CBI Of (MENA AP)

Cash-Based Interventions Officer (MENA & AP)   

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
While cash-based interventions (CBIs) have been used in UNHCR operations for many years, the Agency has made a renewed institutional commitment to scale up and institutionalize CBIs across its operations and institutional structure. UNHCR Senior Management, in line with the High Commissioner¿s call for the systematic and expanded use of CBIs, recently approved a framework for the ¿UNHCR Cash-based Interventions Institutionalization Strategy 2016-2020¿. The organization now seeks to ensure that CBIs are mainstreamed across its operations and HQ so that the capacities, processes and procedures are enabled to accommodate and facilitate the use of CBIs at par with in-kind. CBI institutionalisation builds upon three interdependent work streams with the following transformative objectives:

1) Systematise and expand the use of CBIs across all operations.
2) Mainstream CBIs across UNHCR¿s Divisions, Bureaux, Services and Sectors.
3) Establish portfolio of well-defined cash delivery arrangements in collaboration with the private sector.

The CBI Officer assists with the implementation of the CBI Strategy, particularly in relation to the systematic and expanded use of CBIs in UNHCR operations. S/he provides targeted support to operations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia and the Pacific, including to those with new to CBIs, to build their capacity to consider CBIs as a response option and implement and scale-up CBIs effectively and efficiently. S/he works closely with CBI Officers in the field and country focal points. S/he provides technical support to operations both remotely and through missions throughout the operations cycle, from assessments to design, set-up, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Where necessary, s/he also supports operations with the identification and recruitment of dedicated CBI experts, and supports capacity building initiatives aimed at enabling UNHCR and partner staff to design and delivery high quality CBIs. S/he also supports technical development notably through formalising lessons learnt, and the production of guidance and tools related to CBIs, including harnessing field inputs and field-testing new concepts and methods within the regions under his/her scope.

Under the overall supervision of Chief of Section, the CBI Officer will receive guidance from and reports to the Senior CBI Officer (Technical Support). In addition, s/he will work closely with the Senior CBI Officer (Institutionalisation) and the Capacity Building Officer. The UNHCR Operational Guidelines on the use of CBIs in Displacement Settings, the CBI strategy, the CBI administrative instructions on finance, the UNHCR Manual and relevant programme and financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the CBI Officer. S/he is also expected to stay abreast of new developments and challenges related to CBIs that arise at different levels of the organization and within the broader cash community in order to feed these into in-house capacity-building, systems adaptation, strategy and guidance.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- Coherent and coordinated technical field support provided to ongoing and new CBIs in UNHCR operations in MENA, and Asia and the Pacific. 
- High quality technical standards are maintained in the design and roll-out of CBIs.
- Emerging CBI-related issues are addressed in a timely manner, and are brought to the attention of the relevant Branch Office, Division or Service as needed.
- Technical guidance and tools for CBIs in UNHCR are operationalised in the two regions.
- Partnerships with key stakeholders (cash community of practice including NGOs and UN agencies) are made accessible to the operations in the relevant regions, and related advice provided, particularly on inter-agency coordination.
- The roll-out of CBI institutionalization strategy is sustained, and operations are kept abreast of the developments in corporate processes, procedures, systems and tools related to CBIs.
- Internal communication is established and maintained between the CBI section, Divisions, and the Branch and Regional Offices.

Responsibility
- Contribute to the institutionalisation of CBIs across UNHCR, in line with the CBI Strategy, and the development of organization-wide capacity for expanded use of CBIs across operations in MENA and Asia.
- Ensure the roll-out of the CBI Strategy across relevant regions is achieved. 
- Facilitate and participate in Regional and Country level technical meetings, trainings and workshops with the objectives of increasing awareness and capacity building for CBIs to achieve mainstreaming and sustainability.
- Provide coherent support to operations in MENA and Asia to assess, design, implement, monitor and evaluate CBIs in line with the CBI Strategy.
- Provide direct CBI-related support to field operations both remotely and through field missions covering all aspects of the UNHCR operations management cycle.
- Ensure CBI approaches across operations and regions are coherent and coordinated.
- Ensure SOPs are in place for all CBI operations and implemented.
- Contribute to operational planning through corporate processes, including Annual Planning and Review processes.
- Establish or build on a mechanism to exchange regional information on CBIs across operations
- Support operations in incorporating CBIs into their preparedness planning where applicable.
- Ensure progress tracking of CBIs in operations in MENA and Asia.
- Support the identification of human resource needs and recruitments for operations, as required.
- Support CBI capacity building initiatives across operations.
- Support technical development related to CBIs in UNHCR.
- Support lesson learning, targeted studies and the development of guidance and tools relevant to improving CBIs in displacement settings, particularly in harnessing input/participation from field operations.
- Ensure linkages with complementary initiatives regionally, such as the use of biometrics, common delivery approaches, vulnerability assessments and improved targeting, operational implications of multi-purpose grants, preparedness, cash and protection, etc.
- Ensure studies and resulting material are shared both regionally and across other regions
- Provide support, advice and capacity building to technical sectors (e.g. shelter, WASH, food security, nutrition, protection, livelihoods, education).
- Undertake any other responsibilities or functions deemed necessary or as requested by the Chief of Section.

Authority
- Provide support and guidance on operations' design and implementation of CBIs.
- Enforce the development of operations¿ standard operating procedures for CBIs, and provide support during their development.
- Review and support with - project proposal development, screening for deployments, and quality assurance on material/outputs produced by the consultants.
- Facilitate compliance with UNHCR¿s global strategies, protocols and guidelines.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- University degree (Bachelor¿s or equivalent) in economics, social sciences, political science or other relevant field.
- Minimum 8 years (6 years with advanced university degree) of relevant work experience, including field experience, and a minimum of 3 years of international experience.
- Knowledge of cash-based interventions in displacement settings and humanitarian situations.
- Previous experience in international networking, preferably related to CBIs (incl. external partnerships, high level meetings and networks).
- Excellent knowledge of English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Previous knowledge of, and work experience with, UNHCR.
- Demonstrated experience in technical development, field support, and training/capacity building related to CBIs.
- Knowledge of inter-agency environment.
- Fluency in French or Arabic.