Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)B
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeUNOPS LICA4
Target Start Date2024-02-01
Job Posting End DateJanuary 30, 2024
Terms of ReferenceTitle: UNOPS Community-Based Protection Assistant
Project: UNHCR
Duty sation: Huaquillas, Ecuador
Section/Unit: Field Unit- Huaquillas
ICA Level: Local Support, LICA, Level 4
Duration: From 1 February 2024 to 31 December 2024
Supervisor: Mr. Alex Vial, Head of Field Unit, Huaquillas- Ecuador
1. General Background
Since 2000, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has worked in Ecuador to protect and assist one of the largest population of recognized refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean. Since 2016, more than six million Venezuelans have left their country.
Ecuador is a destination and transit country for persons in need of international protection, with more than 70,000 recognized refugees (mainly Colombians) and an ongoing influx of refugees. The South American country has also become a main destination for Venezuelan refugees and migrants, ranking third after Colombia and Peru. More than 500,000 Venezuelan refugees and migrants are estimated to be residing in Ecuador, with less than half of them holding a legal status.
UNHCR’s operation in Ecuador is fundamentally driven to deliver protection and solutions to a variety of people forced to flee and stateless people in partnership and close collaboration with national authorities as well as non-governmental organizations and communities. Particular attention and specific multi-faceted protection and assistance is often provided within short timeframes and at times little resources in demanding operational environment.
Currently, in Huaquillas alone, the Municipality estimates that 2,000 Venezuelans reside regularly, the southern border of Ecuador has become in recent years a place of transit of people of different nationalities, refugees and migrants, so far this year at least 28,000 have transited through irregular crossings in the vast majority. At the same time the situation of insecurity and violence have generated risks to the life and integrity of humanitarian workers in the exercise of care and monitoring, this makes the work complex and has forced us to improve the security system and forms of approach to continue protecting those we serve without putting our teams at risk.
UNHCR’s operation in Ecuador is fundamentally driven to deliver protection and solutions to a variety of people forced to flee and stateless people in partnership and close collaboration with national authorities as well as non-governmental organizations and communities. Particular attention and specific multi-faceted protection and assistance is often provided within short timeframes and at times little resources in demanding operational environment.
UNHCR seeks to recruit persons devoted to the purposes of the Field Unit of the High Commissioner for Refugees in Huaquillas who is committed to humanitarian principles and holds functionally relevant work experience in the area of Protection.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
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.
The Community-Based Protection Assistant 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 incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. S/he 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 Assistant 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.
Under the direct supervision of the Head of Field Unit of the UNHCR Huaquillas Office, and under the strategic guidance of the Community Based-Protection Unit, will be responsible for:
- 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.
- Support implementing and operational partners as well as 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 working with host communities to involve national civil society groups in improving the protection of PoC.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments and ongoing consultation with 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.
- Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective.
- Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems.
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
- Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Perform other related duties as required.
3. Qualifications and Experience
a. Education
- For G4 - 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education, Certificates and/or Licenses
- Development Studies, Human Rights Community Development /Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, International Law or related.
b. Work Experience
- Not specified.
Desirable
- UNHCR learning programmes (PLP).
c. Key Competencies
Functional Skills
*IT-MS Office Applications
*IT-Computer Literacy
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
UN-UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations and Procedures
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
PR-Community-based Protection
PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
4. Submission of applications
A) English is desirable (B2 level).
B) A technical test may be administered to shortlisted candidates.
C) Foreign candidates, to be considered eligible for this position, must have a temporary or permanent residence in Ecuador that allows them to carry out work activities in the country.
D) If you wish to be considered for this INTERNAL/EXTERNAL vacancy, please submit your application according to the following instructions:
- CANDIDATES WITH ACCESS TO THE WORKDAY: In order to apply, you must first create your profile in the WORKDAY system.
- EXTERNAL CANDIDATES: Candidates who do NOT have access to the WORKDAY system should submit their application through UNHCR's official site for applications: https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html
CVs WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED BY EMAIL. ONLY THOSE APPLICATIONS SENT THROUGH THE SYSTEM WILL BE CONSIDERED.
NOTE
UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing, training or any other fees).
If you are a person with a disability and need additional assistance during the application and/or recruitment process, please contact us by email: ecuquhr@unhcr.org
Community-Based Protection Assistant
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Community-Based Protection Assistant 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 incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. S/he 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 Assistant 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
- 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.
- Support implementing and operational partners as well as 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 working with host communities to involve national civil society groups in improving the protection of PoC.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments and ongoing consultation with 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.
- Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective.
- Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems.
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR's work.
- Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- 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 G4 - 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher
Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.
Certificates and/or Licenses
Development, Human Rights, International Law
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
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
*IT-Computer Literacy
PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
(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.
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SkillsCL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community, IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies, UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
Education
CertificationsDevelopment Studies - Other, HCR Learning Program - UNHCR, Human Rights - Other, International Law - Other, Political Science - Other, Social Sciences - Other
Work Experience
Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance