UNHCR

Position: Assistant Government Liaison Officer

Job Time: Full-Time

Job Type: Contract

Place of Work: Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

Posted date: 2 days ago

Application Deadline: Feb, 20/2022 (6 days left)

Eligible Applicants

• This position is advertised open to Group 1, Group 2, if applicable; and external applicants.

Duties and Qualifications

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Assistant Government Liaison Officer is usually located in country operations. S/he plays a crucial support role in ensuring UNHCR's approach to the Government is consistent, strategic and coherent. UNHCR assists the Government on coordination, response delivery and protection issues. Typically, this involves joint coordination arrangements, partnership with various government departments in service delivery, and regular dialogue at all levels on refugee protection issues. The main aim is to assist senior management to ensure that UNHCR can fulfil its role to support the Government to lead the refugee response ensuring the protection of refugees and - in line with the GCR - promote the inclusion of refugees into national systems by coordinating with other actors - including development actors at the early stages of a refugee response and in mixed situations supporting the Government to prevent, respond to and resolve internal displacement while complementing and reinforcing national response efforts. This should be done in line with UNHCR¿s Mandate, the Global Compact for Refugees, the IDP policy, and agreed inter-agency commitments. More specifically, s/he advises the senior management on issues and processes concerning the relationship with the Government and related positioning, coordination, advocacy, information, resource allocation, fundraising, reporting, and communication with other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society actors, private sector, media and other relevant actors through strong engagement in humanitarian inter-agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR. The overall goal of the position is to support the effectiveness of UNHCR¿s leadership roles and responses to situations affecting people of concern to UNHCR (refugees, asylum-seekers, IDPs, stateless persons, returnees, host communities) through an open and transparent partnership approach with the Government.

The Assistant Government Liaison Officer ensures that support is provided for strategic planning, assessment, monitoring and analysis concerning the relationship with the Government. The Assistant Government Liaison Officer will support all planning and reporting activities. The incumbent will support the supervisor in maintaining a constant dialogue with the Government on the overall protection context. A key tool in this regard will be the facilitation and support of periodic meetings with the Government, as well as to support the broadening of mutual information through meeting reports, situation updates and newsletters.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR¿s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Assist in the establishment of close working relations with Government Officials and/or other external parties.
• Provide suggestions for promoting UNHCR¿s policies and liaising with Government authorities on issues related to latest humanitarian and development processes.
• Support coordination meetings as required, including by preparing meetings and background information, drafting minutes and follow-up documentation.
• Manage the flow of information to/from the supervisor and other senior staff; identifies priority matters that need to be urgently addressed by the supervisor.
• Draft correspondence, documents and reports, and prepares tables and ensures follow-up.
• Assist in ensuring appropriate links with the Government through establishment/maintenance of appropriate coordination and information exchange.
• Act on behalf of the supervisor to convey, clarify and explain UNHCR¿s positions to Government or other external parties as applicable.
• Inform the supervisor on a continuing basis of relevant information on the outcome of discussions with external parties.
• Act as interpreter during meetings held by the supervisor with senior officials or other external parties.
• Accompany the supervisor and Headquarters visitors to camps, border missions, and provincial cities.
• May be required to coordinate the work of lower-level staff.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

• For P1/NOA - 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

• Law/International Law; Political Science; Social Science; Business Administration; or other relevant fields.

Functional Skills

• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
• SO-Networking

Language Requirements

• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

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 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 seek guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting, and selection of candidates.

Additional Information

Please note that UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, meeting, traveling, processing, training, or any other fees).

Please note this position is a Temporary Appointment based in Bahirdar

An eliminatory or complementary written test for shortlisted candidates may be conducted which will be followed by competency-based interviews.

How to Apply

CLICK HERE

Female candidates are encouraged to apply

Operational Context

Nature of the Position

The Amhara region is affected by at least two different emergencies, the influx of IDPs due to the Tigray conflict (mostly internal to the Amhara region), and the expulsion of IDPs from the nearby Oromia region. There are also potential influxes of IDPs from Benishangul Gumuz. All of this actual and potential influx are highly variable ¿ due to the moving of frontlines further north, around 450,000 IDPs have been able to return inside the Amhara region during the last two months.

The area of Bahir Dar hosted more than 100,000 IDPs at the beginning of 2022, however, most of them have returned and currently there is no particular need for a sizeable Field Office in the location. However, Bahir Dar continues to be the seat of the Regional Government as well as the main coordination of humanitarian regional mechanisms. Whereas decisions on priorities at the municipal level are decided locally, decisions on priorities as regards zones and particular humanitarian issues are taken in Bahir Dar. It is also to note that most meetings where Government officials participate are in Amharic, and also during bilateral meetings, most officials feel most comfortable in Amharic. Bahir Dar is also the seat of the coordination of Universities for the Amhara region which may have implications for UNHCR¿s work both in terms of legal aid and as regards livelihoods and durable solutions. Thus, UNHCR will maintain a liaison presence in Bahir Dar responding to both the functions of coordination and of liaison with authorities. The Liaison Officer will attend meetings, accompany international personnel in meetings and advocacy, maintain the whole operation abreast of political, social, and economic developments and identify opportunities for capacity building, intervention, and advocacy with both Government and local civil society.

Living and Working Conditions

Bahir Dar, due to the proximity of the Tana Lake, the Blue Nile Falls, and other attractions, is one of the touristic capitals of Ethiopia. There is normal access to electricity, internet and running water in all hotels and most houses. Since the moving of the frontline further north, tensions in the area against foreigners have reduced noticeably. Security is in general good in Bahir Dar and the local population is friendly. Relations with Government institutions have also improved noticeably from an initial position of a certain mistrust towards the UN.