Field Associate

Details

Mission and objectives

Our primary purpose at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Together with partners and communities, we work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. We also strive to secure lasting solutions. For over half a century, UNHCR has helped millions of people to restart their lives. They include refugees, returnees, stateless people, the internally displaced and asylum-seekers. Our protection, shelter, health and education has been crucial, healing broken pasts and building brighter futures.

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).

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Field Unit or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Field Associate will: - Monitor the situation in the AoR, collect data and other information relevant to UNHCR and report to the supervisor accordingly. - Monitor the implementation of UNHCR programme including the delivery of all assistance items and monitoring of infrastructure. - Undertake regular visits to various sites in order to assess needs of persons of concern, with particular attention to vulnerable groups. - Keep regular contacts with local authorities and implementing partners as requested by supervisor. - Act as interpreter when required. - Contribute to the preparation of status and progress reports by providing info, preparing tables, etc. - Assist in administrative tasks as required such as preparation of reports and meeting authorized personnel and assisting them during field missions. - Inform and act on the reports received on persons of concern within the refugee community or from the local authorities. - In coordination with implementing partners, assist in the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR. - Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern. - Represent UNHCR in physical monitoring of projects. - 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: o Provision of adequate protection of refugees in Lasi and Vasuli municipalities. o Support functioning programme with timely reports, revisions, rendering of accounts, installments and overall efficiency in assistance delivery and direct implementation activities. o Support the Implementation cash-based initiatives, provision of border monitoring and supervise core relief item distribution. o Refugees and other people of concern receive humanitarian assistance and local integration support. o Engage and liaise with different actors to build a network to monitor the protection environment and border areas. o Well-functioning UNHCR presence in Iasi with timely reports, administrative control, premises, equipment maintenance, and rendering of accounts, according to UNHCR rules and regulations. o Support the role out of interagency and UNHCR monitoring tools. • 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.