UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT
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, 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 UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.
1. UNV Assignment Title:
Midwife (senior)
UNV Strategic Framework 2014-2017; Outcome 1, Output 1.2: ‘Volunteerism is integrated within UN
entities’ programming through the implementation of UNV-UN partner joint programmes/projects in four
priority areas: (a) youth; (b) peace building; (c) basic social services; (d) community resilience for
environment and disaster risk reduction’
2. Type of Assignment:
International UN Volunteer
3. Project Title:
UNFPA Mano River Midwifery Response Project
4. Duration:
Initially for one year (renewable based availability of funding and
satisfactory performance)
5. Location, Country:
Various areas in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone
6. Expected Starting Date:
Immediately
7. Brief Project Description:
The overarching purpose of the Mano River Midwifery Response is to increase access to essential normal
and emergency obstetric and neonatal service delivery and care for women and newborns in the Mano
River area (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone). In addition, this response contributes to reinforcing the
health systems in the perspective of the post-Ebola epidemic. This response puts in place essential human
resources, equipment, drugs and supplies, builds the capacity of national health professionals and raises
community awareness. In each country a quick assessment will be done to determine population
distribution, the available health professionals and equipment, and the international support already in
place, in order to respond to the most critical needs and to complement efforts already conducted.
UNFPA is setting-up RMNH services, in facilities or in tent-based outreach (temporary centers) where
facilities cannot be used, to pregnant women and newborns, establishing a network of 250 midwives in the
affected areas, able to address the urgent needs of childbearingwomen and newborns. Community
outreach through community health workers to restore trust in the RMNH services and to reach
childbearing women through mobile-clinics is part of the response. The Services include family planning,
antenatal, childbirth, post-partum/natal care, including basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care,
sexual reproductive health matters and services. The midwives will serve in teams across the three
affected countries. These Basic Emergency Obstetric Care (BEmONC) Centers will be connected with
Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmONC) Centers linked with a referral system.. The UNVs
contribute to the peace and development of the countries.
Background:
The current outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa is the largest and most complex
outbreak of Ebola to date, with more cases and deaths than in all previous outbreaks combined. Mistrust
and general panic are posing barriers to essential health care in the affected countries, with pregnant
women being too scared to visit health centers and facilities no longer being able to perform routine and
emergency maternal and newborn health services. The crisis has diverted critical resources away from
pregnant women and newborns. It is estimated that more than 800,000 women in Guinea, Sierra Leone
and Liberia will be pregnant in the next 12 months. Moreover, more than 1.3 million women in these
countries will need family planning services in 2015. If no intervention takes place, it is expected that the
number of pregnant women and newborns dying from preventable causes will significantly increase.
8. Host Agency/Host Institute: UNFPA Country Office
9. Organizational Context:
The Head of the respective UNDP Office represents UNV in the countries and territories in which UN
Volunteers are assigned. Programme and administrative support to UN Volunteers is normally provided
through the UNV Field Unit in the UNDP Country Office. Where no UNV Field Unit is in place, UNV will
ensure that the respective UNDP office designates a UNV Focal Point.
While remaining under the administrative authority of UNV, UN Volunteers shall be under the overall
direction and substantive supervision of the UNFPA Country Office. In each country a logistic cell will be
established to provide logistic and management/ programme services to the temporary centers.
Furthermore, at country level a health coordination committee, national operational committee and national
supervision team will be put in place.
10. Type of Assignment Place: assignment without family
11. Description of tasks:
Under the direct supervision of the Representative of the applicable Country Office and the project
coordinator in the country of assignment and in close collaboration with the programme associate, the
senior midwife will assume the following responsibilities:
A. Administrative and Professional Responsibilities
He/she will support the project coordinator in the supervision of midwifery staff and support staff in the
planning of care and implementation of the midwifery processes and midwifery case management. (S)he
will support the overall management of the performance of the midwives in the team.
 Plans unit workflow, determines priorities, assigns responsibilities, oversees and reviews clinical
practice; Prepare staff work schedule, reporting and record keeping;
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Provides regular feedback to the staff on their clinical performance, identifies staff development
needs and presents the information to appropriate personnel for onward planning of professional
advancement in best practice;
Mentors the more junior midwived in their daily work;
Promote professional ethics and conduct. Maintains and promotes standards of midwifery care in
collaboration with partners including nurses and midwives associations;
Provides oversight for the requisition, safe storage and administration of drugs and supplies
including the maintenance of equipment and all relevant inventories;
Assists the procurement process including identifying items necessary to provide the required
care;
Assists, supports and encourages implementation of clinical and administrative policies and
procedures;
Assists and supports the implementation of functional referral mechanisms;
Completes all required documentation and reporting on expected project results and outputs.
Facilitates team meetings including case reviews, and creates a forum for learning;
Engaging in professional development to meet PREP (post-registration education and practice)
requirements;
Ensures the facility remains functional in administrative and clinical operations;
Liaises with agencies and other health and social care professionals to ensure continuity of care;
Identifies and shares best practices in their area of work with the UNFPA country team.
B. Clinical midwifery and gender sensitive reproductive health service delivery and care
The midwife ensures that gender considerations are part of the core professional midwifery practice on the
unit and guides the team towards institutionalizing the following:
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Early recognition of pregnant women presenting to midwives-led centers with symptoms that could
suggest Ebola leading to immediate isolation and testing, before referral if positive case
Prompt the rapid institution of infection control measures (e.g., use of personal protective
equipment (PPE),isolation, decontamination) to prevent potential transmission to staff, patients
and visitors.
Diagnosing, supporting and examining women during pregnancy; developing, assessing and
evaluating individual midwifery services of care for vulnerable groups;
Providing childbirth and neonatal services including basic emergency obstetric and newborn care
(EmONC) services;
Providing full gender sensitive, integrated antenatal care, in facility, community and at home,
including counselling and advice;
Identifying high risk pregnancies and, where possible, making timely referrals to more appropriate
facilities;
Providing post-abortion services, including Family Planning (FP);
Arranging and providing parenting and health education for the woman, her partner and family
members; encouraging participation of family members in the birth to support the mother and
enhance both mother/ baby bonding and family relationships generally;
Offering support and advice following events such as miscarriage, termination, stillbirth, neonatal
abnormality and neonatal death;
Supporting and assisting mothers in labour, monitoring the condition of the fetus and using
knowledge of drugs and pain management;
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Giving support and advice on the daily care of the baby, including exclusive breastfeeding, cord
care, hygiene and Kangaroo mother care for preterm and for less than 2000g babies;
Providing advice and guidance on a safe and timely transfer home;
Provides advice and counseling on birth spacing (Family planning) methodologies and options to
the client and her family.
Liaising with agencies and other health and social care professionals to ensure continuity of care;
Where possible, consults with and makes recommendations to the refered to facility concerning
health needs of the clients;
Supports Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV services including providing
HIV counseling and testing services; Supporting and providing comprehensive reproductive health
services particularly for youth and other vulnerable groups including internally displaced persons,
refugees and returnees;
Providing integrated antenatal care services, including PMTCT for HIV, STI and Malaria prevention
and treatment, nutrition and immunization;
Play a central role in establishing partnerships and cooperating with and eventually supervising
traditional birth attendants, other health care workers and community midwives.
Cooperating with and eventually supervising community outreach workers who mobilize the
community to seek services in the BEmONC centers;
Providing support for victims of gender based violence (GBV) and clinical management of rape.
C Further UN volunteers are expected 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
mark IVD);
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
in ongoing reflection activities;
Contribute to 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;
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 technically
possible.
12. Results/Expected Output:
By the end of the project period, UN Volunteer midwives are expected to have contributed to the following
results:
By the end of the Programme period, all UN Volunteer midwives are expected to have contributed to the
following results:
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Women provided with comprehensive antenatal services;
Women and newborns provided with quality and respectful midwifery care at childbirth and in the
post-partum/natal period;
Women and newborns with complications are referred in a timely manner to the appropriate level
of care, to the extent possible;
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Women with Ebola symptoms are well managed (immediate isolation, testing, referral) and the
health professionals well protected;
Women, including adolescents, and men receive access to family planning services;
Women and men receive access to HIV and STI counselling services;
Women and girls provided with care and counselling related to gender based violence, including
rape;
Women provided with care and counselling in the case of abortion, stillbirth, neonatal abnormality
and neonatal death;
Increased access to midwifery services, including FP and GBV;
Community outreach activities are well supported;
Production of timely and quality reporting;
Maternal deaths and nearmiss cases reviewed, as well as management of Ebola suspect/infected
cases, with recommendations and follow-up;
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.
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The senior UNV midwives will also have contributed to:
 Excellent management of the midwifery centers;
 Implementation of the Mano River Midwifery Response Programme;
 Establishment and running of functional referral mechanisms.
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13. Qualifications/Requirements:
 Qualified midwife with at least a Diploma or equivalent in Midwifery with a minimum of 5 years’
experience in practicing midwifery;
 An additional minimum 3 years of experience in managing midwifery unit, coordinating and
supervising staff, mentoring and training staff and quality assurance of midwifery unit;
 Experience in a developing country is required; experience in an emergency setting is considered
an asset;
 Previous training in dealing with infectious diseases/ public health emergencies is considered as
asset;
 Knowledge of midwifery association, education, legislation and regulation, preferably in the region;
 Demonstrated skills in team and consensus building;
 Ability to work independently;
 For Guinea: fluency in French and a working knowledge of English is required/ For Sierra Leone
and Liberia: fluency in English is required. Knowledge of local languages is an advantage.
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Core Competencies
 Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships
 Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Learning
 Achieving results
 Being accountable
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Developing and applying professional expertise
Excellent communication skills
Ability to work independently
Values:
 Exemplifying integrity
 Demonstrates commitment to UNFPA and the UN System
 Embracing cultural diversity
 Embracing change
 Respecting patients’ choice
Functional Competencies
 Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise
 Job knowledge/technical expertise
 Adaptation/application of knowledge in different contexts
 Integration in a multidisciplinary environment
b) Competencies and values:
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Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good
judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; willingness to
accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures in a
politically sensitive environment, while exercising discretion, impartiality and neutrality; ability to
manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organizational rules and
regulations;
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;
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 priorities and to plan,
coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to
handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
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 multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender;
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;
Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote 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;
Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity,
compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.
Creativity: actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve
problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes
calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”; takes an interest in new ideas and
new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches;
Technological awareness: keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and
limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate
tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology.
14. Living Conditions:
(Please complete with the required information)
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The living and working conditions in the areas affected by Ebola are difficult. The health-systems are under
pressure and panic exists among the population and health care workers. It is not easy to predict how the
situation will develop over the coming months.
Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea are hardship duty stations.
To be further added after input received.
15. Conditions of Service
As stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding between UNFPA and UNV, United Nations Volunteers
(in their capacity as individual volunteers) shall serve under contract with UNV and are governed by the
applicable UNV Conditions of Service and the UNV Code of Conduct contained therein, and the code of
conduct of UNFPA.
Description of Assignment prepared by the UNV Field Unit/UN Agency:
(please indicate name and function)
Date:
(day/month/year)
Description of Assignment approved by UNDP/RR/CD or UNV Field Unit:(please indicate name and
function)
Date:
(day/month/year)
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from
qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and
culture.