Associate Protection Monitoring Officer, UNOPS IICA-1, Ouagadougou

As of 31 August 2021, Burkina Faso hosts 1,446,183 persons of concern to UNHCR, including 1,423,378 internally displaced persons (IDPs), 22,777 refugees and 22 asylum-seekers. Most of refugees are hosted in Goudoubo refugee camp, Sahel region, while IDPs are scattered across all of the 13 regions, with over 70% of them settled in the Sahel and Centre-nord regions. The vast majority of this population is composed of women and children, who are in dire need of protection and assistance. The number of those fleeing for safety has doubled in 2020 alone – making Burkina Faso one of the fastest growing humanitarian and protection crisis globally. To ensure that protection risks/incidents and human rights violations are identified to allow timely and effective protection response, UNHCR has set up a protection monitoring mechanism implemented by its partners INTERSOS and MBDHP. They are mainly tasked with collection, verification, analysis and reporting of protection incidents and population movements in areas affected by insecurity to inform planification, programming, advocacy and operational interventions by humanitarian actors. Based on its mandate and engagement in IDP situations, UNHCR bears the responsibility to ensure that protection monitoring activities are well planned, implemented and coordinated in an efficient manner, hence the need to invest in competent human resources.

It is against this background that the UNHCR Representation in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso would like to request the deployment of an Associate Protection Monitoring Officer on UNOPS contract to strengthen the capacity of the Protection team to deliver and support the Representative in ensuring the fulfilment of UNHCR’s mandate as well as its engagement in IDP situations.

• Title: Associate Protection Monitoring Officer
• Duty Station: Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• Duration: 6 months
• Contract Type: UNOPS International ICA1 (equivalent to P2)
• Closing date: 05/11/2021
• Start date: Immediately

Organisational context

Overall, the security situation across the country continued to deteriorate, marked by threats and intimidation, looting of property including livestock, the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and targeted kidnappings followed by killings of civilians. Since early August, there has been an intensification of attack by armed groups on the Government Forces of Defense and Security (FDS). To date, UNHCR continues its operations despite hindered access in certain areas of the country, notably the regions of East, Sahel, Center-North, North and Boucle du Mouhoun. Instability in the country has also led to cross-border movements, with an estimated 38,000 Burkinabè refugees and asylum seekers across the region.

UNHCR Burkina Faso is present in six offices, including the Branch Office in Ouagadougou, a Sub-Office in Kaya, Field Offices in Dori, Bobo Dioulasso and Ouahigouya and a Field Unit in Fada-Ngourma.

The position

Under the overall guidance of the Assistant Representative (Protection) and direct supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the Associate Protection Monitoring Officer will be responsible for ensuring the coordination of quality data collection, verification, analysis and reporting by UNHCR protection monitoring partners and will ensure both the transversality and centrality of protection. The incumbent will be based in Ouagadougou and will support all operations in the country.

S/he will build and maintain effective collaboration with other relevant teams within the operation including Programme; external relations; IM, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

Duties and responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Officer, the UNOPS ICA holder will undertake the following tasks:

• Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection monitoring related issues
• Work closely with the protection staff in Ouagadougou and in the field, the protection partner staffs as well as the Protection Cluster to ensure that timely and quality data is collected and compiled
• Ensure protection trends and risks are identified in a timely manner and reported to the Protection Section and the Protection Cluster
• Prepare internal and external analyses and high-quality ad-hoc and regular reports in a timely manner
• Contribute to the regular development of protection monitoring products, including monthly/quarterly/annual highlights/ad hoc reports as requested by the management
• Review all reports and Information Management (IM) products relating the protection monitoring activities to ensure the accuracy of data and high-quality protection analysis is produced
• Liaise closely with the Information management Unit to ensure that IM tools, procedures and products support the smooth operationalization of the protection monitoring activities
• Work with management to ensure evidence is made available, analyzed and supports the response in the field by UNHCR and partners, programming for protection as well as advocacy for protection
• Follow up on protection risks and incidents to support the field operations and partners are adequately addressed through direct intervention, referral or advocacy
• Timely raise for and contribute to the update on the protection monitoring tools used to carry out protection monitoring activities
• Stay abreast of all protection related developments to prepare appropriate briefings and reports
• Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen applicable legislation and protection monitoring procedures and mechanisms.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Essential minimum qualifications and professional experience required

The ideal candidate will:

• Have a university degree in Law, International Law, International Human Rights Law, International Refugee Law, Political Sciences or other relevant field;
• Have three years of experience (with Bachelor degree) or two years of experience (with Master degree) working in area of IDPs or refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law;
• Experience with Field Offices and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.
• Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting;
• Have excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal, ability to work in team and negotiation skills;
• Good IT Skills including database management skills;
• Be fluent in French, with advanced writing skills. Good knowledge of English will be an asset;
• Be able to multi-task and to prioritize workload.

Location

The successful candidate will be based with the team in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Conditions

The individual contractor Agreement is for six (06) months and will start in December 2021. It is a full-time role with working hours starting from 8.00am to 5. 30 pm Monday to Thursday and from 8 h 00 to 14 h 00 pm the Friday (40 hours per week).

Burkina Faso has very basic infrastructures, including in the health sector. In Ouagadougou, there are more than 20 health clinics, but only nine are recommended by the UN System. Epidemics and other disease outbreaks are common in the operational area.

Ouagadougou is a family duty station and education is carried generally out in French, however there is also a US English school. Banking services are available including more than five international banks among which two are recommended by the UN System (United Bank of Africa and Ecobank).

For more information about the position and how to apply, please click on apply below.

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.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Closing date of applications: 05/11/2021