Address workplace concerns

Respond quickly to concerns UN Volunteers may have

Friction at work is natural, given the healthy mix of opinions, perspectives and values everyone brings. Intervene before worries and insecurities rub off. With our help, it’s up to you to supervise your volunteer successfully for a happy and productive experience. Watch out for these struggles and triumphs. Be ready to support your UN Volunteer to find a solution or intervene yourself if necessary.

Contact your HR focal person to familiarize yourself with host entity specific information and resources on informal and formal conflict resolution mechanisms.

In line with Duty of Care and the Description of Assignment (DOA) of the Volunteer:

• List all the facilities and resources your volunteer will need to carry out their work on your assignment. For example:

Facilities

Resources

• ID card and UN email address

• Desk and chair

• Computer, printer, scanner

• Office supplies

• Tools of their trade

• Intranet and learning platform

• Management, leave and internal monitoring systems (ATLAS, UMOJA, apps)

• Who to contact for what

• Meet all these needs before your first day with your volunteer. Such as having their sign in details set up, ready to go, with the proper access rights.

• Note that to get a duty vehicle or work phone, say, you might first need approval. Plan for this, include it in your project’s budget plan, and give yourself enough time to be ready for your volunteer on time, if applicable.

Provide UN Volunteers with opportunities to participate in meaningful work activities along with access to necessary resources, systems and tools, and the training to make use of these. You will find them engaging with vigor and motivation.

UN Volunteer

Ownership of continuous personal and professional development; proactive learning to update knowledge and skills; initiative and performance; and, documentation of volunteer contributions, and acquired skills and competencies.

UNV programme

Onboarding support; access to UN Volunteer learning portal e-Campus; UN mandatory courses; UN Youth Volunteer workshops; access to on-demand UNV learning programmes on language and professional soft skills; mechanisms to support documentation of learning; and career transition support.

Host entity

Role clarity, organisational onboarding; access to host entity learning platform and training, especially on technical skills; opportunities to participate in meaningful work activities including development through experience, exposure, and education; guidance on transfer of skills; and, recognition of achievements, and acquired skills and competencies.

Delivery of customized workshops

(Organized by the UNV programme)

- UN Youth Volunteer workshops to facilitate development of skills essential for the UNV assignment.

- Onboarding workshops, PSEAH learning programme, and Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination dialogues.

- Holistic Career Management Workshop at the end of assignment on identifying transferable skills, CV writing, interview strategies and personal brand.

Capacity Development Learning Facility (CDLF)

(Organized by UNV Regional Office/Field Units with host entities)

Responding to UN Volunteers’ professional development and learning needs at country or regional level, in line with UN host entity priorities, through on-demand onsite group training.

UNV online learning programmes

(accessible via e-Campus free of cost to UN Volunteers)

- Learning support for candidates and UN Volunteers during recruitment and onboarding.

- LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Rosetta Stone, UNITAR, Volunteer Coaching, UNLPE and more. Personalized, on-demand and in-time learning for individual learning and work needs that can be applied immediately at the workplace.

UN Volunteer Emergency Doctor Zainalabdeen Al-Gafri talking to a UNDP staff beneficiary at the UN clinic in Hodeida, Yemen.

© UNV, 2019