Mission and objectives

As the development arm of the United Nations, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the leading organization working to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and cli-mate change, as well as the technical lead in the UN System’s socio-economic response to COVID-19. Working with a broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, UNDP helps nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. Since 1967, UNDP has worked in close partnership with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for over five decades, providing strategic support in crisis prevention and recovery, governance, poverty reduction, environment, and sustainable development. UNDP together with the GoSL work towards a sustainable Sri Lanka, building up institutional, legal and individual capacities to respond to the effects of climate change and natural and man-made disasters.

Context

Providing comprehensive administrative support for the Lesser known Food Campaign, which includesfinalizing the list of invitees, preparing and sending out invitation letters, and managing additional logistical and organizational tasks as required to ensure smooth planning and execution of campaign events.

Task Description

Follow-up on Invitations and RSVP Calls: ○ Volunteers are needed to reach out to invitees, ensuring they have received invitations and managing RSVP responses through phone calls. ● Preparations and Logistics Support: ○ Volunteers will assist in organizing and coordinating the necessary arrangements and logistical details for both the visit and the final event. ● Support for Project and Communications Team: o Volunteers will collaborate with the program and communications team to help execute various aspects of the events associated with the visit and the partnership evening. ● Conduct telephone and physical interviews for surveys for the UNDP projects o Conduct online and physical interviews using pre agreed semi structural questionnaires for the surveys planned under the project

Competencies and values

● Accountability ● Adaptability and flexibility ● Creativity ● Judgement and decision-making ● Planning and organising ● Professionalism ● Self-management

Living conditions and remarks

Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the south coast of India. It’s home to an estimated population of over 21 million people. It is a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi- religious country. Colombo is situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka and is the commercial capital of the country. The city is located on the west coast of the island, adjacent to the administrative capital, Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. Bandaranaike International Airport is located 35 km from Colombo and is served by the main international airlines. Sri Lanka is a tropical country with moderate temperate and high humidity all throughout the year. Average temperature in Colombo ranges between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius. The island experiences two main monsoon seasons, where heavy rainfalls occur, from May to August and October to January. Sri Lankan food is characterized by fragrant spices, all forms of coconut, and rice. Rice and curry are the main dishes. Sri Lankan cuisine tends to be quite spicy. There are hotels and other types of accommodation options available in Colombo. Supermarkets, banking and medical facilities are present within the city. Telephone and Internet service is widely available. Phone plans and data are inexpensive; however, you should not expect internet service to work consistently or at high speed. At present Sri Lanka is undergoing high inflation and an economic crisis. Public unrest and protests are common. The prices of common commodities fluctuate on a daily basis and shortages can also be experienced. Main health advisories are related to Dengue, which is also highly prevalent in Sri Lanka, especially after the rainy seasons. Mosquito repellent is available in all local drug stores. Sri Lanka is a unique country and the UN is providing unique (humanitarian) operations in Sri Lanka. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more resilience and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in challenging conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential. As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. https://www.unv.org/

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements