Senior Protection Associate (In a replacement capacity)

ORGANIZATIONAL SETTING, WORK RELATIONSHIPS and OPERATIONAL CONTEXT:

Following the end of the conflict in Iraq the country is transitioning to a recovery period while still suffering from weak institutions, a limited experience in public administration and civil society/NGOs capacity. The overall humanitarian context in Iraq remains fragile, characterized by protracted internal displacement; eroded national social cohesion; extensive explosive ordnance contamination threatening internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees and communities. More than 1 million Iraqis remain in displacement and 4 million have returned to devastated cities and villages. Spontaneous returns remain slow and are often unsustainable due to unresolved barriers in areas of origin. Two out of five Iraqis who have returned home still do not have adequate housing, economic self-sufficiency, or access to basic services or other conditions essential to durable solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased socioeconomic vulnerabilities across the country, including among the displaced population. Unemployment rose, while the average expenditure for food increased. Protection issues were amplified, while access to legal and community-based support was curtailed by movement restrictions, disruption of public services and other measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. As a result, reliance on negative coping mechanisms and psychological trauma, stress and anxiety have increased. Closures of schools and public offices, and increased demands for health and sanitation services due to COVID-19, stretched the limited services. The arrival of IDPs affected by camp closures, which the Government of Iraq (GoI) resumed in October 2020, also increased the pressure on scarce services in out-of-camp and return locations. In many areas of origin, conditions were not conducive to sustainable returns. At the time of writing, population movements resulting from the closures are ongoing.
The security and protection environment remains volatile, marked by serious protection risks for displaced Iraqis and returnees, including unlawful and disproportionate restrictions on access to safety and freedom of movement, illegal detention, forced encampment, forced and premature returns, lack of documentation limiting the enjoyment of rights and access to services, and increased risk of GBV and child protection issues. Incidents of collective punishment are reported, where families are targeted due to perceived affiliation with extremists.

Despite the political, economic and security challenges in the country, Iraq also hosts 287,355 refugees and asylum seekers, including 245,953 Syrian refugees registered in Iraq, with nearly 99% living in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I), 37% living in camps and 63% in urban, peri-urban/rural areas. UNHCR has also registered in Iraq some 41,402 refugees and asylum-seekers of other nationalities mainly Turks, Iranians, Palestinians, and Sudanese.
The Senior Protection Associate reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. The position may entail supervisory responsibilities for protection staff including community services, registration, resettlement and education depending on the structure of the Office. The incumbent monitors 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 Protection Associate is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern (PoC) and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. The incumbent contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the Office externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
It’s preferred that the candidate has a prior working experience in a humanitarian setting. As s/he need to ensure that PoC are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
While the position is based in Baghdad, it will be covering all southern Governorates, i.e. Babil, Najaf, Wassit, Basra, Qadissiya, Diwaniya, Muthanna, and Thi-Qar. Therefore, regular travel and missions to these locations may need to be undertaken. Given that these locations are not covered by the HRP and the limited involvement of the Clusters, the position will continue leading all Protection activities in relation to IDP matters and will also directly cover all registration activities in relation to the asylum seeking population in the above mentioned Governorates, in addition to the duties mentioned in the job description.
In terms of protection cluster support, the Senior Protection Associate (Cluster Support) is expected to facilitate the work of the Protection Cluster through the provision of analysis, organization, and reporting; and to impartially represent the interests of the members of the Protection Cluster. This includes the provision of active support, as applicable, to sub-clusters or working groups of the Cluster which may be coordinated by other Agencies. As a result, the incumbent supports an inter-agency team in an environment that requires high standards of accountability, facilitation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, in which respect the principles of partnership and collaboration are essential.
In this way, the position reinforces UNHCR Protection Cluster Lead Agency functions by providing support to the role of Cluster Coordination (Protection) in ensuring UNHCR’s leadership within a diverse protection community. To this extent, the Senior Protection Associate (Cluster Support) supports UNHCR to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach.
The incumbent is also expected to support the Senior Cluster Coordination Officer (Protection) in Inter-Cluster Coordination mechanisms, for advocacy and facilitation of protection mainstreaming and cross-cutting issues of age, gender and diversity in the humanitarian response and early recovery activities.
S/he works closely with multi-functional Protection Cluster Support staff in the areas of data and information management, needs assessment, profiling, registration, reporting and advocacy
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 advice and guidance on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Assist in conducting eligibility and status determination for PoC in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles.
• 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.
• Assist the supervisor in implementing and monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and assist the supervisor with intervening in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Assist in identifying durable solutions for the largest possible number of PoC through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• 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.
• Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
• Assist the supervisor with intervening with authorities on protection issues.
• Provide assistance to the supervisor in deciding priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.
• Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

• Perform other related duties as required.

• Minimum Qualifications:

• Years of Experience / Degree Level:

• Minimum 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.

• Certificates and/or Licesnces:

• International Law;

• Political Science;

• HCR Coordination learning program;

• Tri-Cluster knowledge/coordination skills;

• HCR IDPs;

• or other relevant field.

• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

• Relevant Job Experience:
  Desirable:

• Experience in RSD-Resettlement LP and/or Protection Learning Programme.

Functional Skills:

• IT-Computer literacy;
• CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness;
• PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators;
• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework;
• Resource planning;
• Data collection/analysis;

• Stakeholder management/coordination.
  (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

• Lanuage Requirements:

• Knowledge of English and Arabic is mandatory.

• Required Competencies:
  Core Competencies

• Accountability

• Communication

• Organizational Awareness

• Teamwork & Collaboration

• Commitment to Continuous Learning

• Client & Result Orientation
  Managerial Competencies:

• Judgement and Decision Making

• Empowering and Building Trust
  Cross-Functional Competencies

• Political Awareness

• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

• Stakeholder Management

• Eligibility:
  Internal candidates (Group 1 and Group 2):
  Interested staff members should consult the Administrative Instruction on Recruitment and Assignments of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS) (UNHCR/AI/2020/1/REV.2 dated 16 March 2021). If you have questions regarding your eligibility, you may also contact the HR Unit. Internal candidates are Group 1 and vetted group 22 candidates.
  Group 1: comprises current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment who, at the date of the deadline for application, are serving in the country of the vacancy at the grade of the position or one grade below or above.
  Group 2: Group 2 comprises candidates from the categories listed below after completion of one cumulative or continuous year of service in the country of the vacancy. The Group 2 status will be confirmed by DHR or the HR/Admin in the relevant country, as applicable:

• Current locally recruited UNHCR staff members holding a temporary appointment

• Former locally recruited UNHCR staff members who held an indefinite or fixed-term appointment (within 2 years of separation for males and 5 years for females)

• National United Nations Volunteers currently working for UNHCR

• National UNOPS and individual contractors currently working for UNHCR

• Current GS staff members holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment applying to a position in the same category two grades above the staff member’s personal grade

• Current UNHCR staff members in the International Professional category holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment

• Current UNHCR staff members in the NPO category holding an indefinite or fixed-term appointment.

• Current locally recruited female staff members from other UN system Organizations holding the equivalent of an indefinite or fixed-term appointment.

• Externals: are candidates who are not in Group 1 or Group 2.

• Remuneration:

• A competitive compensation and benefits package are offered. For information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the International Civil Service Commission at: http://icsc.un.org

• This Assignment is on Replacement Capacity:

• The selected candidate will be deemed to be in a replacement capacity until the lien is relinquished or until the regular incumbent returns to the position.

• The selected candidate will be appointed in a replacement capacity for an initial duration of one year. Positions that are vacated through the non-definitive departure of a staff member for any reason for a period that is expected to be for one year or more will be advertised in accordance with this Administrative Instruction, including a clear indication that a staff member has a lien to the position, if applicable.

• *2The selected candidate will be appointed in a replacement capacity for an initial duration of one year.
  In order to be considered as group 2 candidates, the applicants must be vetted at the time of applications. To be considered for Group 2 status, candidates must apply for an open call through the following link: https://www.unhcr.org/iraq-jobs/entry/11409/ and go through the vetting process. Vetting process takes around 8 weeks. *