Community-Based Protection Associate at UNHCR - United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Deadline 17 Oct 2026
Deadline for Applications
October 16, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for
home-based)
C
Family Type (not applicable for
home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA6
Target Start Date
2026-11-02
Terms of Reference
This vacancy is on invitation only:
TERMS OF REFERENCE
(Individual Contractor Agreement)
Title: Community-Based Protection Associate
Project: UNHCR Rwanda/2025/E12925
Duty station: Karongi Field Office, Rwanda
Section/Unit: Protection Unit/UNHCR Rwanda
ICA Level: LICA 6 (UNOPS)
Corresponding level: G6
Duration: from 02November 2026 to 31 Dec 2026 (with a possibility of renewable)
Supervisor: Associate Protection Officer.
1. General Background
The Government of Rwanda (GoR), through the Ministry of Emergency Management
(MINEMA) and the Directorate General of Immigration and Emigration (DGIE),
leads the national refugee response in coordination with the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The UNHCR Representation in Rwanda
comprises a Branch Office in Kigali and Field Offices (FOs) in Huye, Karongi,
and Kirehe.
FO Karongi is responsible for overseeing Kiziba Refugee Camp (Established in
1996), Nkamira Transit Centre—which hosts asylum seekers from the DRC—as well
as two additional transit centres, Nyarushishi and Kijote, which receives and
accommodate Rwandan returnees from the DRC.
The camp is the most context-sensitive in Rwanda’s operation and therefore
needs well-informed personnel with adequate experience in the same or similar
operational context ready to manage the expectations of the population on
resettlement as the only most preferable durable solution to the plight of the
persons of concern in Kiziba camp.
The government of Rwanda is a party to the 1951 convention and other important
human rights convention and offers international protection to refugees and
asylum seekers present on its territory including those in Kiziba and Karongi
area of responsibility. The refugee situation in Rwanda has largely been a
protracted one, but recently, increasing instability in Eastern DRC during the
latter part of 2022 and early 2023 has forced people to flee across the border
to Rwanda. As of end of September 2023, around 15,000 new arrivals have been
recorded. At the policy level, Rwanda gives utmost importance to refugee
inclusion into national services such as education, health, socio-economic and
financial services (including access to investment & bank accounts).
Explicitly, Article 18 of the Law n°13ter/ 2014 of 21/05/2014 relating to
refugees stipulates that "without prejudice to other laws, any person
having obtained refugee status in Rwanda shall enjoy the rights and liberties
provided for by international instruments on refugees ratified by Rwanda.
There is a gradual shift from a humanitarian approach to a developmental focus
in the Rwandan refugee response, with emphasis on sustainable livelihoods and
social cohesion (Humanitarian, Development and Peace nexus). UNHCR further
strengthens its advocacy with partners and assists refugees to become more
self-reliant with targeted assistance and an increased number of livelihood
projects, including access to training, cash grants, and technical expertise,
as well as establishing strategic partnerships with Development actors, UN
agencies and private sector. UNHCR current protection activities provided to
refugees, displaced communities and stateless persons includes Registration,
Refugee Status Determination, Resettlement and Durable Solutions while assistance
is primarily focusing on life-saving activities such as health, education,
livelihoods, and community development/empowerment. With resettlement being the
main durable solution for Congolese refugees, it has become challenging to
manage expectations in resettlement, and attempted fraud cases are being
identified and managed. Reportedly, tensions within families have been
reported, and domestic issues, all linked to resettlement expectations. The
refugee communities were most often unwilling to develop their
capacities/potentials, due to concerns of losing resettlement opportunities.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
The Community-Based Protection Associate reports to the Associate Protection
Officer. The Community-Based Protection Associate is a member of the Protection
Unit and reports to the Associate Protection Officer. The Head of office comes
in to provide guidance when needed/on some key sensitive and challenges issues.
Under the overall direction of the Protection Unit, and in coordination with
other UNHCR staff, government, NGO partners and other stakeholders, the
Community-Based Protection Associate works directly with communities of concern
to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect
themselves, their families and communities. The incumbent may support staff in
the application of community-based protection standards, operational procedures
and practices in community-based protection delivery at the field level.
To fulfil this role, the Community-Based Protection Associate is required to
spend a substantial percentage of the workday outside the office, building and
maintaining networks within communities of the people we serve. The development
and maintenance of constructive relationships with people we serve that
measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results,
form the core of the work of the incumbent. S/he also supports the designing of
a community-based protection strategy by ensuring that it is based on
consultation with the people we serve.
Under the direct supervision of the Associate Protection Officer, the incumbent
will undertake the following tasks:
- Assist functional units, the Multi-Functional Team (MFT) and senior
management to integrate participatory and community-based approaches in the
overall protection strategy and operational procedures.
- Through relationships with the people we serve and network of partners, stay
abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an
impact on the protection environment and provide advice to the protection team.
Understand the perspectives, capacities, needs and resources of the people we
serve and advise the protection team accordingly on how to respond,
highlighting the specific protection needs of women and men, children, youth
and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.
- Work with host communities to identify opportunities for national civil
society involvement in improving the protection of PoC, and to foster social
cohesion between refugees and host community.
- Work with implementing and operational partners as well as with displaced and
local communities to develop community-owned activities to address, where
applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health,
organizational and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and
prevention and response to GBV.
- Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of
concern and risks they face.
- Support participatory assessments by multifunctional teams and ongoing
consultation with the people we serve.
- Assist in planning and monitoring of programmes and budgets, with an AGD
perspective
- Build office capacity for community-based protection through training and
establishing systems for community mobilization and participation of PoC.
- Support communities in establishing representation and coordination
structures.
- Ensure community understanding of UNHCR's commitment to deliver on
accountability and quality assurance in its response.
- Act as an interpreter in exchange of routine information, contribute to
related liaison activities and respond directly to routine queries.
- Contribute to the enforcement of participatory AGD sensitive analysis as an
essential basis for all of UNHCR’s work.
- Initiate AGD sensitive interventions at the appropriate level on
community-based protection issues and to respond to protection concerns and
incidents within the office, with external interlocutors, groups and
individuals based on agreed parameters.
- Identify and select which individuals or groups to prioritize for counselling
and field visits based on agreed criteria.
- Intervene with authorities on protection.
- Enforce compliance of implementing partners with global protection policies
and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
- Recommend and prepare payments to individual cases.
- Provide support on on-going activities related to return, and other durable
solution responses, including sustainable programming.
- Perform other related duties as required.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
The performance of the incumbent will be assessed through regular feedback from
the supervisor and periodic reviews. Key performance indicators will include
the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of registration and verification data,
statistical reporting, and documentation, as well as the efficiency of
registration processes and compliance with established standard operating
procedures. The incumbent is also expected to consistently uphold the highest
standards of professionalism, integrity, and respect for diversity in the
delivery of duties.
All UNHCR staff members are accountable for performing their responsibilities
as outlined in their job descriptions and within their delegated authorities,
in line with the UNHCR regulatory framework. This framework comprises the UN
Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative
Instructions, and other accountability mechanisms. In fulfilling these
obligations, the incumbent must demonstrate alignment with UNHCR’s core,
functional, cross-functional, and managerial competencies and contribute to a
safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment that ensures protection
principles are consistently applied.
4. Qualifications and Experience
A. Education, Certificates, and/or Licenses
- Education: 3 years relevant experience with a High School Diploma; or 2 years
relevant work experience with a Bachelor's or equivalent or higher.
- Field(s) of Education: International Development, Cultural Studies, Human
Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science,
Anthropology, International Law, or other relevant field.
B. Work Experience
- Years of Experience: 3 years relevant experience with a High School Diploma;
or 2 years relevant work experience with a Bachelor's or equivalent or higher.
- Relevant Job Experience: Essential (Experience in working with UNHCR in
protection and solutions), Desirable (Training in basic principles of
international protection, Protection Learning Programme).
- Functional Skills:
IT-MS Office Applications
IT-Computer Literacy
IT-Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
PR-Community-based Protection
PR-Community-based Protection - Principles and methodologies
CL-Multi-stakeholder Communications with Partners, Government & Community
PG-Experience with coordinating with Implementing Partners
(Governmt/INGO/NGO/Corporate)
TR-Capacity Building
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)
C. Language Requirement
- Fluency in English and Kinyarwanda, and a very good working knowledge of
regional languages. Knowledge of French will be an added advantage.
D. Key Competencies
- Core Competencies:
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
- Cross-Functional Competencies:
Analytical Thinking
Technological Awareness
Planning and Organizing
- Managerial Competencies
Judgement and Decision Making
- Cross-Functional Competencies
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Political Awareness
Stakeholder Management
All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute
towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to
perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual
exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender
inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.
As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and
responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters
and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources
when these issues arise.
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
Desired Languages
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Work Experience
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional
clearanceRemote
No
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