Protection Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

IRC entered Nigeria in October 2012 in response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s Emergency Response Team, with local partner CISCOPE (Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication), implemented a project to support livelihoods and improve WASH in Kogi State from February to May 2013. This was followed by a 3-month nutrition and food security program in the same location from October 2013 to January 2014. The IRC is now in the process of establishing long term presence in Nigeria.  An office has been established in Yola, Adamawa State, North East Nigeria and serves program implementation in four local government authorities (LGAs). The health and nutrition program currently provides critical humanitarian assistance to conflict affected people and host communities. Support is provided through 20 health facilities and 10 make shift internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. 

SCOPE OF WORK:

The IRC is implementing a protection program featuring protection monitoring, information sharing, and referral services. The IRC will also include a capacity building component working with selected local partner organizations to build capacity around protection mainstreaming and protection monitoring. Geographically, the protection program is implemented in the NE state of Adamawa in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) in and around the state capital of Yola. 

The Protection Coordinator will be responsible for the development and implementation of protection programming in the Yola field office areas of operation. He/she will lead the design of protection monitoring methodology, M&E systems, training materials for protection and information project staff, and Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) regarding the sharing of data with other actors. The Protection Coordinator will ensure the quality of protection data collection and analysis and ensure that succinct and accurate protection reports are utilized to inform programming and advocacy both internally and externally. The Protection Coordinator will also be responsible in contributing to increasing the IRC’s presence and potential leadership role in the Protection sector by attending relevant working group meetings, networking with state and NGO actors in the protection sector and identifying potential partners for future programming. The Protection Coordinator will directly supervise various Protection, Information, and Database staff who will also support the program.   

The Protection Coordinator will work extensively with other sectors, to ensure that protection principles are being incorporated into the Nigeria sector programs, and in particular with the Women’s Protection and Empowerment Coordinator, the Child Youth and Protection Development Coordinator and the Food Security team to strengthen the integrated nature of IRC’s protection and assistance programs in Nigeria. 

The Protection Coordinator will be based in Yola. S/he reports to the Senior Program Coordinator.   

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program management

• Provide strategic direction and vision to the IRC’s Protection programming in Nigeria, with an emphasis on maintaining program quality during a period of expansion.
• Ensure that all interventions are in compliance with the IRC’s protection mainstreaming framework, international law and protection standards and national policies.
• Oversee implementation of the Protection Monitoring and Information Dissemination through managing project work plans and budgets (budget forecasting, development of spending plans and budget follow-up), ensuring timely recruitment, quality implementation and accurate reporting in accordance with IRC and donor regulations.
• Ensure that monitoring and evaluation systems are effectively designed and integrated into all stages of the project; that output and impact data are captured and that data is used to optimize program quality.
• Provide continuous support to and ensure targeted capacity building of staff.
• Participate in cross-departmental collaboration and coordination in order to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from protection best practice; in particular with regular contact and coordination with Coordinators and Managers in WPE, CP, Food Security (ERD), and Education.

New business development

• Develop the Protection sector strategy for Nigeria in close collaboration with the Protection Managers, SPC/CD, other protection sector staff, and the Governance and Rights (Protection Team) Technical Unit
• Identify opportunities for, design and develop concept notes and proposals for further protection programming, including follow-on SV and SIDA funding for 2016, and other protection programming as requested
• Develop and/or input into protection assessments and protection reporting analysis for the purpose of program development
• Provide Protection input on proposals from other sectors to ensure protection is mainstreamed across IRC programming

Representation, coordination and advocacy

• Coordinate with SPC/CD to forge connections with key government counterparts at the ministerial level, UN, I/NGOs, human rights actors, municipal and other sub-national government actors.
• Represent the IRC in high level and strategic meetings involving protection actors such as protection working group meetings, inter-agency coordination meetings, and bi-lateral meetings.
• Regularly coordinate with internal program and operational stakeholders, the Protection/Rule of Law Technical Advisors, Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Children’s Protection, Education and other IRC colleagues.
• In collaboration with the SPC/CD and regional advocacy team, ensure that the protection program delivers on advocacy goals as articulated in the country wide advocacy strategy.

REQUIREMENTS

• Advanced university degree in Law, Human Rights or a related field.
• 3-5 years experience implementing protection programming including experience in emergency or post-conflict project management
• Demonstrated experience using international human rights standards in protection programming
• Demonstrated experience implementing M&E programs
• Strong strategic thinking and proposal writing skills
• Strong leadership, staff and budget management and capacity building skills.
• Excellent communication skills, cultural sensitivity, flexibility, ability to improvise, team player.
• Ability to live and productively work under stress and in insecure and harsh environments while maintaining a sense of humor.

DESIRED

• Experience implementing integrated programming which focuses on meeting the unique needs of children, women and girls is desired.
• Experience in implementing programming that utilizes ICT, including in the management and monitoring of SMS based systems.
• Regional experience and fluency in English

SPECIFIC SECURITY SITUATION /HOUSING

The Protection Coordinator will be based in Yola, Nigeria with travel throughout the country. The security situation in Nigeria continues to be volatile in the NE with Adamawa state on level 3 (orange) security level as it’s one of the three states of emergency (SoE) in the NE of the country. The candidate should be prepared to implement programming in insecure environments. This is a non-accompanied position. The Coordinator will live in shared housing.