Associate Field Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country. During times of displacement, we provide critical emergency assistance in the form of clean water, sanitation and healthcare, as well as shelter, blankets, household goods and sometimes food. We also arrange transport and assistance packages for people who return home, and income-generating projects for those who resettle.

Context

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Head of Field Office, Wau, the UN Volunteer will under-take the following tasks: • Ensure that UNHCR’s policies, standards and procedures are constantly and coherently applied in the Area of Responsibility (AoR). • Ensure that the needs of persons of concern in the AoR are assessed and analyses in a participating manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning. • Ensure that protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed. • Identify vulnerable groups or individuals who may need special attention or special arrangements and make recommendations on the needs of different groups of refugees. • Assess protection and assistance needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in the region and monitor implementation of refugee assistance programmes. • In co-ordination with implementing partners, handle the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR. • Provide inputs for project submissions and periodic narrative and financial reports for the annual programme. • Develop and maintain relations with local authorities ensuring smooth negotiations in all aspects of UNHCR's mandate for the benefit of refugees. • Monitor the security situation in the area and intervene as appropriate with the local authorities. • Participation in needs assessment as a member of the multi-functional team • In close coordination with programme and project control, monitor project implementation and provide feedback on the progress to the relevant units/sections. • Undertake other relevant duties as required. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. • Perform other related duties as required in the operation 11. Results/Expected Outputs: • The needs of persons of concern in the country are assessed and analyzed in a participatory manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning. • Inputs are provided for the country operations plan (including budgets, staffing levels and structures) as well as for funding submissions, appeals and reports. • Enforced compliance with UNHCR’s global strategies, protocols and guidelines. • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs). • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the as-assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed