Community Based Protection Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

The Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org).

Context

In the operational context covered by the UNHCR field office in Muyinga, the protection/community-based unit works directly with persons forcibly displaced in the northern camps, Kinama and Musasa. The unit covers the sectors of social welfare and care for people with specific needs, protection of refugees against gender-based violence, child protection, community mobilization of refugees on various issues and themes, health/nutrition, education, and empowerment of refugees by supporting them through income-generating activities and associative groups. To cover all these sectors, the protection/community-based unit works with partners, including IRC (International Rescue Committee), for the sectors of social welfare and care for people with specific needs, child protection, protection of refugees from sexual and gender-based violence, and community mobilization. For the health and nutrition sectors, the partner in charge is HealthNet TPO, while the partner JRS (Jesuit Refugees Services) implements the education sector.
For the aforementioned sectors, the protection/community-based protection unit ensures a role of coordination, support, and supervision through regular monitoring of activities so that the terms of the agreement with the implementing partners are respected and that the protection services via these sectors are best provided to beneficiaries. In the different areas of activities mentioned, the protection/community-based protection unit also ensures coordination with the partners concerned, prevention, awareness-raising, and management of protection problems. Furthermore, the volunteer of the protection/community-based protection unit interview beneficiaries in the camps and at home, particularly those with specific protection and care needs. Complex cases received by the different partners are also sent to the protection/community-based protection unit for an evaluation of better care to the extent possible. The protection/community-based protection unit also has as its responsibility the community mobilization of refugees for everything relating to community participation, thematic awareness-raising/awareness, participatory assessments, and commemorative day celebrations. As part of an ongoing multi-year resettlement program, the protection/community-based protection unit is in great demand for interviews, monitoring, and protection risk assessments for family members, some of whom are eligible for resettlement. The protection/community-based protection unit also targets and refers to individual protection cases, so resettlement is considered a durable solution and protection tool.

Task description

UN Volunteers should be provided with equal duty of care, as extended to all host entity personnel. Host entity support to the UN Volunteer includes, but is not limited to:
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Introductory briefings about the organization and office-related context, including security, emergency procedures, good cultural practice, and orientation to the local environment;
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Support with arrival administration and official processes as required;
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Structured guidance, mentoring, and coaching by a supervisor, including a clear workplan and performance appraisal;
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Access to office space, equipment, IT support, and any other systems and tools required to complete the objectives of the assignment, including a host entity email address;
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Access to shared host entity corporate knowledge, training, and learning;
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Ensure that UN Volunteers are provided with all necessary security measures as per the United Nations Security Management System (UNSMS);
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Leave management;
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DSA for official travel, when applicable;
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All changes in the Description of Assignment occurring between recruitment and arrival or during the assignment need to be formalized with the United Nations Volunteer Programme.
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Associate Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Community-Based Protection Assistant will:
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Identify and monitor the general conditions of refugees with specific needs. Ensure that they are referred to competent services for assistance within the limits of resources/means available. Particular attention will be given to people whose needs are most acute.
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Ensure weekly individual listening, home visits and updating of data in proGres.
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Contribute to the management of individual cases of survivors of different forms of violence. Follow up with survivors to ensure access to available services. Systematically classify GBV files (provided by the partner), file notes and other related correspondence in the physical refugee files in the archive room after updating in proGres.
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Contribute to supporting partners in awareness-raising activities and support for refugees in the areas of combating GBV (behavior change, risk reduction), community participation, and community care for people at risk.
Contribute to requests from the resettlement unit regarding community-based protection contributions: update specific needs/events and follow up on other necessary matters related to resettlement files.
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Participation and support to partners in identifying beneficiaries of empowerment projects and supporting the partner in supporting beneficiaries.
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Contribute to the regular production of reports on community-based protection activities and file notes relating to case management.
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Assist in monitoring educational activities in the camps.
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Contribute to monitoring the partner’s activities in the health sector to ensure that the standards established in this area are respected. Raise awareness among beneficiaries about the services available.
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Assist in the distribution of food and core relief items on a need-basis, whether regular or ad hoc.
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Assist in planning, implementing, and reporting on relevant commemorative days.
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Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.
Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:
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Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance, in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
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Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
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Provide annual and end-of-assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results, and opportunities.
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Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
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Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers;
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Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.
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Results/expected outputs:
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As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:
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Strengthening and improving personalized monitoring of beneficiaries with specific needs.
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Provide effective support to survivors of GBV and the protection partner throughout case management, sensitization, and finding protection solutions.
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A holistic assessment of protection risks for categories of beneficiaries with specific needs followed by referencing/submission for adequate protection solutions.
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Effective support for other units and feedback in relation to requests from other collaborators.
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Monitoring of partner activities is regularly ensured, and beneficiaries’ access to services is improved.
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Capacity building for case documentation, production of notes for the file, ad hoc reports.
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Updated database proGres V4 by continuous input of data and documentation of protection work using the correct modules in proGres.
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Increase in the number of volunteers mobilized, participation in activities and contribution to capacity development.
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Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.
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Volunteers acting in a humanitarian context must demonstrate commitment and respect for the confidentiality of the information to which they will have access.
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Active involvement of volunteers is expected during activities and celebrations organized throughout the year for staff and beneficiaries.
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Volunteers are invited to follow the various mandatory and recommended training courses online, which will help strengthen their capacities.
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A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.