Assistant Development Officer -Asosa, Ethiopia

Job Description

D

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential Location Danger Pay

Addis Ababa, Eth Fed Dem Rep

NOA

National Professional Officer

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

No

2023-05-31-07:00

February 26, 2023

Assistant Development Officer Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

UNHCR’s mandated responsibility for finding solutions to refugee situations has long required stronger cooperation with development partners and the inclusion of persons of concern within development planning and programming instruments, including national development programmes. Due to a variety of factors, the proportion of refugees and internally displaced persons in protracted displacement situations remains high.

Moreover, the diminishing number of forcibly displaced people who have access to so-called durable solutions constitutes a worrying trend that has persisted in recent years. The increasing scale of irregular migration, large scale refugee movements, internal displacement and the costs of responding to humanitarian situations have placed forced displacement high on the global agenda. Given the complexity and protractedness of many of todays forced displacement situations, often occurring in fragile contexts, awareness is growing that the humanitarian model of care and maintenance is unsustainable in the longer term and that forced displacement requires a development response to complement humanitarian assistance, address poverty and other development challenges in a sustainable and inclusive manner.

The SDGs provide a yardstick for inclusive development based on the principles of Leaving No One Behind and Reaching the Furthest Behind First. It is also acknowledged that extreme poverty and human suffering associated with refugees and other forcibly displaced people need to be systematically taken into account existing when addressing development challenges and development prospects of host communities, countries, and regions. The Global Compact for Refugees frames this new approach towards a more predictable and equitable responsibility-sharing, recognizing that more sustainable approaches to refugee situations cannot be achieved without the systematic engagement of a broader set of stakeholders, including development partners. Among the most significant humanitarian-development cooperation partnerships strengthened in recent years has been between the World Bank and UNHCR on forced displacement.

In the eighteenth replenishment (2017-2020) of the World Bank¿s International Development Association (IDA), which provides financing for low-income countries, an amount of US$ 2.2 billion has been included for those states receiving large numbers of refugees (Sub-Window for Refugees and Host-Communities). The IDA 18 allocation follows the operationalization of a Global Concessional Financing Facility (GCFF) for Middle-Income Countries (MICs) affected by large numbers of refugees.

In addition, UNHCR has enhanced cooperation with the private sector wing of the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and bilateral development donor. Within the context outlined above, the role of the Assistant Development Officer is to support UNHCR’s engagement and cooperation with development agencies medium-term programmes assisting local communities and UNHCR’s population of concern and the ability to leverage development partnerships to influence policy dialogue to enact institutional reforms toward improved protection environments, socio-economic inclusion, and self-reliance; taking into account and reducing the vulnerabilities of forcibly displaced persons. As such, the incumbent needs to have practical experience working with and an understanding of the interplay of different aspects of economic growth, governance, fragility and conflict, the main factors that influence the environment for inclusion and resilience for UNHCR’s population of concern. Depending on the operating environments in the area of responsibility (AoR), the incumbent might need to have specific expertise in areas such as social protection, governance in fragile contexts, local governance and community development.

It is anticipated that development responses to forced displacement will grow in significance in future years due to the greater importance attached to fragility and addressing protracted displacement situations.

The incumbent will assist in identifying potential opportunities and ensure complementarity between UNHCR’s protection work and the economic and social development objectives pursued by development partners and their government counterparts. It will, therefore, be important that the Assistant Development Officer supports relevant UNHCR staff within the AoR to contribute to the Operations efforts to (i) align policy, operational and programme priorities between humanitarian and development agencies, (ii) establish and maintain reporting and knowledge, and information exchanges on key developments among all interested stakeholders, (iii) assist relevant UNHCR staff to engage in development planning, programming and coordination processes with Government entities and development partners; and (iv) assist relevant UNHCR staff in developing, contributing to and coordinating multi-year and multi-partner transition strategies for protracted forced displacement situations.

In Country or Regional Operations, the Assistant Development Officer is normally supervised by and receives guidance from more senior development officers or alternatively from Senior Policy, Protection, Programme or External Relations staff depending on the structure of the Office.

The incumbent may supervise some support staff and may receive indirect guidance from other sections and units. External contacts are predominantly with persons on subject matters of importance to development (e.g. counterparts in other organizations or at working level in national Governments).

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 in commissioning and/or conducting practical research and analysis to interpret long-term political, economic and social trends that will enhance opportunities for solutions, resilience and inclusion for populations of concern to UNHCR as well as more sustainable approaches to refugee protection.

Help ensure evidence generated from analytical and advisory services needs to be translated better into context-specific policy dialogue, project design, and programming.

– Assist in planning for resilience and inclusion with a clear shared vision of longer-term protection and solution outcomes for people of concern that takes account of host communities and leverages the roles, resources and capacities of development partners, including Multilateral Development Banks, and Bilateral Development agencies and donors.

– Support the facilitation of the development of comprehensive multi-year transition plans/strategies (incl. Multi-Year Multi-Partner Strategies) for Persons of Concern to UNHCR and/or facilitate the inclusion of populations of concern into national and local development planning and programming instruments.

– Support the identification, strategic articulation and capitalization of development and resilience opportunities, including through Government pledges and or pledges made by bilateral or multilateral development and/or peacebuilding partners.

– Assist in facilitating relationship building with development co-operation agencies and peace and state-building agendas through the different stages of policy and programme identification, preparation, implementation and review.

– Support the development of partnerships and networks with development actors to influence the policy dialogue with governments on institutional arrangements related to sectors, locations and programme content of consequence to UNHCR and persons of concern. This would, in particular, focus on supporting the coordination of the in-country relationship with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, especially where there is potential for specific funding directed towards UNHCR’s persons of concern (e.g. WB IDA sub-window for refugees and host communities or the WB Global Concessional Financing Facility).

– Support the cooperation with development partners to assist them in incorporating the concerns of refugees, returnees and others of concern to UNHCR into the design and implementation arrangements of projects and interventions in a manner that impacts positively on protection circumstances.

– Support the operation to ensure that development actors are provided relevant data to inform their planning, programming and advocacy around resilience for and inclusion of UNHCR persons of concern.

– Support the facilitation, coordination, collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience between UNHCR and development actors and across UNHCR operations globally by documenting and disseminating good practices and active participation in the Division of Resilience and Solutions¿ Development Partnerships Community of Practice.

– Support training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner agency staff to achieve greater coordination, effectiveness and synergies between humanitarian and development interventions.

Minimum Qualifications Education & Professional Work Experience Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P1/NOA – 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree.

Field(s) of Education

• Development Economics;
• Development Studies;
• Socio-economic Development;
• International Relations;
• Political Science;
• Law; or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Certificates and/or Licenses

• Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience

• Essential One (1) year of direct work experience in a large international development institution in a relevant position, including experience in field operations.
• Preferably with knowledge of, or experience in, local or area based economic development, direct engagement in a technical sector such as education, WASH, social protection, health, energy. Practical experience working with and an understanding of the different aspects of economic growth, governance, fragility and conflict.
• Expertise related to the governance of specific multilateral development banks or bilateral development actors most relevant to the AoR.

Desirable

• Experience with forced displacement.
• Experience in primary data collection, quantitative research methods and results-based management.

Functional Skills

• *CO-Strategic Communication
• *CO-Drafting and Documentation
• *SO-Networking
• *MG-Partnership Development
• *SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving
• *UN-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR
• *IM-Knowledge Management
• CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring
• PG-Results-Based Management
• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework (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.

Standard JD will be applied

 

Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

UNHCR Sub Office Assosa covers three Field Offices (Bambasi, Tsore, and Sherkole) and reports directly to the Sub office Assosa. SO Assosa is implementing the protection and assistance programmes and plays an important role in the coordination of Sundanese and South Sudanese refugee operation. The Assistant Development Officer will support in operationalizing the strategic vision to align humanitarian-development nexus efforts with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), which underscores the need to mobilize additional actors and to adopt a whole-of-society approach to strengthen refugee self-reliance and help ease pressure on host countries. Promoting economic inclusion of refugees is a key development area that will enable the achievement of these objectives and contribute to the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Leveraging the growing global momentum, UNHCR is working to translate the objectives of the GCR into impactful results for Persons we serve. Contributing to this global roll-out of the GCR, the Assistant Development Officer, contributes to the following objectives:

1)  undertake duties to provide strategic support for policy development on the humanitarian and development nexus.

2) provide guidance to Head of sub office and Programme officer on lessons learned and good practices to address the humanitarian-development nexus.

3) contribute to UNDAF development and joint analysis by promoting humanitarian development linkages and fostering coherence and collaboration amongst humanitarian and development partners and promote opportunities for reinvigorated UNDAFs and joint programmes to include, where appropriate, humanitarian elements, especially in protracted crises and transboundary initiatives.

The Assistant development officer is expected to be proactive, always looking for new opportunities and persuasive in mobilizing donors and new partners around new models of economic and social integration. Within UNHCR, the Assistant development Officer will work under the supervision of the Program Officer and closely with multi-functional teams on matters including but not limited to protection, education, Cash-Based Intervention, partnerships, research, durable solutions, and analytics, SGBV, solutions, complementary pathways and more.

S/he will support the office’s involvement with other development actors and with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, research institutions and universities.

The Assistant development Officer should have experience in development planning and formulation of policy in a development cooperation context. Should have experience in inter-agency or inter organizational collaboration in the development sector. Should also have extensive experience in development cooperation. Developing and maintaining multi stakeholder partnerships. Fostering collaboration amongst humanitarian and development partners. UN system experience. Managing multicultural teams at country, regional or global levels and experience working with a development cooperation agency.

Living and Working Conditions:

Assosa town is in Benishagul-Gumuz Regional State of Ethiopia. Incumbent will stay and work in Assosa covering all reporting related functions and needs across Assosa operation. Assosa operation has one Sub-Office and three Field Units which accommodates approximately 76,000 persons of concern. Regular travel to field is required.

Assosa town is a D category, security level 2 (low), non-family duty station. There is fairly good infrastructure as well as some leisure and recreational facilities in Assosa, although they are limited. Very limited health facilities available in regional capital, Assosa. Local banking facilities are available only in Assosa;

Security Situation.

Common crimes include petty thefts and pick-pocketing. However, UN premises and staff members have never been targeted. Currentlty there is official curfew in place, starting from 2000hrs and ending at 0600hrs on the following morning. Staff members are advised to be inside compounds during dark hours of the day.

Sensitive political context and past experience shows frequent blockage of road access, especially to and from Tongo and sourounding areas that include Bambasi. Staff are therefore advised to ensure that they carry supplies of their critical medicines that they may need to use frequently as the main market supplies route from Addis Ababa is sometimes inaccessible.

The prevailing economic situation and insufficient funding has resulted in refugees food rations reductions and this sometimes trigger tensions and violence in refugee camps.

The refugees and other persons of concern are of very diverse in all aspects of diversity. The incumbent is expected to be familiar and capable of managing and working within such contexts.

Markets

There are functioning commodities markets for basic commodities, including food. Variety is limited but commodities are readily available. Due to frequent road blockages and general upward inflation trend prices are generally high in Assosa.

Weather

In Asosa, the wet season is warm and overcast and the dry season is hot and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 13°C to 33°C. The hot season lasts for 2.8 months, from January 31 to April 25, with an average daily high temperature above 31°C. The cool season lasts for 3.6 months, from June 21 to October 8, with an average daily high temperature below 24°C. The coldest month of the year in Āsosa is August, with an average low of 15°C.

 

Additional Qualifications

Skills

• CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring,
• CO-Drafting and Documentation,
• CO-Strategic Communication,
• IM-Knowledge Management,
• MG-Partnership Development,
• PG-Results-Based Management,
• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework,
• SO-Critical Thinking and problem solving,
• SO-Networking,
• UN-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR

 

• BA: Development Economics (Required),
• BA: Development Studies (Required),
• BA: International Relations (Required),
• BA: Law (Required),
• BA: Political Science (Required),
• BA: Socio-Economic Development (Required)

Competencies

• Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

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

Compendium

All applicants must be Nationals of the country and be locally recruited within the country of their employment. An eliminatory or complementary written test for shortlisted candidates may be conducted which will be followed by competency-based interview.

This position requires Functional Clearance