Protection & Information Manager

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (www.theIRC.org) is a world leader in relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict development services for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The IRC is currently working in over 25 countries around the world, addressing both the immediate and life saving needs of conflict affected people in emergencies and the reconstruction needs of post-conflict societies. The IRC has been working in Lebanon since 2012 to provide support to refugees and vulnerable host community members in the areas of women’s protection, children’s protection and cash assistance.

The IRC is implementing protection programming in Mount Lebanon during 2015, incorporating protection monitoring and information dissemination, Collective Site Management and Coordination (CSMC) and legal services. The program seeks to promote a protective environment for adults and children, especially those identified through monitoring to be most at risk of rights violations and problems in accessing services, through protection reporting, referral of protection concerns faced by vulnerable groups and individuals, information dissemination, provision of legal services, and capacity building refugee community representatives to support and lead management of their communities.

SCOPE OF WORK:
The Protection & Information Manager will be responsible for managing the implementation of the protection project in Mount Lebanon, and preparing the team for transition to a nationalized management structure. This will include coordination of trainings and capacity building, as well as day-to-day support and guidance for the protection monitors, officer-level staff and team leaders. Protection monitoring will focus on documenting and analysis of rights violations, discrimination, and exclusion, and will lead to: 1) increased understanding of the protective environment, including demographic data, vulnerability mapping, available services, and existing gaps impacting the refugee and host populations, and 2) sharable reports detailing needed actions by the IRC, humanitarian, and government actors to address protection concerns/gaps and contribute to referral mechanisms for specialized services. Data collection, analysis and reporting will be done via a digital data collection and management system. Information campaigns will be carried out to inform affected persons of their rights, policies, assistance opportunities, and protection threats, including on available services and access, as well as where to seek remedies and redress for identified protection concerns. Information will be shared via a range of traditional and innovative modalities (information sessions, rights trainings, IEC materials, radio broadcasts, info/hotlines).

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Take the lead on producing succinct and analytical monthly protection reports per project site (Mount Lebanon area), highlighting key protection issues and analyzing trends identified from protection monitoring and other recorded objective sources to provide direct strategic advice to the Protection Coordinator, Information Officers, UNHCR and other stakeholders.
• Produce thematic, issue specific reports as requested by the Protection Coordinator both for internal IRC use and for distribution to UNHCR and other stakeholders.
• Provide direct supervision and support to Team Leaders and Officers, including:
  • Participation in monitoring and information missions.
  • Regular reviews of data collected by the teams, review of data collection methodologies, regular review of function of digital data collection and reporting systems, develop strategies for improving data collection.
  • Regular reviews of written and oral information campaigns, review of information dissemination methodologies, develop strategies for improving information dissemination.
  • Development of individual work plans, ensuring best practice standards are met, with a focus on building the management capacity of staff and empowering them to work autonomously.
• Provide a human rights “lens” on all protection monitoring reporting and information campaigns, assisting to ensure reporting and information dissemination are grounded in human rights law, refugee law, national law and Sphere standards.
• Acts as a focal point for protection network in area of operation on all relevant protection trends and rights violations, by overseeing ongoing quality protection monitoring, information dissemination, case referrals, and overall analysis of trends.
• Assess the training and capacity building needs of Team Leaders and Officers, and design and implement professional development plans for staff.
• Work in close coordination with relevant staff in other IRC units, including Women’s Protection and Empowerment, Children’s Protection, Economic Recovery and Development to ensure the project’s strong integration with other sectors.
• Lead on the development and implementation of evidence-based advocacy positions in the area of operation in coordination with the Protection Coordinator; support the Coordinator in the development of advocacy positions to be shared with the Protection Working Group and to inform country-wide and international advocacy.
• Support the Protection Coordinator in the development of new concepts for future programming.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with UNHCR, INGO, government authorities, and other key stakeholders to ensure active coordination, collaboration, and information dissemination.
• Undertakes other tasks as requested by the Protection Coordinator.

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: Protection Coordinator
• Position directly supervises: Protection Team Leader, Reporting Officer, Information Officer, Outreach Officer
• Indirect Reporting: NA

Other Internal and/or external contacts:

• Internal: Protection and Information Manager (North Lebanon/Bekaa/South Lebanon), Legal Manager.
• External: UNHCR staff from Mount Lebanon Field Office.

Professional Standards
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Human Rights, Law or related field
• 1-3 years experience with an NGO and/or international organization managing program activities in Protection
• Proven experience in reporting, information management and statistics
• Experience working with the relevant UN Agencies and other partners
• Skills in capacity building of teams at community, field and national level
• Ability to interpret, analyze and synthesize information in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent organizational skills, timeliness, ability to determine priorities and great attention to detail
• Familiarity with program design, including log frames, budgeting and grants/report writing preferred
• Familiarity with M&E system design and implementation, preferred
• Experience writing protection reports for donors, governments, and the general public
• Excellent drafting and oral communication skills in English, oral and written Arabic skills desirable
• Proactive, flexible, team spirited and willing to learn
• Ability to live and productively work under stress while maintaining a sense of humor
• Successful advocacy experience and strong presentation skills
• Excellent computer skills including MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently
• Fluency in English required, ability to communicate and clearly in Arabic is an asset

Working Environment: Located in Beirut, the working environment will be predominately office-based (75%), with some field work (25%). It may involve travel to other locations in Lebanon, in line with programmatic needs.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci42MTM4OC40ODEwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20