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 Date2023-09-01
Job Posting End DateJuly 23, 2023
Terms of ReferenceTitle: Senior Protection Assistant
Duty station: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
ICA Level: LICA-5
Corresponding level: GS-5
Duration: 01 September 2023 to 31 December 2023
Supervisor: Associate Protection Officer
1. General Background
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, UNHCR reopened its office in the Dominican Republic to provide
coordination and humanitarian response to people seeking International Protection. Since 2014, UNHCR has also been accompanying the Dominican authorities to achieve the effective implementation of Law 169-14, as well as finding nationality solutions for persons of concern affected by the Constitutional Court ruling 168-13, in line with our mandate.
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. 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 Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor. The Senior Protection Assistant 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.
The Senior Protection Assistant reports to the Associate Protection Officer. The Senior Protection Assistant is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations we serve 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 policy as guided by the supervisor. The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that persons we serve 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, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
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 UNHCRโs core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
Under the supervision of the Associate Protection Officer, the Senior Protection Assistant will perform the following functions:
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
- 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
- Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in 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.
- Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
- Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
- Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
- Perform other related duties as required.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
The performance of the Senior Protection Assistant will be monitored and periodically evaluated according to the quality of the tasks carried out, in line with the assignments described in the previous
section and the approved individual work plan, and in agreement with global protection policies and UNHCR standards.
In this sense, it will also be evaluated:
(i) Respect of the UNHCR Code of Conduct,
(ii) Adherence to the security protocols of UNHCR and United Nations, and
(iii) Participation in training activities provided by UNHCR, particularly through the Learn and
Connect platform.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
- Bachelorโs Degree in Law, Political Science, Sociology or similar studies;
- Fluency in Spanish. Knowledge of English, French and/or Creole is considered an advantage;
b. Work Experience
- For G5 - 2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
- Experience dealing with persons affected by the Constitutional Court Ruling 168-13 and/or beneficiaries of Law 169-14 is considered an advantage.
c. Key Competencies
Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance