Hardship LevelE (most hardship)
Family TypeNon Family with Residential Location
Family TypeNon Family with Residential LocationDanger Pay
Residential location (if applicable)
Addis Ababa,Eth Fed Dem Rep
GradeNOB
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeNational Professional Officer
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2024-01-01
Job Posting End DateDecember 10, 2023
Standard Job Description
Associate Community-Based Protection Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Associate Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Team in a Regional Bureau or a Country Office and normally reports to the Senior Community-Based Protection Officer, the Senior Protection Officer, Head of Sub-Office or the Assistant Representative for protection.
For a regional position, the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the regional office, and a technical support role for Community-Based Protection staff in the region. For a country level position the incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for Community-based Protection staff and other protection staff in the operation.
S/he supports the implementation of protection standards and provides advice on community-based protection to senior management and Country Operation(s) in close collaboration with the Division of International Protection (DIP).
The incumbent is relied upon by senior management to support a coordinated approach in the implementation of UNHCR's rights-based and community-based engagement with all persons of concern (PoC) and contributes to the achievement of UNHCR's commitments to accountability to affected people.
S/he maintains close working relationships and supports Protection and Community-Based Protection staff in the field, who act as the critical interface between UNHCR and communities of concern, enabling them to provide the AGD-sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities that form the essential foundations of national and regional programmes. The incumbent maintains close working relations with sister UN entities, governmental entities, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions that can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions through people centred, community-based and gender responsive approaches.
The incumbent provides guidance to country operations to strengthen their coordination and advocacy on community-based approaches to protection with governments, partners and other key stakeholders.
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 population of concern 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, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
- Ensure through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff that the necessary resources are allocated to enable community work to identify and address protection and assistance gaps.
- 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 to the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in 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 within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- 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 the community-based protection strategy, project submissions and budgets for endorsement by the supervisor.
- Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
- Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC.
- 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 P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant 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.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Relevant professional experience, including in the areas of community based protection, community services, social work, and human rights.
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
DM-Database Management
IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations
PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework
PR-Gender Equality
PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
CO-Drafting and Documentation
ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals
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 The desired candidate should have knowledge on accountability to affected population (AAP), community engagement, education, and legal assistance. The Associate Community Based 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.
S/he should also be able to undertake assessments, monitoring, reporting as well as devising and recommending required immediate and long-term responses and interventions. Good experience and knowledge on enhancing community-linked mechanisms and referral systems is desired. The operation is working on enhancing its community engagement and to achieve this, the candidate should be able to support the community engagement efforts.
The incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families, and communities. S/he will assist the CBP officer in 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 incumbent is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of population 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 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.
Given that the incumbent will have responsibilities on the education sector, skills, and experience in working with and involvement in education matters, including management would be preferred as an added advantage. Assessment and monitoring capabilities, stakeholder mobilisation and coordination will be required as it would allow for engaging with humanitarian and non-humanitarian actors, which are essential at this particular moment when the education sector is transitioning to a more centralized one under the government.
The candidate should have demonstrated strong leadership and interpersonal skills because the position requires working with many partners, local communities, traditional leaders, and strong government counterparts. The candidate, therefore, will have to be flexible, a team player, cooperative and sensitive to the local context. Culture and local ways of life play a critical part of and is core to the Somali community. Therefore, the desired candidate should be sensitive to local cultures, religion, and local politics.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Desired languages
,
,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel.
Nature of Position:
Ethiopia is home to the second largest refugee population in Africa, currently hosting over 750,000 registered refugees and asylum seekers, mainly from South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, and Yemen. The Government of Ethiopia allows humanitarian access and protection to those seeking asylum in its territory. UNHCR works closely with its government counterpart, the Refugee & Returnee Services (RRS), to ensure access to asylum territory and the safe and dignified reception and processing/registration of asylum-seekers. UNHCR recognizes the global need for a broader, cultural shift from long-term care and maintenance to self-reliance and solutions-oriented planning and programming in its refugee operations within the context of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF).
As a result of insecurity and climatic effects in Somalia, since 2009, over 213,000 refugees fled from Somalia to Ethiopia and are accommodated in five refugee camps which a gradually transforming into peri-urban settlements in the Dollo Ado/Melkadida area in the South-eastern part of Ethiopia under the purview of Sub Office Melkadida. On the refugee response, SOMEL works with the government counterpart RRS as well as half a dozen NGOs and different local authorities, focusing on meeting basic needs, while promoting self-reliance and socio-economic inclusion. UNHCR also responds to an IDP situation of over 725,000 internally displaced persons across three zone under the SOMEL AoR. SOMEL provides some assistance and protection services to internally displaced people. Here, the operation's interventions include protection profiling and monitoring, CRI distributions and a multi-Purpose Cash for IDP Protection programme. The incumbent is therefore expected to support both refugee and IDP response programming, with a particular focus on solutions. Currently, all determination and registration of refugees in the UNHCR Sub Office Melkadida (SOMEL) AoR is done on a prima facie basis, with RSD being conducted only in Addis. Although access to territory and registration have been suspended in the operation since 2022, all asylum cases are received, screened, and registered at the joint UNHCR/RRS Reception Centre in Dollo Ado.
The Associate Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Team and reports to the Community Based Protection Officer. Under the direct supervision of the CBP Officer, the incumbent undertakes protection responsibilities and tasks that are community based in nature and those that are of general protection. The Associate Community-Based Protection Officer will support the implementation of all community-based protection interventions in the operation. S/he will support the Community Based Protection Officer and the operation in coordinating all community-linked interventions, including working with and supporting communities to devise own capabilities for their protection.
S/he ensures that persons of concern of all ages, genders and diversity groups are involved 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; PI and external relations; IM) and with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders, who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.
The Melkadida UNHCR operation promotes community-based protection and offers livelihood opportunities to both refugees and their host communities. UNHCR has prioritized interventions that will strengthen peaceful coexistence to ensure that the former can enjoy their asylum in safety and dignity. Melkadida โs refugee population is largely from Somalia and UNHCR works closely with its government counterpart, the RRS and other stakeholders, including traditional leaders.
The incumbent will support all refugee and IDP programming and ensuring that the operationโs strategic direction factors in and is in sync with community interests. S/he will also support community feedback and accountability to affected persons (AAP) and ensuring the operation undertakes its programming through an AGD approach. Through this, it is expected that the incumbent will ensure that strategies are put in place in achieving the strategic goals and in line with the country protection strategy.
UNHCR recognizes the global need for a broader, cultural shift from long-term care and maintenance to self-reliance and solutions-oriented planning and programming in its refugee operations within the context of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). The Melkadida UNHCR operation promotes community-based protection and solutions to both IDPs and refugees along with their host communities. UNHCR has prioritized interventions that will strengthen peaceful coexistence to ensure that the former can enjoy their asylum in safety and dignity.
The position will also undertake responsibilities on education and the incumbent will be the focal point on all education matters. Through this, the incumbent will be responsible to monitor implementation of education activities, manage education partners, advocate on all issues related to education programmes and the education strategic direction. S/he will maintain close contact with the Country Office on the overall education policy direction of UNHCR and on the adaptation of Refugee Education 2030 to the Melkadida context, particularly the transition of school as well as providing the necessary support and guidance as well as representing education issues on behalf of UNHCR.
Living and Working Conditions:
Melkadida is a non-family E duty station with limited services. Accommodation of staff is provided by UNHCR in its compound with a monthly rental charge of around USD 81 per month for national staff. All staff living in the UNHCR provided accommodation must pay their accommodation in accordance with the UNHCR Policy of UNHCR Provided Accommodation in the Field issued under the IOM/FOM 020/021/2012 dated 28 Feb 2012 as well as the Administrative Instruction on the Measures in Support of Personnel in High-Risk Duty Station (Non-Family Duty Stations Where Danger Pay Applies), UNHCR/AI/2018/11 dated 15 August 2018. Most accommodations are fully furnished, with a single room and living room with an open kitchen. They include their own duvet bed and bed sheet, private bathrooms, desk, AC, lamp, and closet. WIFI is available across the compound including apartments. There are no local or international banking facilities and limited medical facilities; however, a UN clinic staffed by a trained doctor and nurse is available in the compound for limited basic services.
UNHAS operates flights on three days per week between Addis Ababa and Melkadida. Due to road insecurity, road travel to Addis, which takes more than two days, is not advised except under unavoidable circumstances. The road network within the region is very poor; the next tarmac road is several hundred kilometres away. Given the remote nature of the duty station, there are very few items that can be purchased in Melkadida, particularly food items and other personal items that staff may need. It is therefore advised that you bring such items with you. Cleaning services take place from Monday to Friday.
A laundry room in the compound is available from 7:30 am until 6pm with a laundry attendant who cleans only UNHCR beddings. All staff are advised to do their own laundry or pay a cleaner for the service. There are 2 canteens available within the compound, and all personnel are required to pay for their meals in advance. There are a variety of recreational facilities within the compound, these include a fitness centre (gym) games ground (volleyball and basketball) and a relaxation centre.
The climate is classified as dry/semi-desert. The hottest season of the region is in March/April and temperature may rise to 45 ยฐC. The weather condition is hot throughout the year.
According to the UN Security Level System, which ranks security levels from 1 (minimum risk) to 6 (very high risk), Melkadida is classified as Substantial Level 4. The Applicable Security Risk Management (SRM) requires a curfew for UN staff from 5:30pm (for vehicles) and 7pm (on foot), except in the case of emergency. Security Briefing is mandatory upon arrival. The security situation in Melkadida is volatile due to a variety of factors, including incursions of Al-Shabaab in the AOR.
Security, remoteness, isolation, and lack of entertainment in social life are therefore some of the factors to be also considered prior to applying.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsCO-Drafting and Documentation, DM-Database Management, ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals, IT-Computer Literacy, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework, PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming, PR-Gender Equality
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): Anthropology, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Cultural Studies, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Human Rights, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Development, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Social Work, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science
Certifications
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional InformationOnly shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
A written test (eliminatory or complementary) and oral interviews may be administered for shortlisted candidates.
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance