Senior Resettlement Assistant (ID) – UNOPS Contract – TRI009 – G5 – Tripoli, Lebanon

Organizational Context

Eight years into the Syria crisis, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with nearly 950,000 Syrian refugees registered with UNHCR, about 20,000 refugees of other origins - mostly Iraqi - and Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate.  There are no formal camps for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and refugees are living in hundreds of communities and locations across the country.

The refugee response is led by the Government and UNHCR and UNDP, supported by the international community. As the designated lead agency in the refugee response, UNHCR has established a sector-based structure in Beirut and in the field. The structure brings together over 150 UN agencies, national and international NGO partners [over 150 actors, including UN agencies, national and international NGOs and Ministries] in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Lebanese communities. The Lebanon Chapter of the Response Plan falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response and UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

The Senior Resettlement Assistant position is located in Tripoli Sub-Office. Under supervision, the incumbent’s primary role is to assist the supervisor in effective resettlement delivery in accordance with the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook, UNHCR Manual and relevant policy papers and publications. The Senior Resettlement Assistant provides important clerical and administrative support to resettlement operations in assessing cases for resettlement and conducting interviews. The incumbent maintains frequent contacts with his/her supervisor, relevant colleagues within the same Office to exchange information and discuss issues on resettlement cases. Some contacts and communication at a working level are Branch Regional UNHCR Office as well as with other operating partners regarding resettlement issues.

Functional Statement

Responsibility

• Carry out preliminary interviews and initial assessments, to process refugees for resettlement following established procedures.
• Prepare written documentation for resettlement submission; ensure that records / files of individual cases are updated in a systematic and timely manner.
• Assess and review individual resettlement cases and prepare individual / group submission for scrutiny by the supervisor. 
• Provide persons of concern with up-to-date and accurate information on UNHCR’s resettlement policies and procedures.
• Conduct telephone pre-screening with refugees to identify eligible cases for Resettlement.
• Support as required on the Resettlement counselling desk.
• Comply with UNHCR’s standard operating procedures on resettlement, ensuring timely action on cases.
• Follow up on cases, from time of submission to final decision and departure; ensure effective in-country communication on the status and follow-up on persons of concern being considered for resettlement. 
• Provide administrative support for resettlement-related training activities, including organization of resettlement workshops and meetings as required. 
• Maintain accurate resettlement statistics, as well as up-to-date records on individual cases; assist in the preparation of reports.
• Draft / type routine correspondence to Field Offices / Regional Offices / Headquarters.
• Systematically apply an Age, Gender and Diversity perspective in all aspects of the resettlement process; comply with UNHCR policy and guidelines on HIV/AIDS. 
• Assist in mitigating resettlement fraud by reporting suspected fraud.

Authority 

• Recommend eligible cases for resettlement consideration.
• Provide counselling to PoC.
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Accountability

• Provide persons of concern (PoC) with up-to-date and accurate information on UNHCR’s resettlement policies and procedures.
• Systematically apply an Age, Gender and Diversity perspective in all aspects of the resettlement process; comply with UNHCR policy and guidelines on HIV/AIDS. 
• Assist in mitigating resettlement fraud by reporting suspected fraud.