E (most hardship)
Non Family
Non FamilyDanger Pay
Residential location (if applicable)
NOA
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
National Professional Officer
Reason
Regular > Regular Assignment
No
2023-01-29-08:00
February 13, 2023
Assistant RSD Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant RSD Officer is a member of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team. S/he is responsible for conducting RSD interviews to determine eligibility for refugee status, undertaking country of origin (COI) and other research related to the claim, as required, and drafting RSD assessments. The Assistant RSD Officer provides counselling to asylum seekers and refugees on UNHCR's RSD procedures and on their status, rights and obligations in the country of asylum. S/he may review RSD assessments of less experienced members of the RSD team, seeking the advice of a more senior RSD/Protection Officer on complex cases, and may assist in developing and implementing RSD training and other measures to enhance the quality and efficiency of RSD decision-making.
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
- Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD.
- Assist in the development of the RSD strategy of the operation and in the annual planning exercise.
- Conduct RSD interviews and draft RSD Assessments in accordance with applicable standards and guidelines.
- Review and endorse RSD decisions and provide appropriate feedback and guidance to RSD staff.
- Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to work on individual cases.
- Provide counselling to asylum seekers and refugees.
- Assist in preventing and identifying fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern.
- Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing to identify and respond to developments or issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making, and to propose remedial measures.
- Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation
- Ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and legal partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice.
- Assist in developing and maintaining processes to ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policies and practice.
- Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.
- Assist in evaluating and projecting RSD staffing needs using the RSD Staffing Benchmarks.
- Decide and endorse RSD decisions.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree
Field(s) of Education
Law; Political Science;
International Relations; or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Certificates and/or Licenses
HCR RSD Lrng Programme;
HCR Protection Learning Prg;
HCR Cntry of Orig Inf Lrng Prg;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Minimum 1 year of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law. Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.
Desirable
Working experience with procedures and principles related to RSD is highly desirable. Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures. Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees. Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals.
Functional Skills
DM-Data Collection and Analysis
PR-Counselling Asylum Seekers or Refugees
CO-Drafting and Documentation
LE-Legal Research
PR-RSD - Principles and Procedures, operational arrangements/assistance
SO-Research
PR-Government Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures
WB-Treatment of vulnerable/traumatized individuals
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not 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.
Desired Candidate Profile
The following criteria will be used to identify the best candidate for the position:
MANDATORY CRITERIA:
Knowledge of and experience in UNHCR's mandate RSD processing and case management is required.
OPTIONAL CRITERIA:
Knowledge of and experience in UNHCR's case management is not mandatory but is desirable.
WRITTEN TEST:
A written test will be administered to all shortlisted candidates. The written test will be eliminatory and only candidates who obtain the minimum score, (established by the recruiting manager), will be invited for an interview.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):
,
,
Operational context
Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:
Nature of Position:
The Assistant RSD Officer will be based at the Country Office in Damascus and will report to the Protection Officer.
Refugee Status Determination (RSD) in Syria is centralized at the Country Office with a small RSD team based in Damascus. There is no RSD staff in the field. Cases in need of RSD in the field are referred to the Country Office and interviews and reviews for field-based cases are conducted remotely. In Damascus, all RSD interviews are conducted in person. The strategic use of RSD will be deployed to process cases for RSD, where RSD is conducted where there are tangible protection dividends, solutions or to preserve the integrity of the asylum process.
The incumbent will supervise the RSD team and will manage the day-to-day RSD activities. While RSD activities in Syria are centrally managed at the Country Office in Damascus, he/she will also be required to provide support to the field, particularly with identification and referral mechanisms for cases in need of RSD.
The incumbent will be required to review and submit at least four (4) RSD assessments per week. In so doing, he/she will ensure that RSD interviews and assessments are of the highest quality and standard. Ordinarily, while he/she will not be required to conduct RSD interviews, he/she may be called upon to conduct interviews when a need arises, particularly for complex cases.
He/she will also be responsible for managing the workload and output of the RSD team and will ensure the optimization of resources in the team to meet targets and deadlines. He/she will be required to develop case processing strategies that reflect the output of the team vis-à-vis established targets for the operation. In particular, the incumbent will be required to support the Protection Officer in the reduction/eradication of the RSD backlog in the country.
The incumbent will support the Protection Officer in developing the capacity of the RSD team, including by conducting training and providing feedback. He/she will also assist in developing and strengthening the case identification and referral mechanism for cases requiring RSD and this will entail providing training to protection and other teams involved in case identification and referrals.
The incumbent will be required to keep the Protection Officer fully appraised of all developments with regard to RSD processing in the country.
The incumbent will also be responsible for ensuring that RSD Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are up-to-date and adhered to.
The incumbent will also be expected to strengthen our strategies and channels for communicating with communities, to ensure that expectations in the communities are appropriately managed, in the face of the strategic use of RSD. He/she will be required to work with other units on information-sharing and awareness strategies. In addition, the incumbent will also be required to revamp the helpline counselling for refugees and asylum-seekers contacting the office.
Living and Working Conditions:
Additional Qualifications
Skills
CO-Drafting and Documentation, DM-Data Collection and Analysis, LE-Legal Research, PR-Counselling Asylum Seekers or Refugees, PR-Government Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures, PR-RSD - Principles and Procedures, operational arrangements/assistance, SO-Research, WB-Treatment of vulnerable/traumatized individuals
BA: International Relations (Required), BA: Law (Required), BA: Political Science (Required)
Certifications
HCR Country of Origin Information Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program - UNHCR, HCR RSD Learning Program - UNHCR
Competencies
Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration
https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
