UNV: Short-term International UN Volunteer under the Corporate/Private Sector Programme, SME Support Specialist
United Nations Volunteers / Vietnam Women’s UnionTerms of Reference
Short-term International UN Volunteer under the
Corporate/Private Sector Programme, SME Support Specialist
Title of the post : International UN Volunteer, SME
Support Specialist
Duty station : Hanoi
Host agency : Centre for Women and Development of
Viet Nam Women’s Union
Reports to : New Zealand Embassy
Duration of Post : 3 months (or 4 months divided in
two assignments if locally recruited)
Anticipated start date : May 2006
UNV PREAMBLE
This post is a United Nations Volunteers Programme
Assignment and based on the values of voluntary commitment,
and engagement, which are the foundations of volunteerism.
The United Nations Volunteers is the UN Organization that
supports sustainable human development globally through the
promotion of volunteerism and through the mobilization of
volunteers. It serves the causes of peace and development by
enhancing opportunities for people’s participation. It is
universal, inclusive and embraces volunteer actions in all
its diversity.
Volunteerism is diverse and is embedded in all cultures.
Voluntary action in its various forms brings benefits to
others as well as to the individual volunteer. It makes
important economic and social contributions, and it
contributes to creating social capital and cohesion by
helping to build trust and reciprocity among people.
In this context, as a United Nations Volunteer you are
encouraged and expected to try to identify and stimulate
local expressions of volunteerism. You are expected to
regard your national colleagues as peers and together uphold
the trust placed in you as volunteers by the communities and
the organization you are assigned to.
BACKGROUND
The Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU) has recently set up a Centre
for Women and Development (CWD) to provide appropriate
business development services to women-run enterprises. This
includes a strong focus on enterprise development and market
access support for women in enterprises across Viet Nam.
The CWD will also provide counselling on gender and
trafficking, as well as legal aid on family issues and to
disadvantaged women.
This national level center, located in Hanoi, will support
the VWU infrastructure across Viet Nam providing
information, training and other services. The center is
under construction with the financial support of the
Vietnamese government and will be ready in the first quarter
of 2006.
However, the staff of the center (12 persons at the moment)
has already started to work from the Vietnam Women’s Union
premises.
The support from an international volunteer expert is needed
to help them clarify their function, needs and role as a
business intermediary organization. It also aims to provide
the staff with key grounding in the area of market access
and give them the capacity to pass these skills on at
provincial and district levels.
The assistance of an international volunteer expert, working
on a day-to-day basis with the CWD, will help them develop a
larger-scale capacity building programme.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The project’s overall goal is to set up a business
intermediary organization providing appropriate business
development services to women-run micro and small
enterprises in Viet Nam.
The assistance of a UN Volunteer specialized in SME support
will help the center identify their capacity building needs,
determine their role and functions, and develop a long term
strategy and a capacity building programme.
The assistance of a volunteer expert over a short period
will enable the staff of the center to formulate their needs
and to receive initial training in market access and
business development.
Expected project results are:
- The UN Volunteer has conducted a scan of the business
development service (BDS) providers in Hanoi area to help
the CWD position its services in this field;
- The UN Volunteer has conducted a SWOT analysis in order to
develop an action plan and to identify training and support
needs taking into account the services already delivered by
others BDS providers in Hanoi to avoid duplication;
- The UN Volunteer has helped the staff of the centre define
appropriate business development services targeting women in
general and rural entrepreneurs from micro and small
enterprises in particular;
- The UN Volunteer has established a database gathering
information about the micro and small enterprises support
projects developed with VWU and about the knowledge that has
been transferred to VWU and how the CWD could make use of
it;
- The UN Volunteer has helped the centre think about its
role and define its activities as coordinator of support in
business development provided to VWU by various
international organizations at different levels of VWU;
- The UN Volunteer has assisted the centre to identify the
best strategies to promote information sharing and exchange
between the Provincial Centres on support to micro and small
enterprises;
- The UN Volunteer has helped the centre select amongst its
staff the ones who will become business development advisers
and trainers for VWU at provincial level as well as helped
the centre think about its training strategy;
- The UN Volunteer has assisted the center in developing a
long term strategy for their business development services;
- The UN Volunteer has delivered some basic training courses
at central and local level (approximately 20 persons in
total/for each course) in market access and business
counselling.
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
Professional requirements:
Essential:
- University degree, preferably in micro economics or
business administration
- Experienced in establishing business development support
services
- Experienced in micro and small enterprises development,
preferably in rural areas
- Relevant professional experience in a developing country
- Background in training
- Analytical and report writing skills
- Excellent command of spoken and written English Desirable:
- Experienced in conducting a market survey
Personal qualities:
- Sensibility to work in a female environment
- Background in working in a multicultural environment
- Demonstrated ability to work in partnerships and to
promote networking
- Personal sensitivity and commitment to the values and
principles of volunteerism
- Preference will be given to candidates residing in Viet
Nam
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:
The Corporate UN Volunteers in Viet Nam receive a daily
subsistence allowance (DSA), which is intended to cover
their accommodation and basic living expenses. In Viet Nam
the DSA is $US 60 per day. Travel to and from duty station
is covered. Full medical and life insurance is provided, and
they are entitled to 2.5 days of leave per month.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Interested international candidates should send a detailed
curriculum vitae (CV) and an application letter (both in
English) marked: “Application for the post of International
UN Volunteer, SME Support Specialist” to the address below
or via email to unv@undp.org.vn
UNV Office
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
25-29 Phan Boi Chau Street
Hanoi
DEADLINE: 13 MARCH, 2006
Acknowledgement will be sent to short-listed applicants only.
