Overview

The RSD Associate is responsible for supporting all activities related to the processing of refugee claims in the Operation, including providing counselling to asylum seekers and refugees, conducting research, and drafting assessments.

Tasks Summary

• Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD.
• Assist in the development of the RSD strategy of the operation and in the annual planning exercise.
• Provide counselling to, and respond to queries from, asylum seekers and refugees, including in the context of the notification of negative RSD decisions.
• Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to all work on individual cases.
• Assist in preventing and identifying fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern.
• Systematically apply an age, gender and diversity (AGD) perspective in the performance of assigned functions.
• Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and other issues related to RSD and maintain the Operation's local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation.
• Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing.
• Assist in developing and maintaining processes to ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policies and practice.
• Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.
• Draft correspondence and reports relating to the RSD activities of the Operation.
• Refer individual cases to other functional units in the Operation and/or external partners for appropriate follow-up, in accordance with established criteria.
• Counsel individual asylum-seekers on the reasons for negative RSD decisions, in accordance with the RSD SOPs.
• 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.

Experience Requirements

3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 year work experience with Bachelor or Equivalent or higher. Desirable: Working experience with procedures and principles related to RSD. Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles. Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals. Experience conducting RSD, including interviewing and processing complex and sensitive cases. Experience reviewing RSD Assessments would be an asset. Experience developing and delivering training or capacity-building activities for UNHCR staff and, where applicable, government counterparts and partners involved in asylum or refugee protection processes.

Qualification Requirements

High School Diploma; or Bachelor or Equivalent or higher. Certificates and/or Licenses: Social work; HCR RSD Learning Programme; HCR Country of Origin Information Learning Programme; HCR Protection Learning Programme.