Assistant Protection Officer (Community Based)

The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer. Depending on the size and structure of the Office, the incumbent may have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including community services, registration, resettlement and education. He/she provides functional protection guidance to information management and programme staff; and monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.

The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to: coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern; and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors.  He/she contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor

He/she also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in 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.

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft legislation related to persons of concern.  
• Provide legal advice and guidance on protection issues to persons of concern; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Conduct eligibility and status determination for persons of concern in compliance with UNHCR procedural standards and international protection principles. 
• Promote and contribute to measures to identify, prevent and reduce statelessness.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Contribute to a country-level education plan as part of the protection strategy.
• Provide inputs for the development of global / regional international protection policies and standards.
• Implement and monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Assess needs for Promote and find durable solutions for the largest possible number of persons of concern through voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Assess resettlement needs and apply priorities for the resettlement of individuals and groups of refugees and other persons of concern.
• Contribute to the design, implementation and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Contribute to and facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on populations of concern and their problems. 
• Contribute to capacity-building initiatives for communities and individuals to assert their rights.
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.

• Analytical Thinking
• Political Awareness
• Stakeholder Management

• Undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in Law, Political Sciences or related fields is required
• Minimum 1 year of previous work experience relevant to the function is required.
• Knowledge of English is required

• Diverse field experience, Good IT skills including database management skills and Completion of the Protection Learning Programme, RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme is desirable

The Assistant Protection Officer (Community Based) shall have oversight on community-based protection activities in Bidibidi Settlement.  The Settlement has over 232,000 refugees and covers 240 square kilometres. Being in the settlement model, refugees live alongside members of the host community. The settlement was established in 2016 and has a South Sudanese refugee population. The position will cover the coordination of various sectors covered under community-based protection including support to persons with specific needs, psychosocial support, accountability to affected populations and the development of community based protection structures. The position shall coordinate the activities of partners engaged in these sectors as well as overseeing UNHCR’s own interventions in the sector.

The Assistant Protection Officer (Community Based) will therefore monitor protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery in line with international standards and provide functional protection support in this area to the Senior Protection Officer. He/she will coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern. The position shall be responsible for reporting and analysis on community-based protection and support the Senior Protection Officer in strategic planning and decision making in the sector. Broad knowledge and experience in all sectors of community-based protection is thus essential. Another important function of the position is to ensure that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, authorities, protection and assistance partners as well as a broader network of stakeholders who can contribute to enhancing protection.