UNHCR: Rule of Law for Solutions
Terms of Reference: Consultant
Consultations on UNHCR’s solutions rule of law engagement
Project Title: Rule of Law Engagement for Solutions
Level: Consultancy ICA 3 Level
Location: Working from home (with travel to Geneva & field locations)
Start date: As soon as possible
Duration: 4-5 months with possibility of flexible engagement to end of 2014
Closing date: 15 July 2014
1. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Consultancy is to support the Division of International Protection in the articulation of the organisation’s role in rule of law and governance activities as they relate to the implementation of solutions for refugees. The consultant will work in three phases, starting with a review of UNHCR activities and consultations with UNHCR offices and partners and leading to the preparation of an options paper.
2. BACKGROUND
As part of UNHCR’s mandate to find, together with governments, solutions for refugees, UNHCR has, over 60 years assisted refugees to return and reintegrate voluntarily to their countries of origin, resettle to new countries or integrate into their countries of asylum. In respect of statelessness, UNHCR’s solutions work aims, in particular, to intervene to allow stateless persons to acquire a nationality. Through its work in the Cluster system, UNHCR collaborates with other structures on IDP protection and on serving the needs of returned and settled displaced persons.
In the summer of 2013, UNHCR set up the Solutions Steering Group (SSG), a tri-division structure charged with evaluating policy and support gaps, leading organisational culture change and supporting offices as they approach solutions proactively. Among the responsibilities of the SSG is to develop relations with development actors, including through the Solutions Alliance, formed at the Copenhagen Round Table on Solutions in April 2014.
In the exercise of its protection mandate, UNHCR operations all over the world have designed and implemented solutions, including providing support to state governance and rule of law structures. Of particular note are activities to address Housing, Land and Property issues, support for civil registries including birth registration and documentation, social cohesion projects and various approaches to access to justice. UNHCR has supported community participation in national reconciliation structures and has collaborated on national census and other processes. UNHCR operations have undertaken a range of capacity building initiatives, as well as participated in local and regional contingency planning and protection management in emergencies, on human rights and participatory governance and on responses to common protection issues such as sexual and gender based violence. Rule of Law for Solutions
These interventions have been of value to individual people of concern as well as to communities. They are often supportive of relations with partners - including local Government, civil society, other UN or international organizations, and Rule of Law and Governance-oriented development actors and NGOs. Recent operational requirements and improved coordination have highlighted the need for UNHCR to articulate better where it will engage predictably with these and other rule of law and governance issues and how it will collaborate with the range of actors in the area.
This consultancy is part of the work DIP is undertaking to develop a predictable approach to governance and rule of law matters as part of its solutions mandate and the tools that will help offices to design their rule of law and governance work going forward.
3. SCOPE AND PHASES OF THE PROJECT
Phase 1 – Review of existing practice
a. Work with the DIP rule of law inter-pillar task force to articulate areas where specific rule of law and governance interventions could and do have an impact on protection and solutions for people of concern to UNHCR (PoC). Definition of where solutions activities begin for the purposes of the consultancy will be important at this time.
b. Elaborate a research plan for agreement with the DIP task force.
c. Review UNHCR’s existing interventions/activities/projects in the rule of law and governance area, as they relate to solutions specifically and more broadly, and identify trends as well as potential good practice. Review both planning and implementation and include information on impact as drawn from reports.
d. Review the actions of partner organisations in the rule of law activities central to PoC and consider where UNHCR has built partnerships with them or has influenced programme design.
Phase 2 – Recommend options for way forward
a. Propose options for UNHCR to consider going forward in terms of intervention priorities, standard setting, advocacy and possibly institutional partnerships.
b. Suggest pathways that could facilitate development of these options, including through the development of stronger ties with partner organisations.
4. EXPECTED RESULTS / DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
The consultant(s) will report to the Senior Protection Officer (Comprehensive Solutions) in DIP at UNHCR HQ and will prepare:
a. A report of the review of the rule of law and governance landscape as it relates to solutions for refugees, IDPs and statelessness;
b. Collection of existing materials that will support offices in the implementation of selected interventions;
c. An options paper for UNHCR’s future work to ensure a more predictable approach to rule of law interventions.
5. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
The following are required criteria:
• Education: Advanced University Degree in Law/International Law, Political Science, Government, International Relations or related field.
• Job experience: Minimum 8 years relevant professional experience whereof 4 years in the field in an international capacity; experience in protection or in an operational environment where sensitive protection concerns needed to be managed; experience in the design and implementation of Rule of Law and Governance projects; experience working with both humanitarian and development actors; experience working with national legal and civil society organisations and institutions.
• Excellent drafting skills in English, as well as ability to synthesise, analyse and structure material.
• Languages: Proficiency in English and working knowledge of a second UN Language
The following are desirable criteria:
• Diverse field experience
• Previous experience working with IDPs, refugees, returnees and/or statelessness
• Previous experience advancing durable solutions for refugees, IDPs or returnees at field level
• Previous experience undertaking legal contextual analysis
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS
Please submit your letter of motivation and P11/Curriculum Vitae by email to: [log in to unmask], copying Jackie Keegan at [log in to unmask], by 15 July 2014, with the subject line: “Rule of Law Engagement for Solutions Consultancy.”
The Personal History Form (P11) is available at the following link: http://www.unhcr.org/recruit/P11_UNHCR.doc
UNHCR does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process. UNHCR aims for workforce diversity at all levels and encourages qualified women and persons with disabilities to apply. Acknowledgments will only be sent to short-listed candidates under serious consideration.
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