Title: Protection Team Leader (Community Engagement)

Location:  Shire

Employment Category:  G

Reporting To: Protection Manager – Tigray

Direct Reports: Protection officers (Protection Monitoring and information dissemination), Protection assistants, Translators

Start of Contract & Duration:  From July 2021, to May 31, 2022

Posting date: June 22, 2021

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, Gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

Under supervision of the Protection Manager, the Protection Team Leader – Community Engagement will be responsible for coordinating and implementing community-based protection activities in Tigray. Specifically, she/he will work to establish and train protection community focal points, map community-based structures, establish them/strengthen their representativity, build their capacity, mobilize them, liaise and support them to develop protection initiatives. The Team Leader will also facilitate and coordinate the peace committees and social cohesion activities in Shire and surrounding areas as agreed with protection manager. The position is also expected to contribute to other protection activities that DRC is implementing in the area based on capacity and direction from the supervisor.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Support

• Provide technical guidance to ensure quality and adherence to national and international protection standards and guidelines;
• Lead or contribute to protection/multisectoral assessments and mappings, and identify protection needs;
• Establish inclusive community protection focal points in first phase emergency in collaboration with the Protection Monitoring TL;
• Lead the community engagement team to map community-based structures and strengthen existing community-based protection structures or establish new ones for representativity;
• Ensure that the community-based protection structures are inclusive, representative, gender and age sensitive;
• Look for synergy at the start of the activities by establishing integrated protection and WASH or Shelter community focal points and structures if relevant;
• Provide ongoing mentorship and technical support/capacity building to the protection focal points, protection community-based structures and peace committees in the areas of intervention on various protection related topics in line with internal standards;
• Connect the focal points and structures to the other local actors and key stakeholders;
• Support the structures in developing protection action plans and developing and implementing related initiatives;
• Contribute to the development of comprehensive service mapping by providing information on the community -based structures in the area and inputting in DRC service mapping;
• Contribute to the protection monitoring by conducting protection monitoring assessments with the protection community- based structures and sharing information with the identified relevant person;
• Provide capacity building on basic protection, PFA, identification and referrals to all community-based structures and focal points DRC works with;
• Ensure strong synergy with the other community-based structures DRC work with (including in WASH and Shelter);
• Ensure the protection community-based protection structures play a key role in supporting DRC protection activities and objectives;
• Contribute to the development of DRC community-based protection approach and relevant tools in line with best practices and standards;

General Management and Support

• Manage and technically supervise the Protection (community engagement) officers, assistants and community workers under the position, provide leadership and day-to-day support and guidance and build the capacity of protection staff through mentoring and training;
• Promote team building and contribute to a positive working environment;
• Plan and oversee the protection activities under this position, produce work and activity plans and ensure implementation;
• Coordinate inputs from DRC’s supporting units, particularly logistics and finance;
• In collaboration with the Protection Manager, ensure implementation of protection activities according to program commitments;
• Collaborate closely with the other protection team leader (Protection Monitoring) to ensure strong coordination and synergy of activities;
• Collaborate closely with DRC’s other sectors of activities to ensure strong coordination and synergy for integrated programming;
• Identify training and capacity building opportunities for staff in Shire and ensure that protection staff are conversant with protection concepts, DRC's code of conduct, humanitarian principles, accountability, and prevention of sexual exploitation;
• In coordination with supervisor liaise with governmental officials, NGOs and other key stakeholders on DRC’s behalf;
• Attend and contribute to relevant coordination mechanisms;
• Ensure appropriate financial reporting on all project activities, in cooperation with the Protection Manager and DRC finance and administration staff;
• Ensure that ethical data collection and protection-related information management systems are in place for all activities under their responsibly;
• Take on any other tasks required by her/his supervisor in the limit on his/her expertise and skills;

Reporting:

• Compile and provide weekly and monthly reports on all protection activities under their direct responsibility and on project implementation progress.  This includes submitting weekly and monthly reports to the Protection Manager and M&E team;
• Provide ongoing general monitoring of the operating context to ensure relevance and accountability to DRC's beneficiary populations;
• Report any noteworthy developments in the external context, humanitarian and security situation to the Protection Manager or Area Manager;
• Contribute to donor report and external report developments;
• Maintaining accurate and comprehensive files of project activities, outputs, materials, means of verification and other relevant documentation.

Experience and Technical Competencies: (include years of experience)

• Minimum 3 to 4 years of experience in a mid-level position, with experience in the field of humanitarian response and refugee/IDP protection working for an international NGO, UN agency or relevant ministry or local authority;
• Experience in project and staff management is a requirement;
• Hands-on experience with protection in emergency response is highly desired;
• Experience working with displaced and/or conflict affected populations, such as IDPs, with a focus on protection;
• Strong understanding of protection in general, but also of GBV, Child Protection, AGD, PSEA and any relevant protection issue;
• Strong analytical and writing skills, with the ability to produce well-written and succinct written documents for external use;
• Strong planning, organization and problem-solving skills with ability to work both independently and within a team in a demanding work environment;
• Integrity, strong work ethic, and ability to consistently meet deadlines under pressure;
• Experience of working in an emergency setting is desired;
• Strong inter-personal skills and Staff management skills;
• Commitment to learning and implementing organizational policies and procedures.

Education (include certificates, licenses etc.):

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, law, social work, international development, or other relevant field from a recognized institution.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Excellent verbal and written proficiency in Amharic, English and Tigrinya.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.
• Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values