Investigations Officer Consultant (OSINT)

Result of Service

Deliverables Expected deliverables will be defined for each assignment and may include case assessment notes, investigation plans, interview records, evidence review summaries, OSINT documentation, draft investigation reports, closure reports, advisory reports, briefing notes, meeting minutes, training materials and other investigative or administrative outputs requested by DIOS. Institutional Arrangement The Investigations Officer Consultant will be tasked by, and report to, the Chief of the Investigations Division or another designated DIOS official within the Neutrality Investigations Unit (NIU) The Chief of the Investigations Division or another designated DIOS official within the Neutrality Investigations Unit (NIU) will review the consultant’s work for quality, completeness, objectivity and compliance with applicable investigative standards. All work products produced under this engagement are owned by UNRWA and shall be submitted to the Chief of the Investigations Division or the designated supervisor. Timeline and payment milestones will be determined in association with each task/deliverable. Confidentiality, Ethics and Data Protection The consultant shall maintain strict confidentiality, independence, impartiality and professional integrity in all activities undertaken under this engagement. The consultant shall safeguard information, records and evidence; handle personal data and sensitive investigative material securely; avoid unauthorized disclosure; and comply with applicable UNRWA policies, procedures and instructions relating to investigations, information security, data protection and ethical conduct.

Work Location

Home-Based

Expected duration

Depend on the scope

Duties and Responsibilities

UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5.7 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA services encompass education, health care, relief, and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is the largest UN operation in the Middle East with more than 30,000 staff, most involved in direct service delivery with Palestine refugee communities. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions. BACKGROUND The Investigations Division in the Department of Internal Oversight Services (DIOS) is responsible for conducting investigations into allegations of misconduct involving UNRWA staff, contractors and other applicable persons. These allegations may include mismanagement, fraud, corruption, retaliation against whistleblowers, workplace harassment, sexual harassment (SH), sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), abuse of authority, breaches of neutrality, and violations of UNRWA regulations, rules and administrative instructions. All work under this consultancy shall be conducted in accordance with the Uniform Guidelines for Investigations, the UNRWA Investigation Policy, the Guide to Conducting Investigations, and other applicable Agency policies and procedures. The consultancy is intended to strengthen DIOS investigative capacity by providing specialized support in case assessment, investigative planning, OSINT, digital evidence review, reporting and related investigative activities, on an as-needed basis. Description of Duties and Responsibilities The Investigations Officer Consultant will assist with case assessments, online inquiries and investigations of allegations of misconduct. Duties may include the following: Case assessment and investigative planning • Assist in the investigation of potential violations of rules, regulations, policies, procedures, and standards, including breaches of neutrality, fraud, misappropriation, corruption, mismanagement, and other forms of misconduct; • Review and assess complaints and allegations; formulate investigation plans; review and analyse information to determine its relevance, reliability, and evidentiary value; conduct interviews of staff and other involved parties; record interviews; obtain and analyse documentary, electronic, and digital evidence; conduct investigative research; and determine the appropriate presentation of investigative findings and results; OSINT, online inquiries and digital evidence • Conduct and support online inquiries and open-source intelligence (OSINT) activities, including the identification, collection, preservation, analysis, and documentation of information from publicly available sources, social media platforms, websites, databases, and other online resources, in accordance with applicable policies, procedures, and evidentiary standards; • Assist in the collection, review, and analysis of digital evidence, including electronic records, communications, metadata, online content, and other technology-based sources relevant to investigations; • Assist the Central Intake Unit (CIU) in the efficient organization and administration of the Agency’s misconduct intake process and in the assessment of allegations of misconduct; Reporting, documentation and advisory support • Help the Director of DIOS in the preparation of meeting minutes, briefing notes, and other investigative or administrative documentation; • Assist in drafting investigation reports, closure reports, advisory reports, and other case-related documentation; • Review investigation reports and related outputs prepared by other investigators; Policy, lessons learned and capacity-building • Contribute to the development and enhancement of the Office’s investigative policies, procedures, methodologies, best practices, including those relating to online investigations, OSINT, and digital evidence management; • Make recommendations and assist in ensuring that lessons learned from investigations are incorporated into the Agency’s policies, procedures, and risk mitigation measures; and • Assist in the implementation and delivery of investigator training, including training related to investigative interviewing, online investigations, OSINT methodologies, digital evidence collection, and emerging investigative techniques. Deliverables Expected deliverables will be defined for each assignment and may include case assessment notes, investigation plans, interview records, evidence review summaries, OSINT documentation, draft investigation reports, closure reports, advisory reports, briefing notes, meeting minutes, training materials and other investigative or administrative outputs requested by DIOS. Institutional Arrangement The Investigations Officer Consultant will be tasked by, and report to, the Chief of the Investigations Division or another designated DIOS official within the Neutrality Investigations Unit (NIU) The Chief of the Investigations Division or another designated DIOS official within the Neutrality Investigations Unit (NIU) will review the consultant’s work for quality, completeness, objectivity and compliance with applicable investigative standards. All work products produced under this engagement are owned by UNRWA and shall be submitted to the Chief of the Investigations Division or the designated supervisor. Timeline and payment milestones will be determined in association with each task/deliverable. Confidentiality, Ethics and Data Protection The consultant shall maintain strict confidentiality, independence, impartiality and professional integrity in all activities undertaken under this engagement. The consultant shall safeguard information, records and evidence; handle personal data and sensitive investigative material securely; avoid unauthorized disclosure; and comply with applicable UNRWA policies, procedures and instructions relating to investigations, information security, data protection and ethical conduct.

Qualifications/special skills

Academic and Professional qualifications An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution, preferably in law, policing, cybercrime investigations, criminal justice, criminology, digital investigations, journalism or another related field, is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Formal training and/or certification in investigative, law enforcement, OSINT, digital evidence or related methodologies is desirable. Academic and Professional qualifications An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) from an accredited educational institution, preferably in law, policing, cybercrime investigations, criminal justice, criminology, digital investigations, journalism or another related field, is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Formal training and/or certification in investigative, law enforcement, OSINT, digital evidence or related methodologies is desirable. A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in investigatory work is required, including at least two years of international experience outside of the candidate home country, country of permanent residence and country of which the candidate is citizen. Experience carrying out international investigation activities is desirable Experience in analyzing information using OSINT platforms is desirable. Investigation experience in or on the Middle East is desirable.

Languages

Language Requirements • Fluency in English is required. • Fluency in Arabic is desirable.

Additional Information

Duty Station: Additional Information The consultant will be home-based and is expected to provide and maintain the necessary technical resources required to perform the assignment, including appropriate computer hardware, software, secure and reliable internet connectivity, and other communication resources as necessary, including mobile devices with internet access and communication capabilities. These resources must support the conduct of online investigations, the application of OSINT and social media investigative methodologies, research and analytical activities, the identification, collection, review, and analysis of publicly available online information, and participation in virtual meetings and consultations as required.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.