Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS IICA1
Target Start Date2023-08-15
Job Posting End DateJuly 21, 2023
Terms of ReferenceTERMS OF REFRENCE
Individual Incumbent
1. General Background of Project or Assignment:
Protection monitoring is a critical activity undertaken by UNHCR and protection partners as a means of systematically collecting information and providing analysis of the evolving protection context and environment, specific protection risks and threats, as well as the capacities and vulnerabilities of displaced and affected populations. In order to fulfil its mandated responsibilities as well as to exercise its inter-agency leadership role in protection, it is vital that UNHCR conducts robust protection monitoring and, equally important, uses this knowledge and expertise in a timely fashion to drive decision-making and protection outcomes, through its operations and the wider humanitarian community.
Additionally, protection in armed conflict is a crucial activity undertaken by UNHCR, as refugees and forcibly displaced persons increasingly find themselves caught in or near armed conflicts. Unfortunately, many parties involved in contemporary wars demonstrate an alarming disregard for the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law (IHL). This disregard not only endangers millions of civilians but is sometimes employed deliberately as a tactic of war. To operate more effectively in this environment, we at UNHCR need to enhance our knowledge and use of IHL and develop our skills in such areas as humanitarian negotiations and protection/conflict analyses. We must also be able to organize or take part in humanitarian evacuations, maintain the civilian and humanitarian character of sites hosting displaced populations and operate in so-called โsafe zonesโ.
Finally, UNHCR exists to protect and assist everyone who has been affected by forced displacement, including internally displaced persons. In collaboration with our humanitarian, human rights, peacebuilding and development partners, we work closely with countries affected by internal displacement to assist them in the exercise of their primary responsibility towards IDPs. The development and implementation of effective legal, policy and institutional responses to protect their rights, and find durable solutions for them, is an essential part of that primary responsibility - and therefore an area of special concern to UNHCR.
2. Overall purpose and Scope of Assignment:
The aim of this request for support is to establish a systematic and comprehensive approach to protection monitoring at all levels of the organization, that includes minimum requirements for protection monitoring data, guidance and SOPs, data collection systems as appropriate and standard analytical products.
As per the Data Transformation Strategy, in the coming years, UNHCR aims to be the authoritative source of protection information in operations and at global level. This will require standard systems and processes for data collection and production of regular protection analysis products on a timely basis, including protection monitoring.
While protection monitoring is being conducted in various operations by UNHCR and partners, three core issues hamper the efficiency of current protection monitoring activities.
โข Lack of a harmonized approach to protection monitoring, that: (a) establishes minimum reporting requirements, (b) allows for data to be centrally stored, easily collated and analyzed, (c) ensures a predictable flow of information. As a result of this, current practices are unpredictable and not scalable.
โข In some operations, data coming from protection monitoring are considered not useful, which raises concerns regarding the use of resources and unnecessary burden on affected populations. A protection monitoring system needs to adapt to a changing protection environment to maintain its relevance over time, while maintaining standards in order to be predictable and scalable.
โข Limited ability to leverage protection monitoring information, which often remains unanalysed or limited to descriptive analysis on dashboards that do not replace dynamic and thought-driven analysis.
These issues restrain UNHCRโs ability to provide much needed protection analysis in a timely fashion.
For this reason, UNHCR is seeking support with:
โข Developing corporate guidance on protection monitoring.
โข Working with the reference group established with colleagues in field operations to advance the work on protection monitoring.
โข Drafting protection analysis (protection briefs) with country operations and regional bureaux, as required.
Considering the multitude of protection issues UNHCR is dealing with, the incumbent will also support with:
โข Conducting research on various Protection in Armed conflict related matters, including the civilian and humanitarian character of sites, settlements, and displacement movements.
โข Reviewing the Protection in Armed Conflict toolkit and training package.
โข Conducting legal research on internal displacement (country- or theme-specific as relevant) and assist with the update of the Global Law & Policy database.
โข Assisting with the organization of meetings and on-line events, webinars, note-taking, and reporting.
โข Drafting and coordinating inputs for the IDP section monthly updates.
โข Assisting the work of the IDP Protection Expert Group and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs as needed, including through conducting relevant research and assisting in organizing workshops/events.
โข Any other task as required.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls (report requirements, periodicity, format, deadlines): Monitoring and Progress controls will take place regularly through team meetings and bilateral discussions.
a. Work on the basis of time employed Yes
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
Advanced university (Masters) degree, or equivalent thereof, in law, political sciences or social studies.
b. Work Experience
Required:
โข A minimum of 1 year of work experience in subjects relating to internal displacement, international human rights law, international protection.
โข Demonstrated experience with protection monitoring and protection analysis.
โข Demonstrated knowledge on internal displacement matters.
โข Demonstrated knowledge on the work of UNHCR on protection of civilians.
โข Demonstrated knowledge and experience of UN organizations and mandates.
c. Key Competencies
โข Proven expertise in the area of human rights, international protection.
โข In-depth understanding of UNHCRs mandate.
โข Excellent legal research, analytical and drafting skills in English.
โข Good information management skills and competencies.
Standard Job Description Associate Protection Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Associate 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 Associate Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern, 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 persons of concern 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 persons of concern. 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. - Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. - Foster their consistent and coherent interpretation and application through mainstreaming in all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations. - Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern. - Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. - Conduct eligibility and status determination for persons of concern 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 to ensure programmes use a child protection systems approach. - Contribute to a country-level education plan. - Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities which integrate AGD sensitive procedures. - Oversee and manage individual protection cases, including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners. - Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern 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 persons of concern. - Participate in the organisation and implementation of participatory assessments and methodologies throughout the operations management cycle and promote AGD sensitive programming with implementing and operational partners. - Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners. - Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems. - Promote and integrate community-based approaches to protection and contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights. - Support activities in the area of risk management related to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, fraud, case-processing, data protection, and human rights due diligence at country level. - Participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. - Intervene with authorities on protection issues. - Negotiate locally on behalf of UNHCR. - Decide priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals. - Enforce 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. - 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 Law, International Law, Political Sciences or other relevant field (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Protection Learning Programme (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential Professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Desirable Field experience, including in working directly with communities. Good IT skills including database management skills. Functional Skills *PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators *PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination 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 (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.
Required Languages
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Desired Languages
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
EducationBachelor of Arts (BA): International Law (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law (Required), Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science (Required)
CertificationsHCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR
Work Experience
Other informationThis position is based in HQ GenevaThis position doesn't require a functional clearance