Mission and objectives
Our primary purpose at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Together with partners and communities, we work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. We also strive to secure lasting solutions. For over half a century, UNHCR has helped millions of people to restart their lives. They include refugees, returnees, stateless people, the internally displaced and asylum-seekers. Our protection, shelter, health and education has been crucial, healing broken pasts and building brighter futures.
Context
This UNV assignment is part of UNHCR’s Protection activities within the context of Regional Refugee Response Plan for Ukraine situation. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization working to save lives, protect rights and build a better future for refugees, internally displaced communities, and stateless people. UNHCR works to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find refuge from violence or persecution. Slovakia’s status as both a transit and a destination country requires an approach that is focused on immediate service provision for those on the move and first arriving in Slovakia and second area of supporting the longer-term stay for those fleeing Ukraine. Both branches of work require the timely delivery of accurate, verified and relevant information on legal status, services available and how to receive urgent protection and assistance. Refugees also need information on how to stay safe and avoid the many risks they are encountering, such as trafficking an GBV. For those staying in Slovakia, they will need easy access to information on integration, services in the locations where they are and support on integration into Slovak communities. Community engagement and community-based and led approaches to facilitate this will be essential to reach individuals of diverse ages, genders, and backgrounds in the appropriate formats that they prefer. Supporting initiatives directly led by refugees and Slovak communities will be a key part of this strategy to further promote self-reliance and ensure active roles for communities in the response. Engagement of Slovak communities is also essential to promote social cohesion. This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine in accordance with UNHCR’s Administrative Instruction on Covid-19 Vaccination and related Safety Measures. Application to these assignments is exclusively open to individuals residing in Slovakia, with stateless, refugee or similar protective status, including Temporary Protection. Official document as a proof of refugee status is mandatory to submit. The applicant with abovementioned refugee status should submit the official document as a proof of refugee status before and/or during the interview. The applications without the respective document will not be considered for this assignment. Maximum years of service as a Refugee UN Volunteer is 4 years.
Task description
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Protection Officer or their designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Protection Assistant will: • Assist UNHCR in developing a strategy to link with the identified groups to share up to date information and encourage communication by refugees with humanitarian agencies; • Establish partnerships or good working relationships with key Ukrainian and Slovak actors working on community engagement; • Assist with creating content to share through UNHCR’s communication channels in collaboration with UNHCR teams to share information on available services and their providers, on the rights and duties of refugees and asylum-seekers in Slovakia; • Listen to community members and stay up to date with information sharing and discussion channels to identify risks to refugees and Slovak communities or potential rumors and misinformation that UNHCR can help clarify; • Contribute to the planning, monitoring, and evaluation of UNHCR’s engagement with refugees and Slovak communities through different approaches, including online and offline, and make recommendations to UNHCR teams on how to improve; • Regularly update and share information related to ongoing work in community engagement, utilizing agreed data collection methods to identify gaps, assess trends and developments; • Support two-way communication mechanism using community based approaches between UNHCR and persons of concern (Ukrainian refugees) by passing on useful information to the different refugee communities while promoting and supporting community engagement, resilience and active participation of refugees in the Slovak social, economic and cultural life; • Promote and support community mobilization for organizing social, cultural and recreational events among refugee and host communities; • Assist UNHCR in organizing participatory activities and awareness-raising sessions with persons of different age groups, gender and background; • Assist in exploring opportunities for mainstreaming persons of concern into available national services and contribute to developing communication strategies with persons of concern to access such services; • In coordination with the supervisor, assist in monitoring visits to Community Based Organizations/Refugee-led NGOs/Initiatives and other partners to oversee programme implementation and provide inputs for further planning; • Contribute to the planning, monitoring and evaluation of any further community outreach activities. • Contribute age, gender and diversity mainstreaming in all of UNHCR Slovakia’s activities; • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor. Results/Expected outputs: • As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • Ensure that relationship and communication of UNHCR with refugee communities and acting partners are smooth, and refugee needs are adequately identified and reflected in UNHCR protection programming; • Ensure that communication strategies with persons of concern are in place in a manner to enhance their access to such services such as education and health; • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment; • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.
Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80
Nationality
Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.
Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in the national and/or international level in areas related to displacement, social work or public information, or other relevant programmes; experience with refugee protection or community engagement/communication with communities or social psychology is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization; • Other desired/mandatory required technical knowledge: working knowledge of means of communication; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in humanitarian work, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System; • Candidate must be a refugee or a stateless person, legally residing in the country of assignment; • Application to these assignments is exclusively open to individuals residing in Slovakia, with stateless, refugee or similar protective status, including Temporary Protection; • Official document as a proof of refugee status is mandatory to submit. The applicant with abovementioned refugee status should submit the official document as a proof of refugee status before and/or during the interview. The applications without the respective document will not be considered for this assignment. • Bachelor is an advantage