Assistant Refugee Status Determination Officer job at UNHCR

Assistant Refugee Status Determination Officer job at UNHCR

JOB DETAILS:
Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Assistant RSD Officer is a member of the Refugee Status Determination (RSD) team. S/he is responsible for conducting RSD interviews to determine eligibility for refugee status, undertaking country of origin (COI) and other research related to the claim, as required, and drafting RSD assessments. The Assistant RSD Officer provides counselling to asylum seekers and refugees on UNHCR’s RSD procedures and on their status, rights and obligations in the country of asylum. S/he may review RSD assessments of less experienced members of the RSD team, seeking the advice of a more senior RSD/Protection Officer on complex cases, and may assist in developing and implementing RSD training and other measures to enhance the quality and efficiency of RSD decision-making.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
• Stay abreast of legal, political, security and other developments which impact on the protection environment, and in particular, on protection delivery through RSD.
• Assist in the development of the RSD strategy of the operation and in the annual planning exercise.
• Conduct RSD interviews and draft RSD Assessments in accordance with applicable standards and guidelines.
• Review and endorse RSD decisions and provide appropriate feedback and guidance to RSD staff.
• Maintain accurate and up-to date records and data related to work on individual cases.
• Provide counselling to asylum seekers and refugees.
• Assist in preventing and identifying fraud in RSD through oversight, advice and guidance to UNHCR staff, partners and persons of concern.
• Assist in monitoring RSD trends and in compiling and analysing RSD statistics related to RSD case processing to identify and respond to developments or issues impacting on the efficiency or quality of RSD decision-making, and to propose remedial measures.
• Conduct research on country of origin information (COI) and legal issues related to RSD and assist in maintaining a local repository of relevant information, guidelines and standards accessible to RSD staff in the operation
• Ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and legal partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policy and practice.
• Assist in developing and maintaining processes to ensure that persons of concern, Government authorities and partners have accurate information on the RSD procedures, including UNHCR standards, policies and practice.
• Assist in initiatives to advocate with and support Government authorities and legal partners to establish and strengthen fair and efficient RSD procedures and RSD decision-making.
• Assist in evaluating and projecting RSD staffing needs using the RSD Staffing Benchmarks.
• Decide and endorse RSD decisions.
• Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications
Education & Professional Work Experience
• Years of Experience / Degree Level
• For P1/NOA – 1 year relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or no experience with Graduate degree; or no experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
• Law; Political Science;
• International Relations; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses
• HCR RSD Lrng Programme;
• HCR Protection Learning Prg;
• HCR Cntry of Orig Inf Lrng Prg;
• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
• Minimum 1 year of relevant professional job experience, preferably in the area of refugee protection, human rights or international humanitarian law. Knowledge of International Refugee Law and Human Rights Law and ability to apply the relevant legal principles.
• Desirable
• Working experience with procedures and principles related to RSD is highly desirable. Experience as a decision-maker in UNHCR or Government RSD procedures. Experience in counselling asylum seekers or refugees. Experience in working with vulnerable or traumatized individuals.

Functional Skills
• DM-Data Collection and Analysis
• PR-Counselling Asylum Seekers or Refugees
• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• LE-Legal Research
• PR-RSD – Principles and Procedures, operational arrangements/assistance
• SO-Research
• PR-Government Refugee Status Determination (RSD) procedures
• WB-Treatment of vulnerable/traumatized individuals
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English

Job application procedure

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