Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

U (unclassified)

Pending

UNOPS LICA4

2024-05-06

April 11, 2024

TERMS OF REFERENCE
(Individual Contractor Agreement)

Title: Field Assistant
Project: SERBIA/2024/01
Duty station: Sjenica, Serbia
Section/Unit: UNHCR Representation in Serbia/ Community-based
Protection and Field Unit
ICA Level: LICA-4
Corresponding level: GS-4
1. General Background

UNOPS supports the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world. Our mission is to serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations, governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner. Working in some of the world’s most challenging environments, our vision is to advance sustainable implementation practices, always satisfying or surpassing our partners’ expectations. With over 7,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, wherever they need it. A flexible structure and global reach means that we can quickly respond to our partners’ needs, while offering the benefits of economies of scale.
Background information – Job Specific

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve 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). UNHCR’s engagement in Serbia builds on 46 years of supporting refugees, displacement, and statelessness issues since 1976.
Serbia has a positive legacy of welcoming refugees and integrating them into the society. In the 1990s, more than half a million refugees from the former Yugoslavia were integrated, while over a 1.5 million refugees and migrants have been supported since 2015/2016, when the Western Balkan route became active.
Since 2015, over one million refugees and migrants have arrived in Serbia, of whom the majority has continued their journey towards the European Union. Access to territory is a precondition for enabling the protection of persons who have international protection needs and cannot return to their countries of origin due to war or persecution. In Serbia, national legislation includes safeguards from refoulement and allows for non-penalization for the irregular entry of asylum seekers, as refugees are not always able to meet requirements for regular entry. While for many Serbia is a country of transit, it is also becoming a country of asylum and international protection. The number of recognized refugees in Serbia, even if still small, is gradually increasing, and UNHCR along to the Serbian Commissioner for Refugees and Migration (KIRS) develop individual plans to support their integration. In 2023, 108,822 refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants were accommodated by the Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration (SCRM). UNHCR data indicate that at least 61% of arrivals have originated from refugee-producing countries, with 37% of arrivals originating from Syria and 24% originating from Afghanistan. A shift towards recognizing the benefits that the arriving migrant and refugee population represent and enabling the increase of these benefits presents an opportunity to make use of their skills, experiences, and potentials at a time when depopulation trends in Serbia are visible. It is necessary to ensure regular provision of information on asylum at the border crossing points and in border areas, as well as to ensure the identification of persons with international protection needs and their referral into asylum channels.
Engaging with asylum seekers, refugee and other persons of concern remains a key to build grounds and orient solutions towards their needs while they explore their resources and capacities. Facilitating links with local communities is a solid strategic move for the way forward, to facilitate social inclusion and optimize the human capital that every refugee brings.
Enhancing integration prospects will also enable more refuges to stay and establish themselves in Serbia, thus reducing their vulnerability and contributing to a durable solution.
UNHCR seeks to strengthen its strategic engagement with refugees and asylum seekers by providing visibility, networking, and capacity building, where appropriate; continue to strengthen communication and transparency through the expansion of good practices and the use of digital/online tools.
Moreover, through its presence and work in the field, UNHCR continues boosting and adapting better the access of survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, children, older persons and persons with disabilities and review and improve existing feedback and response mechanisms.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
• Monitor the situation in the AoR, collect data and other information relevant to UNHCR and report to the Belgrade Field Unit accordingly.
• Undertake regular visits to various sites in order to assess needs of persons of concern, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
• Record figures and facts on overall on arrivals, trends, incidents, reception conditions standards change, information about the transferring operations, activities taking place in centres etc.
• Provide (verbal and written) extensive counselling on asylum
• Make referrals for registration of POCs who are interested in asylum to SCRM and suggest intervention of the higher level within UNHCR if necessary
• Conducting interviews and identifying particularly vulnerable asylum seekers for referral to partners and further support
• Identification of EVIs (especially SGBV, LGBTI, PwSN) for referral to partners and additional support for their referral and follow up while in case management
• Follow up with the cases on the action taken by the respective partners, SCRM, CSW etc
• Insert input of cases identified and referred into protection tools like i.e. proGresV4, Border Protection Monitoring (BPM) and (RPMS) tools, various KOBBO surveys.
• Provide reporting on push backs and protection incidents in individual forms and group interview.
• Keep regular contacts with local authorities and implementing partners as requested by supervisor.
• Act as interpreter when required.
• Contribute to the preparation of status and progress reports by providing info, preparing tables, etc.
• Assist in administrative tasks as required such as preparation of reports and meeting authorized personnel and assisting them during field missions.
• Inform and act on the reports received on persons of concern within the refugee community or from the local authorities.
• Any other related tasks that may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

Act 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.

The Field Assistant is normally supervised by the Head of Field Unit/ CB Protection Officer and performs a variety of functions related to Field activities within the office. The supervisor defines general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance.

The incumbent keeps frequent internal contacts with staff members in the same duty station to exchange information, to establish understanding of respective needs; to ensure provision of services and resolution of problems and with the external contacts generally with officials of national and international institutions, leaders of the refugee community, local population and/or Implementing Partners (IPs) on subject matters which may be of importance to the Organization.

4. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
b. Work Experience

Essential

For corresponding level G4 – LICA 4
– For G4 – 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher
– Certificates in Business Administration, Law, Political/Social Sciences an asset.
Desirable
Previous experience in UN/UNHCR or in a humanitarian context. Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.
UNHCR field experience.

c. Key Competencies
Functional Skills
*IT-Computer Literacy
EX-Field experience
MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners,
PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators
PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

– Developed interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development.
Knowledge of English and working language of the duty station:
– Be fluent in English, with good writing skills
– Be fluent in Serbian, with good writing skills
– Solid communications, research, editing, and writing skills
– Knowledge of Arabic, Pashtu, Russian, Hindu or Farsi for outreach and counselling of persons of concern desirable/an asset

Core Competencies
(All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below).

Accountability /Communication/ Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration/ Commitment to Continuous Learning/ Client & Result Orientation

Cross-Functional Competencies

– Stakeholder Management
– Planning and Organizing
– Technological Awareness

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

Serbian

,

,

Desired Languages

,

,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

Written test may be conducted.This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No