Education Associate (Replacement Capacity) - UNHCR FTA - P.N 10025956 - G6 - Beirut, Lebanon

Seven years into the Syria crisis, Lebanon remains the country hosting the largest number of refugees per capita, with over one million Syrian refugees, and around 20,000 refugees of Iraqi, Sudanese, Ethiopian and other origins, in addition to the Palestine refugees under UNRWA’s mandate.  There are no formal camps for Syrian refugees in the country, and refugees are living in hundreds of communities and locations across the country. 

The refugee response is led by the Government and local actors, 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 100 UN agencies, national and international NGO partners in identifying and agreeing on the strategic priorities to address the needs of Syrian refugees and other affected populations. The Lebanon national response falls under the Regional Refugee and Resilience Plan (3RP), whereby UNHCR guides the refugee response and UNDP facilitates the resilience and stabilization component.

The UNHCR operational response in Lebanon is one of the largest for the organization. Media attention and the frequency of influential high-profile visitors is high. Aside from the country office in the capital city of Beirut, UNHCR has offices in Mt Lebanon, Qobayat, Tripoli, Tyre and Zahle.

The incumbent supports UNHCR’s work regarding education and advocacy on all issues related to UNHCR education programmes and strategic directions.  He/She normally works under the direct supervision of the Education or Protection Officer. The Education Associate participates in liaising with partners to assess the education context, to develop an implementation plan and to monitor the programme and assess impact. He/She also works in collaboration with in-country education partners to improve access to, and quality of, refugee education at all levels, both formal and non-formal, and may liaise with partners for joint support for education access for refugee and host community children. 

He/She supports the implementation of educational approaches for emerging needs in refugee education, including attention to special needs, minorities, girls, pre-school education, and non-formal activities. The incumbent supports inter-sectoral linkages with child protection, SGBV, gender, community services, livelihoods and health, among others. The incumbent prepares relevant documentation and follows-up on administrative requirements of education projects.

He/She will also have to work closely with UNHCR units, partners and government counterparts on data access, data management and data linkages between the available systems, in addition to the management of the Education Monthly Monitoring Form. Therefore, a solid background in data processing tools, and familiarity with statistical concepts and methodologies, is expected from the incumbent.

As for the justification to advertise also externally, I would recommend it because UNHCR does not have many staff specialized in education and we need to fill the post quickly, while minimizing the amount of time to be spent in the recruitment process.

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

• The education needs of refugees are met through the application of International and National Commitments.
• Implementation of education projects is closely monitored and reports on the financial status of projects are provided as appropriate.

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results) 

• Monitor and support all existing formal and informal education programs, including implementing partner and community-based schools, and informal classes.
• Regularly update and share information related to education, utilizing data collection to identify gaps, assess trends, and design interventions.  Monitor and make necessary adjustments to the annual Education Workplan and budget.
• Review education proposals and monitor existing agreements with partners; in addition, work closely with the community to enhance quality and ownership across community-run education programs.
• Liaise and support partners in organizing teacher training.  
• Perform specific administrative operational/control tasks for project/programme activities.
• Provide inputs for funding submissions, appeals, and reports.
• Perform other duties as required.

Authority (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)

• Represent UNHCR in monitoring of education projects.
• Issue documents and reports for clearance by the Education or Protection Officer.