General
Description of assignment title
Programme Coordination Officer
Assignment country
Zambia
Expected start date
01/07/2025
Sustainable Development Goal
6. Clean water and sanitation
Volunteer category
International UN Volunteer Specialist
Host entity
UNICEF
Type
Onsite
Duration
12 months (with possibility of extension)
Number of assignments
1
Duty stations
Lusaka
Details
Mission and objectives
UNICEF helps build a world where the rights of every child are fully realized. It is our conviction that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF was created in 1946 to work with others to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child’s path. It has global authority to influence decision-makers, and a wide variety of partners at grassroots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and Governments.
Context
Zambia is a land locked lower middle-income country in southern Africa home to approximately 18 million people. Of that population, 45% are urban. A 2018 survey of households revealed that 15% of children under the age of 5 years in Zambia had diarrhoea within the two weeks prior to the survey. In addition, 34.6% of children in Zambia under the age of 5 years are stunted. Globally, research has shown that consumption of poor-quality water can cause diarrhoea and waterborne diseases and may contribute to child stunting. While there is not currently a comprehensive dataset of water quality results in Zambia, various studies have published water quality results revealing contamination. Globally, climate change may increase the consumption of contaminated water. This is especially true in drought-prone areas of Africa where climate variability is likely to increase in the future. It is anticipated that Climate change will make sustaining WASH infrastructure and governing structures in Zambia more difficult. Data indicates that parts of Zambia where UNICEF works will have increased temperatures and less precipitation, yet significantly more water discharge and runoff. Increased flooding has already been observed in some of parts of Zambia. In addition, some parts of Zambia where UNICEF focuses its WASH work has been identified as locations for potential high winds and Flash Floods. To improve the sustainability of existing system and climate resilience, UNICEF would like to request a UN Volunteer to support the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section focusing on Climate Change, Energy, Environment, and Disaster Risk Reduction/Response (CEED).
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the WASH Specialist, the UN Volunteer will: • Support coordination of partnerships between UNICEF, line ministries (e.g. Health, Water, Green Economy), and development stakeholders on WASH and climate resilience initiatives. • Contribute to planning and preparedness efforts, including helping to review and update emergency response plans and supply logistics for cholera, floods, or drought response. • Assist in programme management, such as tracking implementation timelines, organizing meetings or workshops, and preparing briefing notes or activity reports. • Document lessons learned and good practices from field activities and stakeholder collaborations for internal knowledge-sharing and reporting purposes. • Conduct and support monitoring visits to UNICEF-supported sites; gather partner feedback and contribute to performance tracking. • Support proposal development and resource mobilization by gathering background materials, drafting inputs, and liaising with internal teams and external partners. • Help strengthen communication and visibility, including drafting updates or summaries for donor reports and stakeholder briefings.
Eligibility criteria
Age
18 – 80
Required experience
3 years
Donor priorities
–
Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.
Additional eligibility criteria
This assignment is funded by the Government of the Republic of Ireland and therefore specific criteria apply: – Candidates must be Irish citizens or a European Economic Area nationals with an unrestricted right to reside in Ireland or have a declaration of refugee status from the Minister for Justice and Law Reform. APPLICATION – You may apply to a maximum of three assignments and indicate the order of preference in the ‘Additional remarks’ field when filling in the application form. – Application deadline: 08/06/2025 SELECTION – Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The selection will be done by the UN Host Entity at the level of the country of assignment. +++ UN Volunteer entitlement calculator: https://app.unv.org/calculator +++
Assignment requirements
Relevant experience
3 years
Languages
English, Level: Working knowledge, Required
Required education level
Bachelor degree or equivalent in in International Development, Public Health, Environmental Management, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Competencies and values
• Accountability • Adaptability and Flexibility • Commitment and Motivation • Commitment to Continuous Learning • Communication • Ethics and Values • Integrity • Knowledge Sharing • Professionalism • Respect for Diversity • Self-Management • Technological Awareness • Working in Teams
Skills and experience
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in programme coordination, partnership support, or project management in development, humanitarian, or environmental sectors. • Prior experience working with UN agencies, government institutions, or internation-al NGOs is an asset. • Experience with knowledge management, documentation, or communication mate-rials development is highly valued. • Familiarity with WASH or climate adaptation programming is helpful but not re-quired. • Strong coordination and organizational skills. • Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders. • Competence in drafting reports, summaries, or briefs. • Good understanding of development or humanitarian programming. • Commitment to teamwork, learning, and inclusion. • Previous volunteering experience and/or exposure to cross-cultural settings is an ad-vantage.
Area(s) of expertise
Energy and environment , Health, Development programmes
Driving license
–
Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Zambia is land-linked, middle-income country with a population estimated at 19 million. It is a resource-rich country with sparsely populated land in the Centre of Southern Africa. It shares its border with eight countries (Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe) Lusaka became the capital city of Zambia in May 1935. Lusaka’s central position in Zambia and its pleasant climate were two of the main reasons for its selection as the capital. It is a metropolis, which provides a home to about two and half million (2.5M) inhabitants of different nationalities. It has grown to become the seat of the Government of the Republic of Zambia and as such all diplomatic missions, international organizations, industrial and commercial entities are based there. Its political, social, economic, and cultural significance has also increased through the years. Public transport is provided by private operators using minibuses and taxis. The bus routes are not mapped, and roads are often congested. Good modern housing for rent is available on the open market. The official language is English, which is widely spoken. The country is generally food secure, with sufficient local fresh fruits and vegetables available in the markets, as well as various dairy, poultry, and meat products. There are several international schools using the Cambridge GCSE or IGCSE syllabi, from key stage one through to A levels. Health conditions are generally good, although malaria is endemic. Zambia is generally a safe place to live in, although not free of crime. Some prudence is required. For more info, visit: http://www.zambiatourism.com
Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Reasonable accommodation
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.
Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements
In addition to duty station-specific vaccine requirements, appointments are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the appointment. It does not apply to UN Volunteers who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their contracts.
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