The Durable Solutions Officer is a designated focal point for solutions related issues in Somalia as they pertain to the return of Somali Refugees, and reports to the Representative.
The incumbent has direct supervisory responsibility for durable solutions staff, which may include staff within the functional groups of durable solutions, reintegration, repatriation, and resettlement. She/he works closely with protection and programme staff, and ensures operational standards and practices in solutions delivery at the country level. The Durable Solutions Officer will also work closely with the protection team in-country so as to ensure that programmes and interventions in favour of IDPs and those in favour of returning refugees are consistent.
The Durable Solutions Officer has a regional role in coordinating solutions activities for refugees in the region. Given this regional nature, the Durable Solutions Officer will build close relations with offices in the region and elsewhere that host Somali refugees.
The Durable Solutions Officer will also need to build close ties with the GISR and with the actors forming the Solutions Alliance national task force on work on Somalia. The Durable Solutions Officer is a member of the Office’s senior management team and is relied upon by the Office to assist in the development and advancement the durable solutions strategy. The Durable Solutions Officer will draw on existing and new information to provide planning and foresight to advance progress on Solutions in the Somalia context. S/he will work closely with the Protection Section to ensure that advice and planning is consistent with the evolving protection context in different parts of the country.
Fostering an environment to enhance partnerships is a critical element of the work, as are activities designed to strengthen the involvement of refugee, and return, communities and their hosts in the design and implementation of solutions strategies.
Typical functions may include:
Strategic Direction:
· Coordinate the design and implementation of a comprehensive durable solutions strategy for Somalis in Somalia and in the region, with a view to finding durable solutions to the maximum number of PoCs.
· Participate in or lead inter-agency programming processes, namely joint needs assessments, Peace Building Fund, national development plan, or other joint programming, at national and sub-national levels, which lead to broader national or area based recovery and development plans. Participate in the planning of, and advise on opportunities for alternative solutions, including available regional and national legal frameworks.
· Participate in the planning of, and advise on, the promotion of peace building and coexistence between PoCs and host communities.
Strategic Partnership:
· Participate in consultative processes within UNHCR and with a broad range of external partners to promote voluntary repatriation, local integration and resettlement, enhance the efficiency of the programme and provide the most appropriate solutions to a maximum number of refugees with full respect to protection principles.
· Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with UN and other development agencies, civil societies and the private sector to bring area-based development programmes to communities hosting Somali returnees and those who have relocated to new areas.
· Participate in inter-agency coordination meetings on early recovery/transition projects and represent UNHCR when appropriate.
International Protection and Programme Management:
· Ensure that protection is central to the design, implementation and monitoring of the strategy.
· Ensure that solutions, and in particular voluntary repatriation, is analyzed to ensure that any protection issues associated with it are included in protection monitoring reports and - where appropriate - in the reporting and public messaging of the office.
· Be able to represent all aspects of the operation's analysis and priorities and in particular protection in common fora.
· Ensure that populations of concern are appropriately engaged through participatory assessments and other forms of community based assessment to identify the most appropriate solutions for refugees with respect to individual or group needs.
· Provide guidance and input to the annual programme planning to identify adequate resources and means to implement the programme country-wide.
· Integrate self-reliance as a key component of a durable solutions strategy and ensure the involvement of Somali returnees and host communities in transition projects, peacebuilding and development initiatives.
· Prepare reports, statistics, and other documents to ensure that all reporting requirements are fully met for the office in compliance with the requirements and quality standards of the organization.
· Design and conduct training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner staff on durable solutions, peace building/coexistence and partnership.
· Advise populations of concern, Government counterparts, partners and other stakeholders on available durable solutions and alternatives.
Resource mobilization:
· Participate in, or lead, inter-agency joint project proposals.
· Participate in fundraising and engage in drafting and presenting project proposals.
Human resource management:
· Supervise staff and exercise effective managerial oversight, direction, guidance and support.
· Monitor the implementation of the programme through managing the human and financial resources and identify gaps to ensure optimum use of available funds.
· Provide regular advice, mentor and coordinate training to staff under supervision or in other Units, to update their knowledge and facilitate their work on durable solutions.
· Coordinate the design and advise on UNHCR’s comprehensive durable solutions strategy.
· Engage national interlocutors on durable solutions issues.
· Represent UNHCR in negotiations and meetings relating to durable solutions.
· Clear documents and reports coming out of the Durable Solutions Unit, in close collaboration with Protection and Programme colleagues.
· Appraise the performance of supervised staff.
Minimum qualifications and professional experience required:
· Advanced University Degree in Law/International Law, Political Science, Social Science, Economics, International Relations or related field.
· Minimum of 6 years of relevant (international) job experience with a Master’s Degree or 8 years with a Bachelor’s Degree whereof 3 years in the field and 5 years in an international capacity; experience in protection or in an operational environment where sensitive protection concerns needed to be managed.
· Proficiency in English and working knowledge of a second UN Language
· Desirable qualifications and Experience:
- Diverse field experience desirable
- Previous experience working with Somali refugees is an asset
- Previous experience advancing durable solutions for refugees at field level
· Good knowledge of MS Word, Excel, ProGres and MSRP
· Completion of the RSD- Resettlement Learning Programme, Protection Learning
Programme and Management Learning Programme desirable
HOW TO APPLY:
