Deadline for Applications
March 10, 2026
Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)
E (most hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Non Family with Residential Location
Staff Member / Affiliate Type
UNOPS LICA9
2026-04-01
1. General Background
(Brief description of the national, sector-specific or other relevant context in which the individual contractor will operate)
The Government of Kenya, in line with the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and its Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), in collaboration with its partners has taken concrete steps through number of initiatives to improve the socioeconomic conditions and inclusion for refugees, and support building resilience of host communities. These include enactment of Refugees Act of 2021, Refugee Regulations, and importantly the Shirika Plan (one of the pioneering innovative approaches globally for Refugee inclusion) and its building blocks of Garissa and Kalobeyei Integrated Socioeconomic Development Plans (GISEDP and KISEDP) aligned with the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs), the Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), its Medium-Term Plan (MTP, 2023-2207), and Vision 2030.
With the gazettement of Municipalities of Dadaab and Kakuma, the transition from camps to integrated settlement (herein after referred as the municipality) is at scale i.e. 46 km2 camp area to 632 km2 municipality in Kakuma. Accordingly, the area-based and multidimensional approach (e.g. demographic, political, cultural, social, economic, ecological, and technological) lays out the gradual transition process and as such includes a wide range of sectors that needs a coordinated and systemic approaches safeguarding the rights of refugees, promoting their inclusion and self-reliance within the municipalities planning and development.
Accordingly, within the transition and solutions context, in line with the KISEDP (and Shirika Plan) the incumbent will be responsible for supporting he policy development, mainstreaming of transformative approaches of refugee inclusion, and operationalizing the humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) programming. At the county level, the candidate will be: (1) closely working with the County Government on operationalization of KISEDP, (2) identifying the entry points for UNCHR within County Government integrated development plans, (3) supporting the transformative approach of camps to integrated settlements including through identifying the key activities under KISEDEP framework, and (3) strengthening the ongoing HDP joint and complementary programming with, inter alia, international financial institutions (IFIs), UN and development agencies, private sector for refugee inclusion.
Likewise, the candidate is expected to foster strategic partnerships with stakeholders at regional and national levels to support implementation of the KISEDP by coordinating with relevant units in the SO Kakuma in achieving timely the set objectives of the KISEDP. The incumbent will be ensuring complementing and synchronizing interventions of various stakeholders and resources to achieve objectives of KISEDP. The candidate may require facilitating high-level missions and forums, prepare minutes and reports. S/he will work closely with the Policy, Protection, Operations, Programme, External Relations, and other sectoral units of the Sub Office in Kakuma and provide support to Policy Officer and Head of Sub Office.
2. Purpose and Scope of Assignment
(Concise and detailed description of activities, tasks and responsibilities to be undertaken, including expected travel, if applicable)
- Assist management in commissioning and/or conducting practical research and analysis to interpret long-term political, economic and social trends that will enhance opportunities for solutions, resilience and inclusion for populations of concern to UNHCR as well as more sustainable approaches to refugee protection.
- Support management in planning for resilience and inclusion with a clear shared vision of longer-term protection and solution outcomes for people of concern that takes account of host communities and leverages the roles, resources and capacities of development partners, including International Financial Institutions, Multilateral Development Banks, and Bilateral Development donors.
- Support implementation of the KISEDP and Shirika Plan related interventions
- Assist in facilitating the development of comprehensive multi-year protection and solutions plans/strategies (incl. Multi-Year Multi-Partner Strategies) for Persons of Concern to UNHCR and/or facilitate the inclusion of populations of concern into national and local development planning and programming instruments.
- Assist management in identifying, strategically articulating and capitalizing development and resilience opportunities, including through Government pledges and or pledges made by bilateral or multilateral development and/or peacebuilding partners.
- Assist in facilitating relationship building with development co-operation agencies and peace and state-building agendas through the different stages of policy and programme identification, preparation, implementation and review.
- Support the development of partnerships and networks with development cooperation actors to influence the policy dialogue with governments on institutional arrangements related to sectors, locations and programme content of consequence to UNHCR and persons of concern. This would focus on supporting the coordination of the in-country relationship with the World Bank and other multilateral development banks, especially where there is potential for specific funding directed towards UNHCR’s persons of concern (e.g. WB IDA sub-window for refugees and host communities or the WB Global Concessional Financing Facility).
- Participate in the cooperation with development partners to assist them in incorporating the concerns of refugees, returnees and others of concern to UNHCR into the design and implementation arrangements of projects and interventions in a manner that impacts positively on protection circumstances.
- Contribute to the identification, commissioning and/or contribution to studies and analytical activities that build the conceptual framework and evidence base for comprehensive, development-oriented responses, including preparedness work, to forced displacement.
- Support the operation to ensure that development actors are provided relevant data to inform their planning, programming and advocacy around resilience for and inclusion of UNHCR persons of concern.
- Support the operations engagement with governments, development partners (both multilateral and bilateral), and with the private sector and civil society (as appropriate) to identify opportunities for UNHCR to contribute to the design and implementation of monitoring systems to track progress towards agreed outcomes.
- Support the facilitation, coordination and collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and experience sharing between UNHCR and development actors and across UNHCR operations globally by documenting and disseminating good practices and active participation in the Division of Resilience and Solutions’, Development Partnerships Community of Practice.
- Support training activities aimed at the capacity building of UNHCR and partner agency staff to achieve greater coordination, effectiveness and synergies between humanitarian and development interventions.
3. Monitoring and Progress Controls
(Clear description of measurable outputs, milestones, key performance indicators and/or reporting requirements which will enable performance monitoring)
- Enhanced livelihood and socio-economic activities of refugee and host community in Kakuma
- Inclusion of refugees into the national social protection
- Number of refugees engaged in meaningful economic activities and those with work permits
- Private sectors, development partners and Government engagements and outcomes of those engagements
- Developed policies to support refugee socio-economic inclusion.
4. Qualifications and Experience
(List the required education, work experience, expertise and competencies of the individual contractor. The listed education and experience should correspond with the level at which the contract is offered.)
a. Education (Level and area of required and/or preferred education)
Graduate Degree or Post Graduate degree in the field(s) of Development Economics; Development Studies; Socio-economic Development; International Relations; Political Science; Law or other relevant field.
b. Work Experience
(List number of years and area of required work experience. Clearly distinguish between required experience and experience which could be an asset.)
For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree
Essential
Three (3) years of direct work experience in a large international development institution in a relevant position and of which at least one (1) year in field operations. Preferably with knowledge of, or experience in, local or area based economic development, direct engagement in a technical sector such as education, WASH, social protection, health, energy. Practical experience working with and an understanding of the different aspects of economic growth, governance, fragility and conflict. Expertise related to the governance of specific multilateral development banks or bilateral development actors most relevant to the AoR.
Desirable
Experience with forced displacement. Experience in primary data collection, quantitative research methods and results-based management.
c. Key Competencies
(Technical knowledge, skills, managerial competencies or other personal competencies relevant to the performance of the assignment. Clearly distinguish between required and desired competencies)
Core Competencies
Accountability
Communication
Organizational Awareness
Teamwork & Collaboration
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Client & Result Orientation
Managerial Competencies
Empowering and Building Trust
Judgement and Decision Making
Managing Performance
Cross-Functional Competencies
Stakeholder Management
Political Awareness
CM-Strategic Communication
CO-Drafting, Documentation
SO-Networking
MG-Partnership Development
SO-Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
PO-Policy Advocacy in UNHCR
IM-Knowledge Management
CL-Strategy Development and Monitoring
PG-Results-Based Management
Standard Job Description
Required Languages
,
,
Desired Languages
,
,
Additional Qualifications
Skills
Education
Certifications
Other information
This position doesn't require a functional clearance
Remote
No