National Volunteer - DRR and CSO Accountability Coordinator

Job Description

Introduction to VSO
VSO is the world’s leading international non-governmental organisation that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone. Its work centres on people left out by society, including those living in extreme poverty or with disability and illness, those facing discrimination and violence because of their gender, sexuality, or social status, and those at risk from disaster, disease, and conflict. These individuals are not passive beneficiaries but “primary actors” who define issues, opportunities, and solutions that drive sustainable, locally led change. They are the key agents of their own transformation.

Our Approach
The Volunteering for Development method supports the most vulnerable and marginalised to achieve their rights and bring about lasting change. Rooted in addressing the fundamental causes of marginalisation and vulnerability, it is guided by social inclusion and gender, social accountability, and resilience. These principles inform work across inclusive education, health, and resilient livelihoods.
The method recognises the importance of relationships in building shared understanding, commitment, and collective action. With most volunteers being national volunteers, blended teams of community, national, and international volunteers bring diverse perspectives and experiences that generate insight, innovation, and action. This fosters active citizenship and encourages leadership that supports a fair world for all.

Project background and contextual information
The ACTIVE Extension Project is a multi-country programme across Asia and Africa focused on strengthening the capacity of CSGs by fostering volunteerism and civic engagement while improving the capabilities of governments and services. It aims to make systems accountable to community needs through Volunteering for Development interventions.
ACTIVE supports CSGs to lead their own development pathways, engage in civic and policy spaces, and build inclusive systems that reflect community priorities. It enables communities to foster inclusion, apply participatory practices, strengthen accountability, build resilience, adapt to risks, mobilise resources, and secure funding to sustain development impacts.
Volunteering serves as a collective catalyst, with volunteers accompanying CSGs in building confidence, fostering peer learning, and accessing tools and networks. Volunteers do not deliver services but enable locally led development by helping CSGs organise, collaborate, and advocate, centring their voice, pace, and leadership. They support a shift in power through equitable partnerships and mutual respect.

Role outputs
Programme delivery and technical support: Support implementation of DRR and social protection components under the ACTIVE project through VSO’s blended volunteering approach. Facilitate consultations, risk assessments, vulnerability mapping, and contingency planning with municipalities and communities. Contribute to the design and piloting of shock-responsive social protection interventions and integration of resilience, climate adaptation, and inclusive development in local planning.
Capacity building and community empowerment: Coordinate and deliver capacity-building for CSOs, youth networks, and municipal DRR committees on disaster preparedness, inclusive accountability, and resilience planning. Facilitate awareness sessions for volunteers and marginalised groups, promote youth-led monitoring and advocacy, and support integration of resilience and inclusion in local DRRM plans and budgets.
Agency building and network strengthening: Strengthen the agency of women, girls, youth, and persons with disabilities by supporting municipalities to enhance shock-responsive social protection mechanisms. Facilitate coordination between government agencies, CSOs, and communities to improve accountability and service responsiveness. Support community volunteers in mentoring and awareness efforts and represent the project in DRR, climate resilience, and social accountability forums.
Coordination, government linkages, and partnerships: Maintain strong working relations with municipalities, health units, schools, community learning centres, and DRR authorities. Provide technical support to local governments in building shock-responsive social protection mechanisms and strengthening systems for inclusive service delivery.
Monitoring, documentation, and learning: Lead documentation of DRR and SRSP interventions, success stories, and lessons learned. Support reporting with accurate, disaggregated data and contribute to monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes for resilience outcomes. Co-develop tools and resources for CSGs, and facilitate learning exchanges, mentoring, and reflective practices to strengthen organisational capacity, sustainability, and local ownership.
Representation: Represent VSO Nepal’s ACTIVE citizenship, volunteer engagement, and empowerment in forums related to CSO capacity building, DRR, social protection, and system strengthening.

Experience and skills required for this volunteer placement
Bachelor’s degree in Disaster Risk Management, Environmental Science, Development Studies, or other relevant field.
At least one year of experience in health rights, disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, humanitarian response, or social protection initiatives.
Experience supporting local government planning, policy influence, or accountability mechanisms.
Understanding of shock-responsive social protection, DRR frameworks, and climate adaptation in the Nepalese context.
Strong facilitation and coordination skills for community-based training and dialogue, with excellent written and verbal communication skills in Nepali and English.
Good data collection, documentation, and reporting skills, with proficiency in Microsoft Office and data entry systems.
Knowledge and experience in capacity building of youth, persons with disabilities, and their networks, with familiarity in inclusive development principles related to gender equality, disability, and social inclusion.
Experience in social accountability, resilience promotion, or collaborative work with CSOs, government agencies, or implementing partners.

Deadline: 4 Dec 2025

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk