Hardship LevelC
Family TypeFamily
Family TypeFamily
Residential location (if applicable)
GradeGS6
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeGeneral Service
ReasonRegular > Regular Assignment
Remote work acceptedNo
Target Start Date2024-01-01
Job Posting End DateNovember 19, 2023
Standard Job DescriptionProtection Associate Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Protection Associate normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff. The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. The Protection Associate also ensures that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners. 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 advice on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation. - Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for PoC. - 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. - 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. - Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement. - Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners. - Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems. - Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures. - Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases. - Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services. - Assit the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures. - Submit individual payments request for PoC for approval. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience / Degree Level For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher Field(s) of Education Not applicable Certificates and/or Licenses International Law, Political Science or other related field (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential Not specified Desirable Protection Learning Programme Functional Skills IT-Computer Literacy PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators (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 As per the Job Description.
In addition;
-Demonstrates active listening and conflict resolution skills to promote constructive engagement of stakeholders with diverse, complex, and high-stake interests
-Demonstrates sophisticated skills to communicate effectively key evidence from monitoring, reviews, and evaluations to a range of stakeholders
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
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Desired languages
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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
Uganda currently hosts more than 1.5 million refugees making it Africaโs largest refugee hosting country and one of the five largest refugee hosting countries in the world. The refugee protection environment in Uganda is progressive and provides refugees with freedom of movement, the right to work and establish businesses, the right to documentation, access to social services, and allocation of plots of land for shelter and agricultural production.
At the same time, as a result of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), increasing number of civilians continue to flee to Southwest Uganda to seek protection and installed in 5 main settlements overseen by Sub Office Mbarara. There are 4 field offices (Kyaka, Rwamwanja, Nakivale, Kyangwali) and 1 Field Unit (Kisoro) under SOM. From 2022 January to the present, the Southwest Uganda Refugee Operation has witnessed an influx of refugees in Southwest from South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri Regions, with a total of 90,626 new arrivals entering the country in 2022 and 17,078 recorded between January and 04 November 2023. This emergency situation has not stopped, and new arrivals are still being received at Bubukwanga and Nyakabande Transit Centers up to now due to various porous borders between Uganda and DRC. The refugees entered Uganda across various entry points such as Kisoro, Kanungu, Kasese, Ntoroko and Bundibugyo. The active refugee and asylum seeker population in Southwest Uganda is 541,121 refugees and asylum seekers as of October 2023: mostly from DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Living and Working Conditions
Sub-Office Mbarara is located in the South-West part of Uganda. It is about 268 km (5 hours) from Kampala, the capital city. The security situation is generally calm and peaceful. Sub-Office Mbarara is a family duty station, and staff can stay at UNDSS cleared areas in Mbarara in private accommodation. There are medical services available in hospitals in Mbarara. There are several supermarkets in Mbarara City. Most banking facilities including ATM are available in Mbarara. There are several schools available but good International schools are available in Kampala.
Additional Qualifications
SkillsIT-Computer Literacy, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators, PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Education
CertificationsInternational Law - Other, Political Science - Other
Work Experience
CompetenciesAccountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
Additional InformationShortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member is subject to proof of vaccination against COVID-19.
Functional clearanceThis position doesn't require a functional clearance