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Field Associate - PN10031939 - Istanbul

Istanbul

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Istanbul
  • Grade: Administrative support - GS-6, General Service - No need for Higher Education - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
  • Closing Date: Closed

Internal candidates

General Service Staff members currently serving at the duty station where the vacancy exists, who have been appointed through the AC process and have indefinite or Fixed Term appointment.  Interested staff members should consult the Policy and Procedures on Assignments of Locally recruited Staff (PPAL).

External candidates

External candidates must be legally present in Turkey at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Turkish citizens are required to submit a valid Turkish residence permit to be considered. Field Associate

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Field Associate is normally supervised by the (Snr) CBI Officer based in Ankara and performs a variety of functions related to Field activities within the office. The supervisor defines general work objectives and provides necessary advice and guidance. The Field Associate may supervise some General Service support staff.

The incumbent keeps frequent internal contacts with staff members in the same duty station, and other duty stations, to exchange information, to establish understanding of respective needs; to ensure provision of services and resolution of problems and with the external contacts generally with officials of national and international institutions, leaders of the refugee community, local population and/or Implementing Partners (IPs) on subject matters which may be of importance to the Organization.


FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- UNHCR's policies, standards and procedures are constantly and coherently applied in the area of responsibility (AoR).
- The needs of persons of concern in the AoR are assessed and analysed in a participating manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning.

Responsibility

- Monitor the situation in the AoR, collect data and other information relevant to UNHCR and report to the supervisor accordingly.
- Monitor the implementation of UNHCR programme including the delivery of all assistance items and monitoring of infrastructure.
- Undertake regular visits to various sites in order to assess needs of persons of concern, with particular attention to vulnerable groups.
- Keep regular contacts with local authorities and implementing partners as requested by supervisor.
- Act as interpreter when required.
- Contribute to the preparation of status and progress reports by providing info, preparing tables, etc.
- Assist in administrative tasks as required such as preparation of reports and meeting authorized personnel and assisting them during field missions.
- Inform and act on the reports received on persons of concern within the refugee community or from the local authorities.
- In coordination with implementing partners, assist in the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR.
- Undertake other relevant duties as required.

Authority
- Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
- Represent UNHCR in physical monitoring of projects.

Cross-Functional Competencies
- Analytical Thinking
- Planning and Organizing
- Stakeholder Management

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Completion of the Secondary Education with post-secondary training/certificate in Business Administration, Law, Political Science or related field.
- Minimum 6 years of previous job experience relevant to the function.
- Computer skills.
- Excellent knowledge of English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.

(In offices where the working language is not English, excellent knowledge of working language of duty station and working knowledge of English.)

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Completion of UNHCR learning programmes or specific training relevant to functions of the position.
- UNHCR field experience.
- Certificate/training in International and/or development studies, Business Administration, Law, Political Science or related field. Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a test. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.

UNHCR is committed to diversity and welcomes applications from qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

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

REMUNERATION

A competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. The monthly net salary is between TRY 8,100 and TRY 10,160  depending on relevant experience, dependency status and language proficiency. For more information on UN salaries, allowances and benefits, please visit the portal of the Office of HR Management of United Nations.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== OPERATIONAL CONTEXT
FIELD ASSOCIATE
ISTANBUL - TURKEY

Summary

The Field Associate is based in Istanbul but will be integral part of the Cash-Based Intervention (CBI) Unit, and will support the implementation of the activities related to CBI in his/her area of responsibilities. The position entails the understanding of the programme cycle of the CBIs and its procedures, but above all a deep knowledge of the context of Istanbul and Marmara Region, the roles and influence of local stakeholders ¿ including above all institutions ¿ and UNHCR¿s partners in the area, and the protection environment of the persons of concern and UNHCR¿s beneficiaries. The work, therefore, comprehends strong elements of protection and extensive field work, liaison with partners and institutions, frequent interaction with refugees and asylum seekers, monitoring and case processing, and eventually reporting.


GENERAL BACKGROUND
The international obligations of Turkey and its national legislative framework on asylum have shaped the form of the current collaboration with UNHCR. During the last 57 years, UNHCR and Turkey have been working together in close partnership. Turkey has provided the asylum space for persons seeking refuge, and UNHCR has assisted Turkey to determine who is in need of international protection and to enable access to rights by these persons. As the main partner of the Turkish State in the field of international protection, UNHCR Turkey continues to provide legislative and technical support as well as institutional capacity building support to the Directorate General of Migration Management (DGMM) and other national institutions.
As regard Syrian nationals who are hosted in Turkey under a Temporary Protection (TP) framework for Syrian nationals, refugees and stateless, UNHCR¿s work is to support the authorities through the provision of technical assistance and strong public advocacy for enhanced responsibility sharing.
UNHCR Turkey Operation¿s Cash-Based Intervention (CBI) Unit has implemented various assistance programmes in order to address refugees¿ socio-economic and protection vulnerabilities. The strategic priorities of CBI were defined to target the persons with specific needs and to mitigate their negative coping strategies through tailored cash-based interventions. CBI Unit worked closely with UNHCR¿s Protection Unit as well as other key stakeholders to identify the most vulnerable refugees who are out of existent government-led social assistance programmes and still in need of cash assistance.
UNHCR in Turkey operates through a branch office in Ankara, with field offices in Gaziantep and Istanbul, as well as field units in Sanliurfa, Hatay and Van.
UNHCR Istanbul Field Unit is working closely with provincial directorates of line ministries, INGOs/NGOs, local governments and refugee populations in Marmara Region. The population of persons of concern in the area of responsibility is over 750,000 in 11 cities.
In this complex environment in a metropolitan city with 39 districts, Istanbul Field Unit has expanded its network and capacity building activities with diverse actors such as municipalities, social service centres, mukhtars, imams and other significant local actors that contributes in expansion of protection space for refugees. Moreover, the Field Unit is enhancing its outreach activities through partners, increasing community-based protection activities and involving refugees to its programs.
The Field Unit also conducts field missions as including of Western Border cities such as Edirne, Kirklareli very frequently. Additionally, with the increase of partnerships and the involvement of field staff to multi-functional teams, protection monitoring and evaluation as well as thematic task forces have been established accordingly. The Field Unit has been strengthening coordination mechanism in the Marmara region, in line with UNHCR,¿s strategic priorities. Given the large cosmopolite nature of Istanbul in terms of financial, cultural and political prospects, the office has been also hosting high level visits. In order to enhance protection monitoring, the Field Unit is frequently undertaking missions and delivering social cohesion and CBP activities in 11 cities under its area of responsibility. The Field Unit is also engaged in capacity development activities in addition to its supervisory role in terms of protection concerns both in detention and urban context.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT
The field associate will be directly supervised by CBI Officer (based in Ankara); her/his will work will be coordinated by the Head of Field Office (in Istanbul) for the daily work. The incumbent will have daily contacts with colleagues in the CBI Unit, and Istanbul Field Office, with other field offices and other functional units at the Country Office and will liaise with UNHCR¿s Partners and other stakeholders based in Istanbul and Marmara Region.
The staff member will play a major role in coordinating the referral and case processing systems with regards to CBI in her/his AoR, liaising and coordinating with internal and external actors for this purpose, and specifically ensuring that cash based methodologies are effectively applied as part of each case¿s protection response; s/he will ensure that the country CBI SOPs are respected and implemented, providing active support to the implementation of the CBIs, collecting information for the monitoring of the activities, and reporting adequately, with particular emphasis on highlighting the nexus between CBI and protection.
The Field Associate (CBI) is expected to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern and identify opportunities to introduce cash-based methodologies into UNHCR programming. He/she contributes to designing a comprehensive assistance delivery strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
The Field Associate (CBI) also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them and the reception of assistance, whether in targeting the most vulnerable individuals or identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
The Supervisor will monitor closely to ensure that the outputs are achieved, and the assistance is managed and delivered effectively and qualitatively. The HoFO will ensure that effective coordination mechanisms are in place at operational level. 
In this regard, very good drafting and communication skills in English and Turkish is essential, Arabic would be desirable.

Key tasks
¿ In coordination with the Field Office, lead the assessment and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR, including the identification of vulnerable groups and individuals with protection concerns for cash assistance, and special needs groups.
¿ Ensure the referral of identified vulnerable persons and protection cases to UNHCR¿s existent case processing mechanisms through communication with relevant units.
¿ Lead on the process of assess, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the cash for protection in the AoR, with particular emphasis in case follow-up, and proposing innovative approaches.
¿ Support the Associate CBI Officer in the process of internal and external liaison, contribute to the internal coordination for the implementation, and follow up with partners and if necessary engaging with beneficiaries
¿ Collect/ update data and other information on beneficiaries with particular attention to the identification of people with special needs.
¿ Collection of success stories on how cash assistance has a protection outcome towards the persons with specific needs.
¿ Liaise with local institutions, stakeholders, civil society, grassroot organizations, in coordination with the field office¿s units, to define and maintain a system of identification and referral of vulnerable cases with protection concerns eligible for cash assistance.
¿ Co-ordinate with partners and focal points for the geographical targeting of UNHCR CBIs, as well as beneficiary lists; support the cross-check of HH data to avoid duplication and maintain an error-free list for final upload.
¿ Participate in Cash Assistance distributions, verification and monitoring exercises and follow up, on a regular basis, on routine problems people of concern may encounter with assistance (access to ATM, bank delays etc.).
¿ Inform and act on the reports, message that are received from various units on different vulnerable cases in respect to financial assistance, with specific focus on but not limited to special needs cases 
¿ Act as focal point, in the AoR, for the CBI monitoring and evaluation plan, participating in the data collection, verification, post distribution monitoring exercises and follow up.
¿ Maintain the filing of financial records for all cash assistance related documents (official letters, lists of beneficiaries, correspondence with authorities.
¿ Contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
¿ Undertake missions and field visits to the bank service provider to monitor the cash deliveries
¿ Support the preparation of the periodic and routine, as well extraordinary, reports, both internal and external, highlighting achievements, opportunities, challenges and lessons learnt of the CBIs. The closing date of the job opening is 06 February 2020.
This vacancy is now closed.
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