Senior Inter-Agency Coordinator

Snr Inter-Agency Coordinator, P5

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships
The Senior Inter-Agency Coordinator is usually located in a Regional Office, Multi-Country Office, Regional Bureaux, Regional Refugee Coordinator’s Office or in the Partnership and Coordination Service (PCS) in Headquarters. Only exceptionally would a country office have a Senior Inter Agency Coordinator at the P5 level. The incumbent plays a crucial role in ensuring UNHCR’s approach to partnership and inter-agency processes is consistent, strategic and coherent. The main aim is to ensure that UNHCR fulfils its role to support the Government to lead the refugee response, coordinate other actors in the initial stages of a refugee emergency and adhere to UNHCR inter agency commitments in IDP situations.

This should be done in line with UNHCRs Mandate, the Global Compact for Refugees, the IDP policy, and agreed inter agency commitments. More specifically, s/he is responsible for developing inter-agency engagement strategies and providing authoritative advice on coordination matters. S/he is the main interlocutor with UN agencies and NGO partners and advises the senior management on inter-agency processes and related positioning, coordination, advocacy, information, resource allocation, fundraising, reporting, and communication. S/he will also liaise with government entities, other UN agencies, NGOs, civil society actors, private sector media, other relevant actors through strong engagement in humanitarian inter agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR. The overall goal of the position is to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of UNHCR¿s leadership roles and responses to situations affecting people of concern to UNHCR (refugees, IDPs, stateless persons, returnees, host communities) through an open and transparent partnership approach.

Moreover, the incumbent maintains close contact with the Division of External Relations (DER), Partnership & Coordination Service (PCS), Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS) and New York Office (NYO) on emerging issues.

In the Regional Bureaux, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring in an effective and efficient manner which supports the Organization’s Mandate, overall quality assurance and managerial support of operations, in line with the Bureau’s 2nd line function, within the three lines of defence conceptual framework for effective control and risk management adopted by the UN system.
S/he will, further, cover the full spectrum of managerial oversight, manage performance and monitor the adherence of Country Operations to UNHCR’s rules and regulations, monitoring, identifying and addressing any emerging issues and risks as appropriate. The incumbent also promotes a culture that is results-oriented, efficient and based on trust and pursues measures to ensure that inclusion, gender balance and diversity are taken into due consideration in staffing, resource allocation and representation at all levels throughout the AoR.

As a key custodian of the organization’s standards of conduct, s/he will proactively establish a working environment where all personnel feel safe, heard, equipped and empowered to speak up; demonstrate no tolerance for sexism, gender inequality, discrimination of any kind, abuse of power, harassment or sexual harassment; foster ongoing dialogue on those matters; take seriously all issues of inappropriate behaviour and actions reported, whether formally or informally; and seek guidance and support as necessary to ensure that appropriate follow-up is taken, working on the basis of zero tolerance for any form of misconduct.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

• Be responsible for ensuring UNHCR fulfils its coordination lead roles and responsibilities, in line with its mandate, the Global Compact on Refugees, the IDP Policy and cluster lead responsibilities.
• Develop UNHCR¿s inter-agency engagement strategy and advise senior managers to formulate and communicate UNHCR positions, internally and externally, providing briefing notes, talking points and issues papers for relevant discussions in-house, with partners, including UN agencies and NGOs, donors, ExCom and in inter-agency fora.
• Ensure proactive lead and/or participation in inter-agency fora to ensure that UNHCR, its Mandate and programmes are given due attention and reflected in linkage at the country level, bureaux and at the policy levels of humanitarian and development coordination systems.
• Promote UNHCR’s policies and linkages within multilateral processes, including humanitarian and development processes as elaborated by the humanitarian working groups , the Inter Agency Standing Committee, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG), as well as in regional and country levels.
• Ensure effective and inclusive coordination mechanisms and tools are in place and provide authoritative advice to the senior managers on coordination matters, in line with the refugee coordination model and globally-agreed arrangements applicable in various situations (refugee-only; mixed refugee-IDPs; refugee and migrant movements).
• Coordinate effective and principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors
• Promote preparedness, contingency planning and prevention, and facilitate sustainable solutions
• Negotiate UNHCR¿s positions with other agencies and facilitate negotiations and provision of support for consensus building
• Maintain frequent formal and informal contacts with his/her counterparts in other organisations.
• Maintain an open dialogue and information sharing with NGOs and civil society partners to enlarge UNHCR¿s support and tap into complementary resources/ support to refugees.
• Be responsible for furthering understanding within UNHCR on inter- agency issues and priorities and advising staff on policy developments and reform initiatives within the humanitarian sphere, as well as the broader UN and development processes. This includes updating key staff on the developments within the Inter Agency frameworks, UN reforms, Global Compact, as well as promoting and stimulating UNHCR’s implementation of key reforms within the humanitarian and development architecture.
• Ensure internal institutional coherence and coordination of actions pursued for a strong refugee coordination system under government leadership where possible, with accompanying planning instruments in the delivery of refugee responses.
• Where there is lack of clarity as to UNHCR¿s positions and priorities, identify where there are gaps or a lack of clarity and stimulate a process whereby policy will be clearly mapped out and agreed at the highest levels in the organisation.
• For positions in the Regional Bureaux, Multi-Country Offices or RRC Offices only:
• Promote within relevant country operations coordinated approaches to decision making frameworks, especially in regards to humanitarian inter agency processes, but also with a focus on development processes as they impact on UNHCR in the field.
• Operationalize UNHCR¿s inter-agency policies and maintain an inclusive inter-agency regional approach
• Advise UNHCR’s senior management on engagement in regional inter-agency processes, including regional Economic Commissions and regional UNSDG.
• Establish regional coordination mechanisms and/or consultation fora for situations led by UNHCR. This should include, inter alia: support to RRC (if appointed); information-management; reporting.
• Where applicable, coordinate the compilation of a regional refugee response plan (in some situations, this could be a regional refugee and migrant response plan or a refugee and resilience plan), as well as its monitoring and the tracking of financial contributions.
• Ensure timely preparedness and contingency planning across the region / multi-countries.
• Liaise with other UN agencies and other inter government agencies and fora at the regional level to find areas of cooperation, joint initiatives and where applicable negotiate joint agreements or work programmes to further protection and assistance for persons of concern.
• Ensure efficient and timely circulation of information to stakeholders, including through the production of regular and up-to-date information, key messages and regional situational analysis.
• Ensure effective coordination mechanisms are in place in country operations in line with globally-agreed arrangements and the refugee coordination model) and ensure support is provided in a timely manner.
• Advise Country Operations on how to facilitate UNHCR¿s catalytic and convener¿s role in the context of the Global Compact on Refugees.
• Advise Country Operations on how to engage in UNDAF processes.
• Organize regional-level capacity building, as required.
• Support the organization of annual regional NGO consultations and facilitate events as required.
• Alert the HQ (DER and DESS) on issues related to coordination arrangements interface with development and humanitarian systems
• Perform other related duties as required.
  Minimum Qualifications
  Years of Experience / Degree Level
  For P5 – 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education
Law; Political Science; Economics, International Relations; Business Administration; Social Science; or other relevant field.
Certificates and/or Licenses
N/A

Relevant Job Experience
Essential:
Experience of working in an inter-agency environment at field or Headquarters level. Experience of liaising with governments and/or the donor community. Thorough understanding of UNHCR’s protection mandate and core mission. Thorough understanding of humanitarian coordination processes and recent inter-agency developments related to the IASC and the broader UN.

Desirable:

• Inter-agency coordination role. Drafting joint appeal/ refugee response plan/HRP. Experience with another UN agency or partner.
• Functional Skills
• ER- Inter-Agency Leadership/Coordination
• MG Coordination**
  Language Requirements**
  For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
  For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
  For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
  This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.