Volunteer with VSA

Kia ora, Halo and warm Pacific greetings
  
Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora.  

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū. 

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Bougainville. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.
  
We are looking for an experienced Financial Management Systems Advisor or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience).

The length of this assignment in Bougainville will be six months.
VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.
  
Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role
If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.

•  At least five years of relevant professional experience in financial management, accounting, or financial administration.
•  Demonstrated experience in budget preparation, financial reporting, and financial management systems.
•  Experience providing mentoring, coaching, or capacity strengthening support to staff or colleagues.

Important note: Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.

Our Partner Organisation – Arawa District Hospital

Arawa District Hospital is a key public health facility serving the people of Arawa and surrounding communities in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. The hospital is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality, and compassionate healthcare services while promoting the health and wellbeing of the communities it serves. Its dedicated team works collaboratively to provide essential medical services and improve health outcomes across the district.
  
Arawa District Hospital is currently undergoing a historic transformation from a district hospital into a Level 5 Specialist Referral Centre. This important development will significantly reduce the need for external referrals and expand access to specialised medical services, ensuring that people across Bougainville can receive advanced care closer to home.

  
The Assignment – (insert information below and delete this bracket)

Arawa District Hospital manages and administers financial resources that support the delivery of essential health services to communities across the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. As the hospital continues to expand its services and transition toward becoming a Level 5 Specialist Referral Centre, there is an increasing need to strengthen financial management systems and processes that support effective planning, budgeting, and financial reporting.
  
While financial processes are in place, the hospital has identified a need to further strengthen the capacity of finance officers in areas such as budget formulation, budget monitoring, and financial reporting. Strengthening these capabilities will help ensure that financial resources are effectively aligned with the hospital’s annual budget, financial accounts, and activity implementation plans that guide service delivery.
  
Currently, finance staff would benefit from additional mentoring and practical support to enhance financial management practices, improve the quality and timeliness of financial reporting, and strengthen systems that support sound financial oversight and accountability.
  
To address this need, the hospital, in collaboration with the Volunteer Service Abroad Bougainville Programme, is seeking the support of an experienced financial management professional who can work alongside the hospital’s finance team to strengthen financial management systems and staff capability. The volunteer will provide practical mentoring and on-the-job support to finance officers while introducing tools, processes, and good practices that are appropriate and sustainable within the local health system context.

Through these efforts, the assignment will contribute to stronger financial management systems, improved financial accountability, and more effective use of resources to support the delivery of quality health services for communities across Bougainville.

 
The Country - Bougainville
The Autonomous Region of Bougainville, (Otonomos Region bilong Bogenvilin Tok Pisin), previously known as the North Solomons, it is the largest island in the Solomons Island archipelago, situated on the border between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. 

The population is roughly 300,000 (as of 2023), with most people living on the largest island, Bougainville Island. Buka Island is over a close stretch of water. Volunteer Service Abroad has offices in both Arawa (Bougainville Island) and Buka (Buka Island).  

Although the region is just over 2,300 square kilometres, the terrain is rugged. This makes travel slow on roads and boats. It is a mountainous region covered in forest and sea, making agriculture and fishing vital to people's lives.  

The people are resilient, and all are likely to have been personally affected by the civil conflict in the 1990s, but they wish to develop. There are substantial cultural aspects to be considered when living in ARoB, which will be covered in briefings before volunteers depart and upon arrival.  

VSA has been active in Bougainville for over 25 years. We started in the year 1998 with a programme focusing on response and reconstruction post-crisis.
As part of the New Zealand government’s commitment to delivering a ‘peace dividend’, we set up our field office in Arawa (the conflict zone in the 90s).

VSA volunteers have since been deployed in Buka, Buin, Nissan, Selau-Suir, Tinputz, and Wakunai districts to name a few. Today, our volunteers work alongside the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) across various community development, education, and health departments, along with local and international NGOs in Bougainville. Together, we aim to build an overall sustainable Bougainville community.  

Me pēhea te tuku tono| How to apply:
Apply for this opportunity through our website.
For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.

We are looking for a volunteer with:

• Provide practical mentoring and on-the-job support to finance officers
• Development of financial procedures, improving budget planning and
• Six months abraod with Flights, Insurance & accommodation covered