Associate RSD Officer

This vacancy is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the USA and is addressed exclusively to candidates WITH THE US NATIONALITY ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT.

The Arab Republic of Egypt ratified the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 1981, as well as the 1969 OAU Convention governing specific problems of refugees in Africa in 1980.  Egypt, however, has not developed any domestic asylum procedures. The functional responsibilities for all aspects related to refugee status determination in Egypt are delegated to UNHCR, under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Government in 1954, which requests the office to support the Government by undertaking the following specific tasks:

(a) To co-operate with the Government authorities in determining refugee status under the mandate of the High  Commissioner; (b) To facilitate the voluntary repatriation of refugees; (c) To pursue, in co-operation with the Egyptian Government, the resettlement of refugees in third countries; (d) To provide, within the limits of the funds available to the Office, for the assistance of the most destitute refugees in Egypt; and (e) To co-ordinate the activities of refugee-assisting non-governmental organizations authorized by the Government.

UNOPS in UNHCR Cairo are involved in all aspects of UNHCR Protection, including registration and refugee status determination for asylum seekers. Through their endeavours, UNOPS contribute to the provision of protection for persons of UNHCR¿s concern in Egypt.

The Associate RSD Officer is a member of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team. Under the direct supervision of the RSD Supervisor, s/he is responsible for carrying out supervisory responsibilities in the RSD procedure, as delegated by the RSD Supervisor.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT. 

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

The Associate RSD Officer will be expected to review up to 40 Simplified RSD cases or 20 to 30 Regular RSD cases per week by ensuring that the database is accurately updated and the necessary referrals are done to the functional units. The incumbent will also be expected to supervise eligibility officers with an aim to contribute to their capacity development and their production of high quality decisions. As a supervisor, the incumbent will be accountable on his/her supervisees' database updates and monthly productivity reports. 

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results)
The Associate RSD Officer's responsibilities mainly include case reviews, providing legal and procedural guidance and coaching, interviewing asylum seekers with complex claims and drafting assessments. The incumbent might also be requested to be involved in tasks related to the reception and registration of asylum seekers and refugees, file assignment and scheduling of RSD interviews, coordination of the work of interpreters, as required. The Associate RSD Officer may liaise with Government authorities and other partners about issues related to UNHCR's RSD procedure and relevant UNHCR guidelines and standards related to RSD. S/he may supervise caseworkers and carry out training for staff, Government authorities and other partners on legal and procedural issues related to RSD and provide technical advice to strengthen national asylum procedures.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. 

EDUCATION/QUALIFICATION: University degree in Law, International Law, Political Sciences, International Relations or another related field. The degree must have been obtained in an accredited institution listed under whed.net.

WORK EXPERIENCE: Three years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) ; or two years relevant experience with Graduate degree (MA/MS); or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree.
Experience working directly with procedures and principles related to adjudicating individual asylum claims in RSD procedures. In-depth knowledge of International Refugee Law, International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law and International Criminal Law and ability to apply relevant legal principles in the RSD context, including exclusion decision-making. Experience in counselling asylum-seekers and individual case management.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES. 

Knowledge of the ¿Procedural Standards for RSD under UNHCR¿s Mandate¿ and other guidelines and standards governing UNHCR¿s mandate RSD activities.
Experience and demonstrated skills in refugee law training. REQUIRED COMPETENCIES

Code Managerial Competencies               

M001: Empowering and Building Trust
M002: Managing Performance
M003: Judgement and Decision Making

Code Cross-Functional Competencies      
X001: Analytical Thinking
X005: Planning and Organizing
X009: Change Capability and Adaptability LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE
- Essential: English,     
- Desirable: 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
RSD Learning Programme, Management Learning Programme


LEARNING ELEMENTS

1. Knowledge of extensive country of origin information on the caseloads UNHCR Cairo processes
2. Strong research and adjudication skills
3. Knowledge on relevant caselaw
4. Theoretical and practical knowledge on Global RSD Procedural Standards
5. Theoretical and practical knowledge on Standard Operating Procedures of the Office and the Unit
6. Good understanding on the wider protection framework of the Office and the role of RSD within LIVING CONDITIONS AT THE DUTY STATION

Egypt is full of historic and cultural significance and, together with multiple touristic sites and locations to visit and enjoy, can be a welcomed relief to the otherwise heavy demands of the workday.

Cairo is a family Duty Station Category (A) and has relatively good areas for accommodation. The cost of accommodation varies and depends the location and the preferences of the incumbent. The cost of food, drink and clothing will depend on particular lifestyle demands but there is a variety of choice. International banks such as HSBC and CIB are available. Alexandria has good health facilities.

Housing/accommodation: Available
Property rental (house, flat, apartment,etc) Most international staff members rent furnished apartments either in Zamalek (down town) or in 6 of October near the office. There are also villas in compounds at 6 of October area near the office. Domestic help is usually available per hour or per day rates apply.

Health care: Available
Medical facilities (Doctors, Clinics, Laboratories, Hospitals) Some of the most renowned hospitals in Egypt with professional and proficient doctors in the below list:

Dar Al Fouad (6th of October)
The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities and the most prominent in Egypt nowadays.

Cleopatra Hospital (Heliopolis)

It has two major aspects, clinical excellence ethical conduct, in a cost effective single source solution. This is attained by very close collaboration between the Hospital many consultants holding honorary chairs senior
lectureships in the university.

Al Salam Hospital (Two branches: one in Mohandesseen and the other in Maadi) It includes 13 (thirteen) rooms of operative theatre where the operations distributed on many floors. It also contains 25 external clinics serving the
patients in all clinical specializations besides special units (the cardiac catheter, the intensive care, the artificial kidney unit, the C.T., the Gamma camera & the audiology center)

Misr International Hospital (Dokki)
A progressive multi-site community hospital with leading diagnostic services and medical and surgical care focused on patient needs. Dental care, Physiotherapy and other specialized services Some renowned clinics for dental care, among which:

¿ Down town: Barsoum Dental Clinic (Payment for services is possible
in cash or via credit card)
¿ Mohandesseen and/or Maadi: Cairo Dental Center Dr. Nabil Moawad
(Payment for services is possible in cash or via credit card)
Educational facilities Available
Education in Egypt has developed in recent years dramatically. The variety of education systems includes: public, private and international. The public education system in Egypt consists of three levels: the basic education stage for 4¿14 years old: kindergarten for two years followed by primary school for six years and preparatory school for three years. Then, the secondary school stage is for three years, for ages 15 to 17, followed by the tertiary level. Education is made compulsory for 9 academic years between the ages of 6 and 14. Moreover, all levels of education are free any government run schools. Many private schools offer additional educational programs, along with the national curriculum, such as the American High School Diploma, the British IGCSE system, the French baccalauréat, the German Abitur and the International Baccalaureate. This is also oddered in some international school.

Security: Egypt is an (A) duty station  with the security measures in place the majority of Egypt is at Security Level 2 (Low) with the exception of the Western Desert, which is Security Level 3 (Moderate) and the North Sinai, which is Security Level 5 (High). UNHCR Egypt currently operates mainly in Low to Moderate security level areas and does not have operations in areas with High security levels.

The security situation is relatively stable. However there have been a number of attacks on security (police and military) forces and on rare occasions religious and tourism sites.  Civil unrest since 2015 is low, there are very rarely large demonstrations or public disorder incidents.

The crime rate in the country is moderate with some incidents particularly in the larger cities (Cairo and Alexandria) such as thefts, burglary and robbery. Also of note some bag snatchers (especially against females). Sexual harassment against women and girls is high in the country targeting both Egyptian and International staff.

Hazards are the most challenging safety issue as road accidents are common in Egypt, due to poor road conditions, dangerous driving and non-enforcement of traffic laws. Vulnerability to staff is enhanced when they do not practice basic safety measures such as the wearing of seat belts. Fires in apartments are a hazard, with electricity standards low causing electrical fires. Vulnerability to staff is exacerbated by staff not following advisories, such as to install smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in their residences.

Other (transports, banks, etc): Available PLease note that the closing date for this JPO advertisement is Wednesday 31 March 2021 (midnight Geneva time).