1. UNV Assignment Title: REDD+ Knowledge and Communication Officer

Description of Assignment

Prepared by:  Host organization in coordination with the UNDP Country Office/UNV Field Units or UNV
Focal Points
Purpose:  Provide UNV HQ and the UNV candidate with information on key elements of the UNV
  Assignment, including required competencies, roles and responsibilities of the future UN
Volunteer. Serve as basis for the identification, submission and interview of UN Volunteer
candidates.
Format:  Description of Assignment

Guidelines on embedding Volunteerism for Development into the standard Description of Assignment
for UN Volunteers
Promoting volunteerism for peace and development is an integral part of every UN Volunteer assignment.
The Description of Assignment (DOA) needs to outline ways to promote volunteerism for development
through and alongside the UN Volunteer assignment.

Assignments in the fields of agriculture, HIV/AIDS, community mobilization, human rights, civil or
humanitarian affairs should all provide ample opportunities for demonstrating that volunteerism
contributes directly to development. For all these areas of specialization the promotion of volunteerism for
development should not be expressed solely through a number of bullet points in the DOA template but
should be clearly mainstreamed within the DOA. The promotion of volunteerism for development,
engaging in volunteering activities, building volunteering-based partnerships, and/or mobilizing local
communities needs to permeate UN Volunteer assignments and be carried out within the context of their
duties.

Volunteerism for development is a means to achieve the overarching objective of the assignment; therefore
the DOA should include specific tasks related to the promotion of volunteerism for development tailor-made
to the specific position. UNV encourages the inclusion of volunteerism for development in all areas of UN
Volunteers’ work while, at the same time, recognizing that not all assignments easily lend themselves to the
pursuit of volunteerism within their framework. For such DOA where the volunteerism for development
cannot be mainstreamed, we suggest the inclusion of a number of bullet points that pursue the promotion of
volunteerism for development throughout the assignment in addition to the bullet points indicated in the
DOA template. Those bullet points could include: 
 Networking and building relationships with local organizations, groups or individuals and supporting
and/or participating in local volunteering initiatives;
 Encouraging, mobilizing and supporting co-workers, fellow UN Volunteers and members of the local
community to play an active part in development on a voluntary basis;
 Initiating and/or participating in local volunteer groups, including assisting them in submitting stories
and experiences to the World Volunteer Web site;
 Discussing with supervisors on how volunteerism for development can be mainstreamed through the
assignment and integrating activities that promote volunteerism for development into work plans. 
 Building on this DOA template will ensure further advocacy through the promotion of volunteerism
within the programme/project and within the context of the assignment. Including in DOA gives greater
recognition and legitimacy to this commitment with concerned host organizations and partners.


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: REDD+ Knowledge and Communication Officer

2.  Type of Assignment:
 International UN Volunteer /    /

 National UN Volunteer   / X    /

3.  Project Title: Kenya REDD+ Governance Project (UNDP / UN-REDD)

4.  Duration: 8 months, with possibility for extension

5.  Location, Country: Nairobi, Kenya

6.  Expected Starting Date: 1
st
 March 2015

7.  Brief Project Description:

The concept of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) first emerged as
part of the global mitigation efforts to reduce GHGs in the international negotiations for the United Nations
Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ has won traction in the global negotiation as a means
to tap on mitigation potential in the forest sector which accounted for approximately 17% of the global
GHG emissions, and also offers developing countries a new avenue for climate finance to achieve
sustainable development goal. 

Since after the COP13 in 2007, the UNFCCC generated, through its decisions, important provisions for
overall framework for REDD+, including, inter alia, the Cancun Agreements in 2010 (identification of
essential elements of REDD+; a national strategy or action plan, a national forest reference emission level
(RL/REL), national forest monitoring system (NFMS), and system to inform how safeguards are being
addressed and respected). Building on the series of negotiations afterwards, more recently, the Warsaw
REDD+ Framework adopted in the COP19 in November 2013 provided a concrete set of decisions for the
developing countries wishing to pursue REDD+ to follow: they are 1) results based finance, 2) coordination,
3) modality for NFMS, 4) timing and frequency of Safeguard Information System (SIS), 5) the guideline
for RL/REL, 6) MRV modality and 7) Drivers.



The UN-REDD Programme is the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from
Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) in developing countries as a response to the recent
development of UNFCCC negotiations. The Programme was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening
role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP). The UN-REDD Programme serves as a support mechanism to facilitate and enable nationally-led
REDD+ processes and capacity building, as well as promoting the informed and meaningful involvement
of all stakeholders, including Indigenous Peoples and other forest-dependent communities, in national and
international REDD+ implementation.
In the context of Kenya, the UN-REDD support to the country started in 2013 with a number of analytical
studies and stakeholder dialogue on legal, institutional and governance aspects of a future REDD+ system
in Kenya. Building on the progresses made in 2013, UNDP has launched a new project in 2014, aiming at
scoping and designing key elements for establishing a robust REDD+ governance base in Kenya. The
project serves to outline an implementation framework for REDD+, with a focus on participative processes
and governance tools, while designing a programme to help building such implementation framework,
through encompassing activities on stakeholder engagement and Free, Prior, Informed Consent (FPIC),
REDD+ finance arrangement, REDD+ registry design, and anti-corruption measures. The Project has three
major anticipated outputs;

 Policy Guidance for REDD+ at national and field level is developed
 Transparency in REDD+ is promoted and capacities to mitigate corruption risks are enhanced;
and
 Technical coordination is strengthened, together with knowledge management, capturing
lessons learnt and mobilizing resources for the institutional framework of REDD+ in Kenya.
The project also responds to the UNDAF 2014-2018 for Kenya, notably its Strategic Result 3
(Economy) and its Output 3.2.2 (Climate-Smart Production) by fostering governance in climatechange

mitigation and in forest resources, while building the REDD+ mechanism in Kenya in
accordance with UNFCCC agreements. 

8.  Host Agency/Host Institute: UN-REDD/ Ministry of Environment water and natural resources
REDD+ Coordination Office

9.  Organizational Context: 


The UNV will be based in the National REDD+ Office in the Ministry of Environment Water and Natural
Resources, and closely work with the UNDP Technical coordinator and National REDD+ Coordinator to
assume assigned tasks. The UNV will work closely with Kenya Forest Service (KFS) which serves as both
regulatory and implementation arm for matters related to forest conservation and management of Kenya.
The National REDD+ Office coordinates and manages all the REDD+ related activities in the country, and
the National REDD+ Coordinator assumes its function as a national focal point of REDD+ process and
partnership in the country. 

In assuming the assigned tasks, the UNV will also work closely with UNDP UN-REDD Africa Unit in
Nairobi, which serves as the partner agency for the implementation of the Project; UNV will inform and
report progresses on daily basis, and consult as deemed necessary to ensure smooth progress of the assigned
tasks. The UNDP UN-REDD Africa Unit has at moment four international full-time staffs working to
oversee Africa portfolio of the UN-REDD Programme and provide operational and technical support to
Partner countries to ensure the delivery and advancement of their national REDD+ processes. In view of


increasing membership in the region, the Unit is expanding in size, and human resources reinforcement is
anticipated to further strengthen its function in coming days.

10. Type of Assignment Place: assignment with family

11.  Description of tasks:

Under the direct supervision of Technical coordinator and UNDP Technical coordinator and National
REDD+ Coordinator the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

 To collect and organize information relevant to REDD+ in Kenya
 To update and manage national REDD+ website on daily basis, along with training of local staff
 To support design of REDD+ registry/database by collecting relevant information, prepare documents,
support design of prototype registry, and engage in relevant workshops, field surveys and exchange
events
 To assist the National REDD+ Coordinator of Kenya organize multi-stakeholder dialogue events;
 To develop publications and dissemination of different anticipated knowledge products under the Project

Furthermore, UN Volunteer s are encouraged to: 
 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 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:

 National REDD+ Website is improved and regularly updated
 The function of the National REDD+ Office is improved for information management, organizing
multi-stakeholder events and communication
 Prototype REDD+ registry/database is designed
 Development and implementation of project’s Communications Strategy
 Production of relevant REDD+ documentaries
 Production and dissemination of high quality reports and relevant outreach materials
 Enhanced visibility of the project at national level
 Relevant knowledge products anticipated in the Project are duly published and disseminated  
 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:



 Bachelor’s degree in communication / journalism knowledge management and/or other academic
discipline relevant to the assigned tasks
 Experience in web design/administration
 At least three (3) years’ post-qualification experience with database development and management and
web administration
 Excellent writing skills and capacity to synthesize
 Computer literacy to support design of prototype REDD+ registry/database
 Knowledgeable on well-known design formats (Illustrator, Photoshop, In Design, QuarkXPress &  Corel
Draw)
 Familiar with well-known editing formats (final cut pro, adobe premiere, IMovie & cool edit )
 Excellence in English and Kiswahili languages (both written and oral).
 Communication skills to design and convene dialogues at national level
 An understanding of the forestry/REDD+ agenda in the context of UNFCCC negotiations and relevant
experiences are advantage

Key competencies:

 Excellent communication skills (speaks and writes clearly and effectively).
 Excellent analytical and report writing skills
 Strong inter-personal skills
 Ability to work under minimal supervision and within deadlines
 Respect for multi-cultural values and gender sensitivity


14.  Living Conditions:
 Availability, quantity and rental arrangements of accommodations at the work-site, for the UNV and
family: - Housing available on demand;
 Health conditions in area of work-site, access to basic commodities, safe drinking water, sanitation and
medical facilities: - Conducive conditions and readily available access to commodities, safe drinking
water, sanitation and medical facilities;
 Availability to basic goods and services, and to markets at the place of assignment :- Readily available
access;
 Availability to public transport, telecommunication and banking services :- Readily available access;
 Quality and cost of the existing educational facilities (primary and secondary) for dependents available
in the specific place of assignment, or those closest to this area :- Reasonable and modest, Language
of instruction – English;
 Socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and
working in (main economic activities, religious groups, special customs and events, etc.):- National
and International community of diverse backgrounds;
 Prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment: - Modest security;
 Topographic and climatic features of the assignment location: - Highland cool and warm tropical
climate.
15.  Conditions of Service 
An 8 -month contract; monthly volunteer living allowance (VLA) intended to cover housing, basic needs
and utilities, equivalent to Kshs 62,344; 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 UNV Field Unit/UN Agency:
 (Please indicate name and function)

Josep Gari, Africa Advisor, UNDP/UN-REDD Africa Unit
David Githaiga, Chief, Energy and Environment Group, UNDP Kenya

Date: 09/07/2014 (day/month/year)

Description of Assignment approved by UNDP/RR/CD or UNV Field Unit:
 (Please indicate name and function) 

Date: 2/2/2015 (day/month/year)