Protection Specialist
Qualifications of Protection Specialist:
- Location: Maroua, Far North, Cameroon
- Vacancy No: 59047
- Salary: N/A
- Organization: IRC International Rescue Committee
- Deadline: Varies
Brief details about Protection Specialist:
About
Information about the organization that has offered the job:
1. Background
Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s largest humanitarian organizations. The IRC provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of oppression and violent conflict. Working in more than 40 countries, the IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster survive, recover, and take control of their futures.
Since 2014, Cameroon’s Far North (EN) region has suffered devastating attacks by non-state armed groups (NAGs), displacing 1.5 million people and leaving 4.7 million in urgent need of humanitarian assistance. The International Rescue Committee (IRC) began operations in the EN region in 2016, responding to the needs of populations affected by the various crises. The IRC’s work in Cameroon is more important than ever given the ongoing violence that is forcing people to flee their communities.
IRC Protection programs aim to ensure, maintain, and promote the safety of those most at risk from violence and rights violations in humanitarian settings (i.e., women, children, older people, and people with disabilities). Working at the intersection of emergency protection and longer-term societal change, the IRC’s goal is to interrupt trajectories of violence by providing equitable support, empowering clients, and strengthening the capacity of the local system to protect people’s rights.
Specifically, IRC’s Protection programs in Cameroon focus on providing counseling and case management services to those exposed to violence (including gender-based violence) in a culturally appropriate, accessible, and confidential manner. The IRC also ensures access to immediate health care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance. Through protection monitoring and capacity building in protection and human rights, the IRC establishes a protective environment at the community level to ensure the sustainability of interventions. Finally, the program also aims to empower women, girls, men, and boys to challenge attitudes and practices that oppress women and girls.
2.Résumé
The Protection Specialist’s primary responsibility is to ensure the quality of protection interventions in the Far North of Cameroon, by providing technical oversight of protection activities and capacity building for IRC staff and partners, including case management staff. The Protection Specialist regularly visits the field to ensure the quality of implementation and high-level decision-making, particularly during challenging stages such as advocacy with authorities and communities, including dispute resolution. In terms of external coordination, the Protection Specialist ensures good collaborative relationships with decentralized government technical services and other relevant stakeholders.
The Protection Specialist also contributes to the development of the Protection program strategy in Cameroon.
3.Zone d’intervention
The Protection Specialist will be based in Maroua with frequent travel to the IRC intervention areas of the Far North (Mayo-Sava, Mayo-Tsanaga and Logone-et-Chari).
4. Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the base coordinator and the Protection coordinator, the Protection Specialist provides technical support to IRC teams and partners in their area of expertise, and more specifically:
A. Program implementation and quality
· Ensure high-quality implementation of activities in accordance with the IRC program strategy, national policies and protection standards, in his/her area of expertise and in his/her area of intervention, in collaboration with the project managers.
· Rapidly identify, coordinate and recommend solutions to identified technical and programmatic challenges.
· Organize regular field supervisions to provide coaching and technical support to IRC and partner staff.
· Provide technical support during project reporting activities, including training, supervision and other relevant reporting.
B. Partnerships
· Conduct an assessment of the technical capacity building of IRC partners.
· Strengthen the capacity of IRC partners based on the assessment to enable them to assess, analyze and respond to protection needs.
· Organize quarterly meetings with IRC partners to discuss the implementation of project activities, operational context and provide support as needed.
· Contribute to the development of a network of local civil society and government partners in the field of protection in its area of intervention.
C. Personnel management
· Support, train and supervise staff responsible for managing protection activities and strengthen their technical capacities in order to guarantee the quality of implementation and provide advice on professional development.
· Actively participate in the staff recruitment process.
· Participate in the evaluation of staff performance, in collaboration with their direct supervisor.
D. Strategic development of the program
· Contribute to the strategic direction of IRC Protection programs by sharing identified needs, lessons learned and strategic priorities in its area of intervention.
· Participate in the development of project proposals in his/her area of expertise and area of intervention.
· Regularly analyze feedback sent to the Protection program using the Client Feedback Mechanism and propose actions to improve the quality of interventions.
· Promote and assist other IRC programming sectors by integrating cross-cutting protection into its area of intervention.
E. Coordination, representation and advocacy
· Actively engage in protection-related coordination mechanisms (clusters, working groups, etc.) and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and protection coordination structures in the Far North of Cameroon, including NGOs, the United Nations, and technical and government actors.
· Contribute to the identification of advocacy priorities in the area of protection and their implementation.
· Support the organization and facilitation of field visits for partners, donors and others interested in IRC protection programs in the Far North of Cameroon.
Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor to improve IRC programs.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Required profile: Qualification and skills
· Hold a master’s degree in law, social work, psychology, humanitarian aid or any other equivalent diploma;
· At least 5 years of experience in the protection sector with NGOs.
· Proven experience in capacity building, coordination, supervision and advocacy;
· Good understanding of gender issues, human rights, child protection, safeguarding issues, including those related to violence against women and girls.
· Personal qualities: autonomy, scientific rigor, diplomacy, supervisory skills, aptitude for dialogue and negotiation, good stress management, ability to adapt to the way NGOs operate, analytical and writing skills.
· Ability to multitask
· Excellent computer skills: Word, Excel, Power Point and MS Outlook.
· Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
· Ability to work independently and as part of a team, with strong time management, project management and organizational skills for staff working under his/her direction.
· Excellent planning and communication skills.
· Fluency in French is essential
· Fluency in English and/or certain local languages, cultures and traditions is an asset.
· Be of Cameroonian nationality.