Protection Associate needed in Kampala, Uganda

jobsnearmeafric United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Target Start Date: 2024-01-10

Closing Date: January 29, 2024

General Background

As of end of April 2023, Uganda hosted some 1,535,900 million forcibly displaced and stateless persons in the country, including those originating from South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Rwanda, and others. 91 percent of the population of concern live in the settlements, while 9 percent reside in urban areas in Kampala. 80 percent of the population comprise women and children, while 3 percent are elderly persons and 24 percent are youth. Uganda’s progressive refugee policy grants refugee’s freedom of movement, the right to seek employment and establish businesses, and to access public services such as education, health care and justice.

Despite a favourable protection environment, the number and vulnerability of refugee’s, scarcity of resources and stress on social-economic amenities continue to hamper the quality of protection. Social service delivery in the hosting Districts is overstretched requiring support for enhancement to meet the needs of all, both the refugees and their hosts. To protect and enhance the asylum space and promote peaceful co-existence, the refugee response must address the perspectives and expectations of the communities’ hosting refugees.

The GBV Unit in Kampala provides coordination, technical guidance, and field support, including on prevention, response and mitigation and engages refugees in community mobilization and empowerment, ensuring an age gender and diversity (AGD) approach, protection and empowerment of persons with specific needs (PSN), accountability to affected people (AAP) and psychosocial support.

Gender based violence (GBV) is a serious human rights violation and major public health issue. GBV is under reported but known to happen in all contexts. Women and girls everywhere are disproportionately affected and are at heightened risk. Forcibly Displaced and Stateless Persons are at risk of GBV, irrespective of their age, gender, or other diversity considerations. For the last three years, an average of over 5,000 new GBV incidents have been identified, managed, and documented in the refugee settings. While these numbers are concerningly high, they are not fully representative of the extent of the situation as under-reporting or delayed reporting of GBV incidents remain a major concern, the ongoing engagement with refugees aimed at attitude/social norm change and general awareness has borne significant dividends over time and needs to be sustained. Timely response to the reported incidents continues to inspire confidence for more refugees to report cases, with the assurance that they will get support, and this similarly needs to be a sustained effort.

UNHCR Uganda aligns its GBV programs to two mutually reinforcing objectives: Risk of GBV is reduced for all Forcibly Displaced and Stateless Persons

All survivors have adequate and timely access to quality services.

Under the supervision of the Spotlight Project Manager, the Protection Associate will have a portfolio supporting the Gender for Development Uganda (G4DU) project. This project will be implemented in five refugee settlements and Kampala (urban). In addition, the incumbent will support in monitoring other GBV funded projects such as but not limited to, European Union’s ECHO, and UN’s Central Emergency Response Funding (CERF).

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Contribute to analysis of GBV trends and gaps, including by assisting with drafting briefing notes and analytical reports.

Contribute to the design of GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response interventions under the projects.

Support in providing technical guidance to UNHCR field teams, partners and government counterparts on GBV minimum standards under overall direction of the supervisor.

Contribute to project monitoring by undertaking regular field visits and drafting monitoring reports.

Support GBV capacity building initiatives, including streamlining training materials between project locations.

Participate in meetings in the area of responsibility, ensuring that meetings are consultative and results oriented.

Support coordination with different project sites, including with relevant UNHCR, partner and government counterparts. This includes technical teams, such as Livelihoods.

Follow up on any changes in the Project Plan, verify baselines, targets and actuals contributing to the soundness of Project Plan and enhancement of data quality.

Make regular field visits to provide support to UNHCR implementing partners/responsible parties, carrying specific activities within the project in the various settlements.

Support the mid-term review and evaluation in collaboration with participating UN agencies and local partners.

Support and participate programme activities including preparation of background documents and minutes taking.

In close coordination with relevant stakeholder, review and develop harmonized national GBV/VAC/SRHR/TiP data management system, that is inter-operable with other Government/CSOs data management systems to generate timely administrative data.

Compile and aggregate information elements required to produce standardized information products and implement data/information collection plans for baseline and context-specific data.

Collect, collate and process information and perform data quality and consistency control.

Compile, review and analyse monitoring reports and data of partners and teams, ensuring quality assurance and compliance with established policies, guidelines, procedures and standards. Generate monitoring and progress reports on a regular basis.

Provide inputs to quarterly progress reports and contribute to the drafting of Annual and final project reports.

Perform any other duties as assigned by supervisor.

3. Qualifications and Experience

Education and Work Experience

3 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher including at least 2 years in the field experience in Data and Information Management and Analysis, Database programming and management, GBV prevention and response, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of women and girls, gender, child protection, mental health, counselling and working with survivors, humanitarian, and development issues. Experience working in protection of refugees in displacement settings and coordinating, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating programmes. Experience with handling confidential data and demonstrated understanding of different data collection methodologies.

Key Competencies

Strong experience in interacting and coordinating with UNHCR field teams, partners, UN agencies and government counterparts.

Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with people in a multi-cultural environment successfully and effectively.

Demonstrated capacities in monitoring and reporting on GBV and or protection is desirable.

Fluency in English with excellent drafting and analytical skills is required. Working knowledge of another official UN language is an asset.

Knowledge of different data collection, analysis, and visualization tools (including but not limited to MS Excel, KoBo, Power BI) is essential.

A project/programme management certification would be an added advantage.

Knowledge and experience of working in GBV sector of Uganda is an asset.

Certifications

HCR Protection Learning Curriculum
HCR Gender Equality Lrng prg
HCR Gender-Based Violence

Other information:
Shortlisted candidates may be required to sit for a written test and/or oral interview. UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. Recruitment as a UNHCR staff member is subject to proof of vaccination against COVID-19
This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

To apply for this job please visit unhcr.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com.