Protection Associate at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Job Requisition ID: JR2205941
Grade: GS6
Hardship Level: D
Family Type: Non Family with Residential Location
Staff Member / Affiliate Type: General Service

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:

• 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

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.

Desired Candidate Profile:

• Experience with humanitarian work where candidate provided social, legal and/ physical assistance to vulnerable groups;
• Drafting and report writing skills;
• Diverse field experience desirable;
• Good IT skills including database management skills;

Nature of Position

• The Protection Associate reports directly to the Protection Officer, Ogoja. The incumbent is expected to:
• Monitor protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.
• Provide functional protection support to information management and programme staff.
• Coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern.
• Identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors.
• Contribute to designing a comprehensive protection strategy
• Liaise externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
• Ensure that persons of concern are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems.
• Build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
• To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.

Living and Working Conditions

• Ogoja is the northern senatorial district of cross River state. It covers 4 other neighboring LGAs namely; Obanliku, Obudu, Bekwarra, Yala.
• Spoken language is English (official). Some speak the Pigeon English.
• Prevailing climate in Ogoja is hot and dry with extreme rainfall during the rainy season.
• Temperature is generally between 25 and 38 °C
• Driest month is January, and May is warmest.
• Relatively calm Environment with pockets of crises caused by Higher institution students, kidnapping and robbery happening from time to time. UN Staff are advised not to stay beyond 2000hrs per day.
• Nightlife is relatively okay with sit outs and beer parlors in town.
• International staff have been provided with a guest house and opportunities for sit out chats and barbecue are available.
• Affordable houses at the rental disposal of national staff but security clearance is mandatory before renting houses regardless the environment.
• There is the special break of one week after every nine weeks of work so staff members can take a break to cool off.
• UN Clinic is not present. There is a diagnostic center recognized by the UN which only operates in the daytime. There are other clinics though. But staff members discretion may be advised.

Additional Qualifications
Education:

• BA: Law, BA: Political Science, BA: Social Science

Certifications:

• International Law Other, Political Science Other

Work Experience:

• Working with Persons of Concern: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees

Skills:

• PR-Accountability to Affected People Principles and Framework, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Analysis of laws and practice related to nationality matters, PR-Analysis of laws and practice relevant to human rights, PR-Asylum related law, policy and procedures, PR-Protection mainstreaming

Competencies:

• Accountability (Good 4), Analytical thinking (Good 4), Client & results orientation (Good 4), Innovation & creativity (Good 4), Teamwork & collaboration (Good 4)