Refugee Community-Based Protection Assistant

Details

Mission and objectives

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 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).
Egypt is a signatory state to the1951 convention relating to the status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU convention governing specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding of 1954 concluded between UNHCR and the government of Egypt, all activities pertaining to Registration, documentation and refugee status determination are carried out by UNHCR. UNHCR offices in Egypt has offices in Greater Cairo (6th October and Zamalek district) as well as a field office in Alexandria.

Context

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, 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). Egypt is a signatory state to the1951 convention relating to the status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, as well as the 1969 OAU convention governing specific aspects of refugee problems in Africa. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding of 1954 concluded between UNHCR and the government of Egypt, all activities pertaining to Registration, documentation and refugee status determination are carried out by UNHCR. UNHCR offices in Egypt has offices in Greater Cairo (6th October and Zamalek district) as well as a field office in Alexandria.
This UNV refugee assignment is part of UNHCR’s efforts to build partnership with persons under its mandate by enhancing engagement with the community of concerning including community self-managed structures through community empowerment programming and strengthening communication with communities.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Community-based Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Refugee Community-based Protection Assistant will:
• Support the development, design, and testing of communication tools including counseling messages ensuring feedback is systematically collected and considered from affected population to improve communication with communities and their preferred communication channels are better understood
• Support the design, planning, and facilitation of information and awareness raising sessions on relevant topics to enhance UNHCR’s outreach and two-way communication with affected population
• Support in mapping the refugee led community-based organizations to help UNHCR better understand affected communities’ capacities and identify areas for potential partnership. This will be achieved through the identification and profiling of existing community-led structures in close coordination with UNHCR’s implementing partners. Additionally, conduct field visits and area-based information sessions to ensure accurate and up-to-date information is maintained in the mapping database.
• Support the planning, design, and facilitation of training for refugee community-based organizations and refugee community leaders in close coordination with UNHCR’s implementing partners.
• Participate in monitoring of community empowerment programming including identification of lessons learned, gaps, challenges and proactively seek feedback from communities of concern through field monitoring visits.
• Mobilize refugee community members to enable their participation in community events (i.e. World Refugee Day) community meetings, participatory assessment and other mechanisms for meaningful consultation with the affected population.
• Identify persons with specific needs during the outreach and other activities ensuring referral to supervisor for appropriate following up as required.
• Ensure community understanding of UNHCR’s commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• Support in Arabic sign language interpretation as requested.
• Provide regular progress reports and fact sheets on activities and as agreed with supervisor, including information analysis and collection.
• Under the direct supervision of UNHCR staff/assigned protection focal person, the UNV Refugee Community-based Protection Assistant work within UNHCR working hours (Sunday-Thursday, 8:00-16:00).
• Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.
– 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:
• Organization of meetings and outreach activities with community-based organizations, community leaders and other members of communities of concern.
• Support production and testing of communication with communities messages and engage in meaningful two-way communication with communities.
• Reports on progress and written inputs for monitoring and other reports.
• Collection of feedback from communities of concern including observations, preferred communication channels and recommendations shared in written report with supervisor.
• Training plan and training tools produced and tested with community-based organizations and community leaders.
• 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.