Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer

B

FamilyFamily

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2023-03-06-08:00

February 16, 2023Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit in a Country Operation and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (PoC). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC. 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 - Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the PoC and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach. - Through relationships with PoC and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to senior management. - Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups. - Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and PoC to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and GBV, and solutions approaches. - Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues. - Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated. - Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures - Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among PoC, authorities and host communities. - Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with PoC, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations. - Support the Operation's work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team¿s common humanitarian action plan where applicable. - Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary. - Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans in the Country Operation. - Support community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response. - Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection. - Contribute to the design of project submissions and the budget for endorsement by the supervisor. - Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues. - Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC. - Perform other related duties as required. Minimum Qualifications 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 International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Not specified (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential) Relevant Job Experience Essential Some professional working experience.in the areas of community services, social work (e.g., gender, GBV programs, women¿s empowerment and protection, work with refugees) or/and human rights or related tasks in government, NGO or international organisation. Desirable Proven communication skills, both oral and written. Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy. Functional Skills PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework IT-Computer Literacy DM-Database Management PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response Programming PR-Gender Equality PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming (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.

• Associate CBP Officer is required to have knowledge of community-based protection approaches and field experience in direct engagement with refugees and community structures.

• The position requires excellent managerial skills, capacity to work independently and with limited supervision, as well as strong communication, reporting and advocacy capacities.

• The candidate is expected to be able to research, collect and interpret protection relevant data and resolve/recommend solutions to the identified problems. She/he should be able to organize work and perform it punctually while identifying priority activities and adjusting them when handling a large volume of work with tight deadlines.

• Knowledge of the operational context in Turkiye and experience with functioning of the local public institutions is essential.

• Fluency in spoken and written English and Turkish and experience in supervision of workforce are essential for the position.

• Experience in facilitation of meetings and training sessions is highly desirable.

Turkish

,

Farsi

,

Arabic

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

The region is exposed to a moderate threat of earthquake as it is outside of the South Anatolian Fault Line.  It enjoys a relatively low crime rate and there is no direct crime threat against the UN. Nevertheless, strong security and safety awareness and cultural sensitivity are required.  

The measures are in place to ensure that the UNHCR vehicles are in a good driving condition, regularly maintained, and appropriately equipped for the road transport. The drivers are well equipped with the skills required to drive safely in the relevant environments.

Staff safety is paramount to UNHCR and all UNHCR staff are required to undertake the mandatory course of Basic Security in the Field (BSAFE).

The operational circumstances might create stressful work context thus capacity for self-care is critical. The health and wellbeing of the colleagues are a top priority for UNHCR and adequate support to strengthen the individual resilience will be provided by the Staff Counsellor and Peer Advisors.

For detailed information on health considerations for Turkiye, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/travel.

Nature of Position:

The Government of Turkiye leads the refugee response and UNHCR complements this by supporting the inclusion of refugees in the national system, making the services known to refugees and strengthening their availability and accessibility in particular for the persons with specific needs. Hence engagement with local authorities in the provinces, including municipalities, mukhtars, and Harmonization Units of the Provincial Directorates for Migration Management has been increasing. UNHCR FU Sanliurfa covers three provinces in South-East Turkiye (Adiyaman, Mardin, Sanliurfa) with almost half a million Syrian refugees living in the host communities. To perform and fulfil their duties, the Assistant Community-Based Officer will spend a substantial percentage of time working outside of the office on a daily basis, engaging with refugees and staff of diverse Partners, including but not limited to Provincial Directorate of Migration Management (PDMM) and Municipalities in all three provinces under the Field Unit's area of responsibility.

The incumbent of the Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer in FU Sanliurfa will be expcected to:

• Strengthen office capacity for community-based protection (CBP) through training and establishing systems for mobilization and participation of the refugee community,
• Plan and facilitate diverse dialogue sessions with the refugee community to enable meaningful participation and identification of AGD-aware protection risks and the community’s own capacities to achieve sustainable solutions and maintain harmonious coexistence with the host community,
• Facilitate continuous capacity development sessions for community representation structures, community-based organizations (CBO) and local partners on community-based protection and accountability to affected populations (AAP),
• Engage with Municipalities and Harmonization Units of the Provincial Directorates of Migration Management, as well as mukhtars and opinion leaders to promote confidence building, conflict resolution, and social cohesion/harmonization,
• Contribute to development and monitoring of direct implementation activities to ensure effective integration of the community-owned initiatives and enhance the social cohesion-enabling environment,
• Ensure that CBP and AGD approaches are meaningfully integrated in the FU’s provincial protection strategies,
• Maintain monitoring and reporting presence with implementing and operational partners to ensure efficiency, coherency, and coordination in the community-based protection response,
• Support the observations of the interviews for spontaneous voluntary return with Syrian refugees.

The Assistant Community-Based Protection Officer will have direct supervisory responsibility and will report directly to the Associate Protection Officer in the Field Unit Sanliurfa.

Living and Working Conditions:

Sanliurfa is a B category family duty station. It is classified as Security Level 2 location. In addition to Sanliurfa province, the area of responsibility of the Field Unit Sanliurfa includes the provinces of Adiyaman and Mardin.  Adiyaman is classified as Security Level 2 location, and Mardin as Security Level 4 location. The Security Level 4 is also the 10km border area in Sanliurfa and Mardin. The transportation for official road missions in and out of the area of responsibility is provided by the Office. All official movements are cleared by the UN Department of Security and Safety. The Office’s risk management focuses on prevention of involvement of staff in tasks/missions which may pose a danger to their safety and health.

UNHCR office is in a business building in the centre of the city of Sanliurfa. The location is easily accessible by public or private transport. All required security measures are in place at the office.

There are ample restaurants, shops, banks, ATMs in the city. All major credit and debit cards are widely accepted and used. Mobile phone services can be easily arranged. Apartments are available and generally in good condition with services such as water, gas, electricity, and internet. The leisure and recreational facilities are available and accessible though limited in number.

The public bus transport network is well developed. Taxi transport is available and affordable. The road network in the region is well developed and maintained. Sanliurfa airport handles frequent, daily flights to several destinations in the country.

Educational facilities are available in the local language and there are no international schools.  

The health facilities, including both public and private hospitals with relatively high level of care are available locally. However, most medical staff and practitioners communicate only in Turkish and access in English to these facilities may require support. There is no designated UN examining physician/hospital in Sanliurfa.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

PR-Accountability to Affected People - Principles and Framework, PR-Community-based Protection - Community engagement and capacity building, PR-Community-based Protection - Planning, implementing and analysing surveys/assessments, PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies, PR-Community Mobilisation, PR-Social cohesion

BA: Anthropology (Required), BA: Cultural Studies (Required), BA: Human Rights (Required), BA: International Development (Required), BA: International Law (Required), BA: International Social Work (Required), BA: Political Science (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)

Certifications

Livelihood, Office Context: Field, Protection, Work Context: Protection, Workforce to Supervise, Working with Persons of Concern: Others of Concern, Working with Persons of Concern: Refugees

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member and engagement under a UNHCR affiliate scheme or as an intern is subject to proof of vaccination against Covid-19, successful reference checks and integrity clearance.

The English version is considered original and authoritative, translation to other language(s) serve the purpose of advertisement of local positions where applicable but are not considered as official translations

Staff members must serve for a minimum of one year following assignment before being considered eligible to apply for another position within the same category. This requirement is waived in respect of staff members whose position is being changed or whose assignment/appointment through the joint staff/management review body is in a replacement capacity.

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

Only short-listed candidates will be notified. The recruitment process might include written test and/or oral interview for this job opening. No late applications will be accepted.
Candidates must be primarily Turkish nationals. The minimum educational requirement for this position is a completed university degree.
For further information on how to apply, please visit ‘UNHCR - Application and Selection’ page, at https://www.unhcr.org/how-to-apply.html .

This position doesn't require a functional clearance