Associate RSD Officer

Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

DFamilyUNOPS IICA12024-08-01July 8, 20241. General Background
(Brief description of the national, sector-specific or other relevant context in which the individual contractor will operate)
     
Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a Pacific nation located to the north of Australia. It is significantly larger than most of its neighboring islands, spanning over 463,000 km2, and has a population of around 12 million people. The population is diverse, with over 800 languages spoken throughout PNG's many societies and tribes. English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu are the official languages, and Christianity dominates the religious practices, though many indigenous beliefs and religions are still prevalent. PNG's lifestyles range from traditional village life based on subsistence and small agriculture to modern living in the main towns, including the capital, Port Moresby.

At present, PNG has around 11,800 asylum seekers and refugees, most of whom were border crossers from Indonesia, as well as transfers from Australia under the previous regional processing agreement with Australia and occasional spontaneous arrivals. The country is working on developing its national refugee legislation and policy with the assistance of technical advice and capacity-building activities. The primary focus is ensuring non-refoulement and access to asylum procedures, implementing protection-sensitive entry systems, and maintaining the civilian character of asylum and access to naturalization. The country is collaborating with partners to support inclusion and self-sufficiency. The Government also made several important pledges at the 2024 Global Refugee Forum.

UNHCR is searching for an individual with solid experience in general protection and strong skills in refugee status determination and related processes. RSD processing in PNG is the responsibility of the government.

The consultant is expected to:
1. support the PNG Immigration and Citizenship Services Authority (ICSA) in all RSD processing including spontaneous arrivals, West Papuans who have crossed the PNG-Indonesian border, and any other cases;
2. support the government and UNHCR in capacity building, strengthening, and streamlining RSD processes to resolve a backlog of cases in PNG;
3. contribute to RSD remote interviewing and decision drafting casework in other Pacific countries, such as Samoa, Fiji or any other country under the MCO’s coverage, should the need arise.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
(Concise and detailed description of activities, tasks and responsibilities to be undertaken, including expected travel, if applicable)

Under the functional supervision of the Protection Officer, and in close collaboration with other relevant colleagues, the consultant is expected to:

• Build the capacity of ICSA officials in all Refugee Status Determination (RSD)-related activities, to support a fair, efficient and effective government RSD process.
• Conduct in-person RSD interviews for ICSA (if requested as part of capacity development).
• Provide individual counselling to persons under UNHCR’s mandate in PNG on the RSD process and related concerns.
• Support with related protection interventions for persons under UNHCR’s mandate in PNG.
• Support ICSA with registration of the West Papuan Border crossers.

Main tasks
• Training, mentoring and capacity development of ICSA officials in all RSD-related and asylum system development activities.
• Support ICSA eligibility officers via on-the-job coaching, including shadowing RSD interviews and debriefing on interview techniques and key concerns.
• Support ICSA eligibility officers in drafting of RSD recommendations and providing technical and advisory insights to ensure fair and efficient, legally sound decisions.
• Prepare RSD and related training materials and support to facilitate government trainings.
• Identify any cases that may require specialized services in PNG or resettlement and support with identifying and facilitating access to protection interventions including access to health or other services.
• Support ICSA in related activities including registration.
• Provide general counselling for individuals pursuing family reunification options.
• Support with other non-PNG Pacific RSD activities including the conduct of remote RSD interviews for cases being considered under UNHCR’s mandate or in joint processes, as and when the need arises.
• Assist the Canberra MCO in any other related protection activities, as needed.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
(Clear description of measurable outputs, milestones, key performance indicators and/or reporting requirements which will enable performance monitoring)

Performance will be monitored by the Protection Officer based in Canberra, in addition to the Senior Protection Officer based in Port Moresby. The contractor will provide monthly updates on work completed and tasks pending, and share case tracking reports including the status of individual cases. Monthly meetings will be held with the supervisor to discuss and provide feedback on progress, priorities and pending tasks. The contractor will participate in and share other updates during weekly Pacific Protection meetings.

4. Qualifications and Experience
(List the required education, work experience, expertise and competencies of the individual contractor. The listed education and experience should correspond with the level at which the contract is offered.)

• Experience in refugee status determination, counselling asylum-seekers and individual case management.
• Experience in refugee law training, including with government officials.
• Training and coaching experience.
• Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals.
• Desirable: Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures is highly desirable.
• Desirable: Completion of UNHCR Learning Programmes relevant to RSD (RSD Learning Programme; Protection Learning Programme).
• Language requirements: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
     
• International Refugee Law; International Human Rights Law; International Humanitarian Law;
International Criminal Law; Social Sciences; or other relevant fields.

b. Work Experience
(List number of years and area of required work experience. Clearly distinguish between required experience and experience which could be an asset.)
    
• 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree.

c. Key Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration
     
• CO-Cross-cultural communication
• PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
• PR-Individual Case Management
• LE-International Criminal Law
• LE-International Refugee Law
• PR-RSD - Principles and Procedures, operational arrangements/assistance
• PR-International Humanitarian Law
• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
• PR-Government Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures
• PR-Interviewing and counselling refugees/asylum seekers

Additional Information
The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities and 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.  

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

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Desired Languages

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Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No

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