Associate Protection Officer, P2, Baga Sola At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Associate Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection registration, resettlement and education. S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards. The Associate Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern, ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. S/he also ensures that persons of concern are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of persons of concern. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

– Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.

– Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.

– Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations.

– Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern.

– Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.

– Conduct eligibility and status determination for persons of concern in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.

– Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.

– Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy to ensure programmes use a child protection systems approach.

– Contribute to a country-level education plan.

– Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities which integrate AGD sensitive procedures.

– Oversee and manage individual protection cases, including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.

– Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.

– Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other persons of concern.

– Participate in the organisation and implementation of participatory assessments and methodologies throughout the operations management cycle and promote AGD sensitive programming with implementing and operational partners.

– Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.

– Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.

– Promote and integrate community-based approaches to protection and contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.

– Support activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, fraud, case-processing, data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level.

– Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.

– Intervene with authorities on protection issues.

– Negotiate locally on behalf of UNHCR.

– Decide priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.

– Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.

-Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education Law, International Law, Political Sciences or other relevant field (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Protection Learning Programme (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Desirable Field experience, including in working directly with communities. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills *PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators *PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination MG-Project Management PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards PR-International Humanitarian Law PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement CO-Drafting and Documentation (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English. For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language. For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English. All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power. As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile

The candidate will be able to ensure that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are effectively involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems.

Further, the candidate will need to build and maintain effective interactions with relevant teams within the operation (including Protection and CCCM and Shelter clusters’ coordinators, programme staff, technical units and external relations colleagues, information management unit and so on), with the people we serve, Government officials, protection and assistance partners as well as a wide range of stakeholders who can substantially contribute towards the fulfilment of the UNHCR’s protection agenda and the achievement of the sustainable solutions for the people we serve.

Additionally, the candidate needs to have relevant experience in refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights advocacy and international humanitarian law, as well as experience in working closely with the relevant units at BO N’Djamena.

S/he should therefore have good knowledge of the International Refugee Law. The International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law, and the ability to apply the relevant legal principles, and of UNHCR’s protection strategies and policies.

The candidate will be involved in a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and the people we serve to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) priorities with regard to these categories.

Given that the Lake Chad operation is applying the Cluster Approach, the candidate should also have a previous experience in inter-Agency coordination and knowledge of the IASC and the Cluster Approach; ensure that the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy that covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations and prevent SEA in all Humanitarian intervention in the Lake Chad Province.

Due to the nature of the work, s/he is expected to have experience in capacity development of team members, a pro-active mature attitude to address complex and dynamic operational context arising from operational emergencies, as well as the ability to deliver under stressful environments.

Since Bagasola is a high-risk duty station, the candidate is required to have prior work experience in high-risk duty stations and many other security trainings, must have experience in managing security issues and effectively implementing the Lake Chad Bassin strategies in the Area of coverage.

Above all, the preferred candidate must have the ability to ensure the duty of care while discharging his/her functions through active listening, emotional intelligence, due diligence, and practical approaches in light of the UNHCR’s values and standards of integrity, professionalism and respect for diversity.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

French

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Desired languages

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link:

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

OPERATIONAL CONTEXT (P2 Assoc. Protection Officer, SO Baga Sola)

The Associate Protection Officer at SO Baga Sola works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Officer. S/he has a direct supervisory responsibility over national protection staff whose work may include registration, documentation and profiling, information management, community-based protection, accountability to the affected populations, education, Persons with Specific Needs, child protection, Gender based Violence prevention and response, protection monitoring and response, individual case management, resettlement and complementary pathways, amongst others.

The candidate supports the work of the Senior Protection Officer by gathering relevant information through field visits and assessments and releases analytical reports highlighting the main protection incidents and risks and makes appropriate recommendations. S/he represents the Sub-office to authorities in absence of the senior Protection Officer, as well as to UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine in the Lake province.

Besides, h/she plans, leads and coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of the persons with serve in the AoR, which includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, are consistent with and promote respect for relevant international law and UNHCR’s doctrine, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards.

Another important element of the candidate’s functions is to ensure that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are effectively involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems.

It’s important to take into consideration that this position is being transfered to Bol, the capital city of Chadian Lake province, at 70km from Baga Sola.

Living and Working Conditions:

In terms of working and living conditions, Bagasola is a small town that has very limited facilites. There are no banking facilities, working and living conditions are difficult and challenging. Basic amenities and recreational outlets are extremely limited. Freedom of movement in town is restricted. Average temperatures during the dry season routinely reach 40 C. For a period of six months, during the rainy season, accessibility becomes logistically suspended in many areas. Malaria is prevalent and all staff need to be vigilant by taking the relevant measures. And, due to a lack of adequate medical facilities, minor illnesses often require evacuation to the capital city for treatment. R&R cycle 6 weeks.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CL-Protection Cluster Coordination, PG-Results Based Reporting, PR-Child Protection Community-based mechanisms/ approaches, PR-Community-based Protection – Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments, PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies, PR-Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operations, PR-International Humanitarian Law, PR-Profiling of IDPs and host communities, PR-Protection promotional activities

Education

BA: International Law (Required), BA: Law (Required), BA: Political Science (Required)

Certifications

HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR

Work Experience

Annual Budget OL in Operation/Office, Number of Persons of Concern Served, Number of Workforce in Operation/Work Setting, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Asylum Seekers, Working with Persons of Concern: Internally Displaced Persons, Working with Persons of Concern: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned IDPs, Working with Persons of Concern: Returned Refugees, Working with Persons of Concern: Stateless

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 3 to Bi-annual Compendium 2022 – Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance