ThaiNGO

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

Representation in Thailand

Vacancy Announcement No. 48/2016

Internal/External Circulation

Availability of the Position      01 February 2017

The Protection Associate (Community-Based) is a member of the Protection Unit in a Country Operation and may report to the Protection Officer, Protection Officer (Community-Based), 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 Protection Associate (Community-Based) works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may have direct supervisory responsibility for part of the protection and/or support staff and 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 Protection Associate (Community-Based) is required to spend a substantial percentage of her/his time working outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern. The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with persons of concern that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results forms the core of the work of the Protection Associate (Community-Based). The incumbent also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with persons of concern.

Functional Statement

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

• Effective support and advice is provided to promote AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities as the essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
• AGD sensitive analysis of community risks and capacities provides the essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
• The participation of persons of concern is assured through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community based approaches, which inform protection and assistance programming and ensure that UNHCR meets its commitments to accountability to persons of concern.
• National protection capacities are improved through direct engagement, research and advocacy with all relevant external interlocutors.

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results)

• Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection delivery strategy and operational procedures.
• Through relationships with persons of concern 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 persons of concern 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.
• Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil society involvement in improving the protection of persons of concern.
• Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with 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 SGBV.
• Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and risks they face.
• Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing consultation with persons of concern.
• Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD perspective.
• Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of persons of concern.
• 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.
• Act as interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
• Perform other relevant duties as required.

Authority (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)

• Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
• Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and individuals based on agreed parameters.
• Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling and field visits based on agreed criteria.
• Intervene with authorities on protection.
• Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Professional Experiences Required

• Thai national is preferred.
• Completion of the Secondary education; Training/certificate in International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law or other clearly related disciplines is required.
• Minimum of 6 years previous relevant job experience.
• Computer skills (MS Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access).
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language or local language.

Desirable Qualifications and Competencies

• Knowledge of Administrative/financial rules, procedures, processes in the context of UNHCR offices and Field operations.
• UNHCR learning programmes (PLP).
• Knowledge of MSRP.

Please submit your Motivation Letter, P.11 and Curriculum Vitae indicating the vacancy announcement number as well as position number and title to: THABAHR@unhcr.org

Applications will not be acknowledged.  Only the successful candidate will be notified of the outcome of the selection process.

P.11 form can be down loaded from: http://unhcr.or.th/sites/default/files/p11.doc