Job Title: Snr Community-Based Protection Assistant LICA 5
Job ID: 32778
Location: Americas
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Duties and Qualifications
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has an international mandate to protect refugees, people who have left their countries of origin due to acts of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a certain social group. In 2021 UNHCR in Honduras opens the field unit in Choluteca to expand its direct presence in the departments of Choluteca and El Paraíso. Both departments are reception areas, as well as the transit territory for the mixed movements of refugees and migrants who enter Honduras and then reach the United States. The objective of the field unit will be to strengthen the capacity of state institutions, civil society and communities to respond to people in need of international protection and facilitate access to their rights, livelihoods and social welfare.
The Senior Community-Based Protection Assistant 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 Senior 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.
The situation of violence in the Honduras caused by gangs, organized crime and human rights violations has different manifestations and affects many segments of the population in the region. Honduras has seen increasing patterns of forced displacement provoked by transnational organized criminal groups or by other situations of violence (i.e. forced recruitment, persecution and extortion by criminal gangs). The Government of Honduras, with the support of UNHCR has recognized this phenomenon of internal displacement, with a updated profiling study which puts the number of displaced persons at 247,090 between 2004-2018.In addition, as of December 2019 there were almost 92,392 Hondurans refugees and asylum seekers who have fled the country and requested international protection, and a record of 109,185 deported from Mexico and the United States of America. Due to conflict in the neighboring country Nicaragua, Honduras also receives people with international protection needs; having a significant increase in the number of people who seek asylum in 2018. While the numbers of asylum seekers and refugees are not parallel to what is seen in other countries, there are protection and security challenges particularly in border towns to ensure effective protection for refugees.
Bordering El Salvador and Nicaragua, the Choluteca Department in Honduras is a reception zone and also a transit area for mixed movements of refugees and migrants were the vast majority enter Honduras to later reach the United States of America. UNHCR has been responding to the situation through local partners and is now further scaling up its direct presence in Choluteca. Being a border area, there is a prevalence of having new arrivals of refugees from Nicaragua as well as receiving a high number of people in transit.
Notwithstanding, the situation of violence in Honduras has also affected this area and can present cases of forced displacement.
UNHCR and its partners are supporting Persons of Concern by implementing multi-sectorial activities including information gathering and analysis, provision of shelter, humanitarian, and legal assistance through partner Centro de Desarrollo Humano, establishment of identification mechanisms and referral pathways for people with international protection needs and a border monitoring network through community leaders in border zones. CwC and community outreach with the various communities residing along the border areas is seen as an important continuation of the activities in order to establish community plans that supports the identification of persons with protection needs and coordination of response.
Duties
- Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy.
- 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.
- Assist in initiatives with host communities to involve national civil society groups in the protection of PoC.
- 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 SGBV.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with PoC.
- Support efforts to build the office capacity for community-based protection.
- 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.
- Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office and with persons and communities of concern based on agreed parameters.
- Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Assist in border monitoring activities and community engagement in border areas in coordination with counterparts and local communities. Support with CwC activities, information dissemination and protection/referral pathways with the local communities.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Assist in the engagement and active coordination with local government entities and the civil society in the assigned working area.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1 year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher in Political or Social Sciences, International Relations, Law, Economics, Human Rights, Community Development/Social work or other relevant.
Desirable: - Experience with refugees or other vulnerable groups.
- Experience in social work or working with protection related issues
- Experience with UNHCR or the UN system.
- Experience working in border zones. ¿¿
Functional Skills:
IT-Computer Literacy
CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Language Requirements:
Fluency in Spanish and working knowledge of 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.
Eligible Applicants
Candidates must meet the essential minimum requirements of the position and candidates not citizens of the country must comply with all eligibility requirements for employment in line with the prevailing legislative prerequisites in the country.
This position is advertised to internal and external applicants. Candidates must be legally present in Honduras at the time of application, recruitment and hire.
Additional Information
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No late applications will be accepted.
Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a technical assessment or written test (eliminatory or complementary) and later on, invited for an oral interview.
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
Remuneration:
A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. Please visit: https://jobs.unops.org/salarycalculator#/GsSalary
UNHCR strongly encourages qualified female applicants for this position. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. UNHCR is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.
Position Competencies
Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Cross-Functional Competencies:
Stakeholder Management
Planning and Organizing
Political Awareness
Closing Date
The closing date for submission of applications is 11 January 2022 (midnight Geneva time).
How to apply:
Para aplicar debe seguir las siguientes instrucciones:
- Ingresar a través de Google Chrome a la dirección https://www.unhcr.org/careers.html seleccionar “Vacancies/Carreras”
- Iniciar sesión para acceder a su cuenta. Si no tiene usuario creado, seleccionar el enlace “New User/Nuevo Usuario” para crear una cuenta.
- Al ingresar a la página encontrará las vacantes seleccionando en “Country/País – Honduras”
- Revise la descripción de puesto de su interés y seleccione “Apply/Aplicar” para comenzar su aplicación en línea.