Organizational Context
Starting in 2015, East Harage and West Harage zones experienced conflict induced humanitarian crisis in various parts of the zones mostly along the lowland woredas, bordering the Somali region. These conflict-induced displacements hit their climax in September 2017 when a huge number of ethnic Oromos were displaced from urban cities of Somali region and Somaliland which left over 400,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in both zones until end of February 2019. Following the changes in the federal and regional governments since 2018, relative peace has been observed across some areas at the borders of Oromia and Somali regions due to the peace building process, and this has contributed to return of most of the border IDPs to their areas of origin, since March 2019. Over 253,000 IDPs returned to areas along the Somali-Oromia border by the end of July 2019.
UNCHR will start conducting protection monitoring missions in the areas affected by displacement including IDP and IDP returnee locations in Dire Dawa, Harar, East Harage and West Harage zones. The protection monitoring will be linked with protection services to be provided on the ground. Protection monitoring in the context of internal displacement involves collecting, verifying and analysing information in order to identify violations of rights and protection threats and risks encountered by IDPs and returnees for the purpose of informing effective responses. Protection monitoring seeks to identify and measure events, trends and changes in the protection situation over a period of time. Protection monitoring includes considerations of gender and age and any other individual or collective characteristic vis-à-vis risks of and violations of rights and protection threats and risks encountered. Protection monitoring teams will receive information from a range of community members of different ages and genders, in line with the principle of Do No Harm, and will potentially contribute to ensuring access to basic services, the prevention, mitigation and response to gender-based-violence.
The Assistant Protection Officer reports to the Head of Office or Respective Officer. The incumbent will have supervisory responsibility for protection staff including protection assistants and Information management. He/she provides functional protection guidance to information management and program staff; and monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards.
The Assistant Protection Officer is expected to: coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern; and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards in operational responses in all sectors. He/she contributes to designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the organization externally on protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
He/she also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
Accountability
Responsibility
Grade
Contract Type
No. Vacant Post
Duration of Contract
Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience
Managerial and Cross Functional Competencies