CFYE Youth Engagement Specialist at Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO)

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) is the world’s leading independent international development organisation that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries. Our high impact approach brings people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action to change lives and make the world a fairer place.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: CFYE Youth Engagement Specialist

Location: Abuja, Nigeria (but also option for part time working from home)
Time commitment: Full time
Start Date: 1st June 2022.
Duration: 6 – 9 months (preference for 9 months)
Mode of Delivery: International volunteer placement (In-country volunteer)
Responsible To: Social Impact Advisor

Job Description

• To support with coordinating the Youth Champions network in Nigeria. Including day to day welfare support for Youth Champions, logistics and leading on the design and delivery of activities within the network with a focus on coordinating Youth Action Research on digitally enabled jobs, as part of a wider ‘Learning Lab’ in partnership with JobTech Alliance.

Job Purpose

• The assignment is part of the wider youth champions initiative, a collaboration between CFYE and a global network of youth leaders. CFYE are working with youth leaders from CFYE target countries to lead the way as an innovator in the direct inclusion of youth voice in a Challenge Fund’s program design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation.
• The main responsibility of the Youth Engagement Specialist will be designing and coordinating the Youth Action Research on digitally enabled jobs, in partnership with youth champs and research organisation, as part of the wider CFYE Learning & Innovation agenda.
• This is the second in a series of youth led activities conducted with Nigerian Youth Champs.
• With over 65% of the CFYE funded youth employment initiatives falling into ‘digitally enabled jobs,’ CFYE have partnered with JobTech Alliance to deepen our understanding of decency, opportunities and barriers for youth within digitally enabled jobs. Nigeria and Kenya are the focus countries for the research as part of a wider ‘Learning Lab’ suite of activities.

Programme Information

• The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) https://fundforyouthemployment.nl/, initiated by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), aims to create new jobs and make jobs more accessible for 200.000 youth (half of these for women) in the ministry’s priority focus countries in the Middle East, North Africa, Sahel & West Africa and the Horn of Africa.
• The fund is open to Private sector and (I)NGO applications (or mixed consortia). VSO will strengthen the work of the selected Implementing Partners through strategic VSO volunteer engagements.
• The aim of the Fund will be achieved by supporting youth employment initiatives in these regions.
• Initiatives will offer youth, particularly young women, opportunities for decent work that delivers better prospects for personal development, is productive, and offers a stable income, social protection and safe working conditions.

Objective

• To provide day-to-day support to 4 Nigerian Youth Champions, support existing national volunteer in Nigeria on various youth led activities. Lead on the design and implementation of Youth Action Research workshop series. Responsibilities may include leading/supporting with other youth-led activities and events, such as design sprints, hackathons, youth forums, and training using a youth centered approach;

Activities:

• Support with implementation of various youth led activities.
• Design and deliver youth action research workshop series, in collaboration with research organisation, building the capacity of and supporting youth champs to conduct youth led action research on digitally enabled jobs in Nigeria
• Support with dissemination of research findings through youth led webinars and events e.g. Hackathon.
• Design and deliver other youth led activities coordinated through the network e.g. co-design workshops, youth led events
• Project management of youth action research including point of contact for research organisation/expert
• Design 4-month workplan for youth action research activity Draft activities budget & manage budget throughout project
• Support and point of contact for 4 Kenyan youth champions (including duty of care, personal professional development goal setting, processing of financial support) with support from VSO Nigeria office, national volunteer and The Global Youth & Gender Advisor
• Support with design and delivery of training and learning curriculum for Youth Champions, relevant to the skills required to fully participate in a activities
• Prepare monthly updates for formal check in meetings with CFYE Social Impact Team
• Produce formal report to capture best practice learning, recommendations and processes at end of youth action research.

Key Performance Indicators

• 4 Month Workplan and activities budget developed and shared for youth action research activity
• Youth Action Research workshop series has been designed and delivered in partnership with youth action research organisation and brief report with key outcomes of YAR process has been shared.
• Youth Action Research has been conducted by Youth Champions and final research report produced.
• Dissemination of research activities have been co-designed and delivered with youth champs e.g. youth led webinar, event

Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required
Essential:

• Graduate in Social or Human Sciences, Development Studies or related field.
• Youth Engagement skills – ability to work with youth networks and using a youth centered design approach to all activities e.g. putting youth at the centre. Ability to design workshops/training for youth participants.
• Facilitation skills – ability to lead youth activities (workshops, training) online and in person for youth participants
• Communication Skills – Good written and verbal communication skills, able to listen, present, discuss.
• Leadership skills – Ability to support and build capacity and empower youth people.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Self-motivated.
• Ability to work with diverse young people – Sensitivity to cultural and language differences, able to interact with people at all levels of the organisation.
• Team work skills – Able to work with others in a consultative way, ability to withstand and resolve conflict, negotiating professional solutions
• Planning and Organisation – Able to prioritise within restricted resources to tight deadlines.
• Able to anticipate and adapt to change.
• Strong attention to detail.
• IT Skills – good knowledge of Microsoft Office, Excel particularly.
• Commitment to VSO’s work and values

Desirable:

• Research skills – ability to provide basic technical input on youth action research activities.
• Event / Project management skills – ability to design and manage coordination of event set up.

Competencies
Working Together – Adds Value:

• Proactively enables and encourages team work in others

Communicating and Influencing – Adds Value:

• Proactively builds constructive relationships through clear communication and generates effective discussion and mutual support for plans and ideas

Managing knowledge – Adds Value:

• Proactively seeks out new knowledge sources (people and data); uses and shares knowledge effectively

Striving for Excellence – Adds Value:

• Sets and measures challenging objectives for self and others involved in the project
• Gives evidence-based feedback that helps others to excel.

Managing Resources – Adds Value:

• Organises own and others’ work to meet objectives; clarifies accountability of roles
• Allocates budget wisely; seeks ways to save money.

Managing People – Aware:

• Requests and follows up on appropriate support from others; raises concerns about uncooperative colleagues in an appropriate way

Developing People – Aware:

• Gives constructive feedback that helps others identify and meet development needs

Leading for the Future – Aware:

• Is enthusiastic about VSO’s work, lives VSO’s values and is open to new ideas

Thinking strategically – Adds Value:

• Makes decisions based on a range of internal and external factors and long-term impact consults widely across disciplines

Delivering results – Adds Value:

• Analyses objectives, considers options, plans and manages appropriately; holds self and team accountable for achieving goals.

Application Closing Date
31st March, 2022.

Interview Date
8th March, 2022.