UNV Associate Protection Officer (Community-Based) in Honduras

UN VOLUNTEER DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT HNDR000063--Associate Protection Officer (Community-Based) The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.In most cultures volunteerism is deeply embedded in long- established, ancient traditions of sharing and support within the communities. In this context, UN Volunteers take part in various forms of volunteerism and play a role in development and peace together with co-workers, host agencies and local communities.In all assignments, UN Volunteers promote volunteerism through their action and conduct. Engaging in volunteer activity can effectively and positively enrich their understanding of local and social realities, as well as create a bridge between themselves and the people in their host community. This will make the time they spend as UN Volunteers even more rewarding and productive.

General Information

Country of Assignment Honduras

Host Institute UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Volunteer Category International Specialist

Number of Volunteer 1

Duration 12 months

Expected Starting Date 01-07-2018

Duty Station San Pedro Sula [HND]

Assignment Place Family Duty Station

Assignment Place Remark

Living Conditions

Honduras is a tropical country in the middle of central America, bordered to the north with to Caribbean Sea, to the south with El Salvador, to the west with Guatemala and to the East with Nicaragua Climate varies s depending peratures are fairly moderate with regular sunshine making temperatures climb from 15- 20 C(59-68 F) to up around 28 C(low 82e F) during the middle of the day. Rainfall is quite low to moderate with a patchy wet season from May to october. Low-land and coastal regions experience less of a temperature range with warmer nights and slightly less rainfall. The threat against UN system staff members from political activity is considered low. The threat from common criminal elements is considered highly critical in certain areas of the country. Violent crime is a serious and growing problem, especially in certain zones of Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, and to a less degree throughout the country. Pickpock- ets and purse-snatchers are prevalent in major cities at tourist sites, especially in pats of Comayaguela and the central market surroundings of Tegucigalpa. Highway, road and street robberies, carjacking and assaults of pedestrians by armed thieves are still high Roadblocks and demonstrations on the main highways and border countries customs of fices have decreased. In the past, demonstrations have ended in street violence, requiring intervention by national police for which precaution is requested. Threats against the public transportation system by gangs have been reported in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula, 14 Jun 2018 Page 1 of 6 supposedly related to Organized Crime, for which caution should be maintained at all times on the street. A security briefing will be provided upon arrival to provide all the information and recommendation to take in consideration in the daily life and areas in wich

will be recommended to search apartment. San Pedro Sula is considered a family duty station. The office is close to some

restaurants, malls and the main hotels of the city Visitors are specially advised to protect against mosquitoes bites in affected areas,

due to insect-borne diseases such as Malaria and Dengue Fever (both serious, potentially fatal diseases). In general mosquitoes in

Honduras are most bothersome from dusk to dawn, especially in the countryside. Other infectious diseases are common such as

Diarrhea, Amoebic and food. Some specific health cares must be considered especially hygienic practices avoid eating in places

where cleaning is not ensured and pay special attention to the hygiene of fruits and vegetables, wash fruits and vegetables carefully

if you eat them raw or peel them before eating.

Assignment Details

Assignment Title Associate Protection Officer (Community-Based)

Organizational Context & Project Description

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).

The situation of violence in the Northern Triangle countries caused by gangs, organized crime and human rights violations has

different manifestations and affects many segments of the population in the region. The “Characterization of internal displacement in

Honduras” carried out in 2015 in 20 municipalities estimate that a total of 174,000 persons were directly affected by internal

displacement in the country, due to violence or insecurity, between 2004 and 2014. In addition, as of December 2016 there were

almost 45.710 Hondurans refugees and asylum seekers who have fled the country and requested international protection. As a

result of presence and social and territorial control from Gangs and Maras, communities face con-stant pressure to participate in

illegal activities, reduce their social and community work, limit their movement, limit the use of community spaces such as parks,

playgrounds and commu-nity centers and thus diminishing their right to participate and take decisions on the well-being of the

community, including access to social services and programmes.These restrictions have a negative impact on the community and

its organizational structures. In this context, UNHCR works to identity strategies to access high risk areas, ensure protection by

presence and strengthen community capacity to mitigate risks. UNHCR in Honduras works in close coordination with the

Government, civil society, UN agencies, regional bodies, and persons of concern and uses community-based approaches to

strengthen protection. Its national re-sponse focuses, among others, on the improvement of protection mechanisms in high-risk

areas, the identification and promotion of community protection strategies to mitigate the im-pact of violence and risk of

displacement, the strengthening of community structures to facili-tate the visibility of the communities and protection needs without

exposing them to mayor risks and the reinforcement of dialogues between communities affected by forced displace-ment and local

authorities. UNHCR in San Pedro Sula accompanies its main partners, the Church, Children International, World Vision, CASM,

ERIC-SJ and CONADEH in improving community mobilization and protection.

Sustainable Development Goals 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

UNV Focus Area Securing access to basic social services

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Field Office in San Pedro Sula, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the population of concern and

develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)/stateless communities,

using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach;

Through relationships with persons of concern and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural

14 Jun 2018 Page 2 of 6 developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to senior management. Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the persons of concerns are reflected in the protection strategy, planning

processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older

persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS;

Ensure through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff that the necessary resources are allocated to

enable community work to identify and address protection and assistance gaps;

Assist in supporting consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and persons of concern to

develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection,

education and SGBV, and solutions approaches;

Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures

(SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues;

Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with

implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated;

Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures

Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among populations of concern, authorities and host communities;

Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with persons of concern, host

communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute to ensuring

that the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in an AGD-compliant strategy which covers all assessed and

prioritized protection needs of the affected populations;

Support the Operation's work to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN

Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian action plan

where applicable;

Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provide disaggregated data on populations of

concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to

enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary;

Ensure participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches are included in, strategies and plans in the country

operation;

Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response;

Support persons of concern to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.

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 instance in events that mark International

Volunteer Day)- Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country- Provide annual

and end of assignment reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting Application-

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.

Results/Expected Outputs

Effective and timely support is provided to the formulation of a clear and coherent protection and solutions oriented strategy,

which incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity analysis and reflects the Organization’s global, regional and country

level priorities.

AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities provides the essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.

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.

National protection capacities are improved through direct engagement, research and advocacy with all relevant external

interlocutors.

Protection incidents and needs are immediately identified and addressed through direct intervention, advocacy and public

exposure.

• The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including

supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity

(AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final

14 Jun 2018 Page 3 of 6 statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development dur-ing the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

Qualifications/Requirements

Required Degree Level

Bachelor degree or equivalent

Education - Additional Comments

University degree in International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political

Science, and Anthropology, International Law or other clearly related disciplines.

Required experience 48 months

Experience Remark

Minimum 4 years (2 years with Advanced University degree) relevant professional experience, including in the areas of community

based protection, community services, social work, and human rights.

Desirable Qualifications and Skills:

Knowledge of UN policies and procedures;

Field experience;

Commitment to help refugees and willingness to cooperate with counterparts;

Good analytical skills;

Strong interpersonal and communication skills in a multi-cultural setting;

Experience of working with refugees;

Ability to live and work in the difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries is essential;

Experience of working on SGBV related issues.

Language: Spanish essential, English proficient, other languages of the UN System will be an asset.

Computer skills: Microsoft Office Package (excellent knowledge of Word, good knowledge of Excel and Power Point) and Internet

browsing. Other

Language Skills

English (Mandatory) , Level - Working Knowledge

AND - Spanish (Mandatory) , Level - Fluent

Area of Expertise

Protection of refugees, asylum seekers and IDPs Mandatory

Area of Expertise Requirement

Need Driving Licence Yes

Competencies & Values

Accountability

Adaptability and Flexibility

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Communication

14 Jun 2018 Page 4 of 6 Integrity

Planning and Organizing

Professionalism

Working in Teams

Conditions of Service and other information

Condition of Service Click here to view Conditions of Service

Conditions of Service for International Specialist:

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and

satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family

Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and

other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,602. The

VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis

according to the cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty

stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is

published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website http://icsc.un.org.

For example, kindly enter the link Calculator

In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a

Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the

duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty

station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security

framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final

repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

14 Jun 2018 Page 5 of 6 UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.

Application Code HNDR000063-2789

Application procedure

* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections

of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink.

Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at

https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to

apply.

Application deadline: 24-06-2018

Disclaimer

United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme which welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are

committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture.

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