Durable Solutions Officer at United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

The Durable Solutions Officer is a focal point for solutions related issues in a country, and normally reports to the Senior Durable Solutions Officer, Senior Protection Officer or, where appropriate, to the Assistant or Deputy Representative. The incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for durable solutions staff, who may include staff within the functional groups of durable solutions, reintegration, repatriation, and resettlement. S/he works closely with protection and programme staff and ensures operational standards and practices in solutions delivery at the country level. The Durable Solutions Officer is relied upon to assist in the development, implementation and adherence to protection, resilience and solutions strategies and to advise on all solutions topics. These include: voluntary repatriation (refugees) or return (IDPs) and sustainable reintegration; local integration and other local solutions; relocation, resettlement and complementary pathways for admission to third countries; Global Compact on Refugees commitments and opportunities; housing, land and property; statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024); age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection. The Durable Solutions Officer should provide planning and foresight to advance progress in Protracted Refugee situations, where applicable, and/or to prevent new situations from becoming protracted. Assisting the Country Office in fostering an environment to enhance partnerships is a critical element of the work, as are activities designed to strength the involvement of refugee communities and their hosts in the design and implementation of solutions strategies. If in a regional office/ Bureau, s/he also coordinates durable solutions activities between and among country offices in the region ensuring consistency with relevant Global Strategic Priorities and Policies. If in a regional office/ Bureau, s/he works closely with protection, registration, information management, education, development, programme and technical staff including cash, livelihoods and shelter, and promotes operational standards, policy and practices in comprehensive solutions delivery. The incumbent may maintain close working relations with regionally based UN sister entities, other intergovernmental organizations, and non-governmental organisations on durable solutions matters.

Duties

• Support the development of multiyear comprehensive protection, resilience and solutions strategies as relevant. 
• Monitor the implementation of, and implement interventions under, the protection and solutions strategy/ies; identify challenges and report on achievements.
• Serve as focal point for durable solutions, including chairing Durable Solutions Working Group(s) and achieving a schematic overview of country/regional Durable Solution Working Groups or other solutions coordination mechanisms.
• Participate in consultative processes within UNHCR and with a broad range of external partners to promote all durable solutions.
• Ensure close linkages with staff that oversee data and information production to deliver fact based advocacy and support for durable solutions.
• Support the internal UNHCR processes related to voluntary repatriation and returns, including data management, the preparation of Exchange of Letters, Tripartite Agreements, standard operating procedures and other agreements as required.
• Support country operations in the development and implementation of the local integration and other local solutions aspects of solutions strategies, ensuring inclusion of persons of concern in national systems and services, and in national and local development processes. 
• In the absence of dedicated resettlement and complementary pathways staff, and in close collaboration with multi-functional teams:  ensure UNHCR¿s resettlement and complementary pathways for admission standards are correctly and coherently applied; efficient, fair and transparent procedures are in place across the AOR,  targets are met and fraud prevention mechanisms are in place; operations are supported to develop advocacy strategies and operational responses to pursue the identification, development, promotion and facilitation of access to complementary pathways for admissions to third countries; ensure that country operations plans reflect the strategy on RST/CP and that the necessary resources are allocated to address gaps across the AOR.
• Represent UNHCR¿s Resettlement and Complementary Pathways positions with Resettlement and other third countries, host government and at regional level.
• Building on the commitments made in the Global Compact on Refugees, support the development and maintenance of strategic partnerships with UN and other development agencies, civil society, peacebuilding actors, and the private sector, engaging on areas including resilience, rule of law and governance, and  housing land and property.
• Ensure that UNHCR¿s analysis of the risks and obstacles to solutions, including sustainable reintegration and integration, is instrumental in development actors¿ priority areas of engagement. 
• Provide planning and foresight to advance progress for protracted refugee situations, and/or to prevent new situations from becoming protracted.
• Liaise with colleagues for the purpose of identifying and prioritizing durable solutions needs and ensuring adequate and timely interventions.
• Support Communication staff in developing a communication plan to support the durable solutions strategy, including media.
• Serve as focal point on durable Solutions-related issues for communities to ensure good communication.
• Advise on populations of concern¿ appropriate engagement for the identification of the most appropriate solutions, including through enhanced two-way communication, participatory assessments, intentions and perceptions surveys,  and other forms of community based assessments.
• Promote the strengthened involvement of persons of concern in the design and implementation of solutions strategies, transition projects, peace-building and development initiatives.
• Analyse statistics, trends, and other documents, and draft reports.
• Participate in training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner staff on durable solutions, peace building/coexistence and partnership.
• Monitor the implementation of the programme through managing the human and financial resources and identify gaps to ensure optimum use of available funds.
• Represent UNHCR in meetings related to durable solutions.
• Clear documents and reports coming out of the Durable Solutions Unit.
• In addition to the main duties listed above, for positions located in regional bureaux:
• Support the development of multiyear regional situational comprehensive protection, resilience and solutions strategies as relevant, together with UNHCR¿s stakeholders in Bureau and country operations, governments and other partners. 
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P3/NOC 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education 

• Law   
• International Law,   
• Political Science,    
• Social Science, 
• Economics,   
• International Relations; 
• or other relevant field.