TERMS OF REFERENCE

1. General Background
   The UNHCR Representation in Venezuela is comprised of the Country Office in Caracas, two Field Offices located on the border with Colombia (San Cristobal and Maracaibo), as well as three Field Units, one in Caracas, the capital district; Carupano (Sucre) in the border with Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana; and Santa Elena de Uairen in the border with Brazil.
   The operational context in Venezuela remains challenging, affecting both refugees and asylum seekers and the Venezuelan population in humanitarian crisis, including displaced persons, returnees, and people on-the-move. Since the first quarter of 2022, an increase in returns and a high need for protection has been observed.
   The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to a more senior Protection colleague. The incumbent monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support to information management and programme staff.
   The Senior Protection Assistant provides quality, timely and effective protection support to persons of concern (PoC) and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. S/he contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and may liaise externally with local authorities and partners on protection issues as guided by the supervisor.
   The Senior Protection Assistant also ensures that PoC are involved 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.
   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.

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
• 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
• Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Support protection monitoring in priority municipalities.
• Support, strengthen and provide technical assistance to implementing and operational partners, Sucre state institutions, as well as displaced and local communities to ensure the centrality of protection related to AGD based programming.
• Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Establish a protection referral system to support effective case management.
• Ensure protection centrality and enhance coordination and synergies among protection cluster’s partners, by ensuring that that leadership, coordination, and engagement in all sectors is more strategic, aligned and directed toward a stronger response.
• Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
• Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
• Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
• Perform other related duties as required.

1. Monitoring and Progress Controls
   A workplan will be prepared at the beginning of the contract between the incumbent and the supervisor to define key activities and project timelines to ensure an efficient delivery of expected outputs and products. Weekly meetings will be organized between the supervisor and the consultant to discuss advances, track progress, and discuss how to overcome potential challenges.
2. Qualifications and Experience
   a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
   A university degree in social sciences, law, international relations, political science or a related field.
   b. Work Experience
   Years of Experience / Degree Level
   2 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 1-year relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher.

Essential:

• Experience working with refugees and/or other PoC in a protection capacity.
• Field experience.
• Ability to live and work in the difficult and harsh conditions of developing countries.
• Excellent writing skills in Spanish.
• Office Package (excellent knowledge of Word, good knowledge of Excel and Power Point) and Internet browsing.

Desirable:

• Professional experience with International Refugee Law, International Humanitarian law, and National Law and International Law experience.
• Durable solutions and sustainable reintegration experience.
• Protection cluster experience.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organization.
• Professional experience at the national and/or international level, or other relevant programmes with NGOs.
• Excellent writing skills in English.

c. Key Competencies
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Cross-Functional Competencies
Analytical Thinking
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management

d. Language requirements

• Spanish Level: Fluent, Required.
• English Level: Working Fluent, Desirable.

e. Functional Skills
IT-Computer Literacy

CL-Protection & Solutions Awareness

• CL-Protection Cluster Coordination
• PR-Durable solutions and Social cohesion.
• PR- AAP, AGD, Child protection and Sustainable reintegration.

PR-Protection-related guidelines, standards and indicators

• PR-Refugee Protection Principles and Framework

f. Travel requirements
Contractor may be required to travel 20% of the time to locations other than their assigned work location.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview, processing or any other fees).
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.
UNHCR has a zero-tolerance policy against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA). SEA is unacceptable behavior and prohibited conduct for UNHCR personnel. It constitutes acts of serious misconduct and is therefore grounds for disciplinary measures, including dismissal. Any concerns or suspicions about a possible case of SEA should be reported immediately to the Inspector General’s Office (IGO) at inspector@unhcr.org or through the online complain form at https://www.unhcr.org/php/complaints.php or by confidential fax: +41 22 739 73 80.
UNHCR is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, sexual orientation, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. UNHCR seeks to ensure that male and female employees are given equal career opportunities. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience

• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Provide counselling on protection issues to PoC; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Support activities in protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Conduct preliminary information gathering and interviews in support of eligibility, status determination, durable solutions and social needs assessment.
• 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 for PoC as part of the protection strategy.
• Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Support protection monitoring in priority municipalities.
• Support, strengthen and provide technical assistance to implementing and operational partners, Sucre state institutions, as well as displaced and local communities to ensure the centrality of protection related to AGD based programming.
• Participate in individual protection case management including cases of GBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Establish a protection referral system to support effective case management.
• Ensure protection centrality and enhance coordination and synergies among protection cluster’s partners, by ensuring that that leadership, coordination, and engagement in all sectors is more strategic, aligned and directed toward a stronger response.
• Assist in identifying durable solutions for PoC in voluntary repatriation, local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.
• Contribute to the design, implementation, and evaluation of protection related AGD based programming with implementing and operational partners.
• Draft reports, routine correspondence, update relevant databases and compiling statistics within the Area of Responsibility (AoR).
• Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.
• Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners.
• Perform other related duties as required