Community-Based Protection Associate

E (most hardship)Non FamilyNon FamilyDanger Pay GS6General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular AssignmentNo2024-10-08October 28, 2024

Community-Based Protection Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection Unit 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 Community-Based Protection Associate 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 Community-Based Protection Associate is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of 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
- Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy and operational procedures.
- 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 the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
- Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of PoC.
- Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC.
- Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD perspective
- Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of PoC.
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
- Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
- Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
- Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Intervene with authorities on protection.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

- Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
- Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Development, Human Rights, International Law
International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified.

Desirable
UNHCR learning programmes (PLP). Knowledge of MSRP.

Functional Skills
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
*IT-Computer Literacy
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate)
TR-Capacity Buidling
(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.

1. Demonstrated working experience with persons in displacement settings with a particular focus on return monitoring and assistance within an Interagency humanitarian architecture.
2. Proven competencies in building and maintenance of constructive relationships with displaced populations that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming, and results.
3. Proven competencies in preparation of and delivering presentations and training facilitation skills.
4. Demonstrated competencies in engaging directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.
5. Proven experience in coordination with multiple stakeholders including with government counterparts and other relevant authorities in a humanitarian inter-agency context.

- Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational safety and health considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

UNHCR Sub Office Homs covers Homs and Hama governorates, as well as part of southern Idleb, and delivers protection assistance and services through community-based protection activities aimed to enhance prevention of and response to protection risks and identify appropriate entry points for supporting community-based mechanisms.  Through community centers run by NGO partners, UNHCR provides a range of integrated protection services, including legal aid, support for civil documentation and HLP issues, MHPSS, education, child protection services, GBV prevention and response, primary health care and livelihoods, among others. In addition, UNHCR is the lead agency of the Protection Sector inter-agency coordination mechanisms.

The Community-Based Protection Associate works under the direct supervision of the Protection Officer and undertakes regular field visits to monitor return movements, conducts needs assessments and refer cases to the relevant service providers, including humanitarian actors and Government institutions to ensure the provision of effective support to returnees and their host communities aiming at addressing immediate humanitarian needs while fostering long-term resilience among returnees and the communities they reintegrate into. Furthermore, the incumbent works with other relevant actors and advocates for a focused approach in return areas, ensuring timely inter-sector needs assessments and providing an accurate understanding of needs in areas hosting newly returned families for a wider multi-sectoral integrated response. In addition, the incumbent will act as a focal point for MHPSS. The Community-Based Protection Associate provides technical support to partners, designs and conducts relevant capacity building activities to concerned stakeholders, and produces and disseminates pertinent technical guidance, tools, and resources.  To accomplish these tasks effectively, the incumbent must establish and maintain effective interfaces with the with the people for whom UNHCR works, local authorities, and protection and assistance partners within the overall objective of ensuring a comprehensive and impactful approach to protection initiatives in the Sub Office’s operational area.

Living and Working Conditions:

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), PG-Stakeholder management and coordination with Implementing Partners (Gov/NGO/Corporate), PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies, TR-Capacity Buidling, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures

Certifications

Community Development/Social Work - Other, Development Studies - Other, Human Rights - Other, International Law - Other, Political Science - Other, Social Sciences - Other

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn't require a functional clearance