Area-based Inclusion Assessment

Contract

This is a UNV contract. More about UNV contracts.

Since the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine in February 2022, over 2.1 million refugees from Ukraine have entered Bulgaria. As of mid-December 2023, the Government of Bulgaria has granted Temporary Protection to more than 173,400 refugees fleeing Ukraine, with the majority being women and children. An estimated 52,000 Ukrainian refugees remain within the country as of mid-December 2023. Additionally, Bulgaria, as an external EU border, plays a strategic role in refugee protection within Europe.

In 2022, Bulgaria's State Agency for Refugees (SAR) registered over 20,400 asylum seekers, primarily from Syria and Afghanistan. As of the end of October 2023, more than 19,000 asylum applications have been received by SAR, surpassing the numbers for the same period last year. SAR operates six reception centers for the registration, Refugee Status Determination procedures, and accommodation of asylum seekers. Amid an increase in arrivals of Afghan and Syrian asylum seekers since 2022, UNHCR supports Bulgaria's Government to ensure policies and legislation align with international and EU standards. UNHCR promotes a comprehensive refugee response grounded in a multi-stakeholder, whole-of-society approach.

UNHCR supports government-led efforts to provide key protection, including legal assistance, information on services, education, and psychosocial support. UNHCR's priority protection interventions include access to territory and asylum procedures, inclusion of refugees in essential services and socio-economic inclusion, Child Protection, Gender-Based Violence response, support to persons with specific needs, and mitigation of risks related to trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation.

Selected candidate with assist UNHCR through remotely interviewing key informants and fill Kobo forms with pre-set questions with a view to obtain data and information on refugees’ access to essential services and their socio-economic inclusion opportunities, including barriers and proposed solutions, and draft a report based on evidence.

Selected volunteers will have a chance to learn more on the protection reporting, including area-based assessment, and UNHCR Age, Gender and Diversity Policy, and refugee socio-economic inclusion while supporting the team at first hand.

We expect the selected online volunteer(s) to start with this task. 1. 1 assignment in February 2024 2. 2 assignments in May 2024

Month 1-2: - Conducting an average of 10 (per week per assignment) semi-structured interviews with key informants / service providers / in selected locations with respect to their understanding of what services are available to refugees and how the existing barriers to inclusion and social cohesion can be overcome in different local contexts - Total interviews per assignment: 96 - Average interview time 30 minutes - Interviews will be conducted (preferably via video call) with , regional/local authorities, and social protection officials, employment agencies, child protection services, disability service providers in line with guidelines provided by UNHCR

Month 3: - Analysing the data and drafting a 12-page initial report to present the data.

• Education or experience in areas such as community-based protection, social work, community work, social studies, research, communication
• Analytical and drafting skills
• Familiarity with refugee or humanitarian work
• Professional integrity and commitment to core humanitarian principles
• Digital literacy