Protection 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.

Protection Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Protection Officer is a senior member of the protection team in a Country or Sub-Office and may, depending of the size and structure of the Office, be Head of the Protection Unit. He/she may report to the Senior Protection Officer, Head of Sub-Office or to the Assistant Representative for Protection. In smaller Offices, the post may report directly to the Representative.  The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff who may include community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she provides functional protection oversight to information management and programme staff; and supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at local or country level. The incumbent also acts as an advisor to senior management in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection doctrine and policy.

The Protection Officer is relied upon by the Office to plan, lead and coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important function of the position is to ensure that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- 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.
- The operation has a clear and coherent comprehensive protection strategy which incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity (AGD) analysis and reflects the Organization's global, regional and country level priorities.
- The Participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches.
- National protection capacities are improved through direct engagement, research and advocacy with all relevant external interlocutors.
- Protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed through direct intervention, advocacy and public exposure.

Responsibility
- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection strategy 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; Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. 
- Support senior management 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.
- Promote International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities mainstreaming protection.
- Implement and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
- Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
- Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection.
- Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
- Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement effective measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
-  Develop and implement a country-level education plan and ensure partnerships are forged with the Ministry for Education, UNICEF and other partners as appropriate.
- Develop and implement a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
- Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.  
- Implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern.
- Coordinate the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
- Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery. 
- Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
- Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
- Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

Authority

- Approve the protection strategy for endorsement by the Senior Protection Officer, Assistant Representative Protection or the Representative. 
- Chair protection coordination meetings, including Protection Cluster meetings in applicable operations.  
- Intervene with authorities on protection issues. Negotiate locally and as appropriate with resettlement countries and countries of return on behalf of UNHCR.
- Take review decisions on individual cases.
- Enforce compliance of staff and partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Approve expenditures under the UNHCR protection budget.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law, International Law, political Sciences or related field with good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law plus minimum 6 years relevant professional experience of which 2 years in the field. 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.
- 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
- Diverse field experience desirable.
- Good IT skills including database management skills.
- Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- esettlement Learning Programme.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Protection 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
M002L3 - Managing Performance Level 3
M004L3 - Strategic Planning and Vision Level 3
M006L3 - Managing Resources Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3
X007L3 - Political Awareness 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>
========================================================================================================
See below for this postion's Operational Context
========================================================================================================

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. 

The Protection Officer has direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff who may include community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she provides functional protection oversight to information management and programme staff and supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery at the country level. The incumbent also acts as an advisor to senior management in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.
The Protection Officer is normally a member of the Office senior management team and is relied upon by the Office to plan, lead and coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. This includes ensuring that operational responses in all sectors are shaped in a protection optic, mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. Another important element of the Protection Officer¿s function is to ensure that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection. The Protection Officer will can take lead in the improved focus of identifying, collecting, analyzing and providing relevant data to UNHCR management and other users. To ensure consistency and interoperability with registration and other operations data sets,  the incumbent of this position will lead the Operations Data team. This role therefore will play a critical role in supporting current data gaps in proGRes while adding value to make analysis and presentation of information user-friendly, including through the digital platform being developed. As a result of insecurity, famine and environmental problems in Somalia, over 200,000 refugees fled from Somalia to five UNHCR-administered refugee camps in the Dollo Ado area of Ethiopia. UNHCR recognizes the global need for a broader, cultural shift from long-term care and maintenance to self-reliance and solutions-oriented planning and programming in its refugee operations within the context of the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Melkadida sub office is a challenging operation in Ethiopia. The refugee¿s population is currently at 207,698 Somali refugees (statistics as at 14/08/15) of whom about 90,000 arrived in 2011 in very poor health and nutrition status.  There are five refugee camps in the Liben Zone area (Dollo Ado). There are about 22 international staff with about 100 local staff with different contractual status.
The Protection Officer is in charge of all protection activities at the camp level. He may also undertake additional tasks as assigned by the Senior Protection Officer in coordinating activities for all the camps as focal person for such activities like child protection, SGBV, Returns, and resettlement.  At the camp level, the Protection Officer is responsible for protection assessments, protection reception, Return Help Desk, and heightened risk assessments. He/she also plans response to individual cases in collaboration with the relevant partners. He/she coordinates camp based protection meetings including camp level SGBV and child protection case management meetings. Accommodation will be provided by the Sub-Office Melkadida with a reasonable rental charge. All staff living in the UNHCR provided accommodation pay their accommodation in accordance with the Policy of UNHCR Provided Accommodation in the Field issued under the IOM/FOM 020/021/2012 dated 28 Feb 2012.
Most accommodations are fully furnished. They include their own duvet bed and bed sheet, private bathrooms, desk, AC, lamp and closet. Some rooms contain their own separate kitchen with all equipment. WiFI is available across the compound.
Given the remoteness of the duty station, there are very few items to purchase in Melkadida, particularly toiletries and other personal items that you may need. It is therefore best if you bring such items with you.
Cleaning services take place each morning by staff hired by UNHCR. A laundry room in the compound is available from 7:30 am until 6pm. There are 2 restaurants available inside the compound, Canteen A and Canteen B and all personnel are required to pay upfront for their meals According to  the  UN  Security  Level  System,  which   ranks  security  levels   from  1 (minimum risk)  to  6  (very  high  risk), Melkadida is  classified  as  Security  Level 4.
UN Somali Region Minimum Operating Security Standards require a curfew for UN staff from 5pm (for vehicles) and 7pm (on foot), except in the case of emergency. Security Briefing is mandatory upon arrival in the compound and all visitors should receive a security briefing from the UNHCR Field Security Advisor to be cleared for movement in the camp. All UN staff and visitors are expected to comply with this curfew restriction and remain in the UNHCR compound after 7pm.  Visits to Melkadida and Dollo Ado town should be kept brief and away from large groups or gathering places, as recommended by security personnel in this location according the current context. ¿ Ability to support the operation in designing trainings and capacity building
¿ Demonstrated ability to manage a large team and coordinate with other Sections at Sub Office level
¿ Ability to coordinate with various units within the Sub Office and to provide on-the-job coaching and mentoring; Demonstrated excellent drafting skills in English
¿ Ability to come up with innovative and creative solutions to operational challenges, Change management, as required
¿ Previous experience with UNHCR in field settings
¿ Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position

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).