Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer at UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit in a Country Operation and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (PoC). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

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

• - Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the PoC and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach.
• - Through relationships with PoC 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 senior management.
• - Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups.
• - Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and PoC to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and SGBV, and solutions approaches.
• - Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues.
• - Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated. 
• - Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures
• - Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among PoC, authorities and host communities.
• - Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with PoC, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. 
• - Support the Operation's work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian action plan where applicable.
• - Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary. 
• - Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans in the Country Operation.
• - Support community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• - Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.
• - Contribute to the design of project submissions and the budget for endorsement by the supervisor.
• - Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
• - Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC.
• - Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses
Not specified
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential

Some professional working experience.in the areas of community services, social work (e.g., gender, SGBV programs, women¿s empowerment and protection, work with refugees) or/and human rights or related tasks in government, NGO or international organisation.

Desirable

• Proven communication skills, both oral and written.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches
• Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly SGBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.

Functional Skills

• PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
• PR-Community Services-Communication/Development/Organization
• PR-Community Services-Social Work/Counselling
• PR-Community-based Protection
• IT-Computer Literacy
• DM-Database Management
• PR-Gender Equality
• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
• PR-Refugee Women issues
• PR-Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) Prevention and Response
• PR-Experience in Forced Displacement situations
• EX-Experience with Inter/Non-Governmental Organization (INGO/NGO)
• EX-Field experience
• PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response
• (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.