Homestay Coordinator

The United States Peace Corps is a non-political, non-religious organization that will bring Americans to Viet Nam to serve as Peace Corps Volunteers. Volunteers will co-teach English language classes with Vietnamese teachers in secondary schools. The Peace Corps is serving in Viet Nam at the invitation of the Government of Viet Nam and working closely with Ministry of Education and Training with a goal to improve the English language skills of teachers and students. Peace Corps Volunteers commit to two years of service, will live with host families, and will support and co-lead additional school related activities in accordance with the school leadership. A new cohort of Volunteers will arrive each year. The Peace Corps was founded by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship.

General information about the Peace Corps can be found on www.peacecorps.gov.

Position Title: Homestay Coordinator

Opening Date: March 26, 2021

Submission Date for first review: April 16, 2021, Open until filled

Area of Consideration/Who may apply: All applicants must be a naturalized citizen or permanent resident of Viet Nam who are legally able to work within the country.

Point of Contact: Peace Corps Human Resources - PCVietNamJobs@peacecorps.gov

Market Value/Salary (per annum): US$ 13,827– US$ 20,571 + benefits

Period of Performance/ Length of Contract/ Work Schedule: Definite term – five years/ Monday to Friday (40 hours per week). Peace Corps expects this contract to be continuing in nature for the contractor to perform under a series of sequential contracts, subject to the availability of funds.

Place of Performance: Peace Corps Viet Nam, Peace Corps office Ha Noi.

Security Level required: Local Security Certificate

Background information of the position

The Homestay Coordinator is responsible for the promotion and implementation of the homestay program for Volunteers’ permanent sites and Trainee’s Pre-Service Training (PST) sites. They will oversee the program and direct the search, interviews and final selection of all host families and alternate host families. In collaboration with the responsible Program Managers (permanent sites) and the Training Manager (PST sites) they will provide ongoing support and feedback to both homestay families and Volunteers. They will also provide administrative and logistical support to host families and site-related work for the Programming, Training and Evaluation (PTE) unit. Travel for extended periods of time is required, including extended stays at the training site before and during Pre-service training.

The Homestay Coordinator is supervised by the Director of Programming and Training (DPT), and works closely with the Program Manager (PM) and Training Manager (TM), and other members of the PTE unit. The Homestay Coordinator also coordinates with the Peace Corps Medical Officer (PCMO) and Safety and Security Manager (SSM), and during PST may be working closely with Language and Cultural Facilitators (LCFs).

The Homestay Coordinator may be required to live outside Hanoi for the duration of PST (up to 14 weeks), and will be required to travel as needed to support training events or other PC needs. The Homestay Coordinator may need to travel internationally to trainings provided to Peace Corps staff. The Homestay Coordinator may also be required to work outside of, or in addition to, normally scheduled hours to support training events and other Post needs. Training events are often six-day work weeks.

The Homestay Coordinator must consistently use a range of support and communication skills including active listening, intercultural competence, interactive coaching, and timely and consistent follow through on requests for support and/or assistance and/or program adaptations. The Homestay Coordinator should foster personal and professional growth in PCT/Vs, celebrate their accomplishments, promote best practices and consistently champion the efforts of PCT/Vs and staff colleagues.

Qualifications

Required:

• Education/Certification: University Degree in any subject

• Years of Experience: Minimum of 5 years of related work experience, such as hosting foreigners, arranging home stays, facilitating communication between foreigners and Vietnamese, inclusive of at least two years’ experience as a language teacher

• Experience with intercultural exchange and/or experiential/field-based education

• Experience with public speaking and/or giving presentations

• Experience using written and oral communication skills in English and Vietnamese proficiently for professional purposes

• Computer skills including demonstrated proficiency in Outlook, Excel, Microsoft Word, Databases and PowerPoint

Preferred:

• Certifications or coursework in one or more of the following areas:

English teaching
teacher training
adult education
non-formal education
experiential education
intercultural competence
monitoring and evaluation

• Experience in the hospitality or tourism industries

• Experience working with the Vietnamese educational system at local, provincial, or national level.

• Living or working with rural areas of Viet Nam.

• Experience living or working in multiple areas of Viet Nam (for example, northern and southern provinces).

• Experience in youth, education, or community development sectors.

• Professional experience in multi-cultural environment with diverse groups of people.

• Experience coordinating a team of staff and/or volunteers.

• Experience facilitating discussions of large groups.

• Experience in documentation of work processes and supporting materials.

• Experience in manipulating and summarizing data using text, graphs, charts.

• Experience in translation or interpretation

• Experience with use of social media and/or video for business purposes.

Duties and Responsibilities / Tasks and Deliverables

Support for Country Program

• Design and implement a homestay program that contributes to Peace Corps goals and is sensitive to the Vietnamese context.

• In coordination with PC staff and considering Peace Corps global requirements, established guidance and local context, ensure a healthy, safe and secure living environment is identified for each PCT/V.

• Work with PM, TM and other staff to propose homestay program budget, including travel costs, potential upgrade materials (e.g., locks), and homestay family payments.

• Track trends or outstanding issues related to the implementation of the homestay program and update DPT, PM, and TM accordingly.

• Make formal suggestions for improvements to the homestay program.

• Initiate, develop and implement new initiatives under the homestay program as appropriate.

• Act as a resource, informant, and liaison for all homestay-related activities, matters, and issues.

• Assists the TM and LCF in determining appropriate clusters of host families to facilitate languag learning groupings and in developing relevant intercultural competency learning activities.

• The Home Stay Coordinator may also be asked to

• Contribute to the post language program, for example by acting as a back-up Language & Cross Cultural Facilitator during PST and/or becoming certified to administer language proficiency interviews.

• Contribute to program monitoring activities, for example by observing and assessing PCV/T classroom teaching and providing related feedback.

• Complete special projects and assignments for the PTE unit as needed.

Homestay Program Materials and Recordkeeping

• In coordination with PC staff and considering Peace Corps standard practice and local context, develop and maintain a written strategy and specific guidelines for the implementation of the homestay program at permanent sites and during Pre-Service Training.

• In collaboration with the Program Managers, Training Manager, PCMO and SSM, review and maintain a list of health and safety considerations for Volunteers’ homestay placements, updating homestay selection tools as needed.

• Compile, compose, review and revise as-needed homestay handbooks for host families and PCVs, as well as informational material for community and school leadership.

• Maintain accurate and complete files on host families (contact information, interview forms, questionnaires, feedback from/about host families) using VIDA and additional spreadsheets, as necessary.

• Prepare host family profiles for site announcement packets.

Homestay Program Management

Socialization and Information Gathering

• Participate in PST and permanent site identification meetings; meet with local leaders and key informants, such as school directors, teachers, and staff and relevant community leaders to introduce homestay program (objectives, guidelines, procedures), generate lists of potential families, hold group information sessions and schedule individual visits to homes.

• Introduce potential host families to Peace Corps goals and values, including representation of American diversity, community integration, and cultural exchange.

• Introduce potential host families to the Peace Corps program in Vietnam, the homestay program, host family roles and responsibilities, and likely timeline. Encourage questions and open discussion of any concerns or curiosities. • Document information collected according to established protocol, survey forms and checklists, and/or collect forms and confirm completion if visit is made by another staff person.

• Coordinate host family identification visits with PM, TM, PMCO, and SSM on representative sampling of potential host families. Include currently serving PCVs when possible.

• Plan travel necessary travel as efficiently as possible, working with PC driver for routing and data collection related to distances, general environment, and market basket surveys.

Selection and Training

• Assess the suitability and interest of families for hosting Volunteers/Trainees. Confirm that families meet the required selection criteria.

• Participate in site matching meetings with PTE unit and other staff and recommend host family options for prioritized sites.

• In coordination with PTE unit choose the final host families (with alternates).

• Request host families make any required physical upgrades and negotiate the support provided by Peace Corps and timeline for completion.

• Plan and organize group or individual host family training events for selected host families, in coordination with PC staff.

• Maintain communication with host families prior to PCT/V arrival; confirm logistics are in place and invitations to relevant events are received.

Monitoring and Issues Resolution

• Proactively maintain contact with the PCV/Ts and host families, including texts, emails, calls, visits, to provide support and assistance throughout the program to both host families and PCV/Ts.,

• Respond promptly to queries and issues raised by potential and selected host families regarding their selection status or experiences with PCT/Vs and in such a way as to strengthen community relations.

• Coach PCT/Vs and host families to resolve issues directly with one another, if possible, but escalates engagement and acts as mediator when needed, through calls a visits with affected parties, while maintaining appropriate levels of privacy.

• Promptly document issues and their resolution; ensure the PM/TM are kept apprised of all issues, conversations, and matters related to PCVs and host families, and with LCFs, SSM and/or PCMO, as appropriate.

• Handle any move of PCT/V from one host family to another appropriately and with sensitivity to privacy, the PCT/V’s relationships in the community, and Peace Corps’ reputation.

Volunteer/Trainee Support and Assessment

The Homestay Coordinator is a key support and contact person for PCV/Ts in matters related to their homestay accommodations, cultural adjustment, language development, and community integration. Support and assessment duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Participate in roundtable discussions and/or volunteer support meetings related to the assessment of PCT/V competency development. Based on standardized criteria and thorough documentation, recommends individual trainees for swearing-in as Peace Corps Volunteers, or as necessary, recommends remedial action or termination of service.

• Participate in site announcement event and orient individual PCT/Vs to aspects of their site and host family.

• Respond to queries and issues raised by PCV/Tss regarding their host families promptly and sensitively. Escalate engagement as needed, including calls and visits with affected parties, while maintaining appropriate levels of privacy.

• Fully apprise PM/TM of all issues, conversations, and matters related to PCVs and host families, and with SSM and/or PCMO, as appropriate.

• Visit PCVs periodically at their sites to provide advice and assistance to them and their host families in order to enhance relationships, community integration, and cultural exchange, and assure safety and security. Document activities and results in regular site visit reports.

• In coordination with other staff, provides advice and guidance to PCT/Vs, and as necessary, to host families, in order to promote positive and productive relationships and intercultural exchange, and to prevent, resolve or mitigate problems at home;

• Assist Volunteers in improving their social and cultural adaptation and self-sufficiency through the provision of language tips/role plays, cultural insights, and direction to relevant and available resources. Support Volunteers with personal and cultural counseling and guidance on various policies, procedures, safety and security, and administrative matters, with guidance from other staff.

• Help individual PCT/Vs identify their individual learning and adjustment challenges related to community integration; provide support and guidance to help them meet those needs, as well as coaching regarding performance (in coordination with the TM/PM).

• Coach PCT/Vs towards Peace Corps’ “Core Expectations” regarding professionalism and service, and documents behavioral or policy issues as necessary, in consultation with the TM, PM and DPT.

Other Duties

• Supports other teams as needed taking on back-up support responsibilities and carrying out duties and responsibilities of agreed upon positions when deemed necessary by the Country Director and/or Supervisor for the successful management of Peace Corps operations in Viet Nam.

• Act as translator and interpreter for PC and PST staff as needed.

• Other tasks and duties as assigned.

Standard Roles and Responsibilities

A. Occasional Money Handler (OMH): may be requested to courier cash and /or purchase orders to various vendors who furnish supplies and/or services to Pre-Service Training/In-Service Training sites, or other locations as directed by the Contracting Officer. The PSC may also be requested to courier cash to PC trainees or volunteers. The PSC will not be functioning as a procurement or disbursing official but will only be acting as an intermediary between the Contracting or Disbursing Officer and the recipient. In the case of dealing with vendors, the PSC will not exercise any procurement discretion concerning the supplies or services to be purchased or the cost limits of these purchases; these will be determined by the Contracting Officer.

B. Safety &Security:

All members of the Peace Corps team must be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan, their responsibilities in the event of an emergency, and with the procedures for reporting and responding to safety and security incidents.

The duties and responsibilities, particularly as they concern Volunteers and Trainees, include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Evaluates home stay sites to ensure conformity to established standards for safety and security of Trainees.

• Ensures host families and local officials are willing and able to provide appropriate support to Trainees.

• Coordinates orientation for host families, including safety and security matters related to Trainees.

• Assists Training Manager and DPT in developing safety and security systems for pre-service training and supports safety and security training objectives, including reinforcing Trainee roles and responsibilities related to personal safety and security.

• Immediately communicates Volunteer safety and security concerns and issues to the Safety and Security Manager (SSM) and Training Manager.

• Knowledgeable and supportive of Peace Corps safety and security policies and procedures, including the timely reporting of suspicious incidents, persons or articles.

• Acts as Duty Officer as assigned: A Duty Officer is “on call” 24/7 for a one-week period, is restricted from travel during that period, and must be available through the Duty Officer cell phone at all times. The Duty Officer works closely with the Safety and Security Manager

Evaluation and Selection Criteria:

Applications will be initially screened for eligibility in accordance with the required qualifications mentioned above. Those applicants who meet the required qualifications will be scored based on the preferred qualifications. Highest scoring candidates will be called in for an interviews, language and skills test (presentations, excel/word tests). Performance from all interviews and skills test will be considered as a whole package to ensure the best candidate is selected that meets the needs of the Peace Corps mission. Professional reference checks will be conducted for selected candidates.

How to apply:

Please submit the following in English by email (with your name and the position you are applying for in as the subject of the email) as one PDF file to PCVietNamJobs@peacecorps.gov:

1. Application Cover Letter

2. Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Closing date: Applications should be received 6:00 pm Friday, April 16, 2021 for consideration in the first review. Position remains open until filled. Applications for one position maybe considered for any current open position. No phone calls or personal visits related to this vacancy will be accepted. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

All applicants must pass a background/security investigation and a medical certification. Any contract offer with the US Peace Corps is contingent upon a candidate’s ability to secure the necessary certifications.

All applicants must be a naturalized citizen of the host country or must have the required work permit or documentation that permits the applicant to work legally in the country in order to be eligible for consideration.

The application must contain all the information necessary to demonstrate that the candidate possesses the education, experience, skills and language abilities required for this position.

Benefits and Allowances:

BENEFITS:

• One-month basic salary Tet Bonus

• Contribution to mandatory insurances pursuant to GVN’s law/ regulations including social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance.

• Coverage of additional health insurance 90% for incumbent and each eligible family member

• Annual and sick leave according to local labor law

ALLOWANCES (as applicable):

• Unique Condition Work allowance: 7% of Annual basic salary (upon annual review).

• Miscellaneous Benefits Allowance: US$1,000 per annum or US$3,000 per annum

The Peace Corps is both a federal agency and a vehicle through which American citizens offer needed assistance to people around the world and, in doing so, promote greater cross-cultural understanding between Americans and the people of the host countries. The fulfillment of the Peace Corps’ mission to foster greater understanding among the world’s citizens requires that we adhere to the highest standards with respect to equal employment opportunity for all Volunteers, employees, and applicants. The U.S. Peace Corps Vietnam will provide equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, pregnancy and maternity or sexual orientation. The Peace Corps will also strive to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs. Discrimination based on factors that have no bearing on a person’s ability to serve and perform his or her duties is not permitted and will not be tolerated.