Hardship Level: E (most hardship)
Family Type: Non Family
Family Type: Non FamilyDanger Pay
Residential location (if applicable): Grade: NOA
Staff Member / Affiliate Type: National Professional Officer
Reason: Regular > Regular Assignment
Remote work accepted: No
Target Start Date: 2023-04-16
Job Posting End Date: April 11, 2023
Standard Job Description: Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
In complex humanitarian emergencies and natural disasters where UNHCR is designated as the Protection Cluster Lead Agency under the Cluster Approach, UNHCR performs a dedicated coordination, strategy development and advocacy function through the positions of P5/P4 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer and the supporting positions of P3 Protection Cluster Coordination Officer, P2 Associate Protection Cluster Coordination Officer and/or P1 Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer.
The Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer normally reports directly to a higher-grade Protection Cluster Coordination Officer. The UNHCR Representative has final accountability for the performance of UNHCR as Cluster Lead Agency.
The Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer supports UNHCR to work within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach. The position reinforces UNHCR Protection Cluster Lead Agency functions by providing support to the role of Cluster Coordinator in ensuring UNHCR’s leadership within a diverse protection community.
The Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer is expected to support the work of the Protection Cluster through the provision of support in analysis, organization and reporting. 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.
The Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer supports the Protection Cluster Coordinator 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.
The Assistant Protection Cluster Coordination Officer 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
- Support the Protection Cluster to ensure that protection informs and shapes the overall humanitarian response and that the protection response is integrated into the Humanitarian Country Team’s common humanitarian action plan.
- Participate in meetings in line with the Principles of Partnership, ensuring that cluster meetings are consultative and results oriented.
- Support coordination with government counterparts and other relevant authorities
- Support the coordination and conduct of Protection Cluster or Inter-Cluster level protection needs assessments, including participatory assessments of affected populations.
- Provide inputs to development of common funding criteria, resource mobilisation and prioritization within the Protection Cluster for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals and pooled funds processes.
- Assist in the delivery of protection training activities for Protection Cluster members, other local partners, and relevant authorities.
- Contribute to initiatives building the protection capacity of the national and local government, partners and civil society.
- Through Cluster-wide consultative processes, provide input into the development of global protection policy and standards led by the Global Protection Cluster.
- Support reporting and information sharing within the Protection Cluster and at the inter-cluster level.
- Support and facilitate the Protection Cluster information management strategy and mechanisms.
- Contribute to Protection Cluster’s regular updates and briefing notes on the protection concerns in the affected population, response activities, challenges and recommendations.
- Help foster a consistent interpretation and application of international law and related UNHCR and IASC legal standards and protection policies.
- Draft reports and prepare advocacy statements on behalf of the Protection Cluster – for clearance by Senior management.
- Facilitate cluster meetings, work and cooperate with focal points sub-groups/working groups and ad hoc/task-related bodies for specific issues.
- Facilitate negotiation with the Humanitarian Coordinator/Resident Coordinator, the Humanitarian Country Team and cluster members on the prioritization and inclusion of project proposals and common funding criteria for inclusion in inter-agency funding appeals.
- Perform other related duties as required.
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
Law; International Law; Political Sciences;
or other relevant field.
(Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Certificates and/or Licenses
HCR Coordination Lrng Prog; Tri-Cluster Knowl/Coord Skills;
HCR Protection Learning Prg; Prot in NaturalDisaster Situat;
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)
Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Good knowledge of International Refugee and Human Rights Law.
Desirable
Not specified
Functional Skills
LE-Human Rights Law
LE-International Refugee Law
(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: Ability to communicate fluently in multiple local languages will be considered an asset.
Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):: ,
Desired languages: ,
Operational context: Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and an increasing risk of economic collapse. Forty years of armed conflict, recurrent natural disasters \u2013 including droughts and floods, increased poverty, food insecurity, failing health systems, and lack of shelters have made many of the people in Afghanistan vulnerable to extreme protection risks.
According to OCHA, 32,424 people were internally displaced by conflict in Afghanistan in 2022, nearly 80 per cent of whom are women and children. This brings the total number of IDPs displaced due to conflict to 3.25 million. On the other hand, at least more than 1.3 million IDPs have returned to their places of origin in 2021 and 2022. Furthermore, between 2002 and 2022, nearly 5.3 million refugees voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan with UNHCR’s assistance. In 2022, 6,424 Afghan refugees voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, a sharp increase from previous years. In addition, there are nearly 52,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Afghanistan, most of whom were displaced from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 2014 and settled in areas of Khost and Paktika provinces. A small number of refugees and asylum-seekers are residing in urban areas of Kabul and other cities. In the absence of a national asylum legal framework, refugees and asylum-seekers constitute one of Afghanistan’s most vulnerable populations.
The current situation has severely affected the coping mechanisms of vulnerable population groups in the country, particularly internally displaced people, refugee returnees, refugees and asylum-seekers in Afghanistan. Increased pressure on shared resources in areas of displacement and return are worsening living conditions and leading people to resort to harmful coping mechanisms (e.g., child labour, early and forced marriage, labour exploitation, debt, onward migration, etc.), limiting returnee’s reintegration prospects, and triggering secondary displacement.
The situation of women and girls continues to remain a challenge in Afghanistan since women’s access to employment, education, freedom of movement and the enjoyment of other basic rights are restricted. Furthermore, the demographic profile of Afghanistan, characterized by a disproportionately large population of youth, compounds existing challenges and underscores the urgency of addressing the aspirations of Afghanistan’s young people. Also, rural-urban migration due to lack of services in rural areas prompting continued population movement further compounds pressure on urban centres. As per the 2023 HNO/HRP, we entered 2023 with unprecedented levels of need amongst ordinary women, men and children of Afghanistan and 28.3 million people in humanitarian need \u2013 more than half the population.
While conflict and insecurity remained the primary drivers of displacement in 2021, with the end of large-scale conflict after August 2021, natural disasters, climate change and other environmental risks will continue to be recurrent disruptors, frequently contributing to displacement and heightened vulnerability.
Protection clusters bring together protection partners who have the necessary expertise, resources, access, and capacity to provide necessary protection services as outlined in the HRP. They are integral to the cluster approach adopted by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) for non-refugee humanitarian crises. UNHCR leads the Global Protection Cluster (GPC) and co-leads the Global Cluster for Shelter and the Global Cluster for Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM). Its priorities are to ensure effective leadership, coordination, advocacy and operational delivery at country level, and to drive and influence the development of global policy on protection in humanitarian action, including protection of IDPs in particular.
Additional Qualifications: Skills
Education
Certifications
HCR Coordination Learning Program – UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR, Protection in Natural Disaster Situation – Other, Tri_Cluster Knowledge/Coord Skills – OtherWork Experience
Competencies: Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Teamwork & collaboration
UNHCR Salary Calculator: https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales
Compendium: Additional Information: Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be invited for an eliminatory written test. Only those who obtains 30% will be invited to an interview.
Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for consideration
Functional clearance: This position doesn’t require a functional clearance.