Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA6
Target Start Date2023-07-01
Job Posting End DateMay 23, 2023
Terms of ReferenceTitle: Child Protection Associate
Project: Processing Centers
Duty station: Quito, Ecuador
Section/Unit: UNHCR Resettlement Unit
Contract/Level: Local Support, LICA 6 (USD 2.570, oo)
Duration: From 01 July โ 31 December 2023
Supervisor: Catalina Rivera, Assistant Resettlement Officer
1. General Background
The Operation in Ecuador has focused its protection and solutions strategy to achieve the most appropriate conditions for persons UNHCR serves to achieve local integration. The Operation has strengthened governmental institutional capacity, through technical and financial support, to improve the delivery of international protection and solutions and to implement a new migration registration and regularization exercise that initiated in September 2022 and is expected to extend throughout 2023. However, as the security situation has further deteriorated in Ecuador with increased levels of violence, resettlement which has traditionally been a lifesaving intervention mechanism, has emerged as an essential tool providing sustainable and tangible solutions for at-risk groups such as: Survivors of Violence and or Torture (75% of total submissions in 2022); Women and Girls at Risk; Children and Adolescents at Risk; minority populations such as LGTBIQ+ and people with Legal and Physical Protection Needs. From 2003 to date, the Ecuadorian operation resettled and changed the lives of 10,255 persons.
On 5 January, the US government announced a series of changes affecting asylum seekers and migrants at or on their way to the US southern border. They included an expansion of refugee resettlement from Latin America and the Caribbean, although no operational details were provided.
The government has since advanced a plan for โregional processing centersโ in countries in Central and South America, specifically Guatemala and Colombia. The centers will pre-screen individuals for possible lawful pathways to the US, Canada and Spain, such as refugee resettlement, humanitarian parole, family reunification or temporary labor visas.
UNHCR and IOM will be the operational partners for this initiative. IOM and UNHCR will screen and refer individuals for assessment by the US government for eligibility to the US refugee resettlement program or other lawful pathways to the US
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
UNHCR is committed to the effective protection to children of concern, with children representing more than half of the persons falling under its mandate. UNHCR adopts a rights and community-based approach to address the protection needs of children, with a strong emphasis on inclusion within national child protection, child friendly procedures and working with other sectors to protect children including education. Child protection is recognized as global organizational priority for UNHCR. Dedicated child protection positions are needed to provide technical support to improve UNHCRโs operational capacity to deliver effective protection to children, adolescents and youth of concern.
The Child Protection Associate is a member of the protection team in an Office. The incumbent monitors child 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 Child Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (children, women, marginalized groups) and is responsible for implementation of Best Interests Procedures for children at risk in their area of responsibility, under the guidance of the supervisor. S/he may also supervise staff undertaking Best Interests Procedures. S/he identifies opportunities to mainstream Child Protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. The incumbent works directly with communities and children of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. 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 UNHCRโs core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
3. Duties
Needs identification, Strategy and Advocacy
- Contribute to assessing child protection issues through multi-sectoral and protection specific assessments.
- Facilitate consultation with children, youth and communities to inform child protection strategy and programme activities.
- Contribute to the formulation of child protection strategy and planning.
- Ensure compliance with UNHCRโs child protection policy, priorities and commitments, as well as other aligned policies on age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP), GBV, gender equality, disability and youth empowerment.
- Support the analysis of the national systems and ensure that child protection programmes complement national child protection systems and work towards the inclusion of children of concern into national child protection laws, policies and services.
- Undertake consultation with children, youth and communities and provide information on appropriate and meaningful approaches for their effective participation and programmatic responses on child protection issues.
- Provide input to Protection Unit to inform advocacy to address key child protection concerns.
Programme planning and implementation
- Engage children, youth and communities in the implementation of child protection activities, provide information to children, youth and communities about child protection services and monitor and report on needs and issues to inform the Operations Response.
- Conduct Best Interest Procedures for individual children at heightened risks and prepare Best Interests Determination report, when required.
- Participate in the Best Interests Procedure Case Conferences and BID panels and draft associated documentation as required.
- Implement child protection SOPs and ensure up to date and effective referral to key services.
- Store and update child's case file in UNHCR data bases in accordance with UNHCR standards.
- Engage with children, youth and community members in identifying community-based child protection activities.
- Monitor and support appropriate care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children and referral of children to ICRC or other relevant partners for establishment of family linkages.
- Regularly report on emerging protection issues and concerns voiced by children, youth and communities and assist in drafting reports, compiling and preparing data for the protection unit/section.
- Provide functional guidance to UNHCR and partner staff involved in child protection activities.
Partnership, coordination, and capacity building
- Assist the Child Protection interagency coordination and information management activities as needed.
- Provide technical support and monitoring to child protection partners.
- Assist in carrying out learning needs assessment and analysis of findings.
- Support in implementing learning activities for UNHCR and partners staff and communities.
- Perform other related duties as required.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education
- 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher
- University Degree in International Relations, Law, Political Science, Social Sciences, Social Work, Human Rights or related fields (mandatory).
b. Professional Work Experience
Essential
- 3 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of child protection in a local context and having experience in the field of child protection prevention and response, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of women and girls, gender, child protection, mental health, counselling and working with survivors, humanitarian and development issues
- Skills and experience in interviewing and working with children and families including supervision of child protection case management.
Desirable
- Knowledge of UNHCR child protection policies and tools including the UNHCR Best Interests Procedures Guidelines, and interagency child protection Minimum Standards, Guiding Principles and GBV case management standards.
- Knowledge of local child protection laws, policies and services.
- Knowledge and experience of participatory approaches to engage with and mobilize communities.
- Understanding of displacement and protection issues including GBV, education and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.
- Completed Protection Learning Programme.
- Experience working with marginalized groups.
- Knowledge of protection information management tools, including but not limited to proGres and/or CPIMS.
c. Functional Skills
- PR-Experience in Best Interest Procedures for children;
- PR-Interviewing and counselling refugees/asylum seekers and in individual case management;
- PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response;
- IT-Computer literacy;
- PR-Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS);
5. Competency Requirements
a. Core Competencies
- Accountability
- Communication
- Organizational Awareness
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Client & Result Orientation
b. Cross-Functional Competencies
- Analytical Thinking
- Political Awareness
- Stakeholder Management
5. Submission of applications
A. English Mandatory. Level B2
B. Shortlisted candidates may sit a technical test.
A) Foreign candidates, to be considered eligible for this position, must have a temporary or permanent residence in Ecuador that allows them to carry out work activities in the country.
B) Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, independently of contract type and duration. The recommended candidate(s) will be required to provide the proof of vaccination prior to recruitment.
C) If recommended, the candidate must submit a current and updated RUC Unique Taxpayer Registry and a voluntary contribution certificate to the Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security IESS. Voluntary IESS securities will be covered by the staff member. The salary offered is in net terms.
D) If you wish to be considered for this vacancy, please submit your application according to the following instructions:
i. CANDIDATES WITH ACCESS TO THE WORKDAY: In order to apply, you must first create your profile in the WORKDAY system.
ii. EXTERNAL CANIDATES: Candidates who do NOT have access to the WORKDAY system should submit their application through UNHCR's official site for applications:
https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html
WHEN CREATING A CANDIDATE PROFILE IN WORKDAY, PLEASE USE CAPSLOCKS FOR LAST NAME AND NO SPECIAL CHARACTERS (ร OR ACCENTS)
CVs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY EMAIL. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.
No late applications will be accepted.
Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
1. For any technical issues encountered during the online application, please contact the Global Service Desk (hqussd@unhcr.org) prior to the deadline to allow enough time to resolve issues.
2. For any questions about the selection process, please contact Human Resources (ecuquhr@unhcr.org).
NOTE
UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
Desired Languages English
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Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance