UNOPS LICA 6 GROW Project Coordinator

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
CLOSING DATE: 28 January 2022

Title:            Project Coordinator
Project:         GROW: Growing Solutions and Funding for Refugees
Duty station:         Buenos Aires/Argentina
Section/Unit:         Regional Representation
ICA Level: UNOPS LICA-6
Corresponding level: Level 6
Duration:         Initial period of three months from 01/04/2022 to 30/06/2022, renewable to 31/12/2022
Supervisor:             Multi Country Office (MCO) - Regional Representative


1. General Background
Considering the global level of forced displacement and the pressing need for more resettlement places and growth of complementary pathways, together with the organization¿s increasing budgetary requirements to cover global refugee programmes, in 2020 the Division of International Protection (DIP) and the Division of External Relations (DER) initiated a joint process to address both challenges through an integrated approach.
This DIP/DER process developed during 2021/2022 is known as GROW: Growing Solutions and Funding for Refugees and seeks to broaden and grow third country solutions - mainly through sponsored resettlement allowing individuals and communities to provide hands-on support in the reception and integration of refugees - while supporting the financial and social growth of UNHCR¿s National Partners (NP) and embedded private sector teams. National Partners are national NGOs that raise funds and awareness for UNHCR within their respective countries and extend the reach of UNHCR¿s work to millions of supporters worldwide. National Partners are operating in nine countries in Europe, the Americas and Asia and the Pacific. GROW is aligned to the Three-Year Strategy (2019-2021) on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways and is led by a Special Adviser linked to the Directors of DIP and DER working in close cooperation with both Divisions, UNHCR Country Operations (COs)/Multi-Country Offices (MCO) and relevant stakeholders.
In 2020/21, DIP/DER developed the conceptual model and agreed on procedural modalities for GROW with the aim of piloting it and validating it during 2021 in three countries and continents. However, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions affecting participating pilot countries, GROW initiatives have been considerably delayed with operational activities only beginning in December 2021. This delay also impacted the production of the GROW institutional Toolkit which aims to support organizational mainstreaming. While core parts of the Toolkit will be finalized in 2021, sections referring to the pilot projects, their design, lessons learnt and adjustments will be delayed until the end of Q3 2022, relying on a meaningful timespan for operational validation and adjustment.
Considering the organizational strategic interest in GROW and its main objective to increase third country solutions globally, aspects of it are funded through the Sustainable Resettlement and Complementary Pathways Initiative (CRISP). The CRISP is a joint UNHCR-IOM initiative which has the overall objective of growing sustainable resettlement programmes and advancing complementary pathways through multi-stakeholder partnerships and targeted capacity building of States and key actors. The CRISP funded the Coordinator Position in Argentina in 2021 and due to the delays in implementation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the CRISP will continue to cover this position for 2022. Bearing in mind the global dimension and pilot nature of GROW, combined with the need to work in a cross-functional manner - programme, protection, Durable Solutions (DS), Public Information (PI) - the Coordinator will report to the Regional Representative in the MCO with close working links to relevant colleagues in DIP.
The Argentina GROW pilot is limited in scale, with six refugee families foreseen to arrive to Argentina in two phases during 2022. Preparation for the first phase commenced in 2021 when 15 suitable mentors were identified and selected from the Argentinean National Partner¿s donor base to welcome and provide integration support to the first three families (groups of five mentors per refugee family) for a 12-month period. Given the pandemic context and two full lockdowns in the country during 2020/2021, the arrival time of the three families was delayed from Q2 2021 to Q1 2022. The National Partner has embarked on a fundraising effort to mobilize the funds required for the integration of these first three families. During phase two, the first refugee arrivals will continue to be supported. In addition, the arrival of the second group of refugees is tentatively planned for Q3/Q4 2022. The integration costs of the second group will be covered by new and additional funds raised by the National Partner. For these cases new mentors will also need to be mobilized by the National Partner to support with integration. The ultimate focus of the pilot in Argentina will be on validating and improving GROW prior to organizational mainstreaming.

Aiming to make the work and impact of the GROW Coordinator position sustainable beyond the pilot period, at the beginning of 2022, a sustainability strategy will be developed for putting in place future arrangements which will ensure a transition from the pilot to a lasting arrangement.

  
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The scope of the assignment outlined below builds upon work conducted in 2021 and Q1 2022. Under the overall supervision and with guidance from the Regional Representative and in close collaboration with relevant DIP staff, the contractor will be tasked to:

¿ Manage and oversee the operational phase of the pilot in all aspects including content, process and programmatic and financial aspects in line with the relevant rules and regulations and keeping abreast senior management of MCO and relevant DIP colleagues at all stages;
¿ work in close coordination with Protection and Durable Solutions colleagues on all key aspects involving resettled refugees assisted under the pilot as well as with PI as per the development of messages and communication products advancing the double goal of GROW;
¿ continue to prepare step-by-step, accurate pilot documentation including pending guidance papers, factsheets, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in English language to inform the institutional mainstreaming, including lessons learnt to be incorporated in the GROW Toolkit.
¿ adapting where necessary the GROW mentors Training Package (in English and Spanish), organising and facilitating the mentor¿s training for Phase Two.
¿ in coordination with the SA/Private Sector Partnerships (PSP)/MCO colleagues, continue to closely work and liaise with Fundación ACNUR Argentina on fundraising, visibility and communication material relating to the two pilot phases and harmonized with global communication needs.
¿ under the guidance of the Regional Representative/other senior MCO staff set up and (co-)manage a coordination mechanism with participation from the government, expert NGOs, Fundación ACNUR Argentina, and UNHCR to foster a multi-disciplinary team approach, mutual learning and effective programme implementation.
¿ assist in developing and maintaining a close and constructive relationship with key stakeholders of sponsored resettlement and refugee integration in Argentina, with a view to harmonize approaches, complementing efforts and facilitating the sustainability of GROW.
¿ under the guidance of senior MCO and DIP staff assist in the coordination with other stakeholders such as IOM or training partners on an ad-hoc basis;
¿ facilitate and engage in ongoing monitoring of the pilot to track progress, identify challenges and necessary mitigation measures on the basis of a monitoring plan to be developed with protection and other relevant MCO staff.
¿ identify risks affecting the implementation of the pilot and propose solutions to senior colleagues based on the national and global contexts;
¿ ensure that project planning and implementation applies at all stages a sustainability lens through targeted capacity building support and advising MCO management on issues to be raised with the government at a senior level.
¿ Complete possible pending tasks resulting from the delayed arrival of the refugee families and other adverse circumstances in 2021, Q1 2022.

Specific tasks include:
¿ Identification and selection of mentors - jointly with MCO colleagues with the support of Fundación ACNUR Argentina (Phase Two);
¿ verify security checks of mentors have been conducted prior to mentors¿ contact with refugee families (Phase Two);
¿ jointly with MCO colleagues and with the support of Fundación ACNUR Argentina group selected mentors into structured mentor groups (Phase Two);
¿ together with UNHCR protection colleagues (and Fundación ACNUR Argentina as needed), support the mentor-refugee matching process and matching outcome (Phase Two);
¿ building on previous work, conduct a needs assessment mapping and develop a plan for internal (UNHCR) and external mentor support (NGO network, SSI, GRSI);
¿ together with the expert NGO and MCO colleagues, continue to coach and accompany mentors and facilitate additional external training/support as needed (Phase One and Two);
¿ establish and accurately keep a pilot logbook and documentation file with regular review exercises (Phase One and Two);
¿ coordinate pre-departure refugee-mentor/ bonding in close consultation with IOM and DIP resettlement and complementary pathways service (Phase One and Two);
¿ provide IOM with relevant content to inform delivery of the pre-departure cultural orientation to refugees in the country of asylum (Phase One and Two);
¿ building on previous work, support the expert NGO in the development and approval of an integration plan with active involvement of refugee men, women and children (Phase Two);
¿ jointly with protection colleagues and the expert NGO, ensure an Age, Gender and Diversity based protection monitoring plan is in place to cover the entire process (Phase One and Two);
¿ together with the protection partner, support mentors during the implementation phase with guidance, conflict resolution and emergency interventions as required (Phase One and Two).

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

Expected output:
Successful implementation and documentation of Argentina pilot with progress measured against jointly agreed benchmarks including:
- bi-monthly, short and concise, progress reports to HQ and the Regional Representative focused on the evolving pilot mechanism and related infrastructure, mentors, refugees and their integration process (in English);
- regular coordinating meeting/up-dates with MCO colleagues including senior management and DIP.
- quality input for visibility products for UNHCR and National Partners for the arrival of the refugee families.
- consolidated high quality pilot documentation building on previous iterations including SOPs, guidance, logbook, and a summary report reviewing the entire period from April 2022 ¿ December 2022 in English language.
- at the end of the contract period provide a thorough handover including relevant documentation, organize relevant files, as required and generally facilitate a smooth transition. 


4. Qualifications and Experience
(List the required education, work experience, expertise and competencies of the individual contractor. The listed education and experience should correspond with the level at which the contract is offered.)

a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
¿ Bachelor's degree in Social Science/Social Work, International Affairs/Community Development or Political Science, Social Anthropology, Business Administration or related careers.
¿ Proven knowledge and practical experience in the design, monitoring and evaluation of social and/or community action programmes and projects.
¿ Spanish mother tongue and excellent proven oral and written command of English certified at the university level or commensurate levels.
¿ Advanced IT skills.
A strong asset would be previous involvement in community sponsorship/refugee integration programmes in Argentina.

IMPORTANT: All applicants should be Argentinian or hold a Temporary or permanent Labour VISA with residence in Argentina.
¿¿
b. Work Experience
(List number of years and area of required work experience. Clearly distinguish between required experience and experience which could be an asset.)
¿¿¿¿¿
* Minimum of 4 years of previous relevant professional work experience (required) in the fields of refugee/migrant integration, community development and programme management.
* Knowledge of UNHCR's work in Argentina and the characteristics of resettlement programmes based on the community sponsorship model.
* Experience in managing social projects or programmes with public actors, civil society, international organizations or the private sector.
* Leadership and teamwork experience.
An asset would be previous working experience with English as a working language.

c. Key Competencies
(Technical knowledge, skills, managerial competencies or other personal competencies relevant to the performance of the assignment.  Clearly distinguish between required and desired competencies)
¿¿¿¿       
¿ Strategic planning and vision. 
¿ Leadership and team skills.
¿ Proven stakeholder management skills(required).
¿ Solid experience in programme management (required).
¿ Excellent communication and presentation skills (required.
¿ Interpersonal and cross-cultural skills (required).
¿ Organization skills and ability to adapt to a variable workload and pressing timelines (required).
¿ Excellent drafting, translating and editorial skills, both in Spanish and in English (required).
¿ Good knowledge of UNHCR¿s mandate and international protection/ humanitarian issues and community programme approaches (highly desirable).
¿ Knowledge of digital communication technologies (desirable).

NOTE:
Eligibility / Internal candidates:
Interested staff members should consult the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff ¿ (RALS) UNHCR/AI/2020/1/Rev.2). If you have questions regarding your eligibility, you may also contact the HR Unit.
Only applicants from Group 1 and Group 2 candidates are eligible to apply to internally advertised positions.
a) Group 1 comprises current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment who, at the date of the deadline for application, are serving in the country of the vacancy at the grade of the position or one grade below or above.
b) Group 2 comprises candidates that received confirmation by the HR/Admin in the country of the vacancy announcement.

Submission of Applications:
If you wish to be considered for this vacancy, please submit your application by the closing date. No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to sit for a test and an oral interview where competencies, languages and technical skills will be tested. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.