Associate Field Officer

Volunteering Communications & PR Security

Overview

Support effective protection and assistance to refugees in Kyaka II settlement.

You have:

• Work experience with refugees and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity required
• International experience required
• Field experience
• Hardship duty station
• Non-Food Items (NFI) experience
• Protection experience
• Community Services experience
• Coordination/management role
• Excellent knowledge of MS Word, good knowledge of Excel and PowerPoint

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Uganda currently hosts more than 1.9 million refugees making it Africa’s largest refugee hosting country and one of the five largest refugee hosting countries in the world. The refugee protection environment in Uganda is progressive and provides refugees with freedom of movement, the right to work and establish businesses, the right to documentation, access to social services, and allocation of plots of land for shelter and agricultural production. Kyaka II refugee settlement was established in 2005 to receive the remaining population of Kyaka I refugee settlement, following the mass repatriation of Rwandan refugees the same year. Kyaka I Refugee Settlement was created in 1983 for Rwandan refugees after a decision was taken by the Government of Uganda to host all refugees in designated areas across the country. The settlement is located within Kyegegwa District in the southwest of Uganda and spreads over approximately 81.5 square kilometres. It has nine (09) zones, namely: Sweswe, Byabakora, Mukondo, Itambabinga, Bwiriza, Kakoni, Buliti, Kaborogota and Bukere. The current Population in Kyaka II Refugee settlement is about 135,681 individuals of 35,671 households with 130,148 biometrically registered refugees and 5,533 asylum seekers (as of 30th June 2025). The settlement no longer receives new refugees, apart from second displaced refugees who were previously registered in Kyaka II, family reunification, referrals, and protection cases. Guided by the Multi-Year and Multi-Partner Protection and Solutions Strategy in Uganda, UNHCR together with partners provide effective protection and assistance to refugees rendering services under protection, education, food security, health and nutrition, shelter/infrastructure, water and sanitation, livelihood, energy, and environment, mental health and psychosocial support, durable solutions, and settlement management. In coordination with Government of Uganda, UN Agencies and Non-governmental organizations, UNHCR, provides protection to refugees and asylum seekers with the support of partners. Protection services provided include, legal registration and documentation, child protection, GBV prevention and response, and social services that include a focus on support to persons with specific needs, and community development for self-management.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Field Office Kyaka II, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

• Ensure that UNHCR’s policies, standards and procedures are constantly and coherently applied in the Area of Responsibility (AoR).

• Ensure that the needs of persons of concern in the AoR are assessed and analysed in a participating manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning.

• Ensure that protection incidents and gaps in assistance are immediately identified and addressed.

• Identify vulnerable groups or individuals who may need special attention or special arrangements and make recommendations on the needs of different groups of refugees.

• Assess protection and assistance needs of refugees and asylum-seekers in the region and monitor implementation of refugee assistance programmes.

• In co-ordination with implementing partners, handle the reception, registration and provision of assistance to persons of concern to UNHCR.

• Provide inputs for project submissions and periodic narrative and financial reports for the annual programme.

• Develop and maintain relations with local authorities ensuring smooth negotiations in all aspects of UNHCR's mandate for the benefit of refugees.

• Monitor the security situation in the area and intervene as appropriate with the local authorities.

• Participation in needs assessment as a member of the Multi-Functional team

• In close coordination with programme and project control, monitor project implementation and provide feedback on the progress to the relevant units/sections

• Undertake other relevant duties as required.

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; • Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; • Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. • Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; • Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Work experience with refugees and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity required - minimum 3 years - International experience required - Field experience - Hardship duty station - Non-Food Items (NFI) experience - Protection - Community Services - Coordination / management role

Computer skills: Office Package (excellent knowledge of Word, good knowledge of Excel and Power Point) and Internet browsing.

Field Office Kyaka, under the management of Sub Office Mbarara in Southwest Uganda, is responsible for Kyaka II settlement, in Kyegegwa district. Kyaka II settlement no longer receives new arrivals from the border (prima facie refugee status), though it may still re-ceive those who go through refugee status determination (RSD) procedure conducted by Refugee Eligibility Committee of Uganda. Currently FO Kyaka has about 18 staff including administration (including drivers), field, protection, and supply. The operation is mainly care and maintenance under the Global Refugee Compact (GRC)/Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF). Based on the past five years’ experience of Uganda operation, the incumbent will need to prepare for any emergency supports for the country operation if needs arise. Kyaka settlement as of 30 June 2025 accommodates about 135,000 refugees. It is domi-nated by refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with few refugees from Burun-di, Rwanda, South Sudan, and few remaining refugees from other nationalities. There is a vibrant local market at the Bujubuli zone of the settlement, though local super-markets are only found in Fort Portal (130 km from Kyaka) or Mbarara. There are no edu-cation facilities similar to international schools in Kyaka, Fort Portal and Mbarara. Interna-tional schools are available in Kampala and Entebbe areas. In term of medical services, only basic medical services are available in health centres in the settlements, and if nec-essary, further medical referral to Kampala. The nearest banking facilities including ATM are either in Mubende (60 km from Kyaka) or Fort Portal. At the staff accommodation compound provided by UNHCR, electricity and water are available. International staff normally place their families either in Kampala or Entebbe for those with school age dependents. Most of travels between Kampala and Kyaka or Mbarara and Kyaka are undertaken by road. Security Considerations: Generally calm and peaceful security situation in the country, however threats of crime continue to prevail in areas, especially Kampala and Entebbe. In term of security risks, just like another other major towns in the country, most of these crimes are economically motivated or opportunistic in nature. In term of traffic accidents, across the country, fatal road traffic accidents remain high. Occasionally, disputes of both political and economic nature persist which may involve traders, taxi operators, hawkers, students in major towns creating a fertile ground for protests/demonstrations. Sporadic security incidents occasionally happened in Mbarara and neighboring areas. This also applies to the settlements under our area of responsibility.

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Potential interview questions

Added 9 months ago - Updated 8 months ago - Source: unv.org