptation.
Component 3.4. Enhanced strategies for climate-proofed and environmentally sound agricultural production (C-PESAP): Agricultural development in selected agro-ecosystems of the Yellow River Basin is coordinated by FAO and implemented by CAAS and the Ministry of Agriculture.  It aims to promote climate-proofed and environmentally-sound agricultural production for strategies and farming systems to maximise production, minimise emissions and waste, preserve the resource base and other ecosystem services. 

8.  Host Agency/Host Institute: 
----FAO and Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional 
Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IARRP- CAAS)

9.  Organizational Context: 
----The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations helps both developed and developing countries modernize and improve agriculture, forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good nutrition for all.  It is a source of knowledge and information from thousands of field projects being put to test around the world.
----The Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) targets at serving national economic development, promoting agricultural production and increasing farmer’s income, and undertakes the primary mission of national and international research cooperation and agricultural education.  As a state agricultural resources and environmental science research centre, it has 8 research departments and 2 key laboratories under the Ministry of Agriculture.

10. Type of assignment place:   
Family duty station

11.  Description of Duties:
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager at the Project Management Office (PMO) at IARRP-CAAS the UNV volunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• Contribute to manage information by:
o Collecting information on subject areas covered by the project (e.g. agricultural adaptation to climate change), as well as project activities and outputs;
o Organizing and synthesizing information collected to feed into and populate the project’s web based information system;
o Providing timely uploading and maintaining up-to-date and relevant information on the information system;
o Identifying and filling pertinent informational gaps to strengthen knowledge on the project and exchange of its stakeholders.
• Contribute to communicate information by:
o Editing, documenting, and producing project materials and outputs in both English and Chinese for communication and dissemination to inform stakeholders and the public;
o Maintaining and ensuring smooth functioning of the project website;
o Liaising regularly with provincial project management offices and project teams to facilitate understanding of implementation plans and monitoring of progresses;
o Helping to engage project stakeholders (e.g. authorities, technicians, communities, etc.) to participate in implementation activities.
• Contribute to daily operation of project by:
o Performing administrative tasks to help with day-to-day project operation and communication at national project management office;
o Travelling to project provinces and pilot sites to support implementation of activities (e.g. training and demonstrations) at the field level;
o Supporting other functions and events as required by the project and as instructed by the national project management office.

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.

12.  Results/Expected Output:
• Project’s web-based information system organized and maintained
• Knowledge products from project produced and disseminated
• Training and demonstration activities for farmers, field technicians and local authorities in selected 
  pilot sites of the four project provinces of Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, and Ningxia supported
• Participation of different stakeholders in project activities facilitated
• Project processes and lessons learnt documented
• A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during your assignment such as specific quantification of mobilized volunteers, activities, capacities.

13.  Qualifications/Requirements:
• University degree on English language, translation, journalism, or related field; above 25 years old.
• 2-3 years of work experience on editing and writing of English and Chinese project materials, or managing web site content for international collaborations;  
• Experience on working in environmental, agricultural and multidisciplinary field strongly desirable;
• Good organizational, coordination, and planning skills;
• Be able to work independently with minimal supervision;
• Willingness and ability to travel throughout China;
• Computer Skills: Background in website content creation, editing and management; command over standard office software packages and project management software;
• Language skills:  Excellent written skills in English and Chinese required.

14.  Living Conditions:  
Beijing is a modern city with relatively high-quality public infrastructure and services.  It is the foremost political and cultural metropolis in China.  The city has excellent health services available. 

15.  Conditions of Service
A 12-month contract; monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs and utilities, equivalent to RMB 3,000 per month; life, health, and permanent disability insurance.

Application procedures 
 
Interested Chinese candidates should include detailed curriculum vitae (CV) and an application letter (both in English and Chinese) marked: “Application for the NUNV Information Management Officer Assignment” to  changfeng.xie@undp.org [1]

Application procedures 
 
Interested Chinese candidates should include detailed curriculum vitae (CV) and an application letter (both in English and Chinese) marked: “Application for the NUNV Project Officer Assignment (TYVA)” to  changfeng.xie@undp.org [2]