Associate Protection Monitoring Officer

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:
The Central African Republic has experienced an acute crisis since 2013 that has caused over 1.5 million people into forced displacement including over 700,000 refugees who fled to neighboring countries, while close to 500,000 persons remained internally displaced. Additionally, as of 31 September 2024, the CAR hosts 52, 582 refugees and asylum seekers, mainly due to the outbreak of war in Sudan and intercommunal fighting in southern Chad adding pressure on scarce resources. In addition to being a host and source country for refugee crisis, more than 48,000 CAR refugees in neighboring countries have been assisted to voluntarily return to the CAR since 2017. While humanitarian needs across the country remain huge, the situation in CAR has, for years, been one of the most consistently overlooked and underfunded emergencies in the world, forcing UNHCR and its humanitarian partners to reduce critical activities. UNHCR is leading the response to Sudanese refugees in collaboration with the National Commission on Refugees (CNR), and the humanitarian community including local NGO’s, INGOs and UN agencies. UNHCR and its partners continue to advocate with the authorities for refugees to be integrated in national services to promote inclusion and sustainable programing. On the IDP front, UNHCR is the Lead of the Protection Cluster as well as co-leads the CCCM and Shelter/NFI clusters. The national cluster is based in Bangui while regional clusters are established in prefectures where UNHCR has a presence. UNHCR’s protection activities in CAR also include the protection monitoring of IDPs and refugees returning to their home areas, as well as their host communities. The protection activities also include protection response to identified protection risks and a strong community-based approach in support among others of social cohesion. The UNHCR CAR operation seeks synergies between its protection interventions and interventions under the Camp Management/Camp Coordination (CCCM) as well as non-food item and shelter interventions. Regarding return and durable solutions, UNHCR CAR facilitates the return of refugees as well as their reintegration. UNHCR co-leads with UNDP, IOM and OCHA the Working Group on Durable Solutions.
Task description:
Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Senior Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Protection Monitoring Officer will:
– Ensure the management of the project in Bangui and in the field is to the highest standards of quality and integrity.
– Working closely with the protection staff in Bangui and in the field, and with protection partner staff to ensure timely and quality data is collected and compiled.
– Contribute to the development of project proposals, concept notes and budgets.
– Support the production of protection monitoring reports and carry out regular analysis.
– Contribute to the development and adaptation of protection monitoring tools. Liaise closely with the Information management Unit to ensure that IM tools, procedures and products support the smooth operationalization of the project.
– Liaise closely with the Programme Unit to address programmatic needs in a timely manner.
– Follow up on protection risks and incidents.
– Keep abreast of all protection related developments to prepare appropriate briefings and reports.
– Participate in all relevant coordination fora as required.
Results/Expected Outputs:

Protection trends and risks identified in a timely manner and reported to management.

Internal and external analyses and high-quality ad-hoc and regular reports prepared in a timely manner.

All reports and IM products reviewed.

Manage alerts on the population movements/displacements and protection incidents for timely interventions.

Development of project implementation management dashboard.

Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment.

Provide the senior management with accurate analysis and ensure the follow-up of the decisions.

Accuracy of data ensured, and high-quality analysis produced.

Evidence made available, analysed, and supports the response in the field by UNHCR and partners, programming for protection as well as advocacy for protection.

Field operations and partners are adequately supported.

As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including:

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.

Requirements:
management and data reporting.

Excellent analytical skills

Excellent writing skills in both French and English

Excellent communication skills with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills

Field experience desirable, experience in CAR or a similar operational context is a plus.

Work experience with Gender-Based Violence, child protection and disability inclusion are a plus.

Good IT skills using the Microsoft Office suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) as well as database management skills.

The ideal candidate will be.

Highly organized and have good attention to detail.

Able to multi-task and to prioritize competing priorities.

A flexible team-player

Able to demonstrate a genuine desire to learn and develop.

Competencies and values:

Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority.

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

Planning and organizing effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities.

Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary.

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity, and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Area(s) of expertise:

Legal affairs

Security and protection

Social work

Required education level:
Bachelor degree or equivalent
Other information: CAR is a post-conflict country. From 2013, a bloody conflict between the Seleka and the Anti Balaka armed groups, over almost the entire territory of the country. Fearing the risk of genocide, the United Nations decided to send peacekeepers to the country, to protect civilians and restore peace.
The clashes having ended, entire areas of the country are always occupied by armed groups which continue to commit abuses against populations. Following the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation signed on February 6, 2018 between the 14 Armed Groups and the Government of CAR, the State started to deploy its services, in particular the Armed Forces, the police, the gendarmerie, justice in several regions of the country.
The CAR has only one international airport (Bangui M’poko) which provides all air links with the outside and regions of the country. There are aerodromes in the 16 capitals of each Prefecture and in some of sub-prefectures. The road network is very poor, since there is only one main road that connects CAR to Cameroon which is paved.
Two seasons alternate the climate in CAR. A dry season and a rainy season spread over 6 months each. The most feared disease is malaria, which kills many people every year.
The hotel network is experiencing increasing growth but is still very expensive. In terms of food, there is a wide variety of local and imported products in Bangui and in some of cities of the country. But access to these products is different in parts of the country. All these difficulties make the cost of living more expensive. It is the same for services like banks, hospitals, electricity etc. which access is very limited and concentrated only in Bangui the capital.

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