Humanitarian Protection Advisor
Working with the world’s poorest people to transform their lives. Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering in the world’s poorest countries. We work in partnership with the very poorest people in these countries, directly enabling them to improve their lives, as well as using our knowledge and experience to influence decisions made at a local, national and international level that can significantly reduce extreme poverty.
Job Title: / Humanitarian Protection AdvisorReports to: / Emergency Director when in Dublin
Relevant Country Director when in the field
Job Location: / The post holder will be based in Dublin with frequent travel overseas.
Approximately 30% of the Advisor’s time may be spent overseas each year.
Contract Details: / 2 year fixed term contract
Pay Band: / Grade 5: €40,928 to €48,151
Job Purpose: / To support and strengthen the integration of humanitarian protection into programmes through the development of good humanitarian protection practice and the dissemination and application of the P4 throughout the organisation.
To ensure that our humanitarian protection interventions – including those considering GBV in emergencies - are consistent with internationally established good practice.
To act as the Emergency Directorate’s focal person in relation to the Core Humanitarian Standard, with a specific focus on supporting the establishment of Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) at head office and field level.
Main duties &
responsibilities: / 1. Technical Support
Humanitarian protection
· Provide appropriate support, advice and direction in approaches and technical areas of humanitarian protection and how a more informed approach to protection may affect programme design and implementation.
· Provide training to staff and partners on mainstreaming protection into programmes with a focus on prevention, and contributing to the improvement of the safety and security of conflict/disaster affected populations.
· Assist the International Programmes Directorate to mainstream protection analysis into all programme interventions. In line with the Strategic Plan, assist country programmes to look at risk and vulnerability as part of the protection approach that all country programmes should follow. Provide technical support on the design of protection elements to new and existing programmes.
· Document and share good practice, lessons to be learned from the fields on protection work, etc. from Concern and others. This may include through the review of current protection programmes (in countries such as Lebanon and Haiti) or components (DRC, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Turkey, Somalia, etc.) and of the GBV work done in emergency contexts to identify lessons for learning and replication.
· Facilitate project reviews and evaluations as requested.
· Review and roll out the Approach to Protection paper and develop additional tools for field teams on protection principles, identify and map protection issues, protection gaps and analysis of protection risks, referrals, collection and management of sensitive information, and information dissemination for improving vulnerable people with access to services and community based protection activities.
· Provide, or facilitate the provision of, appropriate training for staff in protection issues. Support the development and delivery of the training being planned by the Emergency Unit in humanitarian principles and practice.
· Support the Dublin induction process.
· As appropriate, link with the Education and Equality Advisors.
Accountability
· Increase our networking and sharing of experience to raise organisational profile in relation to protection and the linkage between this and accountability. This may include through engagement with:
a. the IASC AAP/PSEA[1] Task Team
b. the Core Humanitarian Standard team
c. ALNAP
d. the CDA team working on accountability
e. also consider possibilities to engage in accountability research/studies.
· Work with the Regional Director with responsibility for the CHS, specifically with regard to supporting country programmes that are implementing or wish to implement a CRM.
· Coordinate the exchange of information and provide constant support to the lead countries on CRM.
· Support country programmes to develop and review CRMs in compliance with the 2010 HAP Standard (ensure that CRMs are contextual, effective, accessible and safe for beneficiaries, and ensure that feedback is recorded, reviewed and acted upon).
· With the Regional Director with responsibility for the CHS and the Internal Auditor, provide the necessary support for reviewing the organisational CRM.
· Ensure that learning and good practice on CRM is captured and shared with country programmes.
· Liaise with PALU Advisors and Partnership Advisor.
Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4)
· The P4 is now substantially integrated into the organisation, but support is needed to ensure that the progress made in relation to it is not lost. As such, the Advisor will remain the key point of contact in relation to its implementation at field level and for any necessary review of the level of utilisation of the P4 Guidelines.
· Follow up with RDs and country programmes on the progress made in ensuring the dissemination and application of the P4 (progress against the P4 Plan of Action).
· Provide technical support and training as needed to help country programmes (and – if requested - the staff of their partner organisations) reach a good understanding of the policy and an agreed standard of application. Ensure a focus on preventive measure to abuse and exploitations (including sexual exploitation and abuse), accountability and the 2010 HAP Standard. Stand-alone P4 training at field level should not be required and should be combined with CRM and information sharing.
· Review the P4 baseline to assess improvements in Dublin, country programmes and in Concern UK.
· Engage with the HR Directorate in relation to the roll out of Concern Investigation guidelines (2011), and consistency in the way P4 issues and complaints are handled and disciplinary action is taken at the country programme level.
2. Policy, best practice and strategy
· Support Regional Directors and Country Directors to monitor the implementation of the P4 through the P4 Plan of Action. This will require the delineation of responsibilities between Overseas and the Emergency Unit, and the engagement with HR, and agreement on how best to take the relevant issues forward at home office and country programme level.
· Develop ‘good practice’ guidelines on the design and management of humanitarian protection interventions.
· Keep abreast of relevant policy trends and thinking, ensure that Concern’s policy and practice reflects these, and that this information is widely disseminated throughout the organisation.
· Develop an understanding of the mandates, programming capacities and priorities of other organisations engaged in this sector, and on the policies of our principal government donors. Advise on strategic linkages to ensure maximum impact in this area.
· In line with Concern’s overall advocacy strategy, advise on whether there are advocacy issues that Concern should take up at local, national or international level, and if so, how they might be designed (especially with relevance to the point above, in relation to the activities of other key actors in the sector).
3. Emergency deployment
· The Advisor may be required to respond quickly to emerging needs by undertaking or participating in humanitarian or protection assessments using participatory methodologies in line with international best practice.
· Activities may include assessing the impact of new disasters, leading emergency response teams responding to disasters in countries in which Concern has not had a prior presence or supporting existing country programmes responding to new disasters.
4. Networking, representation, and information sharing
· Establish and maintain links with other organisations, institutions or professional groups in relation to emergency issues.
· Represent Concern to relevant institutes, universities, organisations, and donors in areas related to humanitarian protection issues.
· Attend workshops or seminars on emergency-related issues as appropriate.
5. Organisational policies and strategies
· Contribute to Concern’s organisational policy, strategic development and general programming work through active participation in organisational programming discussions, and through making proactive suggestions on improving Concern’s approaches and strategies.
· Assist with the development of advocacy issues in relation to emergency programming.
Person specification: / Essential:
· A relevant third level qualification is essential, together with a theoretical knowledge of the principles of humanitarian protection.
· Minimum of five years’ experience in a programme that involved areas of protection in humanitarian response work, preferably in a humanitarian or protection role in conflict or insecure environments. This should include two years at management level, preferably working with refugees and IDPs.
· Proven experience in protection mainstreaming in emergencies from the needs assessment to the project development and delivery stages.
· Proven experience in the provision of technical advice and support to field programmes, and skills in staff and partner development and training.
· Proven experience in developing training material and delivering workshops, particularly in cross-cultural settings.
· Proven experience in or understanding of accountability principles and mechanisms.
· French speaker.
· Proven experience of working in an insecure environment.
· Strong conceptual and practical understanding of protection issues and approaches in humanitarian contexts, including the constraints, sensitivities and risks associated with such work.
· Strong understanding of international humanitarian law, refugee law, humanitarian principles, protection principles and standards, key sectoral issues and processes including advocacy for protection.
· Demonstrable understanding of the gender dynamics of protection work and ability to implement protection activities with an emphasis on the gendered aspects of conflict, violence and abuse.
Or any other criteria which we deem to be appropriate for the role.
To apply: / All applications should be submitted through our website at: www.concern.net/jobs by the 20th October 2015.
Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Ireland at the time of application.
Concern's Programme Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct has been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants, especially beneficiaries, from abuse and exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, partner organisations, and anyone engaged by Concern or visiting our programmes, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context all Concern staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their work in accordance with Concern's core values and mission.
Concern's Programme Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct have been appended to this contract for your signature. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct you demonstrate that you have understood their content and agree to conduct yourself in accordance with the provisions of this document.
A breach of this policy will result in disciplinary action up to, and including, dismissal.
Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).
Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.
Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
[1] Accountability to Affected Populations, Including Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse