Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

UNHCR’s main objectives in Poland are to monitor access to territory and reception conditions as well as advocate for an efficient and protection-sensitive asylum system and related policies. UNHCR also aims to improve durable solutions such as local integration opportunities and increase public awareness of refugees and asylum issues. UNHCR works closely with both governmental and non-governmental organisations in Poland to achieve these objectives.

Context

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org). The Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will be key in operationalizing the strategic objectives on social and economic inclusion, which underscores the need to mobilize additional actors and to adopt a whole-of-society approach to strengthen refugee self-reliance and help ease pressure on host countries. Promoting economic inclusion of refugees is a key development area that will enable the achievement of these objectives and contribute to the 2030 Agenda's Sustainable Development Goals. The Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer, with support the Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Unit under Protection, works towards the following objectives: 1) improve the enabling environment for refugees to access decent work through advocacy on the right at work, access to economic opportunities and financial services; 2) assist in seeking new and strengthen existing partnerships including with the private sector, development actors, government institutions and specialized agencies to advance economic inclusion of refugees; and 3) enhance ongoing livelihoods and economic inclusion programming through evidence-based and market-driven approaches to improve economic inclusion outcomes 4) implementing economic inclusion activities under direct UNHCR implementation, support and monitor economic inclusion activities implemented by UNHCR-funded partners. The Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer should be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing donors and new partners around new models of economic and social integration. The incumbent will assist in interacting with the government counterparts and other stakeholders with specific mandate in livelihood activities as well as with the refugee communities. Within UNHCR, the Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will work under the technical supervision of the head of livelihoods and economic inclusion at Country office and under managerial supervision of the head of office in its AOR, S/he will work closely with multi-functional teams on matters including but not limited to protection, education, cash, partnerships, research and analytics, SGBV, solutions, complementary pathways and more. S/he will support the office's involvement with livelihoods and economic inclusion, working with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organisations, NGOs, research institutions and universities. This UNV assignment is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19 with WHO approved vaccine, unless the UNHCR Medical Service approves an exemption from this requirement on medical grounds.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Senior Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion Officer for the technical supervision and the Head of Sub-Office Krakow for the regular supervision or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer will: • Maintain close contact and cooperation with partners to facilitate the economic inclusion of refugees, such as line ministries, private sector and development actors in accordance with UNHCR Global and Country level policies, priorities, and strategies, in particular the Global Compact on Refugees. This includes advocating with public and private sector services providers to include UNHCR POC in supporting services (business development, micro-finance, training, saving accounts, poverty alleviation and social protection, etc.). • Work with the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, to assess the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work and recommend/implement advocacy initiatives and policy reforms to improve UNHCR POC’s economic inclusion, rights and access to work. • Build on UNHCR databases to support regular information sharing and coordination among different humanitarian, developmental and governmental stakeholders. This includes supporting the implementation of socioeconomic and wealth ranking surveys utilising community-based strategies to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of development programmes. • Conduct necessary assessments in collaboration with relevant private and public stakeholders, including impact assessments on local economies and surveys that help to identify investment and funding opportunities that enhance the economic inclusion of UNHCR POC. • In case UNHCR is implementing specific livelihoods activities, strengthen, guide and monitor the livelihoods interventions to help ensure they are market-based, and that the role of UNHCR has been strategically determined in consideration of its comparative advantage vis-à-vis other partners. • Strengthen advocacy for economic inclusion and coordination at the national, regional, and local level by participating in the multistakeholder Economic Inclusion Working Group and existing Coordination structures at the level of the voivodship (region). • Mainstream labour exploitation prevention including exploitation of children, adolescents and adults by organizing awareness-raising sessions on Polish Labor Law and reporting mechanism with partners and in collaboration with governmental institutions. • Implementing economic inclusion activities under direct UNHCR implementation (i.e. job fair), support and monitor economic inclusion activities implemented by UNHCR-funded partners. • Perform other related duties as required. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities. • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers. • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs: As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • Effective support is provided to the needs assessment and needs analysis of POC in the country in a participatory manner using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning and in due consideration to the centrality of protection and do-no-harm. • Support in ensuring that relevant operational partnerships are built and project partnership agreements are established in a timely manner, regularly monitored and reported on in compliance with established guidelines and procedures. • Effective and timely support is provided to the formulation and implementation of a clear and coherent livelihood and economic inclusion strategy, which incorporates a thorough age, gender and diversity (AGD) analysis, do-no-harm approach, while reflecting the Organization’s global, regional and country level priorities. • The participation of POC is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches. • Obstacles towards refugee inclusion in labor markets and business identified and strategies to overcome these obstacles developed in partnership with government entities and development actors. • Opportunities to support economic inclusion are pro-actively identified and used in the various voivodeships under the responsibility of Sub-Office Krakow. • Constructive and productive working relationships are established and maintained with private sector, NGOs working on economic inclusion, competent authorities and other UN Agencies. • UNHCR plays a coordination role in the planning and implementation of economic inclusion activities within the area of responsibility of the function. • UNHCR plays a catalytic role in connecting and bringing various interlocutors together to facilitate and promote economic inclusion of refugees in Poland. • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment. • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.