About the job

The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community-based protection, registration, resettlement and education. S/he provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff on all protection/legal matters and accountabilities. These include: statelessness (in line with the campaign to End Statelessness by 2024), Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) commitments, age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP) through community-based protection, Child protection, Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, gender equality, disability inclusion, youth empowerment, psycho-social support and PSEA, registration, asylum/refugee status determination, resettlement, local integration, voluntary repatriation, human rights standards integration, national legislation, judicial engagement, predictable and decisive engagement in situations of internal displacement and engagement in wider mixed movement and climate change/disaster-related displacement responses. S/he supervises protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC), ensuring that operational responses in all sectors mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards. The incumbent contributes to the design of a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor. S/he also ensures that PoC are meaningfully engaged in the decisions that affect them and support programme design and adaptations that are influenced by the concerns, priorities and capacities of them. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.

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

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to PoC.
• Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Conduct eligibility and status determination for PoC in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
• Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Provide inputs for the development of protection policies and standards within the AoR.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on GBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Recommend durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other PoC.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.
• Assist capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
• Intervene with authorities on protection issues.
• Assist the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
• Assist the supervisor in enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
• 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 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

Law,

International Law,

Political Sciences

or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified;

Relevant Job Experience

Essential

Knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles

Desirable

Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme.

Functional Skills

• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
• PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)

MG-Project Management

PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards

PR-International Humanitarian Law

PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation

PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement

CO-Drafting and Documentation

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.

Desired Candidate Profile

• The incumbent is required to have solid protection experience including community-based protection, Child Protection, GBV, and protection of refugee returnees. Exposure to the IDP cluster coordination mechanism is essential. Since the incumbent will be assuming the supervisory role, managerial experience is also important.
• Candidate should have experience in both emergency and protracted displacement situations.
• Extensive experience working in complex Inter-Agency contexts of IDP operations is desirable.
• Candidate should have demonstrated experience and expertise in IDP legal frameworks and UN/HCR policies as well as IASC policy.
• Candidate with Protection cluster leadership experience is desirable.
• Intensive experience in developing solutions strategies and interventions for internally displaced is desirable.
• Experience in refugee returnees management.
• Working experience in profiling and identification of vulnerable and marginalized displaced people.
• The candidate is expected to have skills and proven experience in navigating complex political and humanitarian contexts, ensuring UNHCR's credibility in its leadership and accountability as lead agency.
• The candidate should possess experience and skill sets to conduct strategic advocacy on protection issues at different levels and for different audiences.
• Knowledge of protection monitoring systems and solid ability to draft/produce regular and targeted/thematic reports for the Cluster, Humanitarian Country Team, and Human Rights/Special Procedures reporting is key, including experience on human rights and humanitarian laws and principles, IASC standard operating procedures for IDP profiling, as well as related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and protection policies.
• The incumbent should have solid experience in managing his/her team, and interpersonal skills in consensus building that promotes trust amongst members in an increasingly sensitive and polarized environment while making key decisions on the direction of the Protection Cluster.
• Relevant experience and understanding of the local and cultural context of the Southwest State, Somalia would be an advantage.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

,

,

Desired languages

,

,

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:

Southwest State (SWS) is affected by natural shocks and insecurity, which resulted in displacement in the three regions: Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shebelle. As a result of drought and insecurity-driven displacement, a Level 2 emergency has been declared in September 2022 and extend through 2023 due to El Nino, which occurred since October 2023. More than 1.6 million people need immediate assistance, including food, water, health, and nutrition. To meet the needs of affected populations, including displaced persons, humanitarian organizations, in coordination with local authorities, have scaled up their response and strengthened the operational coordination in the field to ensure effective access to the most vulnerable.

Baidoa has one of the largest caseloads of internal displacement, food insecurity, and malnutrition in Somalia. According to the CCCM Cluster, over 611 IDP sites exist in Baidoa, and new arrivals continue to be registered. The total IDP population in Bay, Bakool, and Lower Shebelle stands at 980,419. According to CCCM service mapping, over 80 percent of the IDPs do not have access to adequate shelter, and most of these IDPs have no access to adequate water and sanitation, and general health and nutrition services.

The majority of new arrivals IDPs cite flooding and persistent drought with extreme loss of livestock, pasture, and food insecurity as the key driving factors for their displacements from their areas of origin. The new arrivals' priority needs include food, water, shelter/NFIs, latrines, and health and nutrition interventions. The continued arrival of IDPs is overstretching the availability of basic services such as food, health, water, shelter, education, and protection among others.

As new displacements continue to be recorded, humanitarian partners have also strengthened the response in hard-to-reach areas to mitigate further displacement, opening humanitarian access to these areas, and acting as an enabler to increase humanitarian presence in areas where coverage is limited.

Based on IASC, all clusters are active in the Southwest state. UNHCR leads Protection and NFI/Shelter clusters and co-leads CCCM Cluster with IOM. The main population groups in the Southwest are IDPs and refugee returnees. The incumbent leads the Protection cluster and oversees UNHCR operational response about Protection, GBV, Child Protection, Community-based protection, refugee returnees, CBI, and Durable solutions.

The incumbent reports to the Head of the Field Unit, he/she has supervisory responsibilities over protection and field staff and acts as OIC in the absence of the head of Office.

The incumbent will be responsible for the application of protection standards, operational procedures, and practices in protection delivery at the field level and is relied upon by the Office to plan, lead, and coordinate quality, timely, and effective responses to the needs of populations of concern. He/she ensures that the Field-based protection strategy is consistent with the comprehensive protection strategy for the country and is grounded on evidence collected in the field. In addition, the Assistant Protection Officer will assume the leadership role of coordinating the state protection cluster.

UNHCR is a key player in the IDP response and often participates in joint assessment, protection monitoring, and as well as humanitarian assistance. Further, due to the mixed settlement of POCs, UNHCR implements community-based interventions targeting IDPs, returnees, and host communities.

Living and Working Conditions:

Security situation:

Baidoa is the provincial capital of the Bay region situated approximately 250 kilometers west of Mogadishu and 240 km southeast of the Ethiopian border. The security situation of Baidoa is relatively calm but unpredictable due to the presence of covert AS elements in town, movement of the group in areas around the town, and hit-and-run attacks, IEDs, and Hand Grenade attacks against SWS/SNA forces positions and entities affiliated with the government in the city. ATMIS (Ethiopian National Defense Forces) and the various government security forces, including SNA and Southwest Special Police Force are positioned in and around the town. However, AS has intermittently managed to conduct attacks at SNA/SWS forces positions within the city limits.

Living conditions:

International staff reside in UNHCR's own containers in the UNSOS/UNSOM compound. The compound is managed by UNSOS/UNSOM. National staff live in the town and commute to the office on working days. UNHCR provides shuttle service to/from office and staff residences. In town, there are social amenities, including cafes, restaurants, football playgrounds, and recreational public parks to which national staff have access.

Working conditions:

UNHCR has an office in the UNSOS/UNSOM compound within the ATMIS protected area. The office is equipped with furniture, office items, and full access to the internet. Field and Protection staff regularly visit IDP sites and monitor Partners project implementation activities. Other UN agencies, including UNICEF, UNOCHA, WFP, IOM, FAO, WHO, and UNFPA have a presence in Baidoa. UNHCR closely works with UN agencies, NGOs, and Government offices, particularly the Southwest Commission for Refugees and IDPs, the Ministry of Humanitarian, and the mayor's office.

Healthcare services:

There are very limited medical facilities in Baidoa. In the town, national staff have access to two hospitals called Tayo and Akhuna, which are covered under medical insurance. Within the UNSOS/UNSOM compound, there are Level 1 and Level 2 Clinics run by UNSOS and ATMIS, respectively. National staff and their dependents have full access to these hospitals.

Food:

All basic foods are available in the market ranging from meat, dairy, fruit, and vegetables. There are two hotels within the protected area where staff can visit. There is a canteen run by a private catering company called FRESKO within the UNSOM/UNSOS compound. Both national and international staff have access to it. There are also two fully equipped kitchens for staff to use.

Transport:

Shatigadud International Airport Baidoa. There are regular UNSOS and UNHAS flights from/to Mogadishu every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. There are daily commercial flights. International flights are always connected through Mogadishu.

Communication:

There is mobile network coverage in Baidoa. Hormuud and SomTel are the two main service providers.

Banking:

There are several banks in town where national staff can open bank accounts. UNHCR used AMAL to transfer staff monthly allowances/salaries and other entitlements. Mobile banking/EVC is widely used in Baidoa.

Education:

There are several private primary and secondary schools and universities in Baidoa.

Additional Qualifications

CO-Drafting and Documentation, MG-Project Management, PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD), PR-Assessment of IDPs Status, Rights, Obligation, PR-Climate change and disaster related displacement, PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) Coordination, PR-Human Rights Doctrine/Standards, PR-International Humanitarian Law, PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): International Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Political Science

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Judgement & decision making, Negotiation & conflict resolution, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Stakeholder management, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Additional Information

Shortlisted candidates may be required to undertake a written test.

Functional clearance

This position doesn't require a functional clearance

How to Apply

APPLY HERE