Social Protection Programme Assistant

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.

This UNV assignment is part of UNHCR’s flagship initiatives on inclusion. Specifically, the UNV will play a key role in operationalizing the inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers in social protection systems in Kenya. This will initially include inclusion of urban refugees in an innovative social protection pilot aligned to the Government of Kenya’s 70+ Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.

The UNV will sit in the CBI (Cash-Based Interventions) Unit as part of the Programme Team. The Team will provide the incumbent with general guidance and workplans. The incumbent will work quite independently with an oversight from the supervisor.

Contacts are mainly with the colleagues in the same duty station to exchange information and to discuss the work plans. External contacts are with the national and local authorities for gathering and exchange of data.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Programme CBI Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Social Protection Programme Assistant will:

Support the operationalization of the 70+ urban refugee cash transfer pilot. This will include: • Providing day to day support to the verification process for the 70+ cash transfer pilot. Follow up and resolve any gaps in information to ensure all eligible refugees are included in the project. • Channel information on the progress of the verification process to others in the programme and data management team. • Support eligible refugees to open accounts and on any bank account issues. • Support the baseline and endline data collection for the pilot programme including the development of questionnaires, training of call centre staff, oversight of data collection and aggregation/analysis of findings. • Support post-distribution monitoring exercises. Aggregate and share this information with the programme team. • Provide data to input into databases used in the cash-based interventions. • Generate statistical reports based on the standard reporting formats and ad-hoc reports, charts and tables as required by the management. • Prepare and administer accurate lists of beneficiaries for the regular assistance through bank system in line with the procedures established by the office. • Assist in the reconciliation and refund process for the 70+ cash transfer project. • Assist in preparing detailed reports and breakdown of the cash assistance provided to the refugees.
• Cross-check databases to ensure that all beneficiaries are active cases. • As required, engage with the State Department for Social Protection’s Department of Social Assistance (DSA) to ensure effective flows of information, provide reports, information as required. • Keep cash lists updated and free of duplications and ensure delivery of cash assistance to beneficiaries in a timely manner. • Execute best practice in data protection standards and help to positively influence others, • Troubleshoot issues with the database and work with internal teams to provide technical fixes, • Inform and act on the reports and messages that are received from various units on different vulnerable cases in respect to financial assistance. • Support in the co-ordination with different partners and focal points on lists of beneficiaries reflecting situation of cash assistance. • Undertake field visits to bank service provider to monitor the cash project. • Liaise with internal stakeholders and partners. • Develop improvements to the database and related workflows. • Direct incidents and problems to the supervisor when they cannot be resolved at their level. • Perform other related duties as required.

Results/expected outputs:

As an active UNHCR team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNHCR and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o The delivery of an innovative and well-functioning social protection pilot in Kenya.
o Ensuring activities are aligned with the GoK social protection platform, insofar possible. o Ensure data (beneficiary information, baseline/endline/post-distribution monitoring, reporting, etc.) is accurately collected, stored, and analyzed. o Provide regular reports on project progress. o Ensure beneficiary complaints/issues are resolved in a timely manner and documented for lessons learnt. o Write a report on the impact of the project using data gathered in the baseline, endline and through post-distribution monitoring. o Lessons are learnt from this innovative pilot, and shared, to support the case for donor engagement and scale up of the pilot to other urban refugees and beyond. These lessons can also inform UNHCR’s engagement with the social protection sector more broadly. The lessons learned should be compiled and relevant reference documents included.

• Professionalism • Integrity • Teamwork and respect for diversity • 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 • Communication • Flexibility•
• 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.

data management, monitoring and evaluation, data collection, cleaning, and analysis or other relevant experience; experience with social protection is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or with an international NGO/organization; • Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills; • Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; proficiency in data management and analysis; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Sound security awareness; • Have affinity with or interest in refugees, forced displacement, social protection and volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

The Republic of Kenya is an equatorial nation on the coast of East Africa, neighboring Somalia, Ethi-opia, Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Indian Ocean. Kenya has two levels of Government; Na-tional Government and 47 sub-national Governments called Counties. Counties are further divided into sub-counties. Kenya is a multi-party state with Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. Kenya’s population of more than 40 million is growing at an annual rate of 2.2%. The country’s GNP per capita estimated at purchasing power parity (PPP) is $975, and the GNP is growing at an average rate of 0.1% annually. More than 26% of Kenya’s people live below the international poverty line of $1 per day. Kenya’s main food crops are “maize, wheat, pulses, roots and tubers.” (FAO). Nairobi is a modern metropolitan city where most basic goods and services, health facilities, public transport, telecommunication and banking services and educational facilities are readily available. The city is widely connected through its main airport, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the smaller Wilson Airport. Air transport is also available to many up-country destinations. The city is home to some 3,000 UN personnel mainly attributed to the fact that it serves as the headquarters for both the UN HABITAT and UNEP. The socio-economic and cultural background of the immediate society the UNV would be living and working in is diverse and prevailing security conditions at the place of assignment is modest. The topographic and climatic features of the assignment location is highland cool and warm tropical climate.