Senior 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.

Senior Protection Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Senior Protection Officer (SPO) is Head of the Protection Unit in a Country or Sub-Office and reports to the Assistant or Deputy Representative for Protection, directly to the Representative or as appropriate, to the Head of Sub-Office. 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 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 Senior 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 SPO's functions 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.
- Instances of refoulement of refugees, forced return of IDPs, arbitrary deprivation of nationality resulting in statelessness and other protection incidents are immediately identified and addressed through direct intervention and advocacy.

Responsibility

- Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
- Manage 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; and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
- In operations applying the Cluster Approach, ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
- Ensure that the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian action plan.
- 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.
- Design, deliver 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 the management of 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 (women and civil documentation in particular birth certificates).
- Oversee eligibility and status determination in the country ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
- Promote and implement measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
- Develop and implement a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy and ensure partnerships are forged with the Ministry for Education, UNICEF and other partners.
- 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.
- Develop and implement 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 Deputy / Representative and Regional Office or Headquarters.
- Chair protection coordination meetings, including Protection Cluster meetings in applicable operations and represent the protection sector/cluster in inter-agency mechanisms.
- Issue advocacy statements on behalf of UNHCR in protection sectoral meetings and/or on behalf of the Protection Cluster 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 and direct transparent and accountable financial and other resource allocation within the Protection Cluster in applicable operations. 

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) in Law, International Law, political Sciences or related field with good knowledge of International Refugee, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law plus minimum 8 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of which 3 years in the field and 5 years in an international capacity. Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) plus 9 years or Doctorate degree (equivalent of a PhD) plus 7 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-Resettlement Learning Programme and Management Learning Programme desirable.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior 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
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
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing Level 3
X004L3 - Negotiation and Conflict Resolution 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>
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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. 

The incumbent should possess strong coordination and leadership capacities in order to follow up on the implementation of the work plan prepared based on the protection strategy. 

S/he must have excellent knowledge of UNHCR programme and protection (including RST and RSD) rules and procedures, to be able to advise on UNHCR¿s regional comprehensive durable solutions strategy and engage regional interlocutors on durable solutions issues. 

The incumbent must also possess excellent communication skills to represent UNHCR in negotiations and meetings, and conduct training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR staff and partners.   

The incumbent must also be conversant with MSRP, FOCUS and ProGres.

Fluency in French is essential. Good working knowledge in English is also required as more and more reports, internal as well as external, are requested in English. 

In addition, the Senior Protection Officer should also have excellent legal and drafting skills to operate in an increasingly legalistic environment. The incumbent will have excellent skills to design and implement a capacity building programme for Government counterparts, law enforcement officials, judiciary, and other relevant actors. More than 545,000 persons are displaced in South Kivu, of which 112,000 in the course of 2017 (over 25,000 in the third quarter). The southern part of the province, and in particular the territory of Fizi, have seen a marked deterioration of the humanitarian situation in 2017, with fighting opposing the national army ¿ Forces Armees de la Republique Democratique du Congo FARDC ¿ to rebel armed groups. There were peaks in fighting in early July and again in late September and early October, when combat reached the town of Uvira.
The province is rich in minerals and control of territory and of the mines is an underlying factor in most fighting. However, the various armed groups in the province have increasingly entered into alliances and claim to be politically motivated against the government of President Kabila. Continued uncertainty around the date of the overdue presidential elections adds to tensions and instability.
Armed fighting is widespread and ongoing all along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Local population lives in fear of reprisals from both armed groups and the national army and displacement is particularly frequent when a territory changes hands.  There are consistent reports of protection incidents, including sexual violence, forced recruitment and arbitrary killings.
In this overall context, inter-ethnic tensions are also on the rise. In the southernmost part of the province, bordering with Tanganyika province, a conflict between the pygmee population and the local Babembe people has led to mass displacements in South Kivu and also towards Maniema. Other conflicts between communities have been reported in the « Haut Plateaux de Bijombo », in Uvira territory. There are no known IDP sites in the province, most displaced find shelter in local communities. With repeated displacements, the capacity of displaced families and communities to cope has weakened considerably. Humanitarian access is very limited, partly as a result of security restrictions. As a result of dwindling resources, many NGOs are no longer operational in the province and UNHCR¿s engagement with IDPs in the past year has been minimal.
South Kivu is also home to some 50,000 Burundian refugees, of which some 8,000 live in communities and a similar number of Rwandan refugees, who live in communities.
North Kivu is the province with the highest number of IDPs  in DRC, with some 1.1 million displaced, of which 385,000 were forced to flee their homes in the course of 2017 (122,000 between July-September only) as a result of armed conflict, human rights violations and generalised instability. All protection indicators point to a worsening of the situation, with an increase of 18% in protection incidents reported between the second and third semester of 2017.
The root causes of forced displacement in North Kivu go back more than three decades. There is heavy presence throughout of armed groups vying for control of territory in a province that is rich in natural resources. Armed conflict, land-grabbing, sexual violence and exploitation, risk of forced recruitment all contribute to forced displacement. In such a context, ethnic tensions are also on the rise. Military operations are ongoing on several axes between the national army ¿ FARDC ¿ and various armed groups that often enter opportunistic alliances. As well as long-established, relatively well-organised armed groups, a myriad of smaller militia are operating and persecuting the civilian population. The province records the highest number of reported cases of SGBV ¿ 50% of all reported cases are minors.
The dynamics of displacement in the province are complex ¿ while 385,000 were newly displaced this year, some 115,000 were able to return home and 12 IDP sites were closed during the year. A total of 28 sites remain, home to 150,000 IDPs ¿ however, the majority if not all newly displaced are living in the communities. Repeated displacement and long periods of armed conflict have weakened resilience and sapped the capacity of displaced families and local communities to cope.
North Kivu is also home to an estimated 200,000 Rwandan refugees, who are often caught up in the conflict and inter-ethnic tensions. Many refugees are forced to displace repeatedly and are at risk of forced recruitment.
In this context, UNHCR will strengthen its response across the displacement continuum from first response to solutions, and prioritize durable solutions in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces, in line in line with UNHCR¿s strategic directions 2017-2021. As well as reinforcing its coordination and information management capacity as cluster lead, UNHCR will reaffirm its engagement in direct response to IDPs needs, with a focus on emergency response, needs assessment and profiling, GBV prevention and solutions. Whenever possible, UNHCR will seek to create synergy between its refugee and IDP responses ¿ for example, through area-based programming. SO Goma provides coordination and oversight to FO Baraka and FU Bukavu and Uvira.
The Senior Protection Officer will report directly to the Head of Sub-office. His/her primary responsibility will be to coordinate protection activities in the region providing a technical supervision to protection staff in the field. 

She/he will work closely with programme staff and ensure operational standards and practices in solutions delivery in the two provinces. Goma is the capital of North Kivu province, bordering Rwanda.  It has an estimated population of some 1 million.  Despite the fact that Goma is an important gateway to eastern DR Congo, it remains isolated from other DRC cities due to bad road infrastructure.  Boat transport is used extensively to commute with other towns bordering the Kivu lake (e.g. Bukavu)

Staff reside in commercial accommodation available in town. 

There are limited medical facilities in Goma that are equipped to deal with moderate medical cases.  Evacuation opportunities are limited.  However, air ambulance evacuation can be organized for life threatening emergencies during day time.  Candidates with conditions requiring regular treatment or medical supervision should be appropriately advised. 

The climate is classified as tropical wet and dry. 

There are banking facilities at Goma. There is an acceptable access to communication means, such as internet, telephone sim cards etc. Goma is a security level 3 duty station.

Despite all the security measures, UN staff remains at risk due to rampant and persistent criminality fuelled by economic hardship, ill-paid police and military personnel and presence of armed groups. Staff members are exposed to house break-ins, ambushed, car-jacking, and violent criminals. Strict adherence to security measures will be advised to all staffs in order to preserve them from being victims of serious security incident and enable a smooth and secure conduct of UN operations. The presence of a live volcano (Nyiragongo) is another factor that impact the life in Goma due to the emanation of gaz (CO and sulfur).
Goma is affected by earthquake. Last earthquake was in August 2015 with a level of 5.7 on Richter scale.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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).