Community-Based Protection Assistant At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

JOB OPENING: 36809

JOB TITLE: Community-Based Protection Assistant

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed-Term Appointment

GRADE: G4

LOCATION: San Pedro Sula, Honduras

Duties and Qualifications:

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Community-Based Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. S/he supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Assistant is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (PoC). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

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:

– Through relationships with PoC and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.

– Support implementing and operational partners as well as displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.

– Assist in working with host communities to involve national civil society groups in improving the protection of PoC.

– Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.

– Support participatory assessments and ongoing consultation with PoC.

– Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.

– Ensure community understanding of UNHCR’s commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.

– Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective.

– Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems.

– Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.

– Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.

– Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.

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

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level:

• For G4 – 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education:

• Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses:

• Development Studies
• Human Rights
• International Law
• Community Development / Social Work
• Social Science
• Political Science
• International Law

(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential:

• Not specified

Desirable:

• UNHCR learning programmes (PLP).
• Knowledge of MSRP.

Functional Skills:

• *IT-MS Office Applications
• *IT-Computer Literacy
• UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
• UN-UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations and Procedures
• IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
• PR-Community-based Protection
• PR-Community-based Protection – Principles and methodologies
• CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

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.

Position competencies:

Core Competencies:

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:

• Not applicable.

Cross-Functional Competencies:

• Stakeholder Management
• Planning and Organizing
• Political Awareness

Language Requirements

• Working knowledge in English and Proficiency in Spanish is essential.

Eligible Applicants:

MPORTANT NOTE: This position is advertised to internal and external applicants. Candidates must be legally present in Honduras at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Only candidates holding a permanent residency in Honduras will be considered eligible.

Group 1 Candidates: comprises current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment who, at the date of the deadline for application, are serving in the country of the vacancy at the grade of the position or one grade below or above.

Group 2 Candidates: comprises candidates from the categories listed in the RALS after completion of one cumulative or continuous year of service in the country of the vacancy. The Group 2 status should have been confirmed by the HR Unit in Honduras before the application is submitted.

External Candidates: are candidates who are not in Group 1 or Group 2

Additional Information:

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No late applications will be accepted.
• Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a technical assessment or written test (eliminatory or complementary) and later on, invited for an oral interview.
• UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
• Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.

Duration: initially for a period of one (1) year.

Closing Date: The closing date for submission of applications is 29th May 2022 (midnight Geneva time).