Social Policy Officer

Volunteering Crisis & Emergency Response

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

In 2018 UNICEF initiated its response to the Venezuelan migration in Roraima and established an Office in Boa Vista and in 2019 an outpost in Pacaraima, border with Venezuela. The response works in coordination with the Brazilian Federal Government response, Operação Acolhida (OA). Still, migrants and refugees face challenges in accessing social protection, healthcare, early childhood development, education, sustainable livelihoods, and child protection services mainly due to a lack of comprehensive public policies on migratory issues that put families and children at higher risk of not guaranteeing basic rights.

Building on its development programme to support the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in Brazil, UNICEF’s response focuses on ensuring access to essential services and programmes, strengthening the capacity of actors responsible for providing social protection, child protection, education, health/nutrition, water and sanitation services (including Government, non-governmental and community organizations), so that they are fully equipped to assist children on the move and their families. Moreover, Terra Indigena Yanomami, with most of its territory in Roraima, also endures a critical humanitarian crisis. UNICEF joined the national Emergency Operation Center of the Ministry of Health and has representatives in the local coordination groups to strengthen coordination efforts at national and local levels.

Considering both crises, UNICEF works to ensure the nexus between the humanitarian response and the development-oriented initiatives at the municipal level, state and federal level, in particular (but not limited to) by the Selo UNICEF, which aims to stimulate and recognize real and positive advances in the promotion of children and adolescents' rights in municipalities of the semi-arid region and in the Amazon territory. At the federal level, UNICEF initiated a partnership with the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, the state of Roraima and the municipal governments of Boa Vista and Paracaima aiming to provide better services and benefits for migrants and refugees by improving the inter-federative governance model for the migration response in Brazil.

Based on a situation analysis that reveals important gaps in basic services coverage for migrants and refugees, the priority is guaranteeing that migrants and refugees are registered in the Single Registry (CadÚnico), a first step to accessing social protection. In this sense, UNICEF supported Boa Vista and Pacaraima in launching two CadÚnico stations in the triage posts (PTRIG) to expand the registration capacity for migrants and refugee families. After 1 year of operation, more than 4,000 Venezuelan families have been registered (6,400 children and adolescents out of 12,500 people). Nonetheless, the operational capacity can benefit from workflow adjustments and technical training to reach even more families. A step further to inclusive Social Protection in the territory is to strengthen social assistance services to properly address the needs of migrants, refugees and indigenous people.

To ensure effective coordination and technical support to Social Policy activities in migration, Yanomami responses and humanitarian development nexus, UNICEF will recruit a UN Volunteer who will be based in Pacaraima. A possible transition to Boa Vista will be assessed in coordination with the UNV ending the second month of assignment.

Under the overall supervision of the Chief of Social Policy and the guidance of the Chief Field Office in Boa Vista, the selected UN Volunteer will contribute to UNICEF’s work undertaking the following tasks:

Provide technical support to the Social Policy and Social Protection agendas in Roraima • Liaise with key stakeholders and partners at municipal, state and federal level; • Provide technical support and advice on UNICEF’s strategic engagement with federal, state and municipal social protection counterparts; • Provide technical support to advance UNICEF Social Policy and Social Protection agendas Roraima; • Constantly map out bottlenecks, barriers and opportunities to strengthen Social Policy and Social Protection in Roraima; • Report regularly and timely the ongoing initiatives and results achieved in Roraima.

Support the programmatic implementation of the Social Protection initiatives, considering the migration and Yanomami response, the Humanitarian-Development nexus in Roraima: • Coordinate CadÚnico strategy in partnership Ministry of Development, Social Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger, the state government of Roraima and the municipal governments of Boa Vista and Pacaraima; • Provide technical support in social protection to Selo UNICEF, including technical support to its implementing partner; • Strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus in Social Protection activities; • Extend technical support in particular to the Implementing Partners and to the Social Protection local Network, and actively contribute to UNICEF initiatives and to the existing coordination mechanisms of Operação Acolhida; • Support evidence generation and needs assessments related to Social Protection; • Assist in capacity-building activities related to social protection and the Humanitarian Development nexus; • Provide weekly updates on Social Protection activities in Pacaraima to UNICEF's Outpost coordinator and coordinate joint advocacy with the Social Protection partners and stakeholders, if required or necessary. Activities developed in Pacaraima should be previously aligned with UNICEF Outpost coordination in the territory; • Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisors. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/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:

• Improved information management and relationship between social protection field partners (municipal government, non-government organization, UN agencies, and others) and UNICEF in Boa Vista and Pacaraima. • Quality material and knowledge products for internal and external audiences produced in a timely fashion, including for training. • Adequate support provided to the Social Protection team. • Capacity development and technical assistance provided, when working with governmental or non-governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners (IPs), considering also the Humanitarian-Development nexus • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.

• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management

public policies or development programmes; • Experience working with social assistance or social programmes at the municipal level will be considered an asset; • Experience working with child rights, public policy analysis or/and migration will be considered an asset; • Experience with Indigenous population will be an asset; • Have affinity with or interest in child rights, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System; • Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization will be considered an asset; • A strong command of English or other UN languages will be considered an asset • Advanced knowledge of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) will be considered an asset;

Pacaraima is a municipality of ~18,900 people located in the northwest of the state of Roraima in Brazil. The history of the municipality of Pacaraima is linked to the demarcation of the border with Venezuela by the Brazilian Army, originating around the landmark known as BV-8, gateway to Brazil from Venezuela. The city has been the epicentre of the migration response since 2017. Between 2017 and 2022, Brazil registered over 720,00 Venezuelan refugees and migrants, of whom 330,000 remain in the country – an estimated 100,000 (30%) children. Most migrants/refugees enter the country via the border in the municipality of Pacaraima, where official shelters and triage center, managed by the Brazilian Army (Operação Acolhida) and UNHCR, host a caseload of over 6,700 people (over 3,300 children <18 years) in permanence. According to Federal Police, more than 50,400 Venezuelan migrants/refugees reside in the State of Roraima (62% of the total). UNICEF Brazil currently has a permanent presence in Pacaraima, with one individual consultant working on Child Protection and one Outpost Coordinator to ensure technical coordination and management of the programmatic response. Pacaraima is classified hardship C. Housing options in Pacaraima are limited and security requirements are necessary to ensure a safe place to reside. Access to health care facilities is limited in the city, making it necessary to travel to the state capital, Boa Vista. The UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Brazil advises to exercise a high degree of caution in Brazil due to the high levels of serious and violent crime, especially in major cities. Violent crimes such as assaults, armed robberies, kidnappings and sexual assault are very important. All United Nations personnel must scrupulously comply with UNDSS procedures and recommendations during their assignment, both on and off duty. For missions in rural areas or indigenous reserves, special procedures may apply; United Nations personnel should consult with the local DSS office in advance. Additional means of communication can be provided in Pacaraima. As this is a national UN Youth Volunteer assignment, the UN Youth Volunteer will be responsible for arranging their own housing and other living essentials.

Roraima is a unique State and has a unique humanitarian operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural and security awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential. Information on full entitlements at the duty station is available at https://app.unv.org/calculator. The complete UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

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Added 6 hours ago - Updated 6 hours ago - Source: unv.org