Senior Protection Officer (Community-Based)

Before submitting an application, UNHCR staff members intending to apply to this Job Opening are requested to consult the Recruitment and Assignments Policy (RAP, UNHCR/HCP/2017/2 and the Recruitment and Assignments Administrative Instruction (RAAI), UNHCR/AI/2017/7 OF 15 August 2017.

Senior Protection Officer (Community-Based)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Senior Protection Officer (Community-based) is a senior member of the protection team in a Country or Sub-Office and may, depending on the size and structure of the Office, be the Head of the Protection Unit and/or Community-based Protection Unit. He/she may report to the Representative, Assistant Representative, or Head of Sub-Office. The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff who may include community-based protection, registration, resettlement and other protection staff, such as education, child protection, staff. He/she may also provide functional protection oversight to information management and programme staff. The incumbent ensures the operation 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 Senior Protection Officer (Community-based) and her/his team are required to spend a substantial percentage of time working outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern. The Senior Protection Officer (Community-based) must ensure the development and maintenance of constructive relationships with persons of concern that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results. The Senior Protection Officer (Community-based) guides  the development of a community-based protection strategy, ensuring that it is based on consultation with persons of concern, and reflects the broader protection and solutions strategy in the operation. S/he provides timely analysis on the protection situation in the field, highlighting important political, social, military and economic developments affecting the protection of persons of concern and the identification of solutions, based upon information obtained through direct communication with persons of concern and a network of local partners. The incumbent oversees quality, timely and effective responses to the needs of all segments of populations of concern, in an age, gender and diversity inclusive manner.

The incumbent takes the lead in guidance, coordination and advocacy in respect of community-based approaches to protection with government, implementing and operational partners and other key stakeholders at the country level.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- The operation has a coherent community-based protection strategy reflecting the Organization¿s global, regional and country level protection priorities, including in the key areas of education, child protection and SGBV prevention and response.
- Participatory and community-based structures and systems are in place in both camp and urban settings at the country level.
- The Age, Gender and Diversity approach is applied in all aspects of protection and solutions work on behalf of persons of concern.
- Participatory and community-based approaches are integral to the operation¿s protection strategy and are appropriately resourced.
- The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches, which inform protection and assistance programming and ensure that UNHCR meets its commitments to accountability to persons of concern.

Responsibility
- Through relationships with persons of concern and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that impact on the protection environment.
- Coordinate and guide a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a community-based protection strategy.
- Establish systems, including those managed by communities, to ensure that individual cases identified at the field level are assessed, referred as appropriate, and followed up using ProGres or other established case management systems.
- Establish and maintain network of contacts in all communities of concern, as well as government, national and international NGO partners and other stakeholders.
- Work with protection teams to ensure that the work plans of field-based Protection staff reflect the need for regular presence in the field working directly with communities of concern.
- Establish links with inter-agency capacity building initiatives which promote participatory, community-based and AGD approaches.
- Provide technical guidance and support to programme/protection units, country offices, protection teams and partners, in order to integrate participatory, community-based and AGD approaches in the overall protection strategy and ensure that programme formulation is based on the results of participatory assessments.
- Oversee mapping and analysis of protection risks to communities of concern as well as their capacities and resources for community-based protection and self-protection initiatives. 
- Liaise with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned strategies to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to SGBV.
- Ensure regular participatory assessments and maintain on-going consultation with persons of concern using multifunctional teams.
- Undertake regular field missions to monitor and evaluate participatory, community-based and AGD protection approaches.
- Build capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of persons of concern.
- Ensure that community-based protection priorities are incorporated in UN and NGO training and learning programmes.
- Contribute to UNHCR communication strategies, including mass communication campaigns, by emphasizing participatory, community-based and AGD approaches.
- Mobilize financial resources for community-based protection and inform the country level resources (re)allocation process through reporting, advice and advocacy to senior country and regional management in line with the regional strategy priorities.
- In partnership with the Global Learning Centre, address the learning needs for UNHCR and partner staff to develop and implement participatory and community-based approaches.

Authority
- Enforce the systematic application of participatory, community and rights-based protection approaches, ensuring that appropriate human and financial resources are made available to support such approaches. 
- Enforce participatory, AGD sensitive analysis to form the essential basis for UNHCR¿s work.
- Endorse country-level community-based protection strategies, project submissions and budgets and approve/submit expenditures.
- Represent UNHCR¿s community-based protection perspectives in national and local fora.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Graduate (Equivalent of Master's) degree in the field of Human Rights, Social Anthropology, Law, International Development, Cultural Studies, Social Sciences, or other clearly related disciplines.
- Minimum 8 years (9 years with undergraduate (equivalent of a BA/BS) degree) of previous job experience relevant to the function.
- Demonstrated expertise in field protection, community development, social surveys/ assessment, counselling, or related areas.
- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another UN language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)

***For National Officer positions, very good knowledge of local language and local institutions is essential.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Very good 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.
- Very good understanding of human rights and the rights-based approach to programming.
- Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches
- Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of position such as: PLP (Protection Learning Programme), OMLP (Operations Management Learning Programme), MMLP (Middle Management Learning Programme), ARC (Action for the Rights of Children)/Child Rights, POP (People Oriented Planning)/Gender Studies, SGBV training.
- Training and coaching skills/Facilitation of Learning.
- Team building/Development Training. C001L3 - Accountability Level 3
C002L3 - Teamwork & Collaboration Level 3
C003L3 - Communication Level 3
C004L3 - Commitment to Continuous Learning Level 3
C005L3 - Client & Result Orientation Level 3
C006L3 - Organizational Awareness Level 3
M001L3 - Empowering and Building Trust Level 3
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
M005L3 - Leadership Level 3
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3

Before applying to this position, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the country specific FAQs information leaflets which can be found on the Intranet under Staff Resources > Duty of Care. The information leaflets are specifically designed to answer some of the key questions potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. 

- Experience in capacity development of local government and non-government partners;
- Strong managerial skills and ability to coach and develop the skills of locally recruited staff and partners;
- Excellent drafting and reporting skills in English;
- Excellent presentation skills to be able to effectively convey UNHCR¿s strategies and programmatic priorities to different audiences;
- Fluency in Russian essential.

Preference will be given to candidates who have experience working in protection in an IDP operation or otherwise demonstrate strong knowledge of IDP protection principles.  Familiarity with the legal systems in post-Soviet countries would be an advantage.  Furthermore, since UNHCR will continue sectoral-level coordination of protection activities at the field level, it is stongly preferred that candidates demonstrate experience in coordination with government and NGO partners, as well the inter-personal skills to facilitate teamwork. The Sub-Office is currently located in the city of Dnipro but will move to Sloviansk at the end of 2017, where UNHCR currently has a Field Office. SO Sloviansk will oversee the implementation of the UNHCR operation through four field offices and one field unit, as well as partner organizations, throughout eastern Ukraine, including non-government controlled areas of the country.
The position will be based at SO Sloviansk. Regular travels throughout the eastern region, including to the conflict-affected parts of the country, are required. Ukraine has suffered from the consequences of over three years of conflict in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, as well as the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.  This has led to the internal displacement of an estimated 1.6 million people, according to the Government of Ukraine. UNHCR has been providing protection and material assistance to the most vulnerable IDPs and other conflict-affected communities at risk of displacement.
UNHCR and other humanitarian partners have started engaging in early recovery activities.  Yet, a recent upsurge in fighting has led to an increase in infrastructure damage and civilian casualties.  This has led to a situation where humanitarian needs continue, but recovery and development programmes are starting on the government-controlled side. 
While UNHCR has received generous donor funding, the situation as of 2018 will become more challenging as various major donors have announced significant reductions in their contributions towards humanitarian programs and agencies, including UNHCR. The conflict has affected the socio-economic situation of the country. Despite this, living and working conditions in large urban centers of Ukraine, especially the capital Kyiv, are compatible with the standards of a category "A" duty station.
Sloviansk is a city in Donetsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. It also serves as the administrative center of the Sloviansk Raion (district). The city was one of the battle grounds in the early stages of the 2014 conflict in Ukraine, and was retaken by Ukrainian forces in July 2014. The current population is estimated to be around 117,500, including a large number of IDPs from non-government controlled areas. Sloviansk is classified as a category "C" non-family duty station, with an R&R cycle of 8 weeks; the R&R destination is Kyiv.
Food and non-food items are available in local shops and chains of supermarkets. Hard currencies such as USD and EUR are easily converted into the local currency, the Hrivnia (UAH). Healthcare facilities are available in Sloviansk; however, there are no facilities for specialist care.  Modern hospitals and specialized clinics are located in Dnipro (243km) and Kharkiv (215 km). Within Sloviansk, public transportation is provided by a trolleybus network consisting of two permanent routes and one summer route. Sloviansk suffers water shortages due to ageing and damaged infrastructure. Power supply is relatively stable but power cuts are occurring. Road, rail and air transportation are well developed for travel throughout the government-controlled part of Ukraine. Fast train (Intercity) connections are available and allow travelers to reach Kyiv in 6 hours (665 km). Flights are available to Kyiv as well as to European destinations from Dnipro international airport, about 243 km/ 4 hours away from Sloviansk by train, as well as from Kharkiv international airport (215 km/ 3 hours by road). 
International staff are allowed to rent private residential accommodation; however, the real estate market is not well developed.
GSM coverage is available country-wide; a local SIM card will be provided by the Office. The political context in Ukraine remains sensitive. The security situation differs in various regions: it is calm in the central and Western regions, while serious security precautions should be taken when travelling to the conflict area in eastern Ukraine.  Though officially a ceasefire is in place, there are daily violations, mainly consisting of shelling and small arms fire along the contact line separating government-controlled areas from the non-government controlled areas in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Along this line there are five checkpoints controlled by the government forces and armed groups. Cases of detention, threatening or kidnapping for hours of individuals, including foreigners, have been reported in the past at separatist checkpoints. The use of armored vehicles for travel within the conflict zone is mandatory.
In general, visitors to the country are highly advised to be alert to the possibility of street crime and petty theft as well as to pay close attention while using credit cards. In selection of international staff for appointment to positions in eastern Ukraine, attention will be given to promoting gender balance within the team.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2017 Compendium is Monday 6 November 2017 (midnight Geneva time).