Field Officer

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.

Field Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The Field Officer is normally supervised by the Snr Field Coordinator or Head of Sub-Office/Field Office depending on the structure of the Office. S/he may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units relevant to the country/regional programme(s). UNHCR Manual, programme and protection objectives, Operations Plans, UN and UNHCR financial/budgetary rules and regulations will guide the work of the incumbent.

The incumbent normally supervises some support staff and may supervise lower grade professional staff. S/he has daily contacts with staff in the various field offices and with the functional units at the Country/Regional Office. S/he also has close liaison with a range of local civilian and military authorities and counterparts in NGOs and UN agencies to discuss matters of common interest.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- UNHCR's operations in the area of responsibility (AoR) are designed to meet the needs of persons of concern.
- An effective monitoring system of the field operations is in place resulting in better service to the persons of concern.
- The protection needs of populations of concern are met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles governing humanitarian coordination.
- Protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed.

Responsibility
- Prepare project proposals; draw up plan of operation for implementation, including institutional arrangements for budgets.
- Assess refugee needs in the various fields of assistance and make recommendations for the establishment of projects, adjustment or discontinuation of existing projects and advise the Head of Office accordingly.
- Closely monitor the implementation of projects under the geographical area of responsibility and ensure the provisions under the agreements signed with the implementing partners are being adhered to.
- Regularly prepare written reports on the implementation of projects and the situation in the sites.
- Maintain good working relations with local government officials, implementing partners and other agencies in the area.
- Report immediately on any security problems that may occur affecting programme, beneficiaries and the smooth running of the operation.
- Provide assistance to UNHCR Technical advisers and consultants as well as visitors visiting project sites.
- Undertake other relevant duties as required.

Authority
- Represent UNHCR in the Field. 
- Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
- Approve expenditures within the DOAP.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law, Political Sciences or related fields plus minimum 6 years of previous work experience relevant to the function. Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master¿s) plus 5 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 4 years of previous relevant work experience may also be accepted.
- Field experience.
- Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

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

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Computer skills.
- Knowledge of refugee law.
- Good knowledge of UNHCR's programmes.
- UNHCR Protection Learning Programme.
- UNHCR Operations Management Learning Programme.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Field Officer positions. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates. 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
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3
X008L3 - Stakeholder Management Level 3 <p>The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as 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.</p>
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
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For those people applying for High Risk Duty Stations, we strongly encourage colleagues to read the country specific security and welfare profiles which can be found on the Intranet under Support Services - Duty of Care (https://intranet.unhcr.org/en/support-services/duty-of-care.html). These profiles have been specifically designed to answer some of the key questions (on security conditions, medical provisions, staff welfare, living and working conditions) potential applicants might have before deciding to apply. Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care. This project is still in the pilot phase, and as such some of the information leaflets are being produced as we speak and might not be available yet. They will be soon, so keep checking. 

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the Field Officer will be in charge of the Field Unit covering twelve governorates in Central Iraq.  The incumbent is expected to have sound experience in IDP operations, proven inter-coordination skills and experience as Head of Office.
Given the multi-faceted interaction with external and internal interlocutors, the incumbent needs to be a good team player and have strong inter-personal skills. Prior experience in the Middle East and fluency in Arabic is desirable. Iraq continues to face multiple humanitarian crises with longstanding tribal and religious divisions further exacerbated by the recent armed conflict, which had displaced over 5.8 million people. Following the Government of Iraq¿s declaration that it had liberated all territory from extremists in December 2017, the country has entered into a transitional and recovery period. Even as cities are rebuilt and communities begin to flourish, nearly two million people, many of them extremely vulnerable, are still displaced. There have also been nearly four million returnees, although these figures do not take into account secondary displacement or returns to camps where return was not possible or sustainable; the overall figure of those displaced is expected to be higher. 
An essential component of the protection of displaced people is voluntary, safe and sustainable return, which in turn is at the heart of the recovery and stabilization of Iraq. Sustainable return is an important step on the road to peace and stability. Cities like Mosul and Ramadi were heavily damaged during the conflict. Restoring these cities is an immense task, and the work is far from over. In parts of west Mosul rubble is not yet cleared of explosives and services like water and electricity are not fully functional. In short, the conditions for sustainable return are not yet met. It is of the utmost importance that assistance for displaced people continues, to discourage return movements to these areas. At the same time, the communities hosting displaced people also face increased hardship, and resources are stretched. Without ongoing support, many among the displaced and hosting population would struggle to make ends meet. Underlying unresolved disputes and emerging ones are likely to impact social cohesion for generations to come, which could result in an unstable Iraq, impacting regional and global security. Without timely interventions to stabilise and rehabilitate affected areas and efforts to address underlying disputes, peaceful re-integration and stability for newly retaken areas is likely to be jeopardized, thereby risking another cycle of violence. The security and protection environment remains volatile, marked by serious protection risks for displaced Iraqis and returnees, including unlawful and disproportionate restrictions on access to safety and freedom of movement, abduction and illegal detention, forced encampment, forced and premature returns, lack of documentation limiting the enjoyment of rights and access to services, and increased risk of SGBV and child protection issues. Incidents of collective punishment are reported, where families are targeted due to perceived links with extremists.
In addressing the needs of IDPs in Iraq, UNHCR leads the Protection, Shelter/NFI (non-food items ¿ also known as Core Relief Items or CRIs), and Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) clusters. UNHCR is also co-leading, with UN Habitat, the Working Group on Sustainable Solutions for IDPs within the Recovery and Resilience Programme (RRP) for Iraq. Despite the political, economic and security challenges in the country, Iraq also hosts 293,085 refugees and asylum seekers (as of 31 July). As a result of conflict in neighbouring Syria, now in its seventh year, Iraq has continued to host and admit new Syrian refugees on humanitarian grounds. There were 249,123 Syrian refugees registered in Iraq, with 97% living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), 37% living in camps and 63% in urban, peri-urban and rural areas. UNHCR has also registered in Iraq 43,962 refugees of other nationalities¿ mainly Turks, Iranians, Palestinians, and Sudanese. Due to regional developments, numbers of other refugee caseloads, primarily Turkish, are increasing despite very limited opportunities for seeking asylum, state recognition for their registration and protection in Iraq.
UNHCR collaborates with authorities in the Central government and the KR-I to assist refugees and asylum-seekers, and on statelessness prevention and response. Through the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), UNHCR leads the humanitarian response for Syrian refugees in coordination with authorities. UNHCR leads the Protection, Shelter and Basic Needs/Non-Food Items sectors, and co-leads Health with WHO and WASH with UNICEF. WFP leads Food Security, UNICEF leads Education, and UNDP leads Livelihoods. UNHCR advocates with the Government of Iraq and KR-I authorities to maintain open borders and ensure access to safety. The UNHCR Office and accommodation for international staff are located in the International Zone (IZ), also called the International Green Zone.  Staff cannot leave the IZ and all movements are in armoured vehicles except for approved missions and travel to/from the airport.  It is a 10 square km area of central Baghdad, Iraq, that was the governmental center of the Coalition Provisional Authority and remains the center of the international presence in the city. The contrasting Red Zone refers to parts of Baghdad immediately outside this secure perimeter.
DIWAN ¿ all UN offices are located in the Green Zone ¿ the UN Compound, also known as Diwan.  The accommodation compound called D2 forms part of the larger Diwan complex, while the second  compound is called Tamimi, some 4 km/10 minutes away
The Tamimi rooms are container type structures of about 16m2 with a separate toilet and shower They are small but convenient and fully equipped (TV, fridge, double bed, desk, etc).  Bedlinen and towels and are in the room.  The rooms are cleaned 6 days a week.
Food is available in the mini market in D2 or in local shops in the IZ. In both Diwan and Tamimi compound there is a cafeteria (DFAC) which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The Islamic State (IS) continues to remain potent and has shown exceptional resilience and capacity to project force and execute attacks in areas that had previously been declared secured. Although monthly incidents have fluctuated, casualties remain consistently high in the first quarter of 2018 underlining the fluidity and unpredictability that staff have to contend with. Gains by the ISF have resulted in expanded humanitarian latitude and coverage in supporting dislocated populations. This posture will be maintained and may register positive and greater marginal shifts in in latter part of 2018. The conduct of operations will become progressively permissive as the GoI expands and consolidates its stability and recovery efforts (as law and order postures improve Key threats still remain collateral from the ongoing armed conflict, sectarian-driven violence, Improvised Explosive devices (IEDS, both body and vehicle borne), civil unrest, kidnapping and ransom and general crime. These security threat issues are anticipated to be carried through 2018.
The coming month is going to have some challenges against approving the results of the elections and then forming the new government. The country is getting through a political crises related to continuous demonstrations due to the lateness of elections results announcement and also lack of services. The situation is making ISF stretching more than normal and put more burdens on them. Acts of extremism and terrorism continue to be registered and will continue to be so in the immediate to short term periods reflecting the complex security challenges the country and humanitarian programmes continue to experience. Military skirmishes continue to be registered in several governorates and along the Disputed Inland Boundaries (DIBs) but those are limited in duration and intensity. Politically, there has been little traction and motivation at reducing the divide between Baghdad and Erbil. Although the politically driven issues remain far from being resolved there appears to be an appreciable effort by the Iraqi authorities at returning the affected areas to normalcy, a critical dynamic in assuring and enabling humanitarian responses and actions. External national interest influences will continue to manifest within country. Staff serving in Iraq operation are entitled for R&R according to ICSC approved R & R cycles. R & R cycle is 4 weeks for Baghdad.
All international staff assigned to Iraq are required to undertake a 3-day mandatory SSAFE (Safety and Security Approaches in a Field Environment) course. Except for the city of Erbil, you cannot travel anywhere in Iraq without the SSAFE certificate provided at the end of the training. In case of assignments to locations other than Erbil, initial travel is possible however SSAFE must be undertaken in the first 30 days.
If one has conducted an SSAFE course with in the last three years there is no need for attendance.  He/she is only required to attend the FSCO's briefing on arrival.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the Add.4 to March 2018 Compendium is Wednesday 5 Septembe 2018 (midnight Geneva time).