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Field Associate

Kandahar

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Kandahar
  • Grade: Level not specified - Level not specified
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
  • Closing Date: Closed

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Office in Afghanistan invites qualified AFGHAN candidates to apply for the following vacancy:

Functional Title: Field Associate
Type of Appointment: Temporary Appointment
Grade: GL6
Duty Station: FO Kandahar with the position entails a roving element whereby the staff may be requested to move to areas where additional staffing resources are needed.
Issue Date: 19 July 2021
Closing Date: 28 July 2021

Organizational/ Operational Context:

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has been facing a multitude of challenges as a result of protracted and ongoing conflict and insecurity (40 years) and frequent natural disasters - drought/floods, now exacerbated by COVID-19. Some 42 percent of the population were facing severe acute food insecurity in early 2021, while nearly half of the population lived below USD 1 a day. Poverty and food insecurity are highest in rural areas, with women, children, the elderly, female-headed households, and persons with disabilities the most vulnerable. COVID-19 is exacerbating this situation and under a worst-case scenario monetary poverty may have increased to 72 percent.

UNHCR Afghanistan¿s population of concern includes refugees, refugee returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and members of the host communities. There are 72,000 refugees living primarily in Khost and Paktika Provinces as well as in urban areas in Kabul, Herat and Kandahar. In addition, since 2002, UNHCR has facilitated the voluntary return of over 5.2 million registered Afghan refugees through the Voluntary Repatriation programme from Pakistan, Iran, and other countries. Moreover, there is an estimate 4.9 million IDPs in Afghanistan largely driven by conflict, insecurity, and natural disasters. Due to the intensification of conflict across the country, already 194,018 persons (28,868 households) have been displaced in 2021 (as of 17 June 2021).

Against the backdrop, UNHCR has been working to complement and support the Government in addressing the needs of IDPs through its coordinator role in the Afghanistan Protection and ES/NFI Clusters as well as the provider of last resort. In particular, during emergency phases, UNHCR conducts joint needs assessments with other humanitarian actors and coordinates its responses. In addition, UNHCR is one of the key actors conducting Community-Based Protection Monitoring (CBPM) to assess the protection needs and concern of the IDPs and other POCs. In addition, for IDPs identified as most vulnerable, UNHCR provides assistance through its Persons with Specific Needs Programme (PSN) and Cash for Protection Programme (CFP). Under the ¿Whole of Community Approach¿ and to realize the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus, UNHCR also concentrates its effort to support durable solutions for IDPs, primarily in the Priority Areas of Return and Reintegration (PARRs). In the PARRs, IDPs benefits from a range of services and projects, including, among others, education, health, shelter, youth empowerment, livelihood opportunities, WASH, and infrastructure.

Work Description ¿ General
The Field Associate is supervised by the Supervisor of the Protection Team (Protection Team Lead) and/ or Head of Office 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 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.

The incumbent is to work in UNHCR Field Office Kandahar to assist the Protection Team. This post will help the protection team in managing a number of key and emergency programmes in Kandahar and in the outlying provinces at the region. In addition to its crucial role at current emergency humanitarian preparedness plan of UNHCR FOK, the staff member will be helping UNHCR FOK and liaising with the PoCs, interlocutors, various stakeholders and government, as deem necessary, during the implementation of various projects, mainly Cash for Shelter programme, Cash for Protection, Solar programme, SFD programmes and winterization programme in the Southern Region which leads by the ES/NFI cluster.

In the field locations, under the supervision of his supervisor, the incumbent may play a liaison role with the national and local authorities for coordinating UNHCR activities and gathering relevant information as deeds necessary for programmes¿ planning and execution.

The incumbent will help the protection team in the Office to serve part of the back-up system and undertake parallel responsibility alongside original responsibility when the teammate is away. UNHCR FOK covers five provinces in the region, and if required, the staff member will undertake field visits to the outlying provinces to monitor projects and interact with local authorities and PoCs. 

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 and Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of HoO and Protection Team Lead at UNCHR FOK, the incumbent will undertake the following responsibilities:

Duties/Responsibilities:

¿ 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.
¿ Negotiate with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
¿ Represent UNHCR in physical monitoring of projects.
¿ Perform other related duties as required.

Essential qualifications, skills and professional experience

Education:
¿ Completion of High School Diploma or higher

Language:
¿ Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English

Certificate:
Business Administration Law Political Science

Work Experience:
¿ For G6 - 3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Desirable
¿ UNHCR learning programmes (PLP). Knowledge of MSRP.

Functional Skills:
¿ *IT-Computer Literacy
¿ EX-Field experience
¿ MS-Drafting, Documentation, Data Presentation
¿ CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners,
¿ PG-Programme Management (project formulation, programme cycles and reporting standards)

Core Competencies
¿ Accountability
¿ Communication
¿ Organizational Awareness
¿ Teamwork & Collaboration
¿ Commitment to Continuous Learning
¿ Client & Result Orientation

Cross-Functional Competencies
¿ Analytical Thinking
¿ Planning and Organizing
¿ Stakeholder Management
Managerial Competencies
¿ Empowering and Building Trust


Additional Information:

Candidates will be required to sit for a test. Only candidate who score 50% of the total marks will be invited for oral interview.

Due to the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be invited for written test. 

The recruitment for this position shall be in line with the new Recruitment and Assignment of Locally Recruited Staff (RALS) policy.

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply for consideration
This vacancy is now closed.
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