Wellness Analyst at United Nations Development Programme

Background

• UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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• UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
• Under the guidance and direct supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator, with technical oversight from, UNAIDS and DSS and WHO:
• The main role of the National UN Staff Wellness Coordinator will be to plan, manage and implement and report on staff wellness, critical incident and stress management, and Staff Well Being activities for UN staff and their dependents in South Africa based on an approved annual work plan. The Staff Wellness Coordinator will work with an advisory “UN Wellness Committee”, which will include UN agency representatives. The Staff Wellness Coordinator will provide a written and verbal report on work plan activities to the UN Country Team twice a year.

Duties and Responsibilities
Overall job focus:  

• Ensures the assessment, planning, organization, and implementation of UN staff wellness, critical incident management, and support the implementation of the Mental Health Strategy under the guidance of UNDSS and UNSSG.  Under the administrative supervision of the Resident Coordinator, and with the technical guidance of UNAIDS and WHO the locally based UN Staff Wellness Coordinator will implement a wide range of staff wellness, critical incident, stress management, prevention of lifestyle diseases and HIV activities.
• Ensures effective planning, implementation and assessment of UN Wellness activities for UN staff in South Africa:
• Establish and coordinate a UN Wellness Committee, composed of UN agency representatives, which will work on an advisory basis. Support the Committee to plan, budget, implement and report on a yearly plan of staff wellness, stress management and Staff Well- Being activities, including training, advocacy and information sessions;
• UN wellness activities: in coordination with the Wellness Committee, develop and implement a yearly “Staff Wellness” work plan with a focus on preventative measures. Activities are likely to include areas such as health eating, exercise, family relationships, adolescent development, parenting skills, managing finances and debt, managing chronic conditions (e.g. diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol), and stop smoking activities;
• Assist in Critical incident and stress management activities: will focus on critical incident stress prevention and management within the UNDSS CISMU strategic framework whenever there is a need and in accordance with the United Nations Standard Operating Procedure on critical incidents; maintain a referral list for medium and longer term medical and mental health support for UN staff and family members. Organize and support the peer helper training workshops for a selected group of UN staff jointly with the UNDSS CISMU and to follow up on their activities;
• Be a member of UNSSG and work closely with the UNSSG to implement a plan to assist with the Well Being of staff in South Africa, including advocacy activities with HOAs, information, education and training activities with UN staff and their dependents, targeted training to UN staff with specific responsibilities on well- being, including drivers, HR staff and supervisors;
• Support to the UN+ (UN staff living with HIV): support the UN+ coordinator to raise awareness, and advocate for positive living for UN staff, including responding to stigma and discrimination to: UN staff; Heads of Agencies (HOAs), human resources staff, and supervisors. Support the UN+ coordinator to establish and support a peer- support group with in the UN system. Ensure UN+ members are updated on prevention, treatment and care information, and that treatment access issues are resolved. Working with UNFPA, ensure a regular supply of male and female condoms for UN staff. Working with UN Medical Services to ensure effective access to PEP starter kits, training of PEP custodians, and monitoring location and use of kits including ensuring staff are provided with information on these kits;
• Organize yearly wellness day, ensuring health screening for lifestyle diseases, including access to voluntary and confidential HIV testing for UN staff and families;
• Monitor and assess UN Wellness activities, including the establishment of a baseline of wellness knowledge levels and behavior: use surveys (e.g, survey monkey) to establish a baseline, use surveys and other approaches to monitor the impact of wellness activities;
• Ensuring referrals for counselling services to those who need counselling services, including assistance in cases of bereavement;
• Encourage physical activity of staff by all means possible eg getting corporate rates from gym clubs and/or establishing a gym facility depending on the availability of the one common premise;
• Working with UN Gender Experts on prevention of Gender Based Violence within the workplace;
• Pioneer Health and Safety Committees in cases of health- related emergencies;
• Contributing to the quarterly magazine on wellness related activities.

2. Develop and implement an outreach strategy for the UN Wellness activities, to reach staff outside of Gauteng. Travel regularly to the UN Offices/Sub-Offices in the country in order to implement staff wellness activities;

 Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following:

• Advise the UN Management on culturally and gender sensitive UN Wellness strategies, decisions and activities;
• Provide brief written monthly reports to the Resident Coordinator on all activities, and written and verbal six monthly reports to the UN Country Team;
• Liaise with the Chief Security Adviser/UNDSS while dealing with the Critical Incidents and Stress Management/ prevention;
• Liaise with WHO on staff well-being, including implementation of Well being of staff;
• Liaise with the UN+ coordinator on activities for staff who are living with HIV;
• Identification of sources of information related to coordination. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to country policy goals;
• Liaise with local experts and institutions in the country for referral, as well as with UN line managers, medical doctors, service providers and local physicians in order to build a network of professionals ready to support and intervene in case of need;
• Undertake other activities as needed.

 
Competencies
Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements. 
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Technical and Cross-functional Competencies:

 HR - Duty of Care: 

• Occupational safety, health and wellbeing: Knowledge of OSHW concepts and methods and ability to apply them in the development of the OSHW strategies, policies, management systems and quality standards that are consistent with the business strategy. Ability to identity OSHW risks and to develop mitigation strategies and monitoring systems; to create OSHW incident reporting and response systems; understanding of the key workplace stressors and ability to design effective response measures.
• Psychosocial support to personnel: Ability and certified qualification to provide psychological counselling services to teams and individual personnel
• HR – Talent management: Employee experience: Knowledge of theories and models of human motivation and engagement including the predictors of employee engagement; knowledge of and ability to guide application of tools, techniques, and processes to increase employee engagement; knowledge of tools and methodologies to measure employee engagement and to identify its specific drivers; knowledge of tools and methodologies to ensure regular engagement with personnel on key workplace matters, with a view to identifying the most pressing workplace issues.
• Communications: Campaign management: Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change.
• Ethics: UN policy knowledge – ethics: Knowledge and understanding of the UN Staff Regulations and Rules and other policies relating to ethics and integrity.
• Business Direction and Strategy : Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDPs objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
• Business Management: Communication: Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.

Required Skills and Experience
 
Education:

• Master’s degree in Psychology, social work, public health, social sciences, communication or other relevant fields or bachelor’s degree in the relevant field;
• Certification or country-specific licensure authorizing the incumbent to deliver mental health services.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years with Master's and 4 years with bachelor’s degree professional experience in psychological counseling with special emphasis on critical incident and stress management;
• Experience in facilitating training in a diverse working environment
• Additional certification, training or experience in a broad range of related fields, such as staff welfare activities, HIV, alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, and cross-cultural communication would be an asset;
• Well-developed communication, leadership and team-building skills;
• Experience with the United Nations is desirable.
• Language: Proficiency in English. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable.