Associate Livelihoods Officer

This vacancy is advertised in the frame of the US JPO Programme and is only open to candidates with US nationality. UNHCR is currently managing and coordinating refugee operations in 2 refugee camps in Sahel Region of Burkina Faso. The 2 refugee camps of Goudoubo and Mentao are currently hosting around 14,500 refugees, in addition to 9,500 Malian refugees living outside of the camps. According to the last BIMS oepations, the total number of Malian refugees living in Burkina Faso is 24,000.
UNHCR supports over 12 partners (UN agencies, government, international and national NGOs) to implement the on-going refugee operation.
UNHCR Burkina Faso is now focus in self-reliance and resilience of Malian refugees who arrived in the country in 2012 as there is no great improvement in the situation in Nothern part of Mali and many refugees will surely stay in the country for long time.
  To respond to the new challenges, UNHCR¿s technical unit is currently in the process of adjusting to the changing field situation and strategic direction and strengthening its livelihood, resilience and self-reliance activities.
The Associate Livelihoods Officer  (JPO) will work with the Assistant Livelihoods Officer and Senior Livelihoods Assistants as well as a Livelihoods Assistant (NUNV) in the operation. The technical unit provides technical support and monitoring capacity to all UNHCR implementing partners responsible for the provision of food assistance, nutrition support and livelihoods interventions. The incumbent is expected to be a key member of the technical unit assisting the Program Officer to provide technical support and guidance in the area of responsibility. The incumbent would be expected to be able to work with little supervision.

In January 2012, the outbreak of violence between government forces and multiple armed groups in northern Mali led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of individuals seeking refuge in the neighbouring countries of Mauritania, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso recorded its first influx in January 2012 and currently hosts over 24,000 Malian refugees (biometric registration/UNHCR online database ¿December 2017). Despite the Ouagadougou agreement of June 2013 and the Alger agreement signed in May 2015 between the Malian Government and Tuareg nationalist rebels, spontaneous returns are not occurring on a large-scale due to incertitude in the effective resumption of administration, public services and socio-economic activities back home. Apart from that, security risks reduced the humanitarian presence, particularly in the north of the country and does not encourage many refugees to return to their home country.
 
Based on their livelihoods (pastoralists, artisans, traders), community affiliations and, in many instances, due to previous experience of camps in the 1990s , the majority of Malian refugees have chosen to settle in the Sahelian belt of the country. Since 2012, they have been granted prima facie refugee status by the Government. Some 80 per cent of them live in three consolidated refugee camps, namely Sag-Nioniogo, Goudoubo and Mentao (see map below) , and the remaining 20% in host villages, urban centres, and spontaneous sites. In March 2015, Sag-Nioniogo camp was closed, in line with UNHCR¿s camp consolidation policy, and refugees supported to either voluntarily repatriate to Mali or to relocate to the camps in the Sahel region.

Despite the change in government, the asylum environment has so far been unaffected and Burkina Faso continues to play its role in the protection of refugees living on its territory in accordance with commitments to legal and protection instruments. Donors are expressing commitment to accompanying Burkina Faso in the implementation of its National Economic and Social Develpoment Plan (PNDES) from 2016-2020.

On 15 January 2016, gunmen armed with heavy weapons attacked the Cappuccino restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in the heart of Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso. The number of fatalities reached 30,[1][10][11]while at least 56 were wounded; a total of 176 hostages were released[3][12] after a government counter-attack into the next morning as the siege ended. Three perpetrators were also killed

Form 2016 to now, the security context in the country have changed particularly in the Sahel Region, where the 2 refugees camps are located and where the most attacks occurred.
However, refugees and humnaitarian are not target and UNHCR is advocating for them to benefit to new Emergency Programme for Sahel (PUS),  PADEL ( Programme d'Appui au Developpment  Economique et Local) PNDES ( Programme National de Developpement Economique et Social) a Governemental initiatives to respond to religious extremism. 

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT.

Accountability

¿ Livelihoods programming in Burkina Faso improved
¿ Impact of livelihoods interventions in Burkina Faso amplified
¿ Innovative solutions to increase employment of refugees in priority countries introduced

Responsibility

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Programme Officer :

1) Programme development and coordination
- Design programmes that enhance opportunities to strengthen beneficiaries communities that promote self reliance, livelihoods, livestocks and build resilience to socks and response capacity.
- Contribute to develop sytems and tools for evaluation and assessment of livelihood activities
- Ensure that high quality standards are applied to achieve intented impacts in livelihoods
- Support the development of refugees¿ income generation activities and self-reliance capacities.
- Establish contacts with private and public sector e.g. development donors, state run institutions, universities, social enterprises, etc. to engage them in trainings around livelihoods, establish referrals, and outline linkages.
- Establish contacts with the public sector ¿ e.g. development donors, state run institutions, etc. to engage them in grants to benefit refugees. Complete grant applications on behalf of refugee groups
- Develop cooperation with selected service providers for referrals and linkages i.e. implementing partners, business training teams and bodies, business development services, financial institutions (including MFIs), etc. at country level.
- Support the implementation and monitoring of the Graduation Approach ¿ particularly the work of camp-based coaches.
-Contribute to define and promote an integrated vision of providing asssitance through cash transfer and/or voucher modalities to meet UNHCR's objectives.
- Maintain regular contact with the Cash Based Interventions (CBI) section at RO Dakar to ensure appropriate support , lessons learned and best practices.
- Assist in Monitoring and Evaluation activities.
- Provide monthly reports on the sector, including statistics.

2) Stakeholder management: Assistance in defining and managing relationship with key stakeholders related to Livelihoods sectors.
- Working closely with camp management to contact skilled artisan refugees, assessing their skills and matching them with available programs.
- Assist in procedures and paperwork  of forming refugees into associations, and registering these with the necessary local authorities.
- Identify local businesses especially designers and shops who could sustainably source refugee produced goods.
- As export markets are defined by HQ DPSM, fulfil administrative tasks of collating products and ensuring handover to export entity in a timely fashion, or helping refugee producers organizing themselves to fulfil this task.

3) Facilitation of legal aspects
- Work with Protection staff to ensure that refugees work conditions and payments, at minimum, conform to legal standards.
- Ensure that a Framework or Cooperation Agreement with Private Sector, as defined by Legal Aid Section (LAS) is signed by private sector entity hiring or sourcing work from refugees.
- Work with Protection staff to facilitate work permits/legal requirements for refugees to work where possible and help with advocacy.

4) Training management
- As project grows, define necessary training programs for refugees, in coordination with relevant actors/partners
- Define the needs to implement training.
- Manage training with implementing partners.

Authority

* Recommend to the Senior Program Officer the level and type of technical support that needs to be provided to field operations.
* Decide on the detailed actions to be taken in order to respond to stakeholder requests approved by the Senior Program Officer.
* Recommend to Senior Program Officer steps and actions to be taken in order to achieve the Livelihoods program objectives

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. 

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATION:
Graduate degree (equivalent of a Master's) obtained in a recognised institution (listed under www.whed.net), plus minimum 2 years of relevant professional work experience. An undergradute degree (equivalent of a Bachelor's) plus 3 years or a Doctorate degree (equivalent to a PhD) plus 1 year may also be accepted.

Fields: Economics, or Business Administration or other clearly related fields.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Professional working experience in the management of market oriented development programmes/projects, with a focus on livelihood activities, including programme/project formulation, implementation, evaluation and monitoring.

SKILLS:  strong communication, reporting, presentation, and planning skills.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES. 

- Completion of specific trainings relevant in function of the position. Managerial Competencies

M002: Managing Performance
M003: Judgement and Decision Making
M006: Managing Resources

Cross-Functional Competencies:

X001: Analytical Thinking
X004: Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
X005: Planning and Organizing LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE

- Essential: English, French,
- Desirable: Working knowledge of any other UN language (Spanish, Chinese, Russian or Arabic) SUPERVISION: The JPO will be under the direct supervision of the manager indicated under `Supervisor title and position number¿.  The supervisor will be responsible for the performance evaluation of the JPO. The manager will also ensure that the JPO is provided a thorough induction and orientation briefing, followed by on-the-job training as well as continuous guidance for training/learning opportunities throughout the assignment. In support to the manager, the JPO Unit provides the Supervisory Guidelines upon recruitment/reassignment of the JPO. TRAINING COMPONENTS AND LEARNING ELEMENTS

TRAINING COMPONENTS:
- Mandatory training courses:
1. Basic Security in the Field (NB: needs to be retaken every 3 years)
2. Advanced Security in the Field  (NB: needs to be retaken every 3 years)
3. Protection Induction Programme (PIP)
4. UN Course on Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority
5.    Orientation to IPSAS

- Recommended training courses

- The incumbent will be briefed by different sections on the mandate and programmes of UNHCR (protection, RSD, RST, etc.)
- The incumbent will be able to receive all online learning programmes available for UNHCR core staff members.
- The incumbent will participate in external training programmes when needed and if funds are available. 


LEARNING ELEMENTS
Please indicate what the incumbent will learn during the assignment, defined in measurable results through applied skills or demonstrated competencies and specified per year.

The incumbent will be trained on the minimum standards for livelihoods programming, the UN system, and the global refugee protection issues. He/she will become familiar with asylum systems in the world and will be able to analyze the relation between asylum policies and the programmatic dimension. The incumbent will learn how to design, implement, monitor and evaluate livelihoods programmes targeting asylum seekers and refugees. LIVING CONDITIONS AT THE DUTY STATION

Housing/accommodation: Adequate housing facilities depending on choice

Health care: Adequate health facilitie

Educational facilities: Adequate educational facilities

Security: Security phase 2

Other (transports, banks, etc): Adequate banking and communication facilities
Adequate shopping spots and restaurants
Hot weather environment except for the months of November to January Please note that the closing date for applications for this position is Sunday 7 April (midnight Geneva time).