Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection)

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 Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection)

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
In complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters where UNHCR is designated as the Protection Cluster Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach, the position of Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) performs a dedicated coordination, strategy development and advocacy function. The Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) reports directly to the UNHCR Representative who has final accountability for the performance of UNHCR as Cluster Lead Agency. At the same time, the incumbent effectuates  UNHCR's commitment to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach. The UNHCR Protection Cluster Lead Agency functions, embodied in the role of Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection), are critical in ensuring UNHCR¿s leadership within a diverse protection community. The Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) is expected to discharge UNHCR's lead role in the Protection Cluster and to impartially represent the interests of the members of the Protection Cluster, including the provision of active support, as applicable, to sub-clusters or working groups of the Cluster which may be coordinated by other Agencies. As a result, the Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) leads an inter-agency team in an environment that requires high standards of accountability and demonstrable leadership, coordination, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, and in which the principles of partnership and collaboration are essential.

The Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) represents the Protection Cluster in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms. The Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) advocates for protection mainstreaming in the humanitarian response, leads the mainstreaming of early recovery activities in the Protection Cluster, and spearheads the integration of cross-cutting issues into the work of the Protection Cluster, especially age, gender and diversity.

The Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) clusworks closely with and/or directly supervises a multi-functional UNHCR Protection Cluster Support team, including, but not limited to, the areas of information management, needs assessment, profiling, registration, reporting and advocacy.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- The protection needs of populations of concern are met through timely and coordinated action by all cluster members.
- The protection of populations of concern is maximized through research, advocacy and effective consultative and feedback mechanisms.
- Effective coordination mechanisms and tools, including information management, are established and maintained with cluster members, government counterparts and donors, ensuring timely and effective needs assessment, planning, prioritization, implementation, reporting and evaluation.
- Strategies and activities delivered by the Protection Cluster enjoy political and/or financial support by other clusters, government, donors and other partners through effective prioritization, advocacy and resource mobilization.

Responsibility
Strategic Direction
- Ensure that the protection response is driven by a Protection Cluster strategy developed in a consultative process with external partners and is integrated into the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian action plan.
- Convene and facilitate meetings in line with the Principles of Partnership, ensuring that cluster meetings are consultative and results-oriented.
- Ensure coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities.
- Lead the design of transition strategies for the Protection Cluster: facilitate the development of a strategy for the cluster ensuring proper linkages with disaster risk reduction, relief, and recovery and development efforts.
Needs Assessment and Resources Mobilization
- Lead, coordinate and conduct within the Protection Cluster or at Inter-Cluster level protection needs assessments, including participatory assessments of all affected populations.
- Provide strategic direction to development of common funding criteria, resource mobilisation and prioritization within the Protection Cluster for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes; Establish mechanisms for accountable and transparent financial resource allocation within the cluster.
Capacity Development
- Coordinate the delivery of protection training activities for Protection Cluster members, other local partners, and relevant authorities.
- Coordinate initiatives to build the protection capacity of the national and local government, partners and civil society.
Standards Setting
- Ensure adherence to IASC standard operating procedures for  IDP profiling.
- Coordinate the integration of cross-cutting issues in the work of the Protection Cluster, including any work developed by sub-clusters or working groups.
- Ensure adherence of Protection Cluster activities to Guidelines on Age, Gender and Diversity Mainstreaming.
- Through Cluster-wide consultative processes, provide input into the development of global protection policy and standards led by the Global Protection Cluster.
Information Management
- Facilitate reporting and information sharing within the Protection Cluster and at the inter-cluster level.
- Ensure that the Protection Cluster has a functional information management strategy and mechanism.
- Ensure that the Protection Cluster produces regular updates and briefing notes on the protection concerns in the affected population, response activities, challenges and recommendations.
Advocacy
- Identify core advocacy concerns for the Protection Cluster through a consultative process: develop joint cluster/ inter-cluster initiatives to ensure regular and consistent advocacy.
- Ensure a consistent interpretation and application of international law and related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and protection policies.
- Ensure the Protection Cluster¿s adherence to international human rights instruments, the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement as well as other relevant international and regional instruments; in cooperation with the Humanitarian Country Team support local interventions when violations of international protection standards and principles occur.
- Promote and strengthen national legislation relevant to internal displacement and durable solutions.

Authority
- Chair cluster meetings and represent the Protection Cluster in meetings with sectoral and external partners, authorities and other relevant interlocutors.
- Issue reports and make advocacy statements on behalf of the Protection Cluster.
- Make decision over format and frequency of meetings, designation of focal points and the establishment of sub-groups/working groups and ad hoc/task-related bodies for specific issues.
- Negotiate with the Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator, the Humanitarian Country Team and cluster members the prioritization and inclusion of project proposals and common funding criteria for inclusion in inter-agency funding appeals.
- Allocate financial and other resources within the Protection Cluster, when required, such as with regard to Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) or Common Humanitarian Funds (CHF).

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) in Law or Human Rights, International Relations or related protection oriented discipline plus minimum 8 years of previous work experience preferably in working with Protection Cluster, IDP Operation or Country Operations applying the Cluster Approach. 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.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Coordination Learning Programme.
- Management Learning Programme .
- Tri-Cluster Knowledge and Coordination Skills Training.
- Protection Learning Programme .
- Training on Protection in Natural Disaster Situations.
- Workshop on Emergency Management.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) 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
X007L3 - Political Awareness Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking 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 them – before deciding to apply- to read the country specific security and welfare country 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). Ensuring staff are better informed is part of the increased attention UNHCR is paying to Duty of Care.

Staff after having applied to High Risk Duty Stations will have access to country specific information webinars with Field Safety Section (FSS) and Staff Welfare Section (SWS) colleagues and provided with a tool to test their psychological preparedness for serving in High Risk Duty Stations. Applicants who applied for a position in a High Risk country will receive, after the deadline for applications has expired, a joint invitation from the Staff Welfare Section (SWS) and the Field Safety Section (FSS) to participate in these webinars. During the Webinars, latest updates on security and well-being will be provided, and FSS and SWS will address questions raised by participants. Applicants are highly encouraged to benefit, when applicable, from all measures as they provide most up-to-date security and well-being information helpful to assess staff’s readiness to serve in a High Risk Duty Station. A Staff Welfare Officer will also be available, if and when required, to discuss with interested applicants the results of the psychological preparedness tool as well as readiness for assignment in High Risk Duty Stations.

The candidate must possess experience working in the field of humanitarian protection, coordination, advocacy, policy planning with strong demonstration of coordination, facilitation, leadership, training, negotiation and eventually conflict resolution skills in order to be able to effectively lead and coordinate between the protection cluster members, and therefore sense of partnership and collaboration are essential.

Since the protection cluster coordinator will chair Protection Cluster meetings and represent the Protection Cluster and the interest of Protection Cluster members in external meetings, he/she needs to possess authority and the sense of diplomacy. 

Strong networks to keep abreast with changing dynamics within government and development partners strategic interventions in both humanitarian and development areas. Experience of working in inter-agency humanitarian coordination system or cluster system especially in the areas of protection, with refugees, returnees and IDPs, is an asset.

The Cluster coordinator needs to remain impartial and objectively be able to represent the interests of the members of the Protection Cluster, and, as applicable, working groups of the Protection Cluster which may be led by other Agencies.

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. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosts 536.271 refugees as of 31 August 2018 countrywide (including 217.766 Rwandan refugees, 176.654 CAR refugees, 46.512 Burundian refugees and 93.995 South Sudanese refugees). 
DRC also hosts more than 4 million IDPs mainly located as follows: 1.4 million in Kasai provinces, 1.1 million in North Kivu province, 545,273 in South Kivu province, 603,000 in Tanganyika province, 210,000 in Ituri province, 147,000 in Maniema province, 96,000 in Haut-Katanga province, 64,000 in Haut-Lomami province and 16,000 in Lualaba province. As lead Protection Cluster, UNHCR continues to play a key role supporting the DRC Government in implementing a durable solutions strategy in order to help end the circle of protracted displacement in the country.  
In April 2018, the United Nations system-wide Level 3 emergency declaration for the Kasai region and the provinces of South Kivu and Tanganyika was de-activated. At the same time, security and humanitarian conditions in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu have deteriorated sharply.  In Ituri, on-going violence has seen a rise in the number of internally displaced persons to almost 350,000. A further 92,000 have fled to Uganda, creating a refugee emergency for which an internal Level 2 emergency was declared. In North Kivu, 500,000 people have been displaced since the beginning of the year, bringing the total number of IDPs in the province to 1.45 million.
Both situations have witnessed, among others, forced recruitment, sexual and gender based violence and kidnapping. The recent outbreak of an Ebola epidemic has compounded matters. Along with other humanitarian actors, and working pursuant to its coordination roles for protection, CCCM and emergency shelter, UNHCR is distributing emergency relief items, meeting other essential needs through cash transfers and implementing shelter programmes for returning IDPs in both provinces. The Office is undertaking protection activities, strengthening the capacity of local communities and authorities at all stages of the displacement cycle, fostering peaceful co-existence and dialogue and promoting participation of youth and women in decision-making and promoting dialogue all with a view to addressing critical protection risks and advancing solutions.
At the same time of addressing the dictates of responding to the ever-changing demands of the IDP emergencies, UNHCR is called to be present to deliver assistance under its mandate to refugee caseloads scattered in various locations throughout the vast DRC territory.
Political tensions are very high in Kinshasa and it is feared that the Presidential elections, which are now planned in December 2018 after having been postponed several times, will bring a lot of insecurity in the big towns of Kinshasa, Goma, Lubumbashi, Kalemie, etc¿ where UNHCR is present.
The Regional Office in Kinshasa supervises and provides support to 5 sub-offices and 13 field offices/units within the Country.  It also oversees operations in Gabon, Sao & Principe and the Republic of Congo which provides support to more than 55,000 people of concern.
UNHCR is the lead agency in protection cluster coordination in DRC. 
The Senior Cluster Coordinator (Protection) will report to the Deputy Regional Representative (Protection). 
His/her primary responsibility will be to represent the Protection Cluster in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms. S/he will advocate for protection mainstreaming in the humanitarian response, leads the mainstreaming of early recovery activities in the Protection Cluster, and spearheads the integration of cross-cutting issues into the work of the Protection Cluster, especially age, gender and diversity. The Democratic Republic of Congo is the third largest country in Africa, and as a result is quite diverse.  Living conditions therefore vary between UNHCR duty stations, with all usual amenities present in the capital Kinshasa, but only very basic conditions in remote duty stations in the provinces, where, for instance, there may be no guarantee of public power supply nor running water.  Accommodation is very expensive in Kinshasa. There are several Supermarkets in town but consumer items are generally very expensive (as everything is imported). For food, local markets offer a much cheaper alternative.  Kinshasa is considered family duty station effective 1 January 2015, despite the fact that most facilities and amenities are still basic.

The unit of currency is the Congolese Franc. The US dollar is the other preferred currency. It may be impossible to exchange traveller¿s checks away from the capital city. Credit cards are usually accepted in major hotels only in Kinshasa. In larger towns and cities (e.g. Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu, Kisangani), it is recommended to open US Dollar bank accounts, while in other places, banks may be absent (including ATMs) and payments will be processed in cash.

In addition to French, there are four major spoken languages in DRC, namely Lingala, Kikongo, Tshiluba and Swahili. Kinshasa is a security level 2 duty station. Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note that the closing date for all vacancies in the September 2018 Compendium is Thursday 18 October  2018 (midnight Geneva time).