Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)A (least hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA7
Target Start Date2024-01-01
Job Posting End DateNovember 13, 2023
Terms of ReferenceLas personas interesadas en postularse a esta vacante deben ser nacionales de El Salvador o deben tener un permiso de trabajo válido en El Salvador al momento de la aplicación, reclutamiento y contratación. Los ciudadanos no salvadoreños deben adjuntar un permiso de trabajo válido para ser considerados a esta vacante.
Las y los candidatos/as preseleccionados deberán presentarse a una entrevista; también se puede administrar una prueba técnica y práctica. Solo se contactarán a las y los candidatos preseleccionados y no se aceptarán aplicaciones fuera de la fecha de cierre.
El ACNUR está comprometido con la diversidad y la inclusión laboral, por lo que se anima a todas las personas a aplicar a esta vacante independientemente de su religión, edad, sexo, etnia, discapacidad,
identidad o expresión de género, orientación sexual.
El ACNUR no cobra ninguna tarifa en las etapas del proceso de contratación (solicitud, convocatoria a entrevista, procesamiento, capacitación o cualquier otra etapa).
Esta vacante está sujeta a autorización médica y controles de referencia laboral y académicos satisfactorios.
Se ofrece un paquete competitivo de remuneración y beneficios. Para obtener información sobre los sueldos, asignaciones y beneficios de Naciones Unidas, visite el portal web de la Comisión de Administración Pública Internacional en: http://icsc.un.org
Si usted es una persona con discapacidad y necesita ayuda adicional durante el proceso de solicitud y/o reclutamiento, por favor contáctenos por correo electrónico: salsahr@unhcr.org
Senior Child Protection Associate - UNOPS, LICA7
1. General Background
El Salvador has a population of 6.3 million people, with at least 20% of El Salvador's population living abroad. The flow of remittances by Salvadorans still represents an important revenue for the country. According to the 2022 Multipurpose Household Survey, 26.6% of the population in El Salvador live below the poverty line, out of which 8.6% are extremely poor. The rise in food prices impact social stability, exacerbating inequalities and vulnerabilities to shocks. Earthquakes, hurricanes, and tropical storms hit hard in the past.
The situation in El Salvador has generated opportunities to advance solutions to internal displacement. Changes in public security and territorial control dynamics present opportunities for finding medium- and long-term solutions in communities that have been historically affected by gang violence and territorial control. For years, the actions of gangs caused forced displacement both in the country and abroad, limiting the exercise of rights such as security, freedom of movement, health, education, decent employment, among others, and reducing community social cohesion.
El Salvador is committed to identifying and addressing protection and solutions for refugees, internally displaced people, returnees with protection needs, and stateless individuals. El Salvador is party to the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and to the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons. In 2020, El Salvador approved the Special Law for the Care and Integral Protection of Victims of Violence in Conditions of Forced Internal Displacement.
Since July 2019, El Salvador is actively engaged in the Comprehensive Regional Protection and Solutions Framework (MIRPS in Spanish), a regional application of the Global Compact on Refugees. Growing mixed population flows across the countries in the north of Central America is a priority in the regional agenda. The increasingly complex human mobility context demands additional efforts for coordinating protection-oriented responses.
UNHCR’s 2023-2026 Strategy in El Salvador builds upon continuous assessments of existing needs and progress to protect, assist, and find solutions for internally displaced and at risk of displacement persons, refugees, asylum seekers, and returnees with protection needs.
UNHCR is active in the implementation, coordination, and monitoring of the 2022-2026 United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), which prioritizes responses to the needs of internally displaced people and refugees. UNHCR is an active member of the Humanitarian Country Team. UNHCR leads the Protection Sector and co-leads the CCCM and Shelter sectors.
UNHCR seeks to meaningfully engage, empower, inform, and seek the views of people in decisions that affect their lives, as drivers for greater equality and social cohesion. UNHCR’s activities are present in over 40 communities and 17 Municipalities nationwide.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
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 Senior Child Protection Associate is a member of the protection team in an Office. S/he reports to the Assistant Protection Officer. 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 Senior 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.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
Needs identification, Strategy and Advocacy
• Support in the formulation of the child protection key considerations in multi-sectoral and protection specific assessments and participate in the assessment teams.
• Participate in the formulation of child protection strategy as part of the operation’s broader Protection and Solutions Strategy, which incorporates age, gender and diversity analysis, identifies the protection needs and capacities of children of concern and community and reflects the UNHCR’s policies, standards and priorities, including the Framework for the Protection of Children.
• 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 identification of, and the implementation of context-appropriate approaches for a meaningful participation of children, adolescents and youth in the development and implementation of strategies that address key child protection priorities.
• 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.
• Provide input to Protection Unit and undertake advocacy to address key child protection concerns under the guidance of the supervisor.
Programme planning and implementation
• Support development and implementation of child protection programmes, including multi-sectoral activities, and monitoring framework based on identified needs and in line with Child Protection Strategy and UNHCR's global, regional and national policies and standards, including the Framework for the Protection of Children and the Best Interests Procedure.
• Conduct Best Interest Procedures for individual children at heightened risks, including BIA, case conferences and BID.
• Oversee Best Interests Procedures for children at risk, including Best Interests Determination Panels and supervision of staff undertaking Best Interests Procedures.
• Implement and monitor the application of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for child protection.
• Provide support to UNHCR and partners’ case workers to ensure that child protection case files are stored and regularly updated in accordance with UNHCR's Policy and procedure as well as with data sharing protocols.
• 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.
• Support partners and communities in strengthening/ establishing community-based child protection programming.
• Support partners and communities in ensuring quality alternative care arrangements for unaccompanied and separated children as referral to family tracing services.
• 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.
• Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of child protection services.
• Provide functional guidance to UNHCR and partner staff involved in child protection activities.
• 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.
Partnership, coordination and capacity building
• Assist the Child Protection interagency coordination and information management activities as needed.
• Assist in the establishment/ improvement of mechanisms for identification of children at heightened risk and systems for referral and follow-up (case management) including but not limited to unaccompanied and separated children.
• Represent UNHCR in interagency fora related to child protection.
• Assist in strengthening strategic and innovative partnerships for Child Protection with community-based, local, national, and international organizations, with a focus on ensuring continuity and sustainability.
• Provide technical support and monitoring to child protection partners.
• Assist in carrying out learning needs assessment and analysis of findings.
• Contribute to development/ adaption of training packages and co-facilitate training for the UNHCR and partners staff, refugee community.
• Identify and document lessons learnt and good practices.
Perform other related duties as required.
4. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education
4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.
Field of studies: International Law, Human Rights, Law, Political Sciences, Social Science, Community Dvpt/Social Work or other relevant field.
b. Work Experience
Essential
4 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.
c. Language
Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of English.
d. Key Competencies
Functional Skills
• PR-Child Protection Prevention and Response;
• PR-Experience in Best Interest Procedures for children;
• PR-Interviewing and counselling refugees/asylum seekers and in individual case management;
• IT-Computer literacy;
• PR-Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS);
Core Competencies
• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
• Judgement and Decision Making
Cross-Functional Competencies
• Analytical Thinking
• Political Awareness
• Stakeholder Management
,English
,
,
,
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance