Information Field Assistant, Icla - Syrian Response

NRC has been present in Lebanon since 2006 initially assisting Lebanese displaced persons and later Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees.  NRC Lebanon provides Education, Shelter, Community Capacity Building (an adaptation of Camp Management) and WASH activities.  In March 2012, NRC commenced its Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) programme, initially with Palestinian refugees and, more recently, with refugees from Syria.  ICLA is one of NRC’s global core competencies and is currently being implemented in 17 countries.  ICLA focuses on (1) providing a legal response to address the lack of housing, land and property (HLP) and identity rights for Palestinian refugees; and (2) providing assistance in access to rights for refugees from Syria.  ICLA services are provided by ICLA staff and ICLA consultant lawyers, mainly through NRC community centres and extensive outreach work in the surrounding areas.  As part of the ICLA programme, NRC provides assistance (including advice and representation) on legal matters, with a focus on (a) legal status; (b) civil/legal documentation; (c) housing, land and property issues (HLP); (d) Non-IDs and (e)related issues. 1.      Role and responsibilities The Information Field Assistant is responsible for providing quality information and counselling to beneficiaries and, through this work, developing better understanding of the protection situation for the target communities. The following is a brief description of the role. Generic responsibilities Develop and manage a weekly activity plan for the provision of information sessions in South Lebanon , through outreach, under the supervision of the Information Field Officer; Gather information on activities being implemented by other humanitarian actors in South Lebanon , and provide it to the Information Field Officer in order to maintain a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date written mapping of services; Provide information and counselling to beneficiaries on how to access basic services through individual and group information sessions conducted in centre or other humanitarian organisations and through outreach, in accordance with ICLA structure and guidance, and agreed workplans; Provide information and counselling to beneficiaries on legal issues (on legal status, civil documentation, including birth registration, Non-IDs and Housing, Land and Property rights), in accordance with ICLA structure and guidance, and agreed workplans; In close liaison with the Legal Field Officer (and / or legal focal points, as relevant), employ Collaborative Dispute Mechanisms (CDR) with individuals and communities in response to HLP disputes Consistently use agreed templates and  tools to document ICLA's activities in the field Provide inputs to ICLA reports on activities in the South and on gaps, challenges and opportunities and suggestions as how to respond to them, as required by the Legal Officer, ICLA Coordinator and ICLA Project Manager Work cooperatively with the beneficiaries and other relevant stakeholders Responsible for ensuring that he / she understands and applies protection principles and NRC guidance to daily activities Carry out data collection as required Prepare and file relevant documents according to procedures Specific responsibilities In close liaison with the Information Field Officer (and / or legal focal points and Legal Field Officer, as relevant), arrange appointments with ICLA lawyers and appropriately manage ICLA's legal assistance cases, in accordance with ICLA structure, guidelines and principles; Provide inputs to the Information Field Officer and Legal Field Officer on information, legal and protection needs of target communities that are identified during the course of information and counselling activities; Undertake monitoring and evaluation activities to ensure the satisfactory progress, quality, efficiency and accountability of ICLA's activities in the South, in accordance with the agreed monitoring and evaluation plan for the south; Contribute ideas and enthusiasm towards ensuring a positive morale and professional satisfaction amongst the ICLA team in South Lebanon; Participate in team meetings with the ICLA team in the South, exchanging information and discussing ICLA's response to challenges and identifying lessons learned; Build and maintain positive and effective relationships with colleagues in other NRC core competencies and departments, and, as relevant, find ways of collaborating to further enhance the effectiveness of NRC activities in the South; Liaise on a working-level with other humanitarian actors in order to coordinate activities and exchange information, including attending meetings in close liaison with the Information Field Officer and ICLA Coordinator; Assists in maintaining positive relationships with focal points in host and beneficiary communities through timely and clear sharing of information; Identify, train and work closely with Information/Legal Focal Points from the refugee and the host community to ensure that refugees in South Lebanon have access to information and legal assistance; Undertake routine administrative tasks, as requested by the Information Field Officer and ICLA Coordinator; Responsible for ensuring that he / she understands and follows NRC security and safety guidance at all times; Name and organise ICLA project documents in a timely manner and in accordance with the ICLA filing structure and principles of confidentiality and protection; Assists in following established referral pathways and procedures in the South Critical interfaces By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are: ICLA’s information field assistant will work closely with the Palestinian Response team ICLA’s information field assistant may be requested to work on both the Syrian Response and the Palestinian Response ICLA’s information field assistant will work closely with the Assessment Officer and the Legal Field Officer ICLA’s information field assistant will work closely with other NRC employees working in South, including on Shelter, Education and WASH. 2.      Competencies Competencies are important in order for the employee and the organisation to deliver desired results. They are relevant for all staff and are divided into the following two categories: 1. Professional competencies These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance. Generic professional competencies: A Bachelors degree in Law, International Relations or Social Sciences (desirable) Good knowledge of English (spoken and written) Minimum of 1 year of relevant work experience in a busy organization. Experience working in similar positions  in the humanitarian / development sector (desirable) Experience in legal and / or protection work in a humanitarian context (desirable) Experience of providing information and counselling services (desirable) Experience of community sensitisation (desirable) 2. Behavioral competencies Ability to work under pressure and to be flexible Ability to work independently, and to be proactive in seeking support when needed Ability to communicate effectively orally in Arabic (essential) and in English (essential) Proficiency in use of computers and Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Team spirit and a sense of humour 3.       Performance Management The employee will be accountable for the responsibilities and the competencies, in accordance with the NRC Performance Management Manual. The following documents will be used for performance reviews: •             The Job Description •             The Work and Development Plan •             The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template •             The End-term Performance Review Template •             The NRC Competency Framework