Overview
The Protection Coordinator is technically responsible for ensuring quality protection programming and is the overall country level technical lead within the protection sector. The role involves providing technical and programmatic support for protection activities.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead protection analysis efforts, the development and implementation of the country level protection strategy.
- Technically responsible for the overall protection portfolio.
- Oversee and lead the development, harmonisation and rollout of internal protection related tools, Standard Operating Procedures, policies, and guidelines related to DRC’s protection interventions.
- Act as a reference point for other sectors’ colleagues for Protection Mainstreaming, and age, gender and diversity mainstreaming across all DRC field offices.
- Technically supervise, provide technical advice and guidance to protection sectoral staff, and authority to instruct.
- Responsible for participating in human resource processes, including the recruitment of protection sectoral technical staff in country, establishing minimum technical requirements for protection positions, and setting performance objectives and performance appraisals.
- Responsible for identifying protection sectoral technical gaps and establishing capacity building plans for protection sectoral staff.
- Work closely with relevant protection staff in the development and delivery of capacity building efforts.
- Provide regular technical support and guidance to protection teams and other relevant staff.
- Lead and contribute to the design and finalisation of all protection sectoral interventions in proposals and projects.
- Provide technical review of all proposals that include protection interventions.
- Develop concrete initiatives to reduce protection risks and design specific strategies to build upon existing assets within the population.
- Maintain oversight of overall protection programme implementation, including budgets and indicators.
- Participate in protection programme / project review meetings.
- Lead, in collaboration with MEAL Coordinator/Manager, on the development of quality assurance systems and ensure they are applied throughout the programme / project cycle.
- Develop protection-focused program monitoring tools.
- Undertake quality control and site monitoring to ensure that protection interventions are implemented according to established policies, guidance, and Standard Operating Procedures.
- Provide technical inputs and quality assurance to donors and other DRC reports.
- Ensure that quality assurance systems are developed and applied, with particular reference to the Core Humanitarian Standard and age, gender, and disability throughout the programme.
- Identify, document, and share best practices between field offices.
- Lead the self-assessment based on the Protection Programme Quality Framework (PPQF) once a year and contribute to the annual Protection Survey.
- Conduct and supervise internal and external trainings on protection-related issues.
- Represent DRC in protection coordination meetings.
- Coordinate with government agencies, such as the Ministry of Women, Families and Children Affairs, Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, UNHCR, UNICEF, protection NGOs, and other key stakeholders.
- Ensure internal coordination and harmonization of DRC protection-related activities.
- Promote improved understanding of protection issues among all relevant stakeholders and ensure the observance of international protection and humanitarian legal standards.
- Act as the main sector level point of contact with donors.
- Actively engage and contribute to DRC protection related advocacy efforts.
- Promote integrated programming and ensure internal coordination and harmonisation of DRC protection interventions across sites and with other core sectors.
Required Experience
Minimum 5 years of proven work experience in refugee, returnee, IDP, and host community protection. Demonstrated experience coordinating with and supporting national and local authorities as well as humanitarian coordination fora. Knowledge and experience designing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating protection intervention within two or more of DRC’s Protection sector components: Gender-Based Violence, Child Protection, Protection Information Management, Community-Based Protection, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, and/or Legal Aid. Experience in providing technical guidance and developing and providing learning activities. Prior experience with data analysis and writing/development of thematic protection reports, and advocacy products is a strong asset. Proven communication, interpersonal, representation, negotiation, promotion, and diplomacy skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective working relations with staff members and other stakeholders. Proven strategic and analytical thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of humanitarian, political and human rights situation in the relevant context. Experience with technical management of teams. Sound understanding and experience in protection mainstreaming and Age, Gender, and Diversity (AGD) mainstreaming, conflict sensitivity, and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and abuse (PSEA). Experience in project development (including proposal writing), implementation and MEAL for protection programmes. Experience with capacity building, and in convening and facilitating trainings and workshops. Experience living and working in cross-cultural, multi-sector, and/or remote environments.
Qualifications
University or graduate degree in law, social work, gender, or other relevant field.
