Associate Registration and Identity Management Officer, P2, Niamey At UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The UNHCR Data Transformation Strategy 2020-2025 envisions that by 2025 UNHCR becomes a trusted leader on data and information related to refugees and other persons of concern (POC), thereby enabling actions to protect and to empower them. The Strategy invests in four complementary priority areas: data management and governance; information systems; capacities and skill development; and culture for evidence-informed decision-making. The Data Transformation Strategy also includes UNHCR¿s forward learning action plan on digital identity and the importance of strengthening a trusted and secure digital platform to facilitate protection and solutions, assistance delivery and the inclusion of POCs in State systems and their increased access to services. The Associate Registration and Identity Management Officer (ARIMO) will function under the direct supervision of a Senior Registration or Protection staff in the Section, Bureau or Country Operation. The incumbent supports the management of UNHCR¿s registration and identity management-related activities in the region/ country. S/he may receive functional guidance from the Data Service, Headquarters. The incumbent assists in the implementation of identity management including registration/enrolment-related activities. S/he will support the operationalization of registration, identity management and digital identity strategies such as the inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers into host States¿ population registers and digital identity systems and the registration of birth, marriages, deaths and other vital events of forcibly displaced persons in the host Government¿s civil registry.

The incumbent will also ensure that identity management practices are actively leveraged to support all UNHCR activities, including identification of specific needs, targeting and delivery of assistance, support to protection intervention, fraud mitigation and response, data protection, case management and conduct of durable solution processes. The incumbent will also support digital identity activities (standard setting, pilots, projects or programmes) with the aim of increasing the trust in the identity credentials of POCs to increase access to humanitarian assistance, protection, solutions and public and private sector services (including connectivity and financial services) while ensuring the appropriate protection of their privacy and personal data. The position will also contribute to ensuring that there is reliable data and analysis relating to POCs¿ registration, identity management and digital identification at global, regional and country levels (as appropriate) including for strategy development and monitoring and evaluation. The ARIMO supports field operations with alignment of registration, identity management, digital identity and case management standard operating procedures to global refugee registration and identity management system applications. When posted to a country operation, the incumbent coordinates registration operations in the Field under the technical guidance of Registration and Digital Identity staff in Bureaux and the Global Data Service in order to promote regional and global consistency in registration, identity management and digital identity. 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

– Assist in the implementation of registration, enrolment and digital identity strategies, for populations of concern in compliance with global and regional protection and inclusion objectives and priorities, ensuring that relevant standards are met, and appropriate methodologies and technologies are implemented.

– Provide technical support to staff on planned registration and digital identity management activities.

– Contribute to the development and dissemination of operational guidance, instructions and capacity-development initiatives, in accordance with policy and guidance disseminated by the Global Data Service in Headquarters.

– Design appropriate procedures and systems for assurance of quality registration data and conduct regular data quality and audit checks to monitor the accuracy of data collected, as well as a tool for identification and prevention of fraud.

– Provide post-deployment support and maintenance of the UNHCR refugee systems applications as required.

– Assist the country team to establish and strengthen internal digital identity, registration and identity management capacity and/or that of government counterparts to manage registration and maintain population data.

– Liaise with Digital Identity and Registration Section of the Global Data Service as necessary to facilitate registration and identity management activities in the region/ country.

Advocate with and support government authorities to establish and strengthen fair and efficient registration and digital identification procedures and systems and that POCs¿ identity documents or credentials are recognised for the purposes of accessing humanitarian, public and private sector services.

– Establish linkages with key partners to implement appropriate case and data management approaches for efficient, accountable and standardized targeting and delivery of assistance and other programming and protection needs.

– Support the operationalization and negotiation with government and UN partners related to interoperability of external digital identification systems with UNHCR refugee registration and identity management systems.

– Liaise and actively engage with government, humanitarian and development actors, and the private sector to promote the inclusion of refugees and asylum-seekers into host States¿ population registers and digital identity systems and the registration of birth, marriages, deaths and other vital events of forcibly displaced persons in the host Government¿s civil registry.

– Support the collection of reliable data and the availability of effective analysis relating to POCs¿ registration, identity management and digital identification at global, regional and country levels (as appropriate) including for the purposes of strategy development and monitoring and evaluation.

– Monitor, document and report on registration and identity management activities at the regional/ country level, and report on the impact of support interventions to the management of operations.

– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level For P2/NOB – 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree Field(s) of Education Law; Development Social Sciences; Information Technology, with focus on Database Development, Data Management and Analysis; Demography; Geography; Political Science; Business Administration; Humanities; Statistics; or other relevant field. (Field(s) of Education marked with an asterisk* are essential) Certificates and/or Licenses Certification Programme ¿ International Protection (CP-IP) HCR protection Learning Programme Training on Emergency Registration Operations Data Management Learning Program (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience

Essential: Understanding of the principles and concepts of international protection and UNHCR, including UNHCR¿s registration and identity management guidance and the Policy and Guidance on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern. Desirable: Technical expertise in registration, digital identity or biometric management systems. Experience with UNHCR¿s PRIMES applications. Familiarity with planning, programming, strategic planning, project development, budgeting and resource mobilization. Understanding of civil registration, national identity management or digital identification systems (including population registries) and digital identity technical standards. Demonstrated knowledge of UNHCR and interagency policies, standards, programmes and operations. Experience of devising data collection and analysis. Experience working with partners, including host and donor Governments, humanitarian and development partners.

Functional Skills DM-Data Management RG-Civil Registration data collection/processing PR-Individual Case Management PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators DM-Data collection methodologies (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 candidate must have an outstanding understanding of the principles and concepts of international protection and UNHCR, including UNHCR’s registration and identity management guidance and the Policy and Guidance on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern.

Technical expertise in registration, digital identity, or biometric management systems in addition to experience with UNHCR’s PRIMES applications is desirable. The candidate should also be familiar with the planning, programming, strategic planning, project development, budgeting, and resource mobilization. He should have a good understanding of civil registration, national identity management or digital identification systems (including population registries), and digital identity technical standards. A demonstrated knowledge of UNHCR and interagency policies, standards, Programmes, and operations and experience in devising data collection and analysis is also desirable. The candidate must have strong experience in working with partners, including host and donor Governments, humanitarian, and development partners.

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

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Desired languages

French

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

To view occupational health and safety considerations for this duty station, please visit this link: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel

Nature of Position:

Niger is a host to a total population of 701,255 persons of concern to UNHCR as of 31 January 2023. This population is mainly composed of 302,055 refugees and asylum seekers, 361,593 internally displaced persons, and 37,606 Nigerien returnees. These populations are distributed in six regions and grouped into three situations the Lake Chad Basin situation with Nigerian refugees in the regions of Diffa, Maradi, and recently in Tahoua, the Sahel situation with Malian refugees in the regions of Tahoua and Tillabéri, the Urban situation with refugees and asylum seekers in Niamey, including the evacuees from Libya to Niamey by humanitarian flights (Emergency Transit Mechanism – ETM), and the mixed migration where we have refugees and asylum seekers in Agadez region.

In addition to the conflicts in the Lake Chad Basin and Sahel regions that continue to fuel forced displacement, Niger is a major transit country for mixed movements of migrants and asylum-seekers towards the Central Mediterranean. Since late 2017, Niger has received 4,063 vulnerable asylum-seekers evacuated from Libya to Niger through an Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM). They are mainly of Eritrean, Somali, and Sudanese origin, and the large majority are recognized as refugees and have departed Niger on resettlement. The Libya crisis has also created a displacement situation in Agadez, which is hosting mostly Sudanese asylum-seekers who have fled Libya. Furthermore, Niger has an urban caseload consisting of refugees mainly from the Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali, and Sudan.

UNHCR Niger has migrated its Case Management system two years ago to proGres v4 and a countrywide verification exercise has started last year. Therefore, the operation has numerous challenges in terms of maintaining good quality of data and mainstream registration data. In addition to that, many projects are conducted by colleagues from different units and there is a need to scale up data collection, gathering, and analysis.

The incumbent reports to the Operational Data Management Officer and works closely with other protection teams, such as registration, refugee status determination, resettlement, and child protection, as well as Programme colleagues. The incumbent oversees registration activities across the country, monitoring and enforcing procedural compliance, data protection, integrity, and quality of collected data, and ensures progress against targets. S/he contributes to comprehensive protection and solutions strategies and needs to make Registration and Identity Management both strategic as well as responsive to the needs of people of concern to UNHCR.

The candidate must have an outstanding understanding of the principles and concepts of international protection and UNHCR, including UNHCR’s registration and identity management guidance and the Policy and Guidance on the Protection of Personal Data of Persons of Concern.

Technical expertise in registration, digital identity, or biometric management systems in addition to experience with UNHCR’s PRIMES applications is desirable. The candidate should also be familiar with the planning, programming, strategic planning, project development, budgeting, and resource mobilization. He should have a good understanding of civil registration, national identity management or digital identification systems (including population registries), and digital identity technical standards. A demonstrated knowledge of UNHCR and interagency policies, standards, Programmes, and operations and experience in devising data collection and analysis is also desirable. The candidate must have strong experience in working with partners, including host and donor Governments, humanitarian, and development partners.

Living and Working Conditions:

Niamey, the designated duty station Niamey has recently been reviewed from the C to E category with an R&R cycle of 12 weeks. There are available offers for accommodations, although finding reasonably priced quality housing is becoming increasingly challenging. There are several supermarkets where local and foreign goods are available, and expatriates frequent a variety of restaurants that offer Turkish, Lebanese, Chinese, French, Italian, and other cuisines. Educational services are limited, with only French and American International Schools available. The Medical Section in Geneva has assessed the medical facilities and recommended two clinics that are safely accessible by UNHCR staff and their families, although the quality of care is very poor. Most travel within the country is undertaken regularly through UNHAS flights, and non-accessible locations are reached by car. Accommodations with minimum standards are available in field offices. Although several banks and ATMs are available in the capital, they are often out of service, hence the need to regularly have a certain amount of cash in hand.

Niger experiences three distinct seasons: rainy (June-September), cool (October-February), and very hot (March-May). Communication through mobile telephony is acceptable and enables staff to remain in contact. However, housing conditions are becoming increasingly difficult due to untimely power cuts and the exorbitant cost of rent, which typically requires 3 to 4 months’ rent paid in advance before occupying a residence. The 2018 Finance law has impacted the cost of most purchases.

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

BA: Information Technology (Required), BA: International Relations (Required), BA: Law (Required), BA: Social Science (Required)

Certifications

Emergency Registration – Other, HCR Operational Data Management Learning Program – UNHCR, HCR Protection Learning Program – UNHCR, International Protection – Other

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

UNHCR Salary Calculator

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

Compendium

Add. 3 to Bi-annual Compendium 2022 – Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position requires Functional Clearance