Hardship LevelE (most hardship)
Family TypeNon Family with Residential Location
Family TypeNon Family with Residential Location
Residential location (if applicable)
Nairobi (CO), Kenya
GradeNOA
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2024-04-01
Job Posting End DateFebruary 1, 2024
Standard Job Description
Assistant Protection Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant 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 Assistant Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC), 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 PoC 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 them. 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.
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Conduct eligibility and status determination for PoC 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.
- Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Provide inputs for the development of protection policies and standards within the AoR.
- Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC 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 PoC.
- Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
- Assist capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
- Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
- Assist the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
- Assist the supervisor in enforcing 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.
- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- 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
Law,
International Law,
Political Sciences
or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified;
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles
Desirable
Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.
Functional Skills
*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
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
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(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 must have a good knowledge of Child Protection and proven experience in determining the best interests of children. he/she must also have good knowledge on guidance and legal advice on protection issues to persons of concern. Above all, he/she must have at least a law degree and a good knowledge of international law and refugee law.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level): French
,
,
Desired languagesEnglish
,
,
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:
Recent security incidents on the side-lines of the December 2020 presidential election in the Central African Republic (CAR) have led to significant population movements into the DRC; since December 24, 2020. The provinces of Nord-Ubangui, Sud-Ubangui and Bas-Uele have received 99,053 Central African refugees according to local authorities and the Congolese Immigration Services.
This group of refugees is mostly women and children under 18 years of age dispersed in at least 49 generally landlocked sites across the 3 provinces covered by the Gbadolite Sub-office in addition to the old case load of 173,731 Central African refugees who arrived between 2013 and 2017.
Although access to these populations remains a major challenge and their needs are multiple, contrasting with the virtual absence of multisectoral care services in the reception sites, they nevertheless benefit from UNHCR’s protection and assistance. UNHCR is also involved in managing the recent and ongoing influx of Central African refugees through the establishment of an emergency program in their favor and the coverage of their basic needs.
The Sub-Office manages two Field Offices (Libenge and Yakoma) and one Field Unit in Bili, with approximatively 80 workforce.
The Assistant Protection Officer will report directly to Head of Field Office and will coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern in Libenge area. S/he ensures that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are 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. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation (including programme; Reporting and external relations; IM) and with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners.
Living and Working Conditions:
Libenge is a town in Sud-Ubangi Province. It has a population of about some 496,865 inhabitants. The Ubangi is the border with the Central African Republic.
Access to shops, markets and especially food is very difficult. Most of goods comes from Gemena (290 km) or Bangui (110 km) and the prices are very high and the quality is also not the best one. There is no restaurant here and health facilities do not respect UNHCR standards.
Staff members are accommodated at UNHCR Guesthouse with individual rooms which have basic furniture, bathroom and kitchen and private housings very limited and poor can be found. There are no sports and recreational activities in town. But the office has now a gym. Some selection of fresh vegetables (only local ones) and fruits is sometimes available in the local market. There are virtually no telephone land lines in the DRC, though mobile phones and cellular service are widely available with three telecom operators.
Electricity is mainly provided by generators. The quality of the water is poor and most of the time is not available at night time. The climate for most of the year is characterized by humid and hot temperatures while the rainy season brings into surface crawling reptiles and insects.
There are very limited medical facilities in Libenge that are not equipped to deal with serious medical cases. Evacuation opportunities are limited since there are only one flight per week. However, air ambulance evacuation can be organized for life threatening emergencies during day time. Candidates with conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision should be appropriately advised. Malaria is the most common disease. As a general advice, applicants for the post should be psychologically prepared for living and working in such as context.
There are no banking facilities at Libenge and staff relies on Sub-Office Gbadolite. Telephone network are not very reliable, but the Office has effective PAMA and Wifi.
French is essential to work in the DRC. Excellent working knowledge in English are desirable as more and more reports, internal as well as external, are requested in English.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsCO-Drafting and Documentation, MG-Project Management, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation, PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination, PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards, PR-International Humanitarian Law, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional Information
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance