Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

UNHCR’s main objectives in Poland are to monitor access to territory and reception conditions as well as advocate for an efficient and protection-sensitive asylum system and related policies. UNHCR also aims to improve durable solutions such as local integration opportunities and increase public awareness of refugees and asylum issues. UNHCR works closely with both governmental and non-governmental organisations in Poland to achieve these objectives.

Context

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).
This UNV assignment is part of UNHCR Poland project. Poland’s eastern borders with Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine serve as the European Union’s external boundaries. The country currently hosts over 1 million refugees from Ukraine, in addition to a smaller number of asylum-seekers and refugees from different countries.
UNHCR opened its office in Poland in 1992, working with national authorities on refugee-related matters. With the Ukraine emergency, UNHCR has substantially scaled up its presence and operations. It currently has a Country Office and Frontex Liaison Office in Warsaw, three Field Offices in Warsaw, Lublin and Rzeszow, and a Sub-Office in Krakow, with a workforce of nearly 120 national and international staff.
The overarching principles guiding UNHCR’s strategy in Poland include: i) localization and centrality of protection, ii) strengthening national systems, avoiding duplication and rationalizing the Refugee Coordination Model (RCM) so that it serves the purpose efficiently and iii) capitalizing on the Global Compact for Refugees (GCR) paradigms to advance the rights of refugees and stateless persons in Poland.
As the UN-mandated agency to provide international protection to refugees, UNHCR leads the refugee coordination structure in support of the Government-led response, with the aim to complement, support and strengthen the national response to the refugee crisis, along with ensuring no duplication of interventions and complementarity of action (UNHCR Polska- https://www.unhcr.org/pl/).

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Senior Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Livelihood and Economic Inclusion Assistant will:
– Support the partnerships with relevant stakeholders to enhance economic inclusion of the people UNHCR serves.
– Support the livelihoods and economic inclusion unit in working with relevant external stakeholders from government line ministries, development actors, private sector, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, research institutions and universities
– Facilitate Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with relevant stakeholders, including local communities, NGOs, and government agencies, to gather insights and foster collaborations that support the development of innovative approaches to economic inclusion for refugees.
– Support work with/in the multi-functional team, more specifically with the Protection Unit, to compile information about the legal framework for the right to work and rights at work.
– Contribute to the implementation of socioeconomic surveys to inform targeting, monitoring and facilitation of the engagement of development programmes.
– Work closely with relevant teams and provide assistance on livelihoods interventions.
– Contribute to the preparation of field reports and other relevant reports relating to livelihoods and make recommendations for interventions that enhance refugee economic inclusion to the designated officer.
– Contribute to Program Development: Work closely with senior staff to develop and design programs that align with identified thematic priorities, ensuring that these initiatives are tailored to address the specific economic challenges faced by refugees.
– Assist in organization of meetings, workshops and working sessions.
– Perform other related duties as required.
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:
• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);
• Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;
• Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;
• Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;
• Promote and utilize the UNV Online Volunteering service providing themselves and their organizations with flexible, free of charge, Online Volunteer capacity to support their efforts. Information and promotional material can be found in the onsite kit.
Results/expected outputs:
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:
• Reporting and documenting area related actions and defining recommendations for interventions that enhance refugee economic inclusion to the designated supervising Officer.
• Information flow and sharing within UNHCR Poland on economic inclusion initiatives taken by Livelihood and Economic Inclusion team.
• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.
• 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.