Solutions 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.

Solutions Officer

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
UNHCR Iraq is developing a Sustainable Solutions Strategy for refugees in Iraq. UNHCR aims to reduce dependency and promote the self-sufficiency, regardless of the chosen ¿solution path¿ of refuges. UNHCR will focus on including the rights of people of concern in existing national systems by treating as economically and socially active individuals who contribute to the economy and society as a whole.

The Sustainable Solutions Strategy aims to work across four cross-fertilizing areas or dimensions, namely the legal, economic, civil and socio-cultural dimensions. The vision is to ensure that refugees in the KR-I achieve durable solutions, including a legal status which protects their civil, cultural, economic, and social rights, which is a pre-condition for economic development and prosperity. While the UN and other members of the international community continue to advocate for access to territory, international protection and humanitarian support, UNHCR and their partners will gradually pivot from emergency thinking to long-term planning together with key governmental partners. Meanwhile, UNHCR will increasingly share its capacity with national institutions to ensure that persons of concern are targeted by and included in government services and welfare programmes.

Within the context outlined above, the role of the Solutions Officer is to steer and direct UNHCR's engagement and cooperation with development agencies implementing medium term programmes assisting local communities and refugees in countries with significant refugee populations. It is anticipated that these programmes will grow in significance in future years due to the greater importance attached to addressing protracted displacement situations by donor governments. The role will be pivotal to ensuring complementarity between UNHCR's protection work and the economic and social development objectives pursued by development partners and their government counterparts. It will therefore be important that the Solutions Officer coordinates closely with UNHCR senior management within the local Country and Sub and Field Offices. Ensure that (i) policy, operational and programme priorities are properly aligned between humanitarian and development agencies, and (ii) that reporting and information exchanges on key developments are established and maintained among all interested stakeholders.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT
Accountability
- UNHCR Iraq develops a Sustainable Solutions Strategy for refugees in Iraq.
- National/local partnerships with development cooperation agencies and their government counterparts established to ensure policy dialogue and programming for refugees and local communities is informed by protection concerns and objectives from the outset.
- Medium term economic and social development programmes addressing forced displacement incorporate protection and solutions perspectives for refugees during their planning, preparation and implementation.
- Agreed strategies with development partners and government to track the progress of medium-term development programmes addressing forced displacement towards improved economic and social outcomes for local communities and refugees.

Responsibility
- Contribute to development of and help set the foundations for the Sustainable Solutions Strategy.
- Provide technical leadership and support for relationship building with development co-operation agencies through the different stages of policy and programme identification, preparation, implementation and review.
- Develop partnerships and networks with development cooperation actors and governments to influence the policy dialogue with governments on institutional arrangements sectors, locations and programme content of consequence to UNHCR and persons of concern. This would, in particular, focus on supporting the coordination of the in-country relationship with the World Bank and the implementation of the IDA 18 financing for the refugee and local communities sub-window.
- Cooperate with development partners and government to assist them in incorporating the concerns of refugees, returnees and others of concern to UNHCR into the design and implementation arrangements of projects and interventions in a manner that impacts positively on protection circumstances.
- Identify, commission and/or contribute to studies and analytical activities that build the conceptual framework and evidence base for comprehensive, development-oriented responses, including preparedness work, to forced displacement.
- Engage with governments, development partners (both multilateral and bilateral), and with the private sector and civil society (as appropriate) to identify opportunities for UNHCR to contribute to the design and implementation of monitoring systems to track progress towards agreed outcomes.
- Facilitate coordination and collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience sharing between UNHCR and development actors and across UNHCR operations globally by documenting and disseminating good practices.
- Support local training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner agency staff to achieve greater coordination, effectiveness and synergies between humanitarian and development interventions.

Authority
- Steer and direct UNHCR's engagement and cooperation with development agencies implementing medium term programmes assisting local communities and refugees in countries with significant refugee populations.
- Ensure that policy, operational and programme priorities are properly aligned between humanitarian and development agencies.
- Ensure that reporting and information exchanges on key developments are established and maintained among all interested stakeholders.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law/International Law, Public Administration, Political Science, Social Science, Development, Economics, International Relations or related field 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.
- At least four (4) years of direct working experience with an international agency/organisation implementing development programmes, of which at least two (2) years in field operations,  preferably with knowledge of, or experience in, local or area based economic development.
- Experience in primary data collection, quantitative research methods and results-based management.
- Coordination and or networking skills engaging both development and humanitarian actors, familiarity with development and humanitarian processes.
- Excellent policy and development programming skills and familiarity with results based management.
- Solid understanding of development context and related operational challenges as they relate to refugees, including institutional arrangements.
- Excellent communication skills including ability to communicate and disseminate information effectively to a broad background of stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical skills, and good research capabilities.
- Understanding of current political developments in Iraq and wider region
- Prior experience drafting and implementation Solutions Strategies.
- Experience in policy development.
- Experience in Livelihoods Programming.
- Prior Experience in Durable Solutions.
- Strong and up-to-date knowledge of development, state-building and peace-building in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
- Good grasp of refugee protection.
- Experience dealing with high level negotiation.
- Experience in stakeholder mapping and influencer mapping.
- Experience working with the private sector.
- Excellent English language skills, including drafting.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Diverse field experience.
- Good IT skills including database management skills.
- Ability to deal with stressful situations and demanding workload.
- Knowledge of additional UN languages. 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
M003L3 - Judgement and Decision Making Level 3
X001L3 - Analytical Thinking Level 3
X005L3 - Planning and Organizing 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 incumbent of the position will report directly to the Coordinator of Northern Iraq and must demonstrate:

- Experience in primary data collection, quantitative research methods and results-based management.
- Proven coordination and or networking skills engaging both development and humanitarian actors, familiarity with development and humanitarian processes.
- Excellent policy and development programming skills and familiarity with results based management.
- Solid understanding of development context and related operational challenges as they relate to refugees, including institutional arrangements.
- Excellent communication skills including ability to communicate and disseminate information effectively to a broad background of stakeholders.
- Excellent analytical skills, and good research capabilities.
- Excellent English language skills, including drafting.
- Understanding of current political developments in Iraq and wider region
- Prior experience drafting and implementation Solutions Strategies.
- Experience in policy development.
- Experience in Livelihoods Programming.
- Prior Experience in Durable Solutions.
- Strong and up-to-date knowledge of development, state-building and peace-building in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
- Good grasp of refugee protection.
- Experience dealing with high level negotiation.
- Experience in stakeholder mapping and influencer mapping.
- Experience working with the private sector.
- Diverse field experience desirable.
- Good IT skills including database management skills.
- Independence and critical thinking.
- Ability to deal with stressful situations and demanding workload.
- Ability to work with the team in cooperative manner.
- Knowledge of Arabic language would be an asset. UNHCR¿s mandated responsibility for finding solutions to refugee situations has long required stronger cooperation with development partners and the inclusion of refugees within national development programmes. Notwithstanding the Office¿s efforts over many decades, the proportion of refugees and internally displaced persons in protracted displacement situations remains high. Moreover, the diminishing number of people who have found durable solutions constitutes a worrying trend that has persisted in recent years. In addition, the increasing scale of irregular migration, large scale refugee movements, and the costs of responding to humanitarian situations have also placed forced displacement high on the global agenda. These elements have further driven the realization that humanitarian support alone is insufficient to lift displaced populations out of poverty, enable solutions to their situations or assist them to realize their development potential.

Among the most significant humanitarian-development cooperation partnerships strengthened in recent years has been between the World Bank and UNHCR on forced displacement.  In the eighteenth replenishment (2017-2019) of the World Bank¿s International Development Association (IDA) financing programme for least developed countries, an amount of US$ 2 billion has been included for those states receiving large numbers of refugees. The IDA 18 allocation follows the operationalization of a global concessional financing facility for Middle Income Countries (MICs) affected by large numbers of refugees. In addition, UNHCR has enhanced cooperation with the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Within the context outlined above, the role of the Solution Officer is to steer and direct UNHCR's engagement and cooperation with development agencies implementing medium term programmes assisting local communities and refugees in countries with significant refugee populations. It is anticipated that these programmes will grow in significance in future years due to the greater importance attached to addressing protracted displacement situations by donor governments. The role will be pivotal to ensuring complementarity between UNHCR's protection work and the economic and social development objectives pursued by development partners and their government counterparts. It will therefore be important that the Solution Officer coordinates closely with UNHCR senior management within the local Country and Sub and Field Offices. Ensure that (i) policy, operational and programme priorities are properly aligned between humanitarian and development agencies, and (ii) that reporting and information exchanges on key developments are established and maintained among all interested stakeholders. UNHCR Iraq is developing a Sustainable Solutions Strategy for refugees in Iraq. UNHCR aims to reduce dependency and promote the self-sufficiency, regardless of the chosen ¿solution path¿ of refuges. UNHCR will focus on including the rights of people of concern in existing national systems by treating as economically and socially active individuals who contribute to the economy and society as a whole. The Sustainable Solutions Strategy aims to work across four cross-fertilizing areas or dimensions, namely the legal, economic, civil and socio-cultural dimensions. The vision is to ensure that refugees in the KR-I achieve durable solutions, including a legal status which protects their civil, cultural, economic, and social rights, which is a pre-condition for economic development and prosperity. While the UN and other members of the international community continue to advocate for access to territory, international protection and humanitarian support, UNHCR and their partners will gradually pivot from emergency thinking to long-term planning together with key governmental partners. Meanwhile, UNHCR will increasingly share its capacity with national institutions to ensure that persons of concern are targeted by and included in government services and welfare programmes. - Erbil is Category D Duty Station.
- Staff members assigned to Erbil are residing in the individual residential apartments inside the security cleared hotel complex
- Basic food and other commodities are widely available in the local shops and markets. Banking facilities are rather underdeveloped; therefore cash is the main means of settlement of various bills.
- Both local currency (Iraqi Dinar) and USD are equally accepted for any payments.  No specific dress-code applies and casual European style clothes are worn.
- Eight weeks R&R cycle applies for staff assigned in Erbil.
- Staff will need a three-month multiple-entry Iraqi visa on their UNLP and the office will facilitate multiple-entry one-year service residency permit upon arrival to duty station.
- Several international airlines operate daily flights from Erbil International Airport to number of large international airports in Europe as well as Middle East. - Security Clearance for travel to Iraq is covered under TRIP. With the recent changes in the Security SOPs for Iraq, all staff are required to submit their security clearance process for travel to country, including KR-I through TRIP  a) security clearance should be submitted through TRIP (please visit http://undss.org);
- The SSAFE (Safety and Security Approaches in a Field Environment) course must be undertaken by all international staff members to allow them to travel on mission. If a staff has conducted a SSAFE (Safety and Security Approaches in a Field Environment) course before, there will be no need for attendance.
- Subject to the advice received from the security unit, some movement of UN international staff within Kurdistan Region of Iraq may be undertaken in the convoy of two UN vehicles.
- Travel to border areas as well as disputed areas whereas newly displaced persons are concentrated is allowed in a convoy of two armored vehicles only.

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