Resettlement Assistant – G4 – ZAH113 – UNOPS Contract - Zahle, 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 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. The Office has grown substantially in the past years and is currently operating with around 650 staff. Aside from the country office in the capital city of Beirut, UNHCR has field offices in Mount Lebanon, Qobayat, Tripoli, Tyre and Zahle.

A Resettlement Assistant position is typically located at Regional Office, Branch Office or Field Office. Under supervision, the incumbent’s primary role is to assist the supervisor in effective resettlement delivery of a given UNHCR Office in accordance with the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook, UNHCR Manual and relevant policy papers and publications. The Resettlement Assistant provides important clerical and administrative support to resettlement operations and may occasionally take part 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 limited contacts and communication at a working level are required with Embassy / Immigration Officials of resettlement countries, IOM as well as with other operating partners regarding resettlement issues.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability (key results that will be achieved)

UNHCR’s resettlement policies and standards are correctly and coherently applied.

• Persons of concern are made aware of UNHCR’s resettlement procedures and have fair and transparent access to and participation in the resettlement process.
• Suspected fraud in the resettlement process is promptly reported.

Responsibility (process and functions undertaken to achieve results) 

• 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. 
• Follow-up on cases from time of submission to final decision and departure. 
• Comply with UNHCR’s standard operating procedures on resettlement, ensuring timely action on cases. 
• Assist in logistical arrangements of selection missions by resettlement countries.
• Coordinate travel and departure arrangements for refugees accepted for resettlement.
• Assist in maintaining and updating proGres or Consolidated Online Resettlement Tracking System (CORTS) database. 
• Occasionally, assist in carrying out preliminary interviews and initial assessments, to process refugees for resettlement following established procedures.
• Occasionally, provide counselling to persons of concern. 
• Provide administrative support for resettlement-related training activities, including organization of resettlement workshops and meetings as required. 
• Provide administrative support for resettlement-related training activities, including organization of resettlement workshops and meetings as required. 
• Assist in maintaining 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 (decisions made in executing responsibilities and to achieve results)

• Provide counselling to persons of concern.