International UNV Associate Field Officer

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.

Colombia continues to be the country receiving the highest number of Venezuelans, with a total of over 1.74 million by early 2021 (representing approximately 37% of the 4.6 million Venezuelans in the region). Additionally, an estimated 845,000 Co-lombians (including those with dual nationality) have returned to Colombia from Venezuela in recent years, which may include those who return on a temporary basis. According to Migración Colombia, around 56% of Venezuelans in Colombia are esti-mated to be in an irregular situation and thus more exposed to protection risks. From March 2020 until June 2021, the Colombia. In February 2021, the Government of Colombia issued a Temporary Protec-tion Status (TPS) that is likely to benefit the 1.74 million Venezuelans already in Co-lombia as well as those who arrive through official border points over the next two years. The TPS provides a 10-year protection status and access to a full range of rights including healthcare, education, formal employment, and financial inclusion. UNHCR believes that TPS is a very promising pathway for addressing the vulnerable situation of Venezuelan refugees and migrants who are in an irregular situation.

Additionally, to the Venezuelan situation, Colombia is also a transit country to people in mixed migration movements towards North America. According to statistics from migration authorities from Panama and Colombia, in 2021 more than 126.000 people have crossed the border between the two countries, most of them on secondary migration movements from Brazil and Chile. The main nationalities identified were Haitians, Cubans, and Venezuelans. The COVID pandemic, deprivation of access to basic needs in their countries of origin, and local integration challenges in third countries are some aspects that contributed to the intensification of the migration movement in the last year.

Under the direct supervision of Head of Field Office, 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 ar-rangements 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 provi-sion 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 au-thorities. • Participation in needs assessment as a member of the Multi-Functional team • In close coordination with programme and project control, monitor project implementa-tion and provide feedback on the progress to the relevant units/sections • Undertake other relevant duties as required.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by read-ing relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for in-stance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publica-tions/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Results/Expected Outputs:

• The needs of persons of concern in the country are assessed and analysed in a participa-tory manner and using an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective to form a firm basis for planning. • Inputs are provided for the country operations plan (including budgets, staffing levels and structures) as well as for funding submissions, appeals and reports. • Enforced compliance with UNHCR’s global strategies, protocols and guidelines. • The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counter-parts, including Implementing Partners (IPs); • Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for development during the as-signment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Integrity and professionalism: demonstrated expertise in area of specialty and ability to apply good judgment; high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; • Accountability: mature and responsible; ability to operate in compliance with organi-zational rules and regulations. • 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 abil-ity to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; • Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious work-ing relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity and gender; • Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presenta-tions, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommenda-tions; ability to communicate and empathize with staff; • Flexibility, adaptability, and ability and willingness to operate independently in austere, remote and potentially hazardous environments for protracted periods, involving physical hardship and little comfort, and including possible extensive travel within the area of oper-ations; willingness to transfer to other duty stations within area of operations as may be necessary; • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards the UN core values.

Work experience with refugees and/or other people of concern in a protection capacity required. International experience required. Field experience. Protection. Community Services. Office Package (excellent knowledge of Word, good knowledge of Excel and Power Point) and Internet browsing.

Living conditions in any of the UNHCR Colombia duty stations, including Apartadó, are gen-erally good. There is a wide variety of activities in these cities, from tourism, theater, cinema, cultural and sports activities, and restaurants offering typical local and regional food, as well as international cuisine.

Apartadó is a municipality of Colombia, located in the subregion of Urabá in the depart-ment of Antioquia, being the most populated municipality of that region. Its municipal seat is located 310 kilometers from the departmental capital, Medellín and has a total area of 607 square kilometers. The main access to Apartadó is through Carepa airport, located 20km from the municipality. The region is also connected to Montería, Cordoba, and Me-dellín, Antioquia, through roads.

Apartado is known for its commercial activity and infrastructure, since it has the main headquarters of state entities and national and multinational companies with an economy based on bananas, plantains, corn, cassava, cocoa, wood and cattle. The average tem-perature is 30°C and the relative humidity is higher than 80% throughout the year.

Apartadó has more than 180,000 inhabitants, where a diverse cultural mix that brings to-gether afro-descendants, paisas, costeños and natives, in a plain that is part of the Co-lombian Caribbean.

The duration of your assignment is 31.12.2022 .

A volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) which is composed of the Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with depend-ents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover hous-ing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs. The VLA can be computed by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate of US$ 1,571. The VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis according to the cost of liv-ing. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website (http://icsc.un.org). For example, if the PAM for the current month is 54.6%, then the VLA for that month will be (US$ 1,571 x 54,6 /100) + 1,571= US$ 2,429. Moreover, a Family Allowance (FA) is added in accordance with the number of recognized dependents: US$ 250 if the UN Volunteer has 1 recognized dependent, and US$ 450 if the UN Volunteer has 2 or more recognized dependents. Accordingly the VLA will be US$ for a volunteer without dependent; US$ for a volunteer with one recognized dependent and UD$ for a volunteer with two or more recognized dependents.

In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.