Central African Republic: Associate Community-Based Protection Officer, JPO, Bangui (For nationals of Canada)

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties: 

• Be fully informed about community structures and the protection and security situation of the population of concern and develop strong links with a cross-section of members of refugee/IDP/stateless communities, using an AGD approach.
• Through relationships with PoC 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 PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, minority groups such as sexual minorities and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
• Ensure through direct action and advocacy with more senior protection staff that the necessary resources are allocated to enable community work to identify and address protection and assistance gaps.
• Support a consultative process with government counterparts at local levels, partners and PoC to develop and implement integrated strategies that address the key protection priorities, including, for example, child protection, education and GBV, and solutions approaches.
• Provide technical guidance and support to UNHCR and partners and implement and oversee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on all community-based protection related issues.
• Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centred and solutions oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated.
• Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures
• Promote confidence building and conflict resolution among PoC, authorities and host communities.
• Maintain protection presence through regular field missions and reports, making direct contact with PoC, host communities, local authorities and partners. In operations applying the humanitarian cluster system, contribute to the development of an AGD-compliant strategy on which the response of the Protection Cluster is grounded in and covers all assessed and prioritized protection needs of the affected populations.
• Support the Operation's work to fully integrate the protection strategy into the Country Operations Plan, the UN Development and Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the Humanitarian Country Team's common humanitarian action plan where applicable.
• Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which: provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary.
• Support the inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
• Support community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation and protection.
• Contribute to the design of the community-based protection strategy, project submissions and budgets for endorsement by the supervisor.
• Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
• Negotiate with local counterparts, partners and PoC.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Years of Experience / Degree Level: 

• For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree;
• or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree;
• or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree. 

Field(s) of Education: 

• International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights,
• International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
• Anthropology, International Law or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses: (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

• Not specified.

Relevant Job Experience: 

Essential: 

• Relevant professional experience, including in the areas of community based protection, community services, social work, and human rights.

Desirable: 

• Proven communication skills, both oral and written.
• Demonstrated knowledge of community communication and engagement approaches.
• Understanding of and demonstrated competencies in forced displacement and protection, particularly GBV prevention and response, child protection, education, gender equality, and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy.

Functional Skills: (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

• DM-Database Management
• IT-Computer Literacy
• PR-Coordination in Forced Displacement situations
• PR-Convention on the Rights of the Child / International Legal Framework
• PR-Gender Equality
• PR-Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• ED-Technical support to education programmes and proposals
• PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention programming
• PR-Gender Based Violence (GBV) response programming

Language Requirements: 

• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

Desired Candidate Profile: 

• This job is advertised in the frame of the JPO Programme and reserved exclusively to candidates with Canadian nationality.
• Age requirement: Be no older than 32 years of age at the time of application.
• Proven skills in designing and conducting and analyzing AGD.
• Promoting and disseminating communication with community tools.
• Good communication skills fluent in French (written and spoken), as all communications within the office and with external partners are conducted in French.
• Excellent knowledge of English, especially written, is also required.
• Arabic is an asset.

Nature of the Position:

The security situation of CAR remains volatile. The protection environment remains complex as the humanitarian crisis affecting the populations are deeply rooted into development issues. Various armed groups are opposed to Government forces in many locations leading to internal forces displacements. The humanitarian situation is very dynamic while funding gaps are enormous. Instability along CAR's borders with Chad, Sudan, and South Sudan, including key supply routes for basic commodities, is negatively impacting the economy.
Competition around access to basic resources exacerbates communal tensions, translating into increased gender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children, in particular crimes and abuses committed by armed groups, regular forces or Other Security Personnel (OSP).

Some 22 627 Sudanese refugees crossed into CAR from Sudan following the outbreak of hostilities there in April 2023. In addition, 37,396 people also crossed into CAR from Chad since May, fleeing intercommunal violence (figures to 11 September 2023), including 31,779 Chadian refugees (85%) and 5,617 Central African returnees (15%).

With more than 600000 IDPs and despite the growing number of returnees given improved security, the current assistance is focused on IDP sites however, 73% of IDPs live with host families, of which 70% wish to integrate into their current host communities, highlighting the pressing need for durable solutions to displacement in CAR.

The main violations and abuses of human rights documented were arbitrary arrests and detention, extrajudicial, summary and other types of killings, and violations and abuses of the right to physical and mental integrity (including ill-treatment and torture). Lack of accountability for violations and abuses, exacerbated by the use of proxies, jeopardizes efforts towards peace and reconciliation. Access to justice and ending impunity are essential to break cycles of violence.

The 3R are the primary perpetrators of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), especially in the North-West including Ouham-Pendé prefecture, while FACA are perpetrating CRSV as part of a trend of increased abuse of power and impunity. GBV remains pervasive despite a slight decrease in reported figures. As of September 2023, food insecurity remains acute, with 2 million people (33% of the population) classified as in crisis and emergency situations (IPC Phases 3 and 4) and requiring immediate food assistance. The link between food insecurity and increased GBV is well-documented.

Inter-agency dynamics are complex as multiple actors with different mandate are interacting daily to support Government efforts. In addition to the vibrant Humanitarian Country Team and the well-established United Nations Country Team, Protection Cluster members need to work with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

• French

Living and Working Conditions:

The country is landlocked and surrounded by countries with security problems (Chad, DRC, Sudan, and Cameroon). The volatile socio-political situation, social unrest, and grievance in Bangui with frequent civil servants strikes caused interruption of public services due to years of unpaid salaries. Power cuts are causing insecurity in the town. The security situation across the country is still a concern as crimes (theft, abduction, armed robbery, carjacking, murder, illegal detention of weapons and illegal checkpoints/taxation, torture and sexual violence) continue throughout the country because of endemic poverty, easy access to weapons and the weak capacity or absence of judicial authorities in many areas. However, the deployment of the FACA (Forces Armee nationals) in Bangui led to an improvement of the overall security situation. A curfew is established by the UN system from 10pm-5am. The country is totally dependent on Cameroon seaport for supplies. There are 4 airlines that operate to/from Bangui. As an example, travel time from Douala to Bangui for a truckload averages 4 days to a week due to bad roads and roadblocks.

There are very limited medical infrastructures and services do not function properly. A UN clinic provides basic medical care for UN personnel. The entire country is a High-Risk non-family duty station-D with 6 weeks R&R cycle. The entire International Professional staff and IUNVs are eligible for R&R.

A few hotels cleared by DESS are available. Private accommodations are available for expats. A few supermarkets are also available selling all sorts of goods. Vegetables and fruits are also available on the local market.

Although ATM are available ( 5 ATM in town) and VISA is accepted in Bangui, most of the payments for example in hotels or markets are done in cash.

Additional Qualifications: 

Education: 

• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Anthropology,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Cultural Studies,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Human Rights,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : International Development,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : International Law,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : International Social Work,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Political Science,
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) : Social Science

Competencies: 

• Accountability,
• Client & results orientation,
• Commitment to continuous learning,
• Communication,
• Empowering & building trust,
• Judgement & decision making,
• Organizational awareness,
• Stakeholder management,
• Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator: https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

How to Apply: 

For a full job description and to apply, interested candidates are requested to visit this link: https://bit.ly/3w3Ogpi

The UNHCR workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages and opinions. UNHCR seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. Applications are encouraged from all qualified candidates without distinction on grounds of race, colour, sex, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity.

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, travelling, processing, training or any other fees).

Closing date of receipt of applications: 11 May 2024 (midnight Geneva time)