Associate Protection Officer (Community Based) – UNHCR عودة إلى الفرص

Operational Context: 

The Community-Based Associate Protection Officer is a member of the Protection Unit and will report to the Protection Officer and the Senior Protection Officer in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, He/She works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. 

The incumbent supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Officer is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of Persons of Concerns (PoCs). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoCs that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. 

S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoCs. 

The Associate Protection Officer (community based) will be based in the Country Office Tunis (Tunisia) and will be supervised directly by the Protection Officer.  

In line with the overall protection strategy for the Tunisia operation, objectives for the incumbent will be guided and approved by the Protection Officer and Senior Protection Officer, BO Tunisia. Monthly planning schedules will be made based on the operational direction and priorities. For the South, all activities are to be coordinated with the Head of Field Office.

As Community based protection is cross-cutting, the APO will ensure a community-based approach with a multifunctional team, working with partners, UNHCR colleagues and the refugees in making decisions that affect refugees in all aspects of protection and assistance delivery.      

Functional Statement: 

Child protection

– Assist the operation in developing and implementing a country specific Child protection Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in line with UNHCR guidelines and updated global child protection strategy. 

– Participate in the implementation and monitoring of child protection related SOPs with comprehensive referral mechanism for response services through a consultative process with NGOs and community groups;

– Support staff and partners in the strengthening of a functioning Best Interests system: identification, assessment, referral, response and assistance, monitoring and documenting of cases of children at risk.

– Support the organization of and trainings in Best Interests Procedures and Child Protection.

– Contribute to effective child protection reporting and information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems.

– Contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities, including children, adolescents and youth to assert their rights and to strengthen community-based child protection initiatives. 

– Support other child protection activities and initiatives in coordination with colleagues in the operation.

– Support/establish working BID panel and best interest system in close collaboration with staff and partners.

Sexual Gender Based Violence

– Assist the operation in developing and implementing a country specific Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) standard operating procedures (SOPs) in line with UNHCR guidelines and updated global SGBV strategy with comprehensive referral mechanism for response services through a consultative process with NGOs and community groups;

– Establish and/or strengthen strategic and innovative partnerships for SGBV with community-based, local, national, and international organizations;

– Conduct mapping and maintain a “who, what where” matrix of existing services to address SGBV, including community capacities and structures; 

-Support SGBV data management (collection, storage, analysis and sharing) in line with safety and ethical standards.  Build capacity for the implementation of the Gender-Based Violence Information Management System (GBVIMS);

– Conduct training on basic elements of SGBV prevention and response, the design of SGBV programmes and coordination mechanisms; 

– Prepare regular consolidated reports on the progress, challenges, gaps and recommendations on  SGBV prevention and response;

Capacity Building Initiatives

– Provide training to partners and UNHCR protection Staff in the field on identification of extremely vulnerable individuals (EVIs), monitoring and reporting, and other overlapping themes in protection including SGBV, Child Protection, and Prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).

– Provide training to partners, UNHCR staff and refugees on Confidentiality and code of conduct issues.

In addition:

– Through relationships with persons of concern and network of partners stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to senior management. 

– Ensure that the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the persons of concerns are reflected in the protection strategy and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups

– Contribute to the Protection team’s information management component which provide disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery

– Ensure participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches are included in strategies and plans in the Country Operation.

-Support persons of concern to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection