Organizational Context 

 The Senior Protection Assistant normally reports to the Protection Officer or the Senior Protection Officer.  He/she 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 and identifies opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and safeguards in operational responses. He/she 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 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.   

 Accountability 

•  The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
• Protection activities are guided by the UNHCR country protection strategy.
• The participation of persons of concern is facilitated through supporting participatory, rights and community-based approaches.
• Support is provided to identify and report protection incidents. 

Responsibility 

• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct. 
• Provide counselling on protection issues to persons of concern; 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 persons of concern as part of the protection strategy. 
• Monitor Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Participate in individual protection case management including cases of SGBV and child protection. Monitor and report on cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Assist in identifying durable solutions for persons of concern 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.
• Assist in drafting reports, routine correspondence, updating relevant databases and compiling statistics for the protection unit / section.
• Contribute to initiatives to enhance national and local protection capacities.

Authority 

• Select persons of concern for preliminary interviews and decide which relevant information to share.
• Enforce integrity in the delivery of protection services by local implementing partners

Grade

• GL-5

NB

• Replacement Capacity (With a Lien up to 1 year)

Type of Contract

• Temporary Appointment

Duration of Contract 

• 6 months 

Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Completion of secondary school.  Additional Training courses in protection related issues.
• Job experience: relevant to the function: 4 years.
• Fluency in English and working knowledge of another relevant UN language
• Knowledge of local language

Desirable Qualifications & Competencies

• Good computer skills.
• Completed Protection Learning Programme.