Associate Regional Resettlement Officer – Dakar, Senegal
February 27, 2015
Application Deadline: March 20th 2015
Applications must be emailed to JPOCoordinator@state.gov by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time on the date indicated in order to be considered. Thank you.
How to Apply:
Please note that PRM-sponsored JPO positions are open to U.S. Citizens only.
Applicants must submit a completed United Nations Personal History form (UN P-11) via email to JPOCoordinator@state.gov by the deadline noted above. The UN P-11 form is available for download from the UNHCR website at http://www.unhcr.org/recruit/p11new.doc. PRM will accept the UN P-11 form without a signature. If desired, you may also submit a resume or curriculum vitae and letter of interest. Please specify the position for which you are applying in the Subject line of the email (i.e. Associate Protection Officer – Kabul, AFGHANISTAN). You must send a separate email and application for each position for which you are qualified and wish to be considered. For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions on the PRM website.
PRM Notes:
• For more information about UNHCR’s operations at this post, please visit the UNHCR website at www.unhcr.org.
• University degree in related field. Advanced degree strongly preferred for participation in the JPO program.
• Minimum 4 years (2 years with advanced University degree) of relevant professional experience. Experience experience with refuges and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity, with at least one year outside of the home country.
• Excellent knowledge of French and English (both written and oral) is essential.
• JPO contracts are initially issued for one (1) year and then renewed. American JPOs are expected to serve a complete (2) two-year JPO term.
• The JPO job description and related information attached are provided by UNHCR.
Associate Regional Resettlement Officer
Dakar, Senegal
Job Description (JPO)
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Title: Associate Regional Resettlement Officer (JPO)
Sector: Protection
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Duration of the assignment: 1 Year renewable (total of 2 years)
SUPERVISION:
Supervisor: Senior Regional Resettlement Officer, Lucie Gagné
Title of other international staff members in same duty station: Regional Resettlement officer, Deputy Representative (Protection)
Content and methodology of the supervision:
During an initial period of six months, close supervision will be the norm both on regular tasks as well as specific projects. After this the incumbent will be expected to work increasingly autonomous with less supervision. Review of tasks and an evaluation against set objectives will be conducted every three months.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist in the formulation of multi-year strategies for the application of resettlement as a protection tool throughout the region and in particular in countries where it previously has not been employed sufficiently in particular Chad and Cameroon. A significant majority of the officer’s time should be dedicated to resettlement efforts from Chad.Prioritise resettlement cases referred to the Regional Resettlement Unit for efficient review.
- Review cases in view of establishing that the information is complete, credible and consistent, that the refugees concerned have continued needs for international protection and qualify for resettlement, and that the standards set forth in the Resettlement Handbook and/or regional resettlement standard operation procedures (SOPs) are met.
- Ensure a consistent regional application of the resettlement criteria, in accordance with the SOPs.
- Request clarification if needed and/or providing advice to the field in order to finalize the submission in a timely fashion and ensuring proper follow-up.
- Undertake support missions to the field to assist with the identification of cases, profiling of refugee populations, preparation of referrals and design and implementation of relevant systems and procedures.
- If required, follow up on submissions and tracking approval/rejection by resettlement country, and ensure appropriate out-processing of accepted cases in close co-ordination with UNHCR resettlement partners.
- Ensure information flow between Regional Resettlement Unit and the country offices throughout the process.
- Assist in reviewing, updating and implementing the country offices’ SOPs for Resettlement including training on resettlement management and processing.
- Assist the (Senior) Regional Resettlement Officer(s) in the capacity-building and training of UNHCR staff, NGO partners and government counterparts.
- Assist in organization of the regional resettlement meetings and facilitation of training.
- Assist in planning and coordinating the selection missions.
- Undertake any other related tasks required by the supervisor.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
- Direct support to field offices for the efficient processing of individual cases for resettlement, including procedures, required documentation, and liaison with resettlement countries.
- In the context of target numbers set by the Regional Resettlement Unit, the incumbent will have a certain amount of accountability for reaching submission goals.
- A large amount of autonomy will be required to fulfil objectives while on missions throughout the region; these objectives may vary from individual case processing, to counselling refugees on their resettlement cases, to trainings of staff, NGO partners, and government counterpart.
AUTHORITY:
- Limited decision making, but the incumbent shall be encouraged to take initiative within the broad objectives of the terms of reference.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
Languages: Excellent knowledge of French and English (both written and oral) is essential.
Qualifications: Higher level university degree in relevant area.
Experience: Minimum of two years professional experience with refuges and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity, with at least one year outside of the home country.
Skills: Knowledge of international legal framework governing refugees and asylum seekers, excellent research skills, willingness to work throughout West and Central Africa, including in remote locations for up to several weeks at a time, capacity to adapt to changing requirements and to work both independently and in a team, knowledge of West and Central Africa’s political, social and human rights issues is an asset, computer literate in Ms Word and Excel, knowledge of UN policies, procedures and field experience is highly desirable.
REQUIRED COMPETENCIES, which illustrate behaviors that are essential to achieving deliverables described above, and that are critical to successful performance. All jobs require the staff to abide to the Values and Core competencies of UNHCR.
- Analytical Thinking (X001)
- Innovation and Creativity (X002)
- Planning and Organizing (X005)
- Political Awareness (X007)
- Change Capability and Adaptability (X009)
TRAINING COMPONENTS AND LEARNING ELEMENTS:
Training components: The incumbent will have access to the UNHCR learning programmes on resettlement, protection and other relevant topics and skills managed by the agency’s Global Learning Centre and partly implemented through the online Connect and Learn programme.
Learning elements:
- Application of UNHCR’s mandate, principles, code of conduct and humanitarian goals.
- International and regional refugee protection standards and policies, with an emphasis on durable solutions.
- Refugee status determination criteria as defined by the 1951 and Organization for African Unity Conventions, including a wide range of country of origin information in addition to cultural practices.
- Analysis and application of resettlement needs as per UNHCR policy.
- Capacity building tools, ranging from seminars to peer-to-peer training.
- Operational practices for communication and coordination between UNHCR Headquarters and regional offices, and between regional and country and field offices.
- Liaisons with regional representatives of resettlement countries in the context of multi-year strategies, resettlement operations, and individual cases.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The Regional Resettlement Unit of the UNHCR Regional Representation for West Africa covers 18 countries in West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, the Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) and three in Central Africa (Chad, Cameroon, Central African Republic). The refugee population in the regions covered was estimated at 280,000 in West Africa and some 490,000 in Central Africa as of 2011.
The Unit supports and monitors resettlement activities in these 18 countries, including review and finalization of country office resettlement referrals, training and capacity-building of UNHCR staff and partners through training and support missions to country offices, organization of thematic workshops and provision of financial and human resources. The Unit is the main interlocutor with resettlement country representations in the region with which all activities are coordinated through regular communication and meetings. The Unit is under the direct supervision of the Senior Regional Resettlement Officer, with one Regional Resettlement Officer and two Resettlement Associates.
All refugees are processed as individual referrals. In the region of West and Central Africa, most refugees referred for resettlement are recognized on a prima facie basis, and often live in protracted refugee situations. One of the regional main objectives for 2014 is to address the protracted populations and identify a suitable durable solution; this will be carried into 2015 as deemed appropriate. Resettlement, on an individual basis, will be included in this latter strategy. Currently, there is no resettlement staff in the countries that will be involved.
The work of the Unit entails a close review of the refugee status determination (RSD) assessment and supports the offices in harmonizing approaches to refugee populations across the countries, integration of resettlement into UNHCR’s overall protection framework and durable solutions strategies. Because of the lack of staff on the ground, the identification process, preparation of the RRF and local capacity building will be key to assuring that refugees in need of resettlement have access to this durable solution in the earliest timeframe possible and in establishing sustainable continuity.
In 2013, the government of Chad agreed to allow UNHCR to resume long-suspended resettlement activities of Darfuri refugees from eastern Chad. This is a welcome development considering the lack of local integration prospects for refugees in Chad, and the inability to return home. However, this also requires a previously unplanned surge in resettlement operations in a sub-region with insufficient human capacity. As such, the Regional Resettlement Unit is required to provide support and the incumbent will be a key staff member in the evolution of the multi-year strategy for resettlement out of Chad.
The incumbent will work closely with the Senior Regional Resettlement Officer and Regional Resettlement Officer of the Unit, identifying, finalizing and reviewing individual resettlement cases and maintain individual case files and records. S/he will undertake missions to various countries in the region to assist the offices, and in particular to Chad. Later in the course of the assignment, s/he may additionally assist the offices in improving resettlement processing at the field level through training/capacity building on topics such as resettlement criteria, vulnerability assessment, refugee interviewing, case and file management procedures, proGres, and anti-fraud measures.
Dakar is an “A” duty station; there are no specific living conditions nor security measures to be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, the incumbent will be briefed on conditions in locations within the region when on mission as appropriate.
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