Protection Case Management Associate

This Job Opening is available to eligible UNHCR staff members and external applicants.

External candidates must be legally present in Zambia at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Non-Zambian citizens are required to submit a valid Zambian residence permit to be considered.

Candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position. Interested applicants need to apply online and complete the mandatory motivation letter. Go to: https://unhcr.org/careers.html

Applications will be accepted only via the online portals. Please do not send application via email.  

Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants to apply. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms gender, disability, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General¿s Office (IGO) at inspector@unhcr.org Operational Context

In a letter to UNHCR in 2020, the Zambian Office of the Commissioner for Refugees/Ministry of Home Affairs expressed concern over the increase in the number of individuals seeking asylum based on their sexual orientation and gender identity. In the same letter, Zambian authorities noted that the country has stiff criminal laws against consensual and non-consensual same sex relationships and thus expressed reservations to processing these asylum applications. For these case profiles therefore, in as much UNHCR continues to advocate with GZR - there is identified need for mandate refugee status determination procedures to complement the government's efforts to provide protection and find durable solutions for this vulnerable group of asylum seekers. This is informed by the current protection environment for LGBTQI asylum seekers in Zambia which is compounded by the COVID 19 situation.

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Protection Case Management (PCM) Associate is located in the Lusaka Branch Office.  S/he is a member of the Protection Section, but may be working under Registration, Refugee Status Determination, or the Resettlement units; and normally supervised on a rotational basis by the head of the functional units (Registration, RSD, or Resettlement) where s/he provides support at any given time. Depending on the operational priorities, s/he is responsible for supporting activities relating to registration, refugee status determination and resettlement; to ensure the implementation of the operational policies efficiently, and compliance to the comprehensive protection and solutions strategy applied.

The incumbent may provide day-to-day supervision to the UNHCR mandate registration process. S/he will be conducting registration, or RSD, or resettlement, or other protection interviews, and drafting different documents including assessments for refugee status determination, resettlement referrals, and other protection-related purposes. S/he may also be involved in communication with external partners regarding resettlement issues. Depending on the operational needs, s/he may be responsible for mentoring new caseworkers.


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
- Assist in the implementation of registration strategies and methodologies for populations of concern (PoC).
- Assist in the supervision and daily running of registration team activities, where required.
- Carry out interviews and assessments, as applicable, in line with the individual case-processing policies and standard operating procedures relating to registration, RSD, and resettlement.
- Provide counselling to, and respond to queries from asylum seekers and refugees, including in the context of the notification of decisions on individuals cases.  
- Support timely identification and referral of persons with specific needs for protection intervention and follow-up as required. Collaborate with other units for the delivery of assistance.
- Assist in development of a protection strategy for registration, RSD, and/or resettlement for the Operation.
- Review special cases and following up on status of cases from resettlement submission to departure.
- Assist in monitoring individual case processing trends and in compiling and analysing statistics related to individual case processing. Maintain accurate and up-to- date records and statistics related to all work on individual cases, ensuring that proGres database is properly updated.
- Assist in developing and maintaining updated tools to ensure that PoC have access to accurate information on the UNHCR individual case-processing policies and procedures.
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Professional Work Experience: 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Certificates and/or Licenses: Law; International Law; Political Sciences; International Relations; Social Sciences.

Relevant Job Experience
Essential: Ability to conduct interviews, to analyse and report on the situation of the beneficiaries. Research and analytical skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Desirable: Working experience with procedures and principles related to registration, resettlement, and RSD. Previous work experience in the field of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law. Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees. Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals. Experience in working with UNHCR PRIMES proGres software.

Functional Skills:
PR-RSD - Principles and Procedures, operational arrangements/assistance;
PR-Resettlement Anti-Fraud Policy and Procedures;
IT-Computer Literacy;
MS-Reporting skills;
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation;
PR-Experience in Registration.

Language Requirements: Knowledge of English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

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. Remuneration:

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org.

The administrative benefits and entitlements will be as per UNHCR/AI/2019/16 Administrative Instruction on the Management of Temporary Appointments which establishes the terms and conditions pertaining to the use and administration of temporary appointments in UNHCR and is issued in accordance with the UN Staff Rules and Regulations. For any technical problems encountered during the online application, please send an email to the below email address titled ¿Online VA Query-your name and surname¿ to Human Resources Zambia at ZAMLUHR@unhcr.org. Interested qualified candidates meeting the requirements of the Job Description posted online can apply no later than 28 January 2022 Midnight Geneva Time.