Protection Assistant

Protection Assistant

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague.  The incumbent provides functional and administrative support to the protection unit on protection related liaison, correspondence, monitoring, case management and reporting activities.  

The Protection Assistant also supports the protection unit in designing a comprehensive protection strategy and in providing quality, timely and effective protection responses to persons of concern (PoC). S/he may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on correspondence and/or protection issues as guided by the supervisor.

The Protection Assistant also facilitates the involvement of PoC 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, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.  

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
- Observe and respect protection related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
- Provide functional and administrative support in all protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Provide functional and administrative support in implementing participatory approaches, needs assessments, monitoring, reporting and case management. 
- Support assessments on durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Facilitate liaison with competent authorities for the issuance of personal and other relevant documents.
- Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Select PoC for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
- Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G4 - 4 years relevant experience with High school diploma

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
Protection;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential: Not specified.
Desirable: Not specified.

Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy
CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.


This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. 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. CONSENT
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.
According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== (Interested candidates will please consider this section for situational information, and an overview on roles and responsibilities.  Some of the functions listed in the `Functional Statement¿ below are general protection assistant profile activities but may not be pertinent to this specific role.)

Jordan is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol and does not have national legislation pertaining to the status and treatment of refugees. The `1998 Memorandum of Understanding¿, as amended in 2014, is the guiding document between UNHCR and the Government and remains the legal basis for involvement with Persons of Concern (PoCs). Since the beginning of the Syria emergency the number of asylum seekers in Jordan has seen a high increase, putting serious constraints in the assistance and services provided to the refugee population overall. As a result of this increase, new processing strategies have been adopted with a focus on durable solutions. 

In this post, the Protection (PRT) Assistant, will
¿ Conduct approximately 30 +/- protection interviews per month,
¿ Draft detailed `¿Notes for File¿ (NFFs) when needed, and update proGres with new findings and recommendations.
¿ Liaise with neighboring host countries regarding residency and visa provisions, and research 3rd country laws and provisions related to the reception of foreigners and refugees. 
¿ Follow-up with POCs, and draft letters to the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate (SRAD) in order to regularize their situation in urban settings. 
¿ Contribute and facilitate effective information management through various databases on PoCs including the `Special Committee¿ database, the `Humanitarian Committee¿ database, the `Jordanian Bar Association¿ database, the `Palestinian cases¿ database, the `Birth Certificates¿ database, the `Civil Status¿ database, and the `Returnees¿ (Country of Origin) database.
¿ Prepare monthly reporting using the above-mentioned databases and figures, and ensure that the databases are available and up to date when needed.
¿ Provide figures and statistics for the Sit Rep, BPRM and End of Year reports. 
¿ Additional tasks including but not limited to: reviewing and directing petitions received from POCs, addressing emails received from other units, offices, and camps, and follow-up on PoC documents left on premises. Please note the closing date for this Job opening is 29 February 2020.