Registration Associate, G6, TA. San José, Costa Rica

CANDIDATES MUST BE LEGALLY PRESENT IN COSTA RICA AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION, RECRUITMENT, AND HIRING. ONLY CANDIDATES WHO HAVE A PERMANENT RESIDENCE AND WORK PERMIT IN COSTA RICA WILL BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE. Duties:

- UNHCR¿s Registration Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are implemented in accordance with relevant UNHCR standards and policies.
- Persons of concern have fair and transparent access to registration procedures.
- Assist in the implementation of registration strategies and methodologies for populations of concern.
- Assist in the supervision and daily running of registration team activities, where required.
- Conduct registration interviews when required in accordance with registration standards and guidance.
- Provide counselling to, and responds to queries from, asylum seekers and refugees regarding UNHCR's registration procedures and their rights and entitlements.
- Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all registration cases.
- Identify persons with specific needs and ensure timely referral to protection follow-up as required.
- Collaborate with protection staff and/or partners in the delivery of assistance and programming, including provision of identity and entitlement documentation.
- Draft correspondence and reports relating to registration activities in the operation, when required
- In consultation with the supervisor, make decisions related to day-to-da
- Provide statistics and draft reports related to registration data, as requested.
- In consultation with the supervisor, make decisions related to the day-to-day operations of the registration unit and devise registration procedures which are efficient and effective.
- Draft and submit reports and statistics related to registration.
- Perform other related duties as required.


Minimum Qualifications:

Education & Professional Work Experience:

Years of Experience / Degree Leve:l
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher


Field(s) of Education:
- Completion of the secondary Education with post-secondary training/certificate in Social Science, statistics, Mathematics, Information Technology, or related fields is desirable. (preferably with university degree with 2 years of experience).
- Good computer skills, particularly in data manaagement.
- Excellent knowledge in English and local language.


Certificates and/or Licenses:

Social sciences; Statistics; Mathematics; Information technology;


Relevant Job Experience:

Essential:
-Good computer skills, particularly in data management.

Desirable:
- Training in basic principles of international protection. Experience in working with UNHCR proGres software.
- Ability to review registration interview
- Ability to make sound judgement and decision making
- Management performance and ability to oversea the team in the absence of the senior officers.


Functional Skills:

*DM-Data Management
MS-Data Collection and Analysis
*IT-Computer literacy
IT-IT Refugee Systems & Applications
CL-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)
TR-Training/Coaching/Facilitation
EX-Experience in international organization (United Nations or similar)
PR-Experience in Registration

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)


Competency Requirements:

Core Competencies:
- Accountability
- Communication
- Organizational Awareness
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies:
- Ability to lead people
- Abitility to support and develop staff
- Planning
- Problem solving
- Managing relationships

Cross-Functional Competencies:
- Analytical Thinking
- Technological Awareness
- Planning and Organizing Excellent knowledge in English and local language.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Organizational Setting and Work Relationships:

The socio-political crisis and rise in persecution factors in Nicaragua since April 2018 has produced a particularly sharp increase in the number of Nicaraguan asylum-seekers in Costa Rica. Only 78 Nicaraguans were registered as asylum-seekers in 2017. However, from April 2018 to mid-2020, the number had grown to over 86,000. This includes a significant number of vulnerable persons: at least one quarter of the arrivals has required humanitarian assistance, although this figure has likely increased in the months since the arrival of COVID in March 2020. With the onset of the COVID pandemic and related measures, the regular influx of new asylum seekers slowed to a trickle, but is expected to increase again once the situation ¿normalizes¿ and borders are reopened on a greater level. The level of humanitarian and legal protection needs has only increased for those asylum-seekers, refugees, and persons at risk of statelessness ¿ known collectively as Persons of Concern (¿PoC¿) ¿ in the country.  
Costa Rica also continues to receive asylum-seekers from Venezuela, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Cuba and other countries with approximately 100,000 total PoC in Costa Rica at mid-2020. The country also hosts a significant number of persons from within and outside the region who are in transit through Costa Rica as part of mixed movements, but some of these persons apply for asylum as well.
The response capacities of Costa Rica, a country of approximately 5 million people, and those of UNHCR and other partners, have been severely stretched, resulting in inadequate reception facilities and significant delays in registering and processing asylum claims. The large backlog can inhibit asylum-seekers from timely access to documentation, work authorization, health insurance and other rights, as well as a final refugee recognition decision, increasing their vulnerability and exposure to protection risks, and increasing their dependency on humanitarian aid. 
UNHCR carries out registration activities for Persons of Concern (POC) to ensure that they are identified and monitored for protection interventions and case management activities. Registration involves the recording, verifying and updating of information on POC to UNHCR with the aim of protecting, and of implementing durable solutions. Registration with UNHCR would result in identifying persons with specific needs and facilitate access to protection interventions. 
According to Conclusion No. 91 (LII) of the Executive Committee (ExCom), registration is a protection tool and should be an ongoing process that records both essential information on initial displacement and changes in the refugee population. The continuous process of updating the information guarantees the integrity of the database so that quality protection, well-targeted assistance and durable solutions can be provided to the PoC.

While the Costa Rican government registers refugees for refugee status determination, UNHCR registers refugees and asylum-seekers to provide effective protection for people, manage individual cases, provide financial assistance, and for programmatic responses.
The Registration Associate may provide day-to day supervision, direction and support to UNHCR staff engaged in registration and related activities (including Reception, Filing, Data Management and conduct interviews), and monitors the efficiency and quality of registration processes, identify and entitlement documentation activities, and population data management. The Registration Associate collaborates closely with Protection, Programme, Operational Information Management collegues as well as with Government authorities and parthners on the provision of quality population data for the delivery of registration activities as needed. The incumbent also provides counselling to, and responds to queries from asylum-seekers and refugees regarding UNHCR¿s registration procedures and their rights and entitlements. S/he liases closely with protection staff and partners to endure timely identification and referrals of persons of concern for protection follow up. S/he may assist in compiling and analyzing information related to registration activities in the operation. The Registration Associate may provide interpretation and/or translation services in cases for which s/he has the required language competencies. S/he is under the overall supervision of the Associate Registration &  Identity Management Officer
S/he responds to queries from asylum seekers, and refugees regarding UNHCR¿s registration procedures and their rights and entitlements, conduct scheduling activities, or perform reverification interview when needed.
Additionally, as part of the multifunctional team in UNHCR, the registration unit at San Jose will be conducting scheduling of persons of concern, conduct assessments, re-verification and issuance of documentation to persons of concern as part of the UNHCR-CCSS (Caja Costarricense De Seguro Social) continuation of project from 2020 to identify and provide beneficiries with health insurance coverage.
Additionally, the focus for the year 2021 also includes supporting and strenghtening the asylum system of the government of Costa Rica and digitalize the Registration and Refugee Status Determination System. As part of the effort, the registration staff will also support with the data entry of all infromation available in the physical files at the refugee unit. This includes approximately data entry of 100,000 files in the refugee unit HOW TO APPLY

Internal candidates:
- Your application must be submitted by: MSRP - Self-Service - Recruiting - Careers - Costa Rica -NAME OF THE POSITION

External candidates:
- Candidates must submit their application through UNHCR's official application site: www.unhcr.org/careers.html
- click on Vacancies
- Look for Costa Rica
- To apply you must register in the upper right part of the page
- Click on position you are interested  and follow the instructions

(In case of technical problems, please login with a different browser).

For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please contact the Global Service Desk (hqussd@unhcr.org) prior to the deadline to allow sufficient time to resolve the issues. For any questions regarding the selection process, please contact Human Resources (cossarrhh@unhcr.org).

CVs will NOT be accepted by email. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.

We are committed to maintaining diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and culture.  Persons belonging to minority groups, persons with special abilities, men and women, are encouraged to apply for vacancies. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

We do not confirm receipt of applications or report on the status of the process. Only qualified candidates will be contacted for an interview and possibly a written test.

Closing Date
Closing date for submissions or applications is 15 June 2021, (midnight Geneva time) 16:00 hours (Costa Rica time).
No late applications will be accepted.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).