Doolow: Fursad Shaqo UNHCR – Field Officer (Protection)

Field Officer (Protection)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Field Officer (Protection) may report to the Senior Protection Officer, Head of Field Office or as appropriate, to the Assistant or Deputy Representative or directly to the Representative depending on the structure of the Office. Alternatively, the position may be Head of the Protection Unit in a Field Office or

Head of the Field Office itself, and report to a senior manager in the Country Office. .

In situations where the incumbent reports to the Head of Field Office, he/she has supervisory

responsibility over protection staff, acts as an advisor to the Head of Field Office and represents the organization, as appropriate, to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on

protection issues, programmes and humanitarian interventions.

In situations where the incumbent is heading a Field Office, he/she has supervisory responsibility

over all staff or key professional staff, as appropriate, and represents the organization to the authorities

and partners in the AOR of the Office on all issues relating to the protection and assistance of persons of concern to UNHCR.

In all cases, the Field Officer Protection contributes to the design, implementation and monitoring of the comprehensive protection strategy for the country by providing timely analysis on the protection situation

in the field, highlighting  important political, social, military and economic developments  affecting the protection of persons of concern. The incumbent is responsible for the application of protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at the field level and is relied upon by the Field

or Country Office to plan, lead and coordinate quality, timely and effective responses to the needs of populations of concern. He/she ensures that the Field based protection strategy is consistent with the comprehensive protection strategy for the country and is grounded on evidence collected in the field.

The Field Officer Protection also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems.

To satisfy these demands, 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 at field level.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

– The protection needs of populations of concern are met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles governing humanitarian coordination.
– The AOR  has a clear and coherent protection strategy and incorporates a thorough age, gender and

diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization’s global, regional and country level priorities.
– The Participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches.
– Integrity in the delivery of protection services is assured by all protection staff.
– Protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed.Responsibility- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments  that have an impact on the

protection environment and provide advice to senior management.
– Manage a consultative process with local government counterparts, partners and persons of concern

for effective needs assessment and develop and implement a protection strategy which is grounded in the country level comprehensive protection strategy.
– Ensure through direct action and advocacy with senior management that the necessary resources are allocated to address protection and operational gaps.
– Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with

persons of concern, host communities, local authorities and partners.
– Monitor and report on the protection, well-being, security and safety situation of persons of concern.

Notify and report on human rights violations to senior management making recommendations and taking appropriate action.
– Monitor and oversee the integrity of UNHCR protection and operations management standards, and procedures in the AOR ensuring respect of deadlines.
– Design, deliver and monitor protection and assistance programmes on an AGD basis to address

identified needs.
– Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures. Promote confidence building and conflict resolution initiatives among populations of concern, authorities and host

communities.
– Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues ensuring

the areas of SGBV and child protection are thoroughly capacitated and supervised. A Best Interest Determination procedure must be implemented where applicable.
– Oversee the management of individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection.
– Provide advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern.
– Develop and implement an education plan for the AOR as part of the protection strategy.
– Intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion, arbitrary deprivation of nationality, and other protection incidents through close working relations with governments and other partners.
– Promote and implement effective systematization and management of data to enhance monitoring,

response and evaluation mechanisms.
– Build the capacity of local partners and civil society through training and other initiatives to protect

persons of concern.
– Develop and coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and persons of concern to assert

their rights.

Authority

– Approve the field / AOR protection strategy for endorsement by the senior management.
– Chair protection meetings with protection partners.
– Decide on indicators to measure impact and performance of partners on protection delivery.
– Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
– Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection and assistance standard operating procedures.
– Approve expenditures under the UNHCR field protection budget.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

– Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law, Political Sciences or related fields plus minimum

6 years of previous work experience relevant to the function. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master’s)

plus 5 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 4 years of previous relevant work experience

may also be accepted.
– Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.***For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of local language and local institutions is essential.DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

– Computer skills
– Good knowledge of refugee law
– Good knowledge of UNHCR’s programmes
– Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Field Officer (Protection) positions. 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.

C001L3 – Accountability Level 3
C002L3 – Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 – Communication Level 3
C004L3 – Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 – Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 – Organizational Awareness Level 3
M002L3 – Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 – Managing Resources Level 3
X004L3 – Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X007L3 – Political Awareness Level 3
X008L3 – Stakeholder Management Level 3

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, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the

country specific security and welfare profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services – Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). These profiles have

been specifically designed to answer some of the key questions (on security conditions, medical provisions, staff welfare, living and working conditions) potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

This project is still in the pilot phase, and as such some of the information leaflets are being produced as

we speak and might not be available yet. They will be soon, so keep checking.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Add.4 to March 2018 Compendium is Wednesday

5 Septembe 2018 (midnight Geneva time).