Mission and objectivesUNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is a global organization dedicated to saving lives, protecting rights and building a better future for people forced to flee their homes because of conflict and persecution. We lead international action to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people. Formally known as the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR was established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1950 in the aftermath of the Second World War to help the millions of people who had lost their homes. Today, UNHCR works in 136 countries. We provide life-saving assistance, including shelter, food, water and medical care for people forced to flee conflict and persecution, many of whom have nobody left to turn to. We defend their right to reach safety and help them find a place to call home so they can rebuild their lives. Long term, we work with countries to improve and monitor refugee and asylum laws and policies, ensuring human rights are upheld. In everything we do UNHCR considers refugees and those forced to flee as partners, putting those most affected at the centre of planning and decision-making. UNHCR's vision is a world where everyone forced to flee can build a better future. UNHCR's primary objective is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees and other people of concern, providing international protection and humanitarian assistance.
ContextUNHCRโs Regional Bureau for East and Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes (EHAGL) is further developing and updating its mapping of national social protection systems in selected countries. The aim is to develop country profiles that support policy discussions with development partners, governments, donors, and other stakeholders. These profiles will offer a visually engaging, accessible overview of each countryโs social protection systemโhighlighting how refugees, IDPs, and returnees are (or are not) included, and how partners can collectively advance more inclusive systems. The findings will inform UNHCRโs regional social protection portfolio, shape advocacy and partnership efforts, and contribute to staff learning and capacity developmentโparticularly for country operations engaging in development coordination. The research will also feed into UNHCRโs contribution to multi-stakeholder initiatives, including PROSPECTS, the Joint SDG Fund, and partnerships with the World Bank, UNICEF, WFP, ILO, KfW, and others working to strengthen inclusive and sustainable social protection in displacement contexts.
Task DescriptionThe Online Volunteer will support UNHCRโs regional effort to update and further develop an existing mapping of national social protection systems and their inclusion of forcibly displaced populations. As part of a team of three researchers, the UN Volunteer will be assigned one of eight countriesโKenya, Djibouti, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, or Ethiopia โand will be expected to complete a full country profile by the end of the assignment. Key tasks: Review and update existing information on the countryโs legal and policy frameworks for social protection. Analyze the institutional setup, oversight mechanisms, and delivery systems, highlighting how they serve (or exclude) refugees, IDPs, and returnees. Map key development programmes and financing mechanisms, and assess the degree to which forcibly displaced populations are included. Review UNHCRโs engagement with development actorsโsuch as the World Bank, UNICEF, WFP, and KfWโto promote inclusion, and identify lessons learned, challenges, and best practices. Review social protection-related questions within UNHCRโs RIMAP tool and draw on UNHCR indicators on inclusion in national systems. Conduct semi-structured interviews with UNHCR staff, development partners, and government counterparts to inform the analysis. Contribute to synthesis notes and a regional overview that aggregates findings across countries. Each UN Volunteer will: Take lead responsibility for one country profile, while supporting and learning from colleagues working on other countries. Collaborate closely with two other research UNVs, one communications and design UNV, and relevant UNHCR country operation staff. Work will be conducted remotely with weekly team meetings, individual supervision, and shared workspaces for coordination and quality assurance.
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