Overview
The Senior Protection Assistant provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff, and quality, timely and effective protection support to refugees and asylum seekers. The incumbent contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and liaises externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues.
Tasks Summary
- Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policies, standards, and codes of conduct.
- Provide counselling on protection issues to Forcibly Displaced and Stateless People (FDSP) and liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
- Support activities in protection-related AGD-based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions, and social needs assessment.
- Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
- Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
- Participate in individual protection case management with a focus on cases of GBV and child protection, in line with Inter-Agency GBV Guidelines and UNHCR SOPs.
- Ensure compliance with UNHCR’s child protection policy, priorities and commitments, as well as other aligned policies on age, gender, diversity (AGD) and accountability to affected populations (AAP), GBV, gender equality, disability and youth empowerment.
- Conduct GBV prevention and response activities, including awareness-raising sessions, dialogues, participatory methods, and community-based protection initiatives, with support for community mobilizers.
- Facilitate age, gender, and diversity-sensitive approaches in outreach and programming.
- Strengthen referral pathways for GBV survivors by working closely with health, legal, psychosocial, and protection actors.
- Undertake consultation with children, youth and communities and provide information on appropriate and meaningful approaches for their effective participation and programmatic responses on child protection issues.
- Conduct Best Interest Procedures for individual children at heightened risks and prepare Best Interests Determination report, when required.
- Identifying durable solutions for (FDSP) in voluntary repatriation, local integration, and where appropriate, resettlement.
- Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion, and other protection incidents.
- Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of protection-related AGD-based programming with implementing and operational partners.
- Draft reports, and routine correspondence, update relevant databases, and compile statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
- Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
- Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
- Perform other related duties as required.
Experience Requirements
2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1-year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher. Relevant experience in protection monitoring and outreach with UNHCR, INGOs or local NGOs is an asset. Experience in Protection case management, with focus on CP and GBV case management would be advantageous. Child Protection experience, with a focus on Best Interest Procedures would be advantageous. Experience in psychological first aid and psychosocial support within Child Protection contexts would be advantageous. Understanding of UNHCR reporting and assistance systems, including RAIS and V4, is a valuable asset.
Qualification Requirements
High school diploma or Bachelor or equivalent or higher.
