Assistant Community-based Protection Officer

Hardship LevelE (most hardship)

Family TypeFamily

Family TypeFamily

Residential location (if applicable)

GradeNOA

Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer

ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment

Remote work acceptedNo

Target Start Date2023-06-01

Job Posting End DateMay 24, 2023

Standard Job DescriptionAssistant Community-Based Protection Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit in a Country Operation 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 Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and 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 Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer 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 - Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the PoC and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach. - 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 senior management. - Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups. - Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and PoC to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and GBV, and solutions approaches. - Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues. - Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated. - Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures - Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among PoC, authorities and host communities. - Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with PoC, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. - Support the Operation's work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian action plan where applicable. - Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary. - Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans in the Country Operation. - Support community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response. - Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection. - Contribute to the design of project submissions and the budget for endorsement by the supervisor. - Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues. - Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Years of Experience / Degree Level For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential Some professional working experience.in the areas of community services, social work (e.g., gender, GBV programs, women¿s empowerment and protection, work with refugees) or/and human rights or related tasks in government, NGO or international organisation. Desirable Proven communication skills, both oral and written. Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy. Functional Skills PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework IT-Computer Literacy DM-Database Management PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response Programming PR-Gender Equality PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming (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 • Excellent communication skills in both Turkish and English
• Excellent drafting skills in both Turkish and English
• Previous experience working with refugee communities in urban contexts desirable
• Previous experience in social cohesion activities or programmes desirable
• Arabic desirable

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

,Turkish

Desired languagesArabic

,

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:

The Assistant Community-based Protection Officer manages a small team within the Protection Unit at the UNHCR Sub-Office in Gaziantep and reports to the Senior Protection Officer. S/he works closely with other colleagues in the Protection and Field Units, ensuring community-based approaches are consistently incorporated into the work of protection and field colleagues. The incumbent will oversee and support the CBP team in strengthening its community-based outreach mechanisms and community engagement with refugees, working closely with community-based organizations (CBOs), refugee led organizations (RLOs), outreach volunteers and refugee committees. The CBP Unit also identifies opportunities for community-based initiatives that foster social cohesion, working in close collaboration with various local authorities and partners. The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of UNHCR’s AGD and AAP policies and for building the capacity of staff, as needed. The incumbent will be expected to undertake regular field missions within southeast Türkiye and participate in relevant coordination fora as part of the earthquake response.

Living and Working Conditions:

• On 6 February, two major earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.5 magnitude in Kahramanmaraş Province impacted eleven provinces in Türkiye’s southeast region and neighbouring Syria. Numerous aftershocks, including deadly ones, are continuing to negatively impact the situation in the region.

• A 3-month state of emergency was declared for 11 provinces affected by the earthquake on 7 February (Adiyaman, Gaziantep, Kilis, Hatay, Malatya, Diyarbakir, Adana, Osmaniye, Kahramanmaras and Sanliurfa as well as the province of Elazig).

• Turkish government is leading the response through coordination by the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The Turkish Red Crescent (TRC) and several humanitarian organisations are working alongside AFAD. The Presidency of Migration Management (PMM) is coordinating the response with regards to refugees and asylum-seekers, among others.

• On 9 February, UNHCR declared a level 2 emergency which will remain in force for a period of six months until 8 August 2023.

• In alignment with the Türkiye Earthquakes UN Flash Appeal, which was launched on 16 February, UNHCR issued its Earthquake Emergency Supplementary Appeal covering requirements for Türkiye amounting to USD 150 million. The overall aim of UNHCR’s action is to improve living conditions of earthquake-affected people, and to assist those with specific needs, including among refugees, in finding and accessing necessary services including documentation and social protection.

Following the publication of the Flash Appeal, a coordination structure has been established under OCHA, with a limited duration, after which the 3RP coordination mechanisms will resume.

Location of the position is in Gaziantep. While in normal circumstances the duty station is classified as B category, following the earthquake a temporary classification as category E duty station was accorded to all locations in the southeast Turkiye. This temporary reclassification will be reassessed by June 2023. Two out of 13 Gaziantep districts (Islahiye and Nurdagi) have been badly hit during the earthquake, but the central parts of Gazinatep were largely spared of significant destruction, although a limited number of buildings in the city have also collapsed, and some others damaged.

The infrastructure and utilities in Gaziantep are largely preserved, and the city continues to benefit from efficient public transport system and smooth delivery of gas, water and electricity. Gaziantep is a regional industrial and trade hub, with thousands of businesses that have continued operating after the earthquake.

Gaziantep has a good network of health facilities, including both public and private hospitals, some of which offer more sophisticated services. Housing in Gaziantep is widely available, but due to economic downfall in most of 2022 and following the earthquake, rental prices have significantly increased.

Gaziantep also has a well-developed network of schools and is home to one of the largest universities in Turkiye. There are several private universities as well. However, education with international curricula is very limited and it may be challenging for families with younger children in need of adequate educational facilities in foreign language. English is not widely spoken, which may be challenging at times. However, people in Gaziantep are hospitable.

Current operational circumstances may require long working hours due to ongoing emergency mode.

Proximity to the Syrian border has led to a sensitive security in South-eastern Turkey since the Syrian conflict began. However, the level of general criminality is low. During the recent period the security situation in Southeast Turkey has been largely stable, with isolated incidents of deteriorated situation due to evolving security situation along the border with Syria. Following an increased engagement in the Syrian conflict by the Turkish Government the number of incidents targeting Turkish security forces has somewhat increased, but number of cross border incidents is rather limited in scale and frequency of occurrence.

The current security levels in Southeast Turkiye is Level 2, with some parts of the AOR (10 Km distance from the border area, plus Reyhanli and Mardin in the east) at Level 4. There are no known direct threats towards the United Nations and its staff in the area but vigilance and awareness is required in the changing security environment. Due to the relatively recent developments at the border areas, the UN staff in Gaziantep are advised to increase their precaution measures in general. Area Security plans and Security levels are being updated.

Gaziantep is a base for three UNHCR separate facilities- the SO Gaziantep (refugee operations), Resettlement Hub inaugurated in Dec 2022, and the Cross Border Operation that is engaged in the humanitarian interventions in Northwest Syria. SO Gaziantep provides support to Resettlement and Cross Border Operations through Admin and logistics functions, with occasional expansion to other types of support from various units in the office.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

EducationBA: Anthropology (Required), BA: Cultural Studies (Required), BA: Human Rights (Required), BA: International Development (Required), BA: International Law (Required), BA: International Social Work (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)

Certifications

Work Experience

CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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Compendium

Additional Information

Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance