Mission and objectivesThe Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).
ContextThe Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country.
Task DescriptionUnder the direct supervision of Senior Supply Officer, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: Strategy: โข Prepare plans for sourcing of relief items according to operational needs. โข Establish cooperation with operational partners and NGOs to ensure that supply and sup-port activities are coordinated and integrated appropriately; Operational Support: โข Apply UNHCR's procurement strategy when planning for purchase of important commodities and services; โข Assist in all activities pertaining to the procurement function within his/her area of responsibility in line with UNHCR procedures; โข Evaluate purchase requisitions to ensure that specifications, delivery dates and all other requirements are in order; โข Draft and dispatch quotation requests and/or tenders, assist in the evaluation of offers and draft bid-tabulations, and the selection of suitable suppliers and prepare proposals for award of contracts to the Committee on Contracts; โข Prepare Purchase Orders, confirmations, requests for inspection and other correspondence; โข Maintain and update the roster of UNHCR suppliers; โข Monitor the manufacture/transport of ordered goods to ensure timely delivery; โข Analyse matters relating to procurement activities, and provide timely information on all procurement activities within area of responsibility; โข Provide guidance and advice on UNHCR procurement policies and procedures to support and assist requesting sections; Infrastructure Support: โข Identify partners for supply chain projects based on objectives, priorities, strengths and re-sources of the implementing partner and/or contractor, according to criteria consistent with UNHCR rules and regulations; โข Analyse the quality of commodities and services delivered in line with the needs of the lo-cation and agreed standard of quality. โข Establish a local quality assurance process. Business Support: โข Analyse the existing supply infrastructure and ensure that it is optimally aligned with the operational needs. โข Implement practical projects to improve supply performance that has clear objectives, timescales, tasks and resources defined. โข Monitor the project implementation and report on the progress. โข Monitor the quality and accuracy of supply chain related data in relevant business systems. Compile and analyse statistical information, identify trends and developments in supply chain related matters that will assist in decision-making. โข Promote commitment to and monitor compliance with UNHCR's global policies, standards and guidance on supply chain management. โข Ensure effective information flow in the supply chain and adapt local process to the prevailing environment.
Competencies and valuesโข Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to ap-ply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take owner-ship; willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, im-partiality and neutrality; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented. โข Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and regulations. โข 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. โข 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 priori-ties and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities. โข Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender; โข 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; ability to maintain composure and remain helpful towards the staff, but objective, without showing personal interest; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; โข Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, re-mote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of operations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary; โข Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.
Living conditions and remarks The country is landlocked and surrounded by countries with security problems (Chad, DRC, Sudan, and Cameroon). Volatile socio-political situation, social unrest, and grievance in Bangui with frequent civil servants strikes causing interruption of public ser-vices. Power cuts are causing insecurity in town. The security situation across the country is still a concern as crimes (theft, abduction, armed robbery, carjacking, murder, illegal detention of weapons and illegal checkpoints/taxation, torture and sexual violence) continue throughout the country because of endemic poverty, easy access to weapons and the weak capacity or absence of judicial authorities in many areas. However, the deployment of the FACA (Forces armรฉes centrafricaines) in Bangui and in some of the country's cities led to an improvement of the overall security situation. A curfew is established by the UN system from 10pm-5am. The country is totally dependent on Cameroon seaport for supplies. There are 4 airlines that operate to/from Bangui. As an example, travel time from Douala to Bangui for a truckload averages 4 days to a week due to bad roads and roadblocks. There are very limited medical infrastructures and services do not function properly. A UN clinic provides basic medical care for UN personnel. The entire country is a High-Risk non-family duty station-D with 6 weeks R&R cycle. In Bangui, expatriate staff from UN agencies live in private residences, which remain a challenge in terms of cost and quality. The CAR operation is full of humanitarian challenges. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and afford-able. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.