JOB OPENING: 30297
Operational Context:
The Protection Associate normally reports to Associate Protection Officer (CP/SGBV) or the ProtectionOfficer. He/she monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff. The Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (children, women, survivors of SGBV, including men and boys) and identify opportunities to mainstream CP/SGBV protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. He/she contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
The Protection Associate also ensures that persons of concern under area of responsibility are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
The Protection Associate position is located in Country Office in Honduras, with provision of support toField Office San Pedro Sula (FOSAP) and the field units in Ocotepeque and Choluteca. The incumbent supports all activities pertaining the implementation of the protection strategy within the international protection pillar (humanitarian assistance, strengthening the asylum system, border monitoring, legal counselling). This includes identifying, interviewing, referring cases of people with international protection needs. Another important function of the position is to provide technical advice and guidance on RSD procedures and refugee law to relevant partners and government authorities.
The incumbent is supervised by a higher-level protection position and receives regular guidance and instructions from the supervisor on successive steps. The incumbent is expected to have a solid knowledge of interview techniques, protection methodologies, and humanitarian assistance. The incumbent is required to participate in various joint working groups, the Refugee Commission, and coordination mechanisms. The incumbent maintains regular contact on a working level on routine issues with other UNHCR offices, UN agencies, NGOs, government partners and implementing partners in the area.
Duties and Qualifications:
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
UNHCR is committed to the effective protection to children of concern, with children representing more than half of the persons falling under its mandate. UNHCR adopts a rights and community-based approach to address the protection needs of children, with a strong emphasis on inclusion within national child protection, child friendly procedures and working with other sectors to protect children including education. Child protection is recognized as global organizational priority for UNHCR. Dedicated child protection positions are needed to provide technical support to improve UNHCR's operational capacity to deliver effective protection to children, adolescents and youth of concern.
The Child Protection Associate is a member of the protection team in an Office. S/he may report to a (Child) Protection Officer, or the Head of Field-Office/Unit and/or Head of Sub-Office. The incumbent monitors child protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff. The Child Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (children, women, marginalized groups) and is responsible for implementation of Best Interests Procedures for children at risk in their area of responsibility, under the guidance of the supervisor. S/he may also supervise staff undertaking Best Interests Procedures. S/he identifies opportunities to mainstream Child Protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. The incumbent works directly with communities and children of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
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 and Qualifications:
Needs identification, Strategy and Advocacy
- Contribute to assessing child protection issues through multi-sectoral and protection specific assessments.
- Facilitate consultation with children, youth and communities to inform child protection strategy and programme activities.
- Contribute to the formulation of child protection strategy and planning.
- Ensure compliance with UNHCR's child protection policy, priorities and commitments, as well as other aligned policies on age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected
populations (AAP), GBV, gender equality, disability and youth empowerment. - Support the analysis of the national systems and ensure that child protection programmes complement national child protection systems and work towards the inclusion of children of concern
into national child protection laws, policies and services. - Undertake consultation with children, youth and communities and provide information on appropriate and meaningful approaches for their effective participation and programmatic responses
on child protection issues. - Provide input to Protection Unit to inform advocacy to address key child protection concerns.
Programme planning and implementation - Engage children, youth and communities in the implementation of child protection activities, provide information to children, youth and communities about child protection services and monitor
and report on needs and issues to inform the Operations Response. - Conduct Best Interest Procedures for individual children at heightened risks and prepare Best Interests Determination report, when required.
- Participate in the Best Interests Procedure Case Conferences and BID panels and draft associated documentation as required.
- Implement child protection SOPs and ensure up to date and effective referral to key services.
- Store and update child's case file in UNHCR data bases in accordance with UNHCR standards.
- Engage with children, youth and community members in identifying community-based child protection activities.
- Monitor and support appropriate care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children and referral of children to ICRC or other relevant partners for establishment of family linkages.
- Regularly report on emerging protection issues and concerns voiced by children, youth and communities and assist in drafting reports, compiling and preparing data for the protection
unit/section. - Provide functional guidance to UNHCR and partner staff involved in child protection activities.
Partnership, coordination and capacity building - Assist the Child Protection interagency coordination and information management activities as needed.
- Provide technical support and monitoring to child protection partners.
- Assist in carrying out learning needs assessment and analysis of findings.
- Support in implementing learning activities for UNHCR and partners staff and communities.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
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
Certificates and/or Licenses Law;
Social Sciences;
Community Dvpt/Social Work;
Human Rights;
Relevant Job Experience Essential
3 years of previous work experience relevant to the function of child protection in a local context and having experience in the field of child protection prevention and response, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of women and girls, gender, child protection, mental health, counselling and working with survivors, humanitarian and development issues. Skills and experience in interviewing and working with children and families including supervision of child protection case management.
Desirable
Knowledge of UNHCR child protection policies and tools including the UNHCR Best Interests Procedures Guidelines, and interagency child protection Minimum Standards, Guiding Principles and GBV case management standards. Knowledge of local child protection laws, policies and services. Knowledge and experience of participatory approaches to engage with and mobilize communities. Understanding of displacement and protection issues including GBV, education and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy. Completed Protection Learning Programme. Experience working with marginalized groups. Knowledge of protection information management tools, including but not limited to proGres and/or CPIMS.
Functional Skills
PR-Experience in Best Interest Procedures for children;
PR-Interviewing and counselling refugees/asylum seekers and in individual case management;
PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response;
IT-Computer literacy;
PR-Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS);
Language Requirements
Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of 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.
Position Competencies:
Required Competencies:
All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or
cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.
Core Competencies:
- Accountability
- Communication
- Organizational Awareness
- Teamwork & Collaboration
- Commitment to Continuous Learning
- Client & Result Orientation
Cross-Functional Competencies
- Analytical Thinking
- Political Awareness
- Stakeholder Management
Eligible Candidates:
Eligibility Applicants:
Internal & External candidates:
This position is advertised open to internal and external applicants.
Group 1 Candidates: comprises current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment who, at the date of the deadline for application, are serving in the country of the vacancy at the grade of the position or one grade below or above.
Group 2 Candidates: comprises candidates from the categories listed in the RALS after completion of one cumulative or continuous year of service in the country of the vacancy. The Group 2 status should have been confirmed by the HR Unit in the relevant country before the application is submitted.
External Candidates: are candidates who are not in Group 1 or Group 2.
Must be legally present in Honduras at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
How to apply:
If you wish to be considered for this vacancy, please apply to the relevant Job Opening in the official website: https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html
The closing date is 11 October 2021 - Midnight Geneva Time. No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview.
Remuneration:
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
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