The Senior Community-Based Protection Assistant is a member of the Protection Unit and may report to the Protection Officer, Community-Based Protection Officer, or another more senior staff member in the Protection Unit. Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the Senior Community-Based Protection Assistant works directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent supports the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level. To fulfil this role, the Senior Community Based Protection Assistant is required to spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and maintaining networks within communities of persons of concern (PoC). The development and maintenance of constructive relationships with PoC that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on consultation with PoC.

•  Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the overall protection strategy.
• Through relationships with PoC and network of partners, stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team.
• Ensure that the perspectives, concerns, capacities, needs and resources of the PoC are reflected in the protection strategy, planning processes and operations plan addressing the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth and older persons, persons with disabilities, and marginalized groups.
• Support the design, implementation and evaluation of protection centered and solutions-oriented programming with implementing and operational partners guaranteeing that community-owned activities are integrated.
• Support PoC to develop structures that enhance their participation, representation and coordination through in depth training to community-based networks and committees to build capacity with identifying protection concerns and community-based protection mainstreaming across all sectors
• Intervene with authorities on community-based protection issues.
• Assist in initiatives with host communities to involve national civil society groups in the protection of PoC.
• Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on accountability and quality assurance in its response.
• Draft and type routine correspondence, documents and reports and maintain up-to-date filing systems.
• Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
• Assist in the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an essential basis for all of  UNHCR’s work.
• Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and incidents within the office and with persons and communities of concern based on agreed parameters.
• Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Support in the continuous enhancement of community-based feedback and reporting mechanisms.
• Perform other related duties as required.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

• Reports and inputs are submitted regularly and on-time with in-depth analysis and following comprehensive fact checking.
• Track and follow up on implementing partner and government agency activities under the various funding streams.
• Conduct joint interagency missions with implementing partners and government entities to monitor progress of community support projects
• Contribute to the Protection team's information management component which provides disaggregated data on PoC and their problems; researches, collects and disseminates relevant protection information and good practices to enhance protection delivery and provide technical advice if necessary.
• Other allocated tasks assigned are completed timely

4. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education 

• 5 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 3 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher. Certificates and/or Licenses in:
  • International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology, International Law.
• Fluency in English and Arabic

b. Work Experience

• Previous work experience relevant to the function of community-based protection in a local context and having experience with community-based feedback mechanisms, broader protection or social work involving empowerment of community members and persons of concern.
• Demonstrated knowledge of creating and ensuring sustainability within humanitarian and development response
• Demonstrated knowledge of engagement with communities and community-based structures
• Demonstrated knowledge in gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; promoting and integrating gender analysis into humanitarian programming.
• Knowledge and experience of participatory approaches to engaging with and mobilizing communities.
• Understanding of displacement and protection issues including, child protection, education and the application of the Age, Gender and Diversity Policy

c. Key Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Accountability
• Communication
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Client & Result Orientation
• Training/Coaching

Managerial Competencies:

• Managing Performance
• Managing Resources
• Empowering and Building Trust
• Judgement and Decision Making
• Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies:

• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
• Analytical Thinking
• Stakeholder Management
• Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
• Change Capability and Adaptability
• Technological Awareness
• Political Awareness
• Innovation and Creativity

5. Security overview

The electricity supply in town is unstable. Blackouts can at times last 15 hours. Hence, organizations including UNHCR rely on generators. Communal (tribal and sectarian) violence emanating from disputes over access to land, water, grazing areas and stock theft is one of the main causes of insecurity in East Darfur. Criminality is the most significant threat factor which affects UN operations in East Darfur. Car-jacking, armed attacks, theft, break-ins and burglaries are frequently committed by groups or individuals. The law enforcement authorities are present in various location in ED but with limited capacity.  Staff movements to/from refugee camps does not require escort, when travelling by mini-bus, however, travel by Land cruiser hard-top needs armed escort by the Government of Sudan Police.

Living conditions:

• Ed Daein is a non-family category E duty station.
• National staff mostly reside in private rented houses.
• Public health facilities are well below standard and there are some clinics privately run.
• There are no designated UN doctor / facilities in Ed Daein and staff undertake entry/exist and periodic medical examinations in Nyala.
• Food items are scarce and limited in variety. Some food supplies are available, but their quality is questionable with limited availability of vegetables. The market is located in the middle of town and most of the items are supplied from other States (South and West Darfur) or from the capital, Khartoum.
• In East Darfur, the heat can reach 45-50 Celsius at times, especially between January and June. Rainy season starts in July and ends in September/October.
• Two banks are operating in ED, Sudan Bank and Blue Nile Mashrig Bank.
• There are few telephone companies but the network connection at times is poor.

Only short listed candidates will be notified.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Candidate Assessments may include a written examination followed by a Competency Based Interview.