Protection Cluster Co - Lead

Background/IRC Summary: 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.

Job Overview/Summary: IRC has more than 30 years experience in Pakistan, much of it providing multi sectoral support to conflict affected IDPs and Pakistanis affected by natural disaster. The Protection Cluster Co-lead will work with the designated UNHCR lead to support the management of the Protection Cluster in order to coordinate the humanitarian response to the needs of conflict-affected populations in north-west Pakistan. The position will split time between Peshawar and Islamabad, depending on programme requirements, with travel to the provinces/districts as feasible.

Major Responsibilities:

In coordination with the UNHCR lead, the incumbent will be responsible for the following roles (actual division of responsibilities may vary):

• Establishment and Maintenance of Appropriate Coordination Structures
  • In collaboration with the UNHCR and Government co-leads, co-chair the Protection Cluster, ensuring agreement on key decisions and actions;
  • Coordinating protection activities and actors within the Protection Cluster, including support to inter-agency monitoring missions;
  • Develop and maintain referral pathways to ensure coordination of assistance and service provision;
  • Encourage and support NGO and Governmental participation in the coordination of responses;
  • Establish links and coordination with, and support the development and capacity of District Coordination Working Groups, where relevant through the Provincial Protection Cluster lead and co-lead, and in close coordination with Child Protection and GBV sub-group/sub-cluster leads;
  • Mobilize resources to respond to priority protection concerns;

• Representation
  • Represent the Protection Cluster at relevant inter-agency, government, donor and other forums, in partnership with the designated UNHCR lead;  

• Needs Assessments and Information Management
  • Identify, analyze and report on local protection dynamics related to complex emergencies and concerns with a focus on ensuring durable solutions to displacement;
  • Introduce appropriate protection tools for use by Protection Cluster members to identify, report, monitor and respond to protection concerns;
  • Map the needs, capacities and gaps in service provision and the protection of human rights;
  • Support and coordinate inter-agency monitoring missions to areas of displacement and return

• Advocacy
  • Support the design of evidence-based advocacy strategies and take a strong role in coordinating and leading advocacy initiatives on identified protection concerns;
  • Coordinating and reporting on funding gaps and programmatic needs of Protection Cluster members and regularly advocating to donors and various forums to help address such funding gaps and needs;

• Planning and Strategy Development
  • Support Provincial actors in the development and updating of strategic action plans, disaster preparedness and contingency planning and ensure that these are adequately reflected in overall country strategies;
  • In coordination with UNHCR Cluster Lead, support representation of protection concerns in cross-sectoral/inter-cluster discussions on strategy, policy, prioritization and resource mobilization;
  • Support to proposal design and development as related to Cluster activities and Co-lead position;  

• Mainstreaming Protection and Application of Standards
  • Establish and implement a strategy for mainstreaming protection across each sector/cluster;
  • Mainstreaming protection and application of national and international humanitarian principles among Protection Cluster actors through trainings and technical support;

• Capacity Building
  • In close coordination with Protection Cluster sub-groups and sub-clusters, coordinate and facilitate training for Protection Cluster members, local government authorities and other humanitarian actors;
  • Building the capacity of the Government and other Protection Cluster members to create a stronger protection environment and to prepare for future emergency responses;
  • Where relevant, provide ongoing capacity building and skills exchange with the District Coordination Working Group Chairs and with their members;

• Monitoring, Reporting and Communication
  • Support existing systems for reporting on the progress of Protection Cluster members’ activities for effective monitoring and evaluation;
  • Develop and maintain effective communication and information sharing within the PTG/Protection Cluster and among other sectors;
  • Ensure a high standard of reporting on identified issues and production of regular situation reports;

• Supervision and Mentoring
  • Where relevant, supervise and work closely with a national counterpart to share skills and build their capacity to co-lead the Protection Cluster; and
  • Supervise closely the national protection cluster co lead at provincial level and support him/her in conducting protection monitoring visits and trainings for relevant stakeholders.

• Professional Standards
  • All IRC staff are required to adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Job Requirements:

Education: Post graduate degree in international law, social sciences or related field

Work Experience: Minimum of 5-7 years proven experience working on protection or rule of law related issues in humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams 

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and laws;
• Excellent leadership, coordination, capacity building, planning and analytical skills;
• Excellent advocacy and representation skills including the development of strong interpersonal relationships to facilitate communication within the cluster;
• Willingness to attend several meetings per day on a regular basis;
• Able to work successfully under pressure and ability to make timely decisions;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Self motivated and excellent observer and surveyor of protection issues in the country;
• Previous experience of working within the cluster system preferred;
• Experience in Pakistan and/or in the region is preferred;
• Proven ability to live and work in an unstable, insecure environment.

Working Environment/Specific Security Situation/Housing:

The security situation in Pakistan remains fluid and unpredictable. Candidates may expect periods of insecurity, periodic suspensions of, or restrictions in, program operation and/or field travel, and high levels of volatility in the operating environment. The position will split in either KP or Islamabad based on programme needs.  Islamabad has lower levels of insecurity.  In KP, field access and travel is feasible but limited, and candidates should expect periodic further limitations on movement.

This is an unaccompanied post.  Candidates can expect to live in shared housing, which is generally of high standard, according to the IRC Pakistan housing policy.