Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)

D

Family

UNOPS LICA8

2025-01-01

January 4, 2025

1. General Background

UNHCR Office in Bangladesh supports the Government in identifying the needs and protection concerns of the refugees. Rohingya refugee’s lack of formal legal status renders refugees vulnerable to arbitrary arrest and detention, mistreatment, and exploitation, and hinders their ability to access justice. UNHCR conducts protection monitoring and directly or through its partners provides a range of protection services, including legal assistance. In the congested camps, refugees are exposed to a range of protection and safety threats. Reports of serious protection incidents continue and inconsistent levels of assistance and gaps in services exacerbate potentially harmful coping mechanisms and present heightened protection risks for refugees. In addition, refugees are exposed to the risk of cyclones, landslides and other natural disasters during the monsoon season.

As of November 30, 2024, 1,006,670 Rohingya refugees are living in 33 camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Most refugees arrived in 2017, fleeing persecution, large-scale violence and human rights violations. Rohingya refugees rely entirely on humanitarian assistance for protection, food, water, shelter and health. They live in shelters in highly congested camp setting under very compelling human and protection conditions. In response to the Rohingya refugee influx, the UNHCR Helpline as one of the Complaint and Feedback Mechanisms (CFM) was established in 2017 in the camps in Cox’s Bazar. The establishment of an effective feedback and response system in refugee and humanitarian responses is one of the ten core actions to be taken at a minimum by all UNHCR operations to ensure accountability to affected populations (AAP).

Effective and accountable humanitarian responses require continuous and meaningful engagement with refugees, understanding their needs and protection risks, and pursuing protection, assistance and solutions that take into account their perspectives and priorities. As part of the Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) framework, the Cox’s Bazar refugee response needs to ensure that all communications from persons of concern, both positive and negative, inform protection, assistance and solutions programming, and that corrective action is taken as appropriate by all partners concerned. An effective and accountable response requires continuous and meaningful inclusion of persons of concern, understanding their needs and protection risks, and pursuing protection, assistance and solutions that take into account their perspectives and priorities.

UNHCR Refugee helpline in Cox’s Bazar was established to allow refugees to call and receive information, provide their feedback or report issues to UNHCR. The aim of the helpline is:

• To provide a reliable, accessible and affordable means of communication with refugees
• To enable UNHCR and partners to effectively manage feedback, queries and complaints from refugees in Cox’s Bazar and to provide timely responses to their concerns.
• To provide a safe, confidential system for reporting sensitive complaints

2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment

Main responsibilities

The Assistant Protection Officer is responsible for:

– Manage the helpline team consisting of a minimum of 10 staff members.
– Organize shift schedules for supervisees to ensure seamless operations.
– Conduct weekly meetings and share important updates with the team to maintain alignment and address concerns.
– Oversee helpline staff and provide feedback on interactions with refugees and other callers to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures.
– Identify training requirements to enhance quality and address gaps in the referral process across CFM channels and sectors.
– Ensure the team understands and adheres to relevant guidance and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in coordination with the Community-based Protection Officer/Senior CBP Officer.
– Regularly monitor and evaluate the performance of the helpline team to maintain high standards according to SOP.
– Stay updated on relevant information and ensure refugees receive accurate and timely details through the Refugee Helpline.
– Regularly update FAQs from different sectors and ensure the team has a thorough understanding of the updated content to provide accurate information to refugees.
– Ensure the helpline system (iHelp BD) is operational and meets performance standards.
– Ensure accurate referrals to relevant units based on the nature of the refugee inquiries.
– Periodically review and update the UNHCR Helpline SOP as needed.
– Ensure adequate and clear information is collected and systematically recorded.
– Share helpline data with the Information Management Focal Point on a monthly basis.
– Prepare Helpline reports including Helpline monthly reports, Safety and security reports, quality assurance reports and CAIPP weekly updates.
– Assist in managing the UNHCR Protection mailbox and ensure the Helpline team responds promptly to inquiries from refugees.
– Distribute complaint and feedback letters to team members and ensure prompt responses to refugee inquiries.
– Ensure that the perspectives, 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 inclusion of participatory, community-based protection and AGD approaches in strategies and plans of the helpline team.
– Perform other related duties as required.

3. Monitoring and Progress Controls

– Number of calls received and managed by Helpline
– Number of referrals made by Helpline
– Number of visible praises to team on productivity matters
– Refugee Helpline monthly reports

4. Qualifications and Experience

a. Education

A bachelor’s degree in law, Development or Humanitarian Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field is required. A master’s degree in a relevant discipline is highly preferred. Completion of UNHCR training in protection and community-based protection is an added advantage.

b. Work Experience

A minimum of one year of relevant work experience in a hotline or contact center is required. Candidates with over three years of experience in humanitarian work, team management, and community-based protection are highly preferred. Prior experience with the United Nations is strongly recommended.

c. Key Competencies

Required:
– Team management
– Fluency in Rohingya or Chittagonian, Bengali and English.
– Familiarity with UNHCR’s work.
– Great computer skills, including the use of email, web browser and data entry techniques.
– Great reporting/drafting skills.
– Ability to work under pressure.
– Ability to work in a multicultural environment and respect diversity.

Desirable Skills –
– Familiarity with the UNHCR Helpline system is preferred.
– Familiarity with the UNHCR Referral pathway is preferred.
– Knowledge of the CAIPP referral system is an asset.

Standard Job Description

Required Languages

,

,

Desired Languages

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,

Additional Qualifications

Skills

Education

Certifications

Other information

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance

Home-Based

No

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements