Protection Officer | Gondar, Ethiopia

Job Description

Only candidates who are not nationals of the country of assignment are eligible to apply to this position.

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

In the Bureaux, the Protection Officer works under the direct supervision of the Senior Protection Coordinator or Senior Protection Officer. In the Field, the incumbent normally reports to the Representative, Deputy or Assistant Representative (Protection), Head of Sub Office or Senior Protection Officer as appropriate. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for protection staff whose work may include RSD, community-based protection, registration, resettlement, complementary pathways, internal displacement and education, among other areas. In HQ, the incumbent may report to a Senior Protection Officer, Chief of Section or Deputy Director and may supervise other protection staff.

The incumbent acts as an advisor to senior management in, when not responsible for, designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine.

The Protection Officer coordinates quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. S/he ensures that persons of concern of all age, gender and diversity groups are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems. To undertake this role effectively, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including programme; PI and external relations; IM) and with DIP, communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions.

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

– Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection related issues.
– Stay abreast of and report as relevant on legal political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
– Engage relevant national authorities and structures in identifying and expanding opportunities in view of developing or strengthening national asylum/RSD systems.
– Facilitate a consultative process with government counterparts, partners and persons of concern to develop and implement a comprehensive protection and solutions strategy addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities with regard to these persons.
– In operations applying the Cluster Approach, seek to ensure the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in a strategy which covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
– Support senior management to ensure the protection strategy is fully integrated into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as with the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
– Promote relevant International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct and ensure that all sectors and /or in clusters in applicable operations fulfil their responsibilities in mainstreaming protection.
– Promote the implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR’s updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver I and monitor programmes on an AGD basis to address identified protection needs.
– Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming and strategies.
– Support the establishment of feedback and response systems and the incorporation of feedback received from persons of concern into programme design and adaptation.
– Support the operation to develop and implement robust prevention, identification, and responses to fraud within protection processes and procedures, including registration, RSD, resettlement and complementary pathways, ensuring the integrity of interventions across all protection activities.
– Assist UNHCR management at country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
– Oversee and manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection.
– Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to internal and external interlocutors; ensure legal assistance is accessible to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documents to persons of concern (including women and others in need of civil documentation, in particular birth certificates).
– As designated Data Protection Focal Point, assist the data controller in carrying out his or her responsibilities regarding the Data Protection Policy (7.2 DPP).
– Oversee and undertake eligibility and status determination within the AoR ensuring compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
– Promote and implement effective strategies and measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness within the AoR.
– Contribute to the development and implementation of an education plan as part of protection strategy within the AoR as relevant.
– Contribute to the development and implementation of a child protection plan as part of the protection strategy within the AoR ensuring programmes use a child protection systems approach.
– Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents through working relations with governments and other partners.
– Work to safeguard the rights of persons of concern in the context of mixed movements as relevant.
– Coordinate the preparation of, implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
– Ensure that durable solutions through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement and complementary pathways are sought and provided to the largest possible number of persons of concern, including undertaking and/or overseeing resettlement and complementary pathways activities.
– Contribute to the coordination of the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related programming with implementing and operational partners.
– Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy through a consultative process with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
– Ensure that the Protection Sector or Cluster has an effective information management component which: provides disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery.
– Build the protection capacity of national and local government, partners and civil society to assume their responsibilities vis-à-vis all persons of concern through protection training, mainstreaming and related activities.
– Coordinate capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
– Advise and capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and civil society to strengthen legislation and status determination procedures and mechanisms.

– 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.

For positions in Bureaux

– Support the Regional Bureau and Country Operations to reflect the protection and solution angle in support of persons of concern within regional processes.
– Support Country Operations in the development of strategies to build and further develop national asylum/RSD systems with a view to ensuring their fairness, efficiency, adaptability and integrity, favourable protection environment and solutions.
– Assist UNHCR management at regional and country level to comply with polices and commitment on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
– Support Country Operations and ensure they meet their complementary pathways objectives and resettlement quotas.
– In close collaboration with DIP, (a) contribute to the development of background and general normative, policy, and legal positions, in compliance with UNHCR’s global protection policies and standards; (b) contribute to the development of strategies at the regional and country level on the usage of law and policy approaches, including legislative and judicial engagement and UN human rights mechanisms – and/or regional ones – and other protection frameworks, and integrated human rights standards in protection strategies and advocacy; and (c) support coordination and review of UNHCR’s country reports to the UN human rights mechanisms.
– Engage in relevant international and regional fora and contribute to forging regional partnerships to advocate for key protection and mandate issues, and engage in cross-cutting protection-related matters, including mixed movement, internal displacement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses, as well as Statelessness, in cooperation with DIP and where relevant RSD.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P3/NOC – 6 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 4 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Law; International Law; International Refugee Law;
International Human Rights Law; International Humanitarian Law;
Refugee and Forced Migration Studies; Political Sciences
or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Protection Learning Programme
RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience in the area of refugee protection, internal displacement, human rights or international humanitarian law, including experience in working directly with Field Offices. Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Excellent legal research, analytical skills and drafting.

Desirable

Diverse field experience. Good IT skills including database management skills.

Functional Skills

*PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
*PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards
PR-International Humanitarian Law
PR-Comprehensive Solutions Framework
LE-Judicial Engagement
PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation
PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement
PR-Accountability to Affected People – Principles and Framework
PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination
(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.

– The candidate possess these attributes and is shortlisted for further consideration.
–
– Extensive Protection experience in diverse operations and also management experience.
– Experience in Protection Cluster leaders ship and or experience in other Protection Cluster AORs
– Application of Cluster Approach strategies prioritizing protection needs of affected populations.
– Experience in working with protracted displacement, coupled with working with local NGOs and capacity building.
– The incumbent to have in-depth and broad protection experience including significant CBP/CP/GBV experience and experience managing teams/resources, partnerships/projects managements, and interagency coordination with key stakeholders to support the inclusion agenda and implementation of peaceful co-existence initiatives with host communities.
– Capacity building especially for national and local government, partners, and civil society organizations.
– Experience in the development of contingency plans and or Refugee Response Plans
– Experience in working in Emergencies for refugee and or IDPs.
– Protection processes and procedures upholding the integrity of interventions across the registration, RSD, resettlement, and complementary pathways activities.
– Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.
Providing technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners on all protection-related issues.
– Stakeholder engagement in developing/strengthening national asylum/RSD systems.
– Development and implementation of protection solutions addressing specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientation and/or gender identities (LGBTI persons), persons living with HIV/AIDS; gender equality and Gender Based Violence (GBV) priorities regarding these persons.
– International, Regional and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards, and codes of conduct.
– Implementation of the AGD policy, including UNHCR’s updated commitments to women and girls, and, design, deliver and monitor programmes on an AGD basis.
– Develop, implement and monitor community-based protection strategies and ensure systematic application and integration of participatory and community-based approaches in protection and solutions planning, programming, and strategies.
– Durable solutions, voluntary repatriation, and local integration issues
– Results-based advocacy
– Capacity building especially for national and local government, partners, and civil society organizations.
– Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian response plan where applicable, as well as the implementation of the Global Compact on Refugees and the Three-Year Strategy on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways.
– Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse measures.

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:

The Protection Officer under the direct supervision of the Head of Office will be responsible for the protection staff in Community-Based protection, registration, internal displacement, complementary pathways and education, RSD among other areas. The Protection Officer will provide necessary advice to senior management and is responsible for designing a comprehensive protection strategy under the area of responsibility (AoR). S/he represents the Organization to authorities, UN sister agencies, partners, and other stakeholders on protection policy and doctrine. The incumbent will coordinate quality, timely, and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern under the AoR. Ensuring that persons of concern of all age, gender, and diversity groups are involved decision making that affects them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying and implementing appropriate solutions to their problems.

The Protection Officer will build and maintain effective interfaces with other relevant teams within the operation or the Bureau (including program; PI and external relations; IM) and communities of concern, authorities, protection, and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection and achieving solutions in the Amhara region.

Living and Working Conditions:

The incumbent will be based in Gondar Office. Gondar (also spelt as Gonder), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on the Lesser Angereb River and southwest of the Simien Mountains. As of 2016, Gondar had a population of 299,969 and previously served as the capital of both the Ethiopian Empire and the subsequent Begemder Province. The city holds the remains of several royal castles, including those in the Fasil Ghebbi UNESCO World Heritage Site for which Gondar has been called the “Camelot of Africa”.

Staff members should be prepared to operate under challenging conditions with extremely limited resources. The office deals primarily with several local camp environments with inherent risks to staff safety and health. Regardless of information campaigns, there are realistically few, or no COVID-19 protocols being adhered to in the communities. Staff are required to wear masks but will often work and live within large groups of people who do not. There is a referral medical hospital in Gondar but with limited equipment. Staff with medical conditions are advised to come with at least 3 months of prescribed medication.

The town has a central market where most of the common items can be found.  Also, there are government schools that focus mainly on the National Educational Curriculum.

Staff reside in commercial accommodations, mainly hotels. The town generally lacks apartments for rent save for the new city where it is mainly characterized by upcoming duplex buildings largely meant for family homes.  There is running water as well as national power in the city whereby both services are not reliable. The office relies on WiFi for internet connectivity and staff need to be aware therefore that the internet may be inaccessible after working hours.

There are functioning banks in Gondar, however transacting in dollars is not possible. Staff are also advised to always have a cash reserve on them. It is recommended that first-time travelers to the duty station dispense sufficient funds from the ATMs in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. Ethiopian regulations do not permit the transportation of more than $ 4,000 or its equivalent into the country.

The security situation is fluid and staff members should always get the latest travel advice and support prior to travel to Gondar.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

• Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Humanitarian Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Human Rights Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Refugee Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA): Refugee and Forced Migration Studies

Certifications

• HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR,
• HCR Resettlement Learning Program – UNHCR

• Durable Solutions, GBV, Protection Cluster, RCM – Protection coordination, Work Context: Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Operation

Competencies

• Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Judgement & decision making, Managing performance, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration

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