Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA5
Target Start Date2023-12-01
Job Posting End DateNovember 20, 2023
Terms of Reference1. Operational Context
Under the mandate entrusted by the UN General Assembly, UNHCR is the UN agency tasked to work with States to protect and assist in finding durable solutions for asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons. As a State Party to the Refugee and Stateless Conventions, the Philippines has a generally favourable protection environment for asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons. UNHCR in the Philippines works with authorities, duty bearers, other stakeholders, and the people it works with and for to ensure that asylum seekers, refugees, stateless persons, and populations at risk of statelessness have access to protection mechanisms, assistance and services, and durable solutions that would allow them to rebuild their lives in safety and dignity.
In 2022, the Philippines acceded to the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, becoming the first and only country in Southeast Asia to do so. This is a major step in the efforts to end statelessness as it fortifies the countryโs commitment to prevent and reduce statelessness. Additionally, in line with the Philippinesโ implementation of it National Action Plan to End Statelessness, birth registration initiatives are being carried out to facilitate birth registration of Sama Bajaus and unregistered children in the context of displacement due to armed conflict. In 2021, these initiatives have been expanded covering priority municipalities in the island provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Given these developments, UNHCR is expected to continuously provide technical support to the Philippine Government in upholding its commitment to the Refugee and Statelessness Conventions. The incumbent will be expected to provide support to the teamโs activities in the field in relation to the conduct of birth registration initiatives and its components. Working closely with the authorities, civil society partners, the community, stateless persons, and the populations at risk of statelessness will be at the center of the engagement of the incumbentโs responsibility. The Senior Field Assistant will also be expected to provide support in the conduct of thematic advocacies and capacity development sessions for Government partners to ensure the inclusion of stateless persons, and populations at risk of stateless in national, sub-national and local policies and frameworks.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The Senior Field Assistant will render support to the Protection Unit in providing technical guidance to the State and other stakeholders in order to achieve the targets of the Global and National Action Plan to End Statelessness. The incumbent also will assist in implementing activities in the field geared towards capacity building of duty bearers, information awareness campaigns on the impact of statelessness, and rolling out of birth registration activities in the most vulnerable communities in Mindanao. It is for this reason that familiarity of the statelessness issues in Mindanao is desired, which must be complemented with a strong analytical sense and understanding of the nationality and statelessness frameworks. In addition, the candidatesโ geo-political familiarity on the provinces of Lanao del Sure, Maguindanao, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in BARMM is desirable. Experience in community mobilization and coordination with stakeholders at the field level is critical in the performance of this function. Prior experience on data and information management is also an asset. Prior relevant experience on peacebuilding and normalization track is desirable.
Under the supervision of the Protection Associate, the Senior Field Assistant will be expected to:
3. Duties and Responsibilities
โข Assist in the conduct of birth registration initiatives in Mindanao as well as in the monitoring the implementation of the project including the delivery of all assistance items and monitoring of equipment and system database for digitization;
โข Assist in administrative tasks as required such as preparation of reports and meeting authorized personnel and assisting them during field missions;
โข Assist in the conduct of preparatory activities and consultations related to birth registration and right to a nationality;
โข Through working with the target population 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 the protection team.
โข Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the target population and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
โข Support implementing and operational partners as well as persons at risk of statelessness to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational and livelihood concerns.
โข Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities and risks they face.
โข Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
โข Ensure community understanding of UNHCRโs commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
โข Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
โข Collect data and other information relevant to UNHCR and report to the supervisor accordingly;
โข Keep regular contacts with local authorities and project partners as requested by supervisor;
โข In coordination with project partners, assist in the reception, registration and provision of assistance stateless persons and populations at risk of statelessness;
โข Liaise with local authority counterparts, partners and the populations we work for and with;
โข Direct incidents and problems to the supervisor when these cannot be resolved at their level;
โข Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures;
โข Draft correspondence, such as invitations, briefing documents and agenda, and may occasionally be required to draft reports on general or specialized tasks within the assigned area of responsibility;
โข Take part in advocacy activities to ensure inclusion and meaningful participation of the populations we work for and with; and
โข Perform other related duties as may be required.
Qualifications and Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Certificates and/or Licenses
Business Administration, Law Political Science
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified.
Desirable
Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.
Functional Skills
*IT- Computer Literacy
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
Not specified.
Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Planning and Organizing
Stakeholder Management
To Apply:
The deadline for applications is 20 November 2023.
UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19.
UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector Generalโs Office (IGO) at inspector@unhcr.org or through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, color, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
SkillsAccountability, CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, Database Management, Humanitarian Assistance, Intercultural Competence, Interpersonal Relationships
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance