Mission and objectivesThe Office of the UNHCR was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly. The agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State, with the option to return home voluntarily, integrate locally or to resettle in a third country (www.unhcr.org). In line with this mandate UNHCR supports the Republic of Uganda in protecting individuals who seeks asylum in the country as well as those in the country at risk of being stateless or who already are considered stateless. UNHCR also provides direct assistance through implementing partners to refugees and asylum seekers in Uganda. UNHCR puts strong effort into identifying durable solutions for all refugees in Uganda and to reduce the risk of persons in the country becoming stateless.
ContextUganda currently hosts more than 1.9 million refugees making it Africaโs largest refugee hosting country and one of the five largest refugee hosting countries in the world. The refugee protection environment in Uganda is progressive and provides refugees with freedom of movement, the right to work and establish businesses, the right to documentation, access to social services, and allocation of plots of land for shelter and agricultural production. At the same time, as a result of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), few civilians continue to flee to Southwest and Midwest Uganda to seek protection and installed in 5 main settlements overseen by Sub Office Mbarara. There are 3 field Offices (Kyaka, Rwamwanja, Kyangwali) and 1 Field Unit (Kisoro) under Sub Office Mbarara. The current population of all the settlements under Sub Office Mbarara, covering Southwest and Mid-west stands at 665.240 as of 30 June 2025 mostly from DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, and South Sudan. 53 % of the population are children and 24% women. The Southwest and Midwest Uganda Refugee operation has witnessed an influx of refugees from South Kivu, North Kivu and Ituri Regions that contributed to increase the Population of FDSP. Despite the decrease of the trend on new arrivals there still being received some at the different transit centers in Nyakabande, Matanda, Bubukwanga and Sebagoro from various porous borders between Uganda and DRC.
Task DescriptionUnder the supervision of Senior Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Associate Registration and identity Officer will: โข The IUNV Associate Registration Officer is expected to coordinate activities under Sub Office Mbarara with Office of the Prime Minister, in cooperation with Protection units under the area of Mbarara responsibility and Registration team at the Representative Office Kampala, that has oversight and support role. The IUNV will provide technical support to Field Offices, Settlements and Transits centers registration staff/volunteers and protection staff. The IUNV is expected to have proven strong technical expertise in Registration, Data Management and Information Management skills. S/he will be expected to: โข Oversee registration and identity management activities in the Sub-Office Mbarara area of responsibility, including ensuring biometric enrolment. โข Ensure that registration processes are inclusive and efficient, and take into consideration personal data protection needs of data subjects. โข ensure timely recording of vital events (births, marriages, deaths...) of refugees and asylum-seekers in proGres, the refugee registry โข Provide technical guidance, support and training to UNHCR staff, partners, and government counterparts on use of identity management system and tools. โข Monitor and evaluate registration activities to ensure quality and consistency as well conduct, on regular basis, the data quality assurance activities. โข Implement data quality control activities that contribute to fraud prevention and response mechanisms. โข Ensure identity data is fit-for-purpose to support protection interventions, case management, and delivery of assistance. โข Provide technical support to staff on planned registration and documentation, including continuous and new arrival registration, and identity management activities. โข Facilitate availability of quality data that support refugeesโ access to services such as financial services, education and healthcare through trusted identity credentials. โข Enhance use of PRIMES tools, including proGres, BIMS, CashAssist and GDT for delivery of Protection and assistance services with accountability โข Strengthen collaboration and coordination with partners, including Office of the Prime Minister on refugee registration and documentations, service delivery, during regular and in emergency registration contexts. โข Prepare population statistics, as and when required on refugee trends and changes โข Conduct Information Management activities, including designing dashboards, designing/develop tools for mapping needs, assessments, surveys, and dashboards/reports. โข Perform other related duties as required];
Competencies and valuesโข Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented; โข Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organizationโs interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority; โข Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues; โข Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment. โข Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities; โข Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups; โข Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary; โข Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCRโs mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.
Living conditions and remarksSub-Office Mbarara is located in the South-West part of Uganda. It is about 268 km (5 hours) from Kampala, the capital city. The security situation is generally calm and peaceful. Sub-Office Mbarara is a family duty station, and staff can stay at UNDSS cleared areas in Mbarara in private accommodation. There are medical services available in hospitals in Mbarara. There are several supermarkets in Mbarara town. Most banking facilities including ATM are available in Mbarara. There are several schools available but good international schools are available in Kampala and Entebbe. Uganda is a unique country and Sub office Mbarara is a unique (humanitarian) operation. It provides for an interesting and enriching environment, but also requires a mature level of cultural awareness, as well as more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in harsh and potentially hazardous conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort, are essential.