UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
Preamble:
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism tosupport peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature ofdevelopment and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peaceand 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 andsupport 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 involunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, aswell as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make thetime they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.
1. UNV Assignment Title:

Assistant
Programme
Officer:
Participation
andempowerment of marginalized group integrated in UNV
initiatives

2. Type of Assignment:International UN Volunteer

3. Project Title:

Building up a community development strategy to promote
self-reliance and peaceful co-existence among refugees inTajikistan

4. Duration:

12 months

5. Location, Country:

Dushanbe, Tajikistan

6. Expected Starting Date:

ASAP

7. Brief Project Description:
The Republic of Tajikistan currently hosts approximately 3,300 refugees and 2,000 asylum seekers.
The refugee/asylum seeker population mainly originates from Afghanistan, but also includes smaller
numbers of Kyrgyz, Iranians and Iraqis. In recent years, Tajikistan has received in average 15
Afghan families per month and as the situation in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, this trend isexpected to continue. Most asylum seekers are a mix of complete families, single headedhouseholds, and individuals coming from different areas of Afghanistan. Over 90% of all Afghan
refugees in Tajikistan are ethnic Tajiks, and the remainder includes Hazara, Pashtun and Turkmenpeople.
The Republic of Tajikistan ratified the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its
1967 Protocol in 1994; however, its national asylum system does not fully conform to international
standards and in practice authorities systematically give precedence to national provisions overinternational law. Recognized refugees in Tajikistan are granted work permits and temporary
residency permits but are prohibited by law to take up residence in the major urban centers, such as
the capital city Dushanbe.
As a post-conflict state, Tajikistan has limited infrastructure, a poorly functioning social welfare
system, and reduced institutional and governmental structures. High unemployment rates,
widespread poverty and limited livelihood opportunities affect both the refugee and hostcommunities in Tajikistan. Potable water is limited and rent costs are high. Gas and electricity
shortages are common. Unofficial extra costs may be levied for access to health care or primaryeducation. Many refugee children require special adjustment courses in Cyrillic script and some areunable to complete school due to the imperative of finding employment. The restrictions on
settlement in urban centers have important and negative implications for the ability of refugees toaccess employment, healthcare and other services.
Due to the difficult living conditions, UNHCR is continually called upon to provide material andfinancial support to refugees and asylum-seekers. UNHCR and Implementing Partners (IPs) also
provide support to refugees in the form of vocational training and access to a recently establishedmicro loan scheme aimed at promoting self employment and small business initiatives. A Social
Centre and a Youth Centre were established in 2011 Vahdat. The Social Center was equipped withsewing machines which allow refugee women and local Tajik women to be employed and generate
an income. In addition, a series of training courses for women as well as literacy courses areorganized as part of the activities of the center. The Youth center is a space for refugee children tolearn with computers, have access to a library and perform sport activities. The centers are part of aRCVC project which was financed by the US Embassy in Tajikistan. UNHCR offers counseling andlegal consultations twice a week in Dushanbe and Vahdat, where the majority of refugees live, inorder to complement the services provided by the IPs.
Within UNHCR’s Urban Refugee Policy, whereby Tajikistan is part of the Policy Pilot Project, morecommunity development and outreach activities will be carried out during 2012 and 2013. Throughthe presence of the UN Volunteer, UNHCR Tajikistan aims to build up on its community
development strategy to discourage a dependency of the refugee population in UNHCR and instead
promote initiatives for self-reliance, while ensuring that the needs of the most vulnerable are met.
This should be achieved through consultations with refugees, government, IPs, the Regional Officeand Headquarters.
Stronger efforts should be made to identify and monitor the situation of refugees and asylum
seekers who have specific needs and vulnerabilities. This objective could be supported byestablishing a network of refugee outreach volunteers and by undertaking regular participatory
assessments and field visits. UNHCR’s implementing partners should be fully engaged in theseefforts and should receive the support that they need to ensure that people with specific needs areproperly protected.
Refugees in Tajikistan currently have very limited livelihoods and durable solutions options, andrenewed efforts are needed to address this situation. Particular attention should be given to theprovision of better educational and employment opportunities for refugee youth and to gain a better
understanding of their aspirations and expectations. At the same time, UNHCR should continue toexplore the potential for the local integration of refugees, many of whom have close affinities to theTajik population. All of these endeavors should be coordinated with other members of the UN
Country Team, steps being taken to ensure that refugees are included in broader poverty reduction
and development initiatives.

8. Host Agency/Host Institute:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Tajikistan.

9. Organizational Context:
UNHCR has one single country office in Tajikistan which is located in the main of the two common
houses that the UN system has in downtown Dushanbe. A UNHCR regional Office in Almaty,
Kazakhstan supports the operation in Tajikistan. The country office has 11 staff members of which
two are international and nine are national posts. Due to the size of the office, it has been not been
subdivided in units, but rather in areas of work coordinated by the staff members in thecorresponding positions. The office holds weekly staff meetings and regular day-to-day coordination
between staff members is encouraged.
The UN Volunteer will receive direct supervision from the Protection Officer. The incumbent will also
refer to relevant chapters in UNHCR Manual and various policy papers. The supervisor defines theobjectives and assignments to be performed, provides regular guidance and assists the incumbent
in solving more difficult problems. In certain situations, the incumbent may be required to supervise
some support staff.
The Government of Tajikistan remains UNHCR’s main partner and several ministries andgovernment institutions maintain a positive coordination with UNHCR. However, given the social andeconomic situation in the country, the government is unable to allocate funds for projects that benefitrefugees and help address their urgent needs.
UNHCR implements its activities mainly through 3 partners which are local NGOs, namely Rights &Prosperity (R&P), Refugee Children and Vulnerable Citizens (RCVC), and Consortium Initiative (CI).
R&P and RCVC are based in Dushanbe, while CI operates from Khujand. R&P provides mostly
legal assistance to the refugees and asylum seekers; RCVC is in charge of conducting social
assistance programs; and CI provides a combination of both types of support. All of them receive
small funding from external donors for other projects and some of these resources are equally usedfor the benefit of refugees and the local population.
UNHCR and its Implementing Partners (IPs) also cooperate with the Afghan Refugee Association(“Ariana”), whose aim is to assist refugees in finding accommodation, obtaining emergency medicalassistance, receiving in-kind/food assistance and being informed of relevant refugee issues inTajikistan in coordination with UNHCR and its IPs.
UNHCR also coordinates with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), which manages several projects
through funding from the EU which benefit refugees and asylum seekers in Tajikistan.
UNHCR also works in close proximity with other UN agencies, other international organizations andkey embassies to ensure that asylum and refugee issues received coordinated international
attention.
10. Type of Assignment Place: assignment with family

11. Description of tasks:
Under the direct supervision of the Protection Officer the UN Volunteer will undertake the following
tasks:•
Identify social capitals of the communities of the persons of concern (PoCs) to UNHCR (refugees,asylum-seekers and others) and assess capacities and resources of them of managing their owncommunities;•Analyze factors for successful / unsuccessful community formation and management among PoCs;•In collaboration with PoCs, partner organizations and other stakeholders, formulate strategic plans forcommunity development of PoCs in a beneficiary-oriented manner, in view of the Office’s efforts topromote durable solutions for PoCs;•Provide innovative inputs to formulating project proposals and monitoring the implementation;•
Provide technical advice to other staff and counterpart organizations;•
Liaise with the implementing partners (national NGOs) of the UNHCR to ensure that projects areimplemented with the maximum capacity and potential of the NGOs, and that UNHCR resources arespent efficiently and according to the set regulations;•
Maintain regular contact and dialogue with representatives of PoCs’ communities;•Compile lessons learnt from activities and projects as inputs for the next project cycle;••

Develop and maintain communication with potential new donors and counterparts;
Undertake other duties as required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to:
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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 markIVD);
Be acquainted with and build 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 inongoing reflection activities;
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;
Work with UNV FU for contributing to the UNV Country Team’s knowledge management throughorganising workshops on successful articles writing;
Collaborate with UNV FU to organize events and formulate small projects for promoting volunteerism
and youth participation into projects and/or activities;
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 technicallypossible.

12. Results/Expected Output:
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Identified and analyzed social capitals and factors for successful / unsuccessful PoCs communities(as ongoing process);
Project plans for empowering communities of PoCs, leading to capacity development in community
management;
Compiled knowledge as monitoring reports, inputs and technical advice;
Expanded and deepened key informants and partners in PoCs communities
Proposed model or case studies for future project planning and implementation for beneficiaryoriented community development, aiming at building resilience in communities built by CoPs;
A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the assignment,such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities
developed.

13. Qualifications/Requirements:
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University or higher degree in Social Sciences, Sociology, Public Administration, Business, preferably
related to community / rural development and/or community governance at grass-roots level;
Knowledge or experiences on project formulation and management would be an asset;
Excellent analytical and strong communication / negotiation skills, as well as the ability to work with avariety of partners in diplomatic manner;
Experience in resource mobilization, including partnerships with donor organizations;
Minimum 2 years of previous job experience relevant to the function;
Fluency in English is essential and in Russian or Farsi desirable;
Excellent computer skills, including command of MS Word and Excel.

14. Living Conditions:
The UN Volunteer will be based in Dushanbe the capital city, with travel to project sites upon a need.
The UN Volunteer will be expected to pay for accommodation in the Dushanbe area through his/herown means. Rental of apartments and houses in Dushanbe is relatively easy for foreigners and theOffice can provide support in establishing contacts with realtors and landlords that can facilitate thehouse search process. Transportation in Dushanbe is also facilitated by the availability of a local bus
system, public taxis and in general safe areas to walk from different points of the city. The Office canfacilitate the airport pick up upon arrival as well as provide the transportation to a hotel during the initialdays of stay while an accommodation alternative is found.
Dushanbe has many economic and social facilities at a reasonable price but occasionally influenced
by commodity prices in Moscow. Security is recently relatively calm. There is no immediate threat ofviolence but security environment could be volatile, depending on security situation in northern
Afghanistan due to influx of militant groups to the eastern border. As a mountainous area, occasionalslight earthquakes can be felt. Summers, between May and September, are very hot ranging from 30
to 40C, while winters, from November to March, are relatively cold and dry with little snow; spring time
(March, April) is usually rainy.
15. Conditions of Service
A 12-month contract with monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs
and utilities, equivalent to US$ 1,777.00; US$ 2.027,00 for person with one recognized dependent, and
US$ 2,227 for person with two or more recognized dependent; settling-in-grant (if applicable); life, health,and permanent disability insurance; return airfares (if applicable); resettlement allowance for satisfactory
service.

Description of Assignment prepared by the UN Agency:
Chizu Matsushita, Protection Officer, UNHCR
Date: 22.01.2013

Description of Assignment approved by UNDP/RR/CD or UNV Field Unit:
Keiichi Sato, UNV Programme Officer)
Date: 22.01.2013