Resettlement Expert (4 positions), UNOPS IICA-1, Chad At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

UNHCR Chad is offering 4 UNOPS IICA-1 positions in the Resettlement Unit in Sub Office in Farchana, Field Office in Goz Beida and Sub Office in Iriba on roving basis.

• Title: Resettlement Expert
• Duty Station: Sub Office Farchana (1 position), Field Office Goz Beida (1 Position) and Sub Office Iriba (roving) (2 positions)
• Duration: 1 October- 31 December 2021 (with possibility of extension)
• Contract Type: UNOPS ICA (IICA Level 1, equivalent to P2)
• Closing date: 27 September 2021
• Start date: as soon as possible and no later than October 10, 2021

Organisational context

Chad, one of the largest refugee hosting countries in Africa, currently offers protection to more than one million refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people, and Chadian returnees, of which around 510,325 are refugees mainly originating from Sudan (Darfur), Central Africa Republic, Nigeria and other countries. As of June 2021, Chad is a party to both the 1951 Refugee Convention and its protocol and the 1969 OAU Convention on Refugees. in December 2020, Chad adopted its first national law on asylum. The refugees from Sudan live mostly in camps in the east of Chad. Most of the refugees fled the war in Darfur in around 2004 and continue to live in a protracted refugee situation. Sudanese refugees from Darfur are recognised by the Chadian government on a prima facie basis.

For the Sudanese refugees, only 4% expressed an intention to voluntarily repatriate in 2017. Although a Voluntary Repatriation program was started; it halted in April 2019 due to the tumultuous socio-economic and security context in Sudan. Local integration possibilities are extremely limited for refugees in Chad due to the poor economic situation, competition for scarce resources, and the volatile and unpredictable security situation. Resettlement is envisaged as a protection tool for individual Sudanese refugees. Resettlement processing will be prioritized for those who are experiencing protection problems in the camps, and/or who are unable to become self-reliant and are therefore at heightened risk, due to their profiles.

Resettlement staff are provided with Resettlement SOPs and other SOPs concerning data changes and file management. The SOPs have been updated in line with the operations’ migration to proGres v4. BIMs verification for all cases is mandatory as an integrity measure to strengthen Resettlement processing.

The position

In 2021, only 700 pax confirmed baseline quota was allocated by the USA to Chad operation. The operation endeavors to submit anywhere between 700-1500 persons against this confirmed quota. The submission baseline vis a vis projected submissions in 2021 are as follows; So Iriba including Guereda (182: 390), Amdjarass ( 56: 120) , SO Farchana ( 224: 480) and FO Goz Beida ( 91: 195)

Duties and responsibilities

Reporting to the Associate Resettlement and Complementary Pathways Officer in Farchana (direct supervisor) and the Resettlement and Complementary Pathways Officer in N’Djamena (technical supervisor); the Resettlement Expert will:

• Prepare Resettlement Registration Forms (RRFs) for onward referral to the Regional Resettlement Unit of RRWA Dakar. Bearing in mind the logistical challenges due to outbreak of COVID-19. The deployee will be required to conduct a minimum of 4 interviews per week and finalize and submit 3 RRFs per week for review (with 4 individuals average family size). These targets take into account the operational context (resettlement quotas, RRF template /format in conformity with the differing requirements of the resettlement countries, other operational priorities etc.)
• In situations where the work consists mainly of clarifying and/or updating previously drafted RRFs which are in the pipeline, the output expected will be approximately 6-8 cases per week.
• The progress will be tracked based on a weekly report available on sharepoint to both the Direct Supervisor and the Technical Supervisor and inability to regularly meet the set targets on a weekly basis will reflect in the final appraisal.
• Participate in the review of profiled cases or referral forms, if requested. Resettlement cases may have been identified through the Durable Solutions profiling undertaken by UNHCR staff as well as partners engaged in the identification of cases and the Resettlement Expert may be requested to participate in the participation in the review of profiled cases or referral forms;
• Ensure that relevant supporting documentation where required, are included in the referral and correspond to the UNHCR policy and guidelines.
• Conduct and prepare BIAs for children submitted for resettlement with only one biological parent. BIDs will not be carried out by the Resettlement Expert. Child Protection activities are carried out by Protection and Community Services staff who also prepare BIDs for Separated Children (SC) and Unaccompanied Minors (UAMs).
• Prioritize resettlement referrals according to the criteria set out in the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook;
• Respond to clarifications and queries by the Reviewer and/or the Resettlement and Complementary Pathways Officer based in BO N’Djamena as well as by the Regional Resettlement Unit in Dakar on the referred cases;
• Throughout the above process, ensure that all required information is complete, credible and consistent, that the refugees qualify for resettlement, and that the standards set forth in the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook are met, including application of resettlement criteria for all countries;
• If needed, assist with the continued sensitization and counselling of refugees in the pipeline for resettlement and of the general refugee population to manage unrealistic expectations towards resettlement.
• Identify, prevent and report fraud in the resettlement and registration process.
• Ensure smooth information flow between the field /sub-Offices and BO N’Djamena, and with RRU Dakar throughout the resettlement process;
• The Resettlement Expert is expected to participate in at least two meetings a month with the supervisors and provide monthly written updates on progress made towards the work objectives, in addition to weekly statistical reporting.
• Perform any other resettlement related activities as requested by the direct or technical supervisors, or Head of Office.

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

The ideal candidate must meet the following requirements:

• Master’s degree and 2 years’ work experience or Bachelor’s university degree and 3 years’ work experience in relevant area (e.g. international law/refugee law, political science, social science-preferably in social work etc.)
• Minimum six months experience working with Resettlement module on proGres v4 is required
• Knowledge of and/or preparedness to become familiar with and abide by UNHCR’s principles, code of conduct and humanitarian goals;
• Knowledge of the international legal framework governing refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons and statelessness;
• Knowledge of UNHCR guidelines on refugee status determination / resettlement including application of Exclusion article 1F of the 1951 Convention, preventing and Mitigating of Fraud in the Resettlement processes.
• Excellent interviewing and counselling skills as demonstrated in previous assignments.
• B2 knowledge of French (able to conduct interviews in the language) is required as Resettlement interpreters are Francophone. Meetings and interactions with UNHCR, partner and government staff will be in French.
• Excellent drafting and written skills in English, very strong attention to detail, very strong analytical skills, as demonstrated in previous assignments’
• Experience giving advice on resettlement guidelines and policy is desirable.
• Experience liaising with medical professionals in the context of resettlement would be an asset

Location

The successful candidate will be based in Sub Office Farchana, Field Office Goz Beida and Sub Office Iriba.

Conditions

The Rest and Recuperation (R&R) cycle in Chad is every 8 weeks. There is a mandatory 7-day quarantine period on arrival in N’Djamena, during which time the UNOPS ICA is expected to telework.

The situation in eastern Chad cannot be described as active conflict, however, strict limitations to the movement of staff have been imposed due to security concerns resulting from banditry and common crimes. Movement is highly constrained and typically staff are advised to not stay out between 18:00h and 06:00h. UNOPS ICAs are not permitted to be accommodated outside the UNHCR or UN-WFP/UNFPA provided Guest Houses.

Internet is available and there is cell phone coverage. There are UNHCR Health staff in Iriba, Goz Beida and Farchana however the service that can be provided by them is limited. If specialized care is needed the staff member may be evacuated to N’Djamena. International staff members are not allowed to use public transportation for security reasons.