Short-Term Consultant at UNHCR in D.C.

Short Term Consultant, Unaccompanied Children Interviewer
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Washington, DC

Background:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly. 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. It also has a mandate to help stateless people.

Since 2011, the number of arriving unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) from El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico has significantly increased in the U.S.  UNHCR is concerned by the lack of comprehensive data concerning the influx of UASC coming to the United States and seeks to determine the specific root causes and “mechanics” of such movements from Central America and Mexico to inform the design of a regional strategy to prevent and respond to the protection needs of these children in a more comprehensive and effective manner.
To meet this goal in part, UNHCR will conduct research focused on examining the triggering events and/or characteristics of the movements of UASC through in-depth interviews with 400 UASC, 100 each from Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.  The interviews will be with children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), released to sponsors in the U.S., in the custody of Mexico’s El Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) and NGO shelters in Mexico. UNHCR seeks to hire a short-term paid consultant to assist in conducting these interviews.

Scope of work:

This position is a short-term (10 week) consultancy from approximately May 20, 2013 to July 26, 2013. During this period, the consultant will travel to multiple locations within the U.S. and northern Mexico to assist in interviewing approximately 200 children in ORR custody, released to sponsors, and in DIF custody or at Mexican NGO shelters.  The consultant, as part of a two-person interview team, will serve primarily as support to the interview team leader during the interviews and be responsible for note-taking.  And after a period of training by the interview team leader, the consultant will then conduct a portion of the interviews him- or herself.  The interviews are to be completed within a ten week timeframe according to the itinerary prepared ahead of time.  The consultant will assist the interview team leader with communication and coordination with UNHCR in Washington throughout the duration of the travel period, including any logistical needs and an email or phone call update for each site where children are interviewed. 

The consultant will perform other duties as needed, including drafting updates to assist UNHCR in reporting on the project and participating in a final de-brief with UNHCR personnel to share lessons learned upon the completion of the interviews.

Essential Job Functions
• Travel to various locations across the United States and into northern Mexico.
• Work as part of a two-person team to interview roughly 200 UASC.
• During the interviews lead by the interview team leader, input the interviewee’s answers into electronic survey.
• Serve as the lead interviewer in a portion of the interviews.
• Communicate with UNHCR on a regular basis regarding the progress made while in the field interviewing.
Requirements
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with relevant experience; JD or graduate degree preferred
• Spanish fluency
• Demonstrated knowledge and interest in immigrant rights and children’s rights
• Able to work well on a team
• Experience as an interviewer preferred
• Prior experience working with unaccompanied alien children in ORR custody strongly preferred  
To apply send a letter of interest, resume, completed Form P-11 (available at http://www.unhcrwashington.org/site/c.ckLQI5NPIgJ2G/b.6770627/k.EC45/Vacancies.htm), and two references to Nicole Boehner, boehner@unhcr.org

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We are seeking to fill this position immediately.