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Community-Based Protection Assistant - Communicating with Communities, LICA-4, UNOPS

Port of Spain

  • Organization: UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Location: Port of Spain
  • Grade: Administrative support - Administrative Services and Support - Generally no need for Higher Education
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Social Affairs
    • Administrative support
    • Communication and Public Information
    • Civil Society and Local governance
    • Protection Officer (Refugee)
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: Closed

This position is advertised open to external applicants.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Persons interested in applying for this position must be Nationals of Trinidad and Tobago or must posses the legal right to work in Trinidad and Tobago at the time of application, recruitment and hire. Non citizens are required to attach a valid work permit to be considered for this vacancy. Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Community-Based Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member 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, the incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. S/he 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 Assistant is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (PoC). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC 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 PoC.

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.

- 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 the protection team. Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
- Assist on keeping continuous communication with POC through available channels of communication, emails, hotlines and attending walk-in POCs at the Registration center and provide appropriate counselling and information.
- Assist in the identification of PWSPN and conduct appropriate internal and external referrals to protection units and partners for case-management, CBI, protection services and assistance.
- Lead in the development of a ¿survival guide¿ for PoCs in close coordination with the PI/Communications Associate.
- Support in the HELP website revisions/updates together with the CBP team.
- Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems.
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Support implementing and operational partners as well as displaced and local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organisational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.
- Assist in working with host communities to involve national civil society groups in improving the protection of PoC.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments and ongoing consultation with PoC.
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination structures.
- Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
- Collect data for monitoring of programmes and budgets from an AGD perspective.
- Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR¿s work.
- Identify and recommend which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Perform other related duties as required.


Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G4 - 1 year relevant experience with High School Diploma; or Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable

Certificates and/or Licenses
Development, Human Rights,                        International Law
Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Not specified

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

Functional Skills
*IT-MS Office Applications
*IT-Computer Literacy
UN-UN/UNHCR Administrative Rules, Regulations and Procedures
UN-UN/UNHCR Financial Rules and Regulations and Procedures
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
PR-Community-based Protection
PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)


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. Please also note that English and Spanish are essential for this Job Opening. Please note that this position is offered under UNOPS LICA contract at LICA-4 level until 31 December 2021, with possible extension subject to budget, good performance and operational needs.

Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed and might be requested to sit for a test. Only short-listed candidates will be notified. No late applications will be accepted.

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

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.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted based on the information submitted during the application. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.
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See below for this postion's Operational Context
======================================================================================================== Operational context

As the influx of Venezuelan refugees and migrants continues, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) is faced with numerous challenges. The profiles of Persons of Concern (PoCs) in T&T have been shifting to reflect a population with heightened vulnerabilities and specific needs. T&T continues to lack national legislation on asylum matters. Government authorities have indicated that updates to immigration legislation, including some mechanism for refugee status determination, is slated to be laid in parliament throughout the course of 2021. Due to the lack of domestic legislation for the protection of refugees or the granting of asylum under international refugee instruments, persons in need of international protection remain subject to the provisions of a 1976 Immigration Act, which excludes any definition of refugee and asylum-seeker, has no mention of situations of mass influx of humanitarian grounds for protection and provides for limited access to rights and services. 

As inflows to the country continue, a growing proportion of the population of concern remain in an irregular status. This impedes their ability to seek livelihood opportunities, access to sustainable long-term employment and prevents access of children to public schools. Many in the population of concern have found employment informally in sectors negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many also face eviction due to inability to make rent payments. Social assistance initiatives implemented by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 are only accessible to citizens and permanent residents, excluding non-nationals and those in an irregular status.  Additionally, non-nationals are only allowed to access primary and emergency healthcare from public health institutions, leaving PoC with specialised healthcare needs without access to treatment.   As a result, UNHCR and its partners Living Water Community, Rape Crisis Society (RCS) and Family Planning (FPATT) have received overwhelming numbers of requests for food and material assistance, legal and psycho-social support and medical-related aid, including medicines, since the onset of the pandemic. Furthermore, xenophobia and discrimination against refugees and migrants in general, including in the workplace, continue to be noted in the media and public opinion.

In this context, the UNHCR protection team has been developing different communication channels to provide information to assistance programs and services providers in a more customized way, through UNHCR¿s Help website, emails, What¿sApp, and hotlines as well as broadcasts. However, there are still challenges and a strong need to strengthen individualized communication and tailored services. By May 2021, assistance applications increased by 648%, coinciding with the declaration of the new lockdown measures. Most communications to UNHCR hotlines have been consistently related to requests for  cash-based interventions and food assistance. Identification of Persons with Special Needs (PWSPN) through communication channels and the referral mechanism are core protection activity.

The Community-Based Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member 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, the incumbent works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. S/he 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 Assistant is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday communicating with persons of concern (POC) through the available channels of communication or working outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of PoC. The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the design of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC. The closing date for submission of applications is August 8, 2021 (Midnight Geneva time).
This vacancy is now closed.
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