Protection and Emergency Cash Assistance Project Manager

Première Urgence - Aide Médicale Internationale (PU-AMI) is a non-profit, non-political and non religious humanitarian NGO. Its objective is to provide a comprehensive response, in line with humanitarian principles and applying both needs based and rights based approaches, to conflict affected populations. PU-AMI promotes humanitarian access and dialogue with all components of the civil society and reinforces the capacity of each vulnerable community (refugees, vulnerable host community) to become self-reliant and resilient, by responding to immediate needs and strengthening their socio-economic empowerment.  

Today, PU-AMI is intervening in 21 countries in Africa, the Near East, Caucasus, Asia and the Caribbean to cover the needs of populations affected by conflict, natural disasters or economic crises.

PU-AMI in Lebanon has been implementing emergency and recovery projects in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, in Shelter Rehabilitation, Health, Protection and in Livelihood Recovery sectors.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Under the supervision of the Field Coordinator, the Protection and Emergency Cash Assistance Project Manager (PM) is in charge of ensuring the timely/quality implementation of emergency activities provided by PU-AMI in the wake of the Beirut Blast and to vulnerable populations in Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Activities will specifically include the identification of persons at risk, the provision of emergency cash assistance (80%), management of referral system, social worker’s outreach and social counselling activities (20%).

The PM position’s major objectives are to properly achieve the following global tasks:

1. Implement protection activities, including through cash transfers in accordance with internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and existing national protection guidelines;

2. Coordinate with partners to ensure the complementarity of internation and design smooth collaboration pathways, including of mutual referrals;

3. Develop a beneficiary identification plan, including through direct assessments, obtention of lists of partners and development of an efficient and sustainable referral system;

4. Train and support the team leader and field officers on specific protection issues to develop good practices;

5. Strengthen PU-AMI’s understanding of the identified needs in the area.

Project planning and implementation: S/he coordinates protection and cash distribution activities and ensures that the operational and qualitative aspects are properly put into practice. S/he develops project management tools and monitor the good implementation of the activities. Along with the MEAL department, s/he contributes to the M&E plan and ensures the collection and implementation of good practices based on lesson learnt. S/he ensures the good adaptation and relevance of the activities all along the project, based on the context, needs and gaps, as well as their compliance to internal SOPs and international standards. S/he also provides support to the implementation teams (PU-AMI but also local partner staffs) regarding protection, legal aspects, case management and referral pathways, in collaboration with the Protection Specialist. In coordination with the HR department, s/he contributes to making sure that PU-AMI’s Protection against Sexual and Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) policy are understood and respected by all involved staff and for all activities. He/she suggests new operations according to needs identified in the area.

Representation and coordination: Upon request from his/her supervisor, s/he ensures and coordinates the PU-AMI’s sectorial representation (e.g. Beirut blast coordination mechanisms, Protection-related Working Group) in the area which s/he is responsible for among partners, donors, authorities and other stakeholders. She/he ensures an efficient coordination with the other counterparts of the project and reports accordingly to his/her line manager.

Team management and capacity building: S/he supervises the Protection team through technical guidance, task management and capacity building. S/he liaises with program and support departments accordingly based on administrative, logistic and human resource needs.

Budget planning and management: S/he manages the activities budget, follows-up the expenses and provides timely monthly budget forecasts.

Capitalization, reporting and communication: S/he is in charge of the internal reporting of the project and s/he assists the Field Coordinator in providing sufficient and detailed information in program reporting for donors and coordination.

specific objective and linked activities

1. PROJECT PLANNING, IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING

-In coherence with Working Group’s guidelines, Inter-Agency Steering Committee (IASC) policies, EOC/OCHA standards, PU-AMI’s code of conduct and SOPs,  and in the frame of donors requirements, define the methodology for the proper implementation of the main following activities (non-exhaustive):

• Mapping of operational protection actors in the areas of intervention and coordinating with them;
• Cash assistance: Emergency cash assistance. Liaise with finance department and coordinate the timely production/delivery of cash cards to beneficiaries as per needs resulting from assessments. Establish risk mitigations and due diligence methodology to prevent fraud, avoid duplication of humanitarian assistance and secure objective verification means.
• Strengthening existing referral mechanisms and set up of specific referral pathways for specific cases: child protection (CP), Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), legal issues as well as internal referral to other departments (Shelter, Health, Livelihoods);
• Training of PU-AMI employees and volunteers on assessment methodologies, referral pathways and specific problematics (tenancy rights, access to services, etc.)

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-Ensure the coherence of the activities under his/her responsibility (indicators and results follow-up);

-Prepare work plan at the start of the project and review it periodically based on the results of project monitoring (including identification of support required from other sectors within the organization);

-Understand and comply with donor guidelines and procedures regarding implementation, reporting, procurement of goods and services, and stay informed on new official guidelines and procedures;

-Lead regular field visits and ensure that best practices standards are met;

-Update the AFU and OFU (Programmatic and Financial Monitoring Tools) to follow up the implementation of the project;

-Provide bi-weekly situation report (SITREP) and share it with the Field Coordinator (FC), Protection Coordinator and Deputy Head of Mission (DHoM);

-Train field teams on SOPs, case management and legal aspects, as well as safety and security measures related to PSEA;

-Inform the FC of any relevant issues related to the project implementation.

2. REPRESENTATION and COORDINATION

In coordination with the FC and DHoM, represent PU-AMI and coordinate in the project area with any relevant stakeholders, local, national and international partners, as well as local authorities, in order to facilitate the implementation of activities and to develop monitoring tools and strong capacity building, as well as inter-organizational learning;

-Participate actively to the Working Groups related to protection at national (if required) and/or local level;

-Participate to the elaboration of common tools and guidelines;

-Work in close coordination with relevant staff in other PU-AMI bases to promote protection mainstreaming and the development of new concepts/approaches/collaborations for future programming;

-Under the supervision of the FC, work in close coordination with relevant staff in other PU-AMI Program Departments to ensure integration of protection with other sectors and to promote the development of new concepts/approaches/collaborations for future programming.

3.TEAM MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY BUILDING

-In collaboration with the HR department, participate in the recruitment process(es) of staff under his/her line management at base level by: participate in drafting job descriptions/technical tests/interview forms, shortlisting resumes and conducting interviews;

-Brief newly recruited personnel on their roles and responsibilities;

-Ensure the adherence of his/her subordinates to all PU-AMI’s policies, rules and regulations;

-Ensure the respect and implementation of HR procedures in accordance with PU-AMI’s Policies and Guidelines (i.e. daily management, disciplinary procedures, performance appraisals, leaves management, trainings and capacity buidling, etc.) in collaboration with the Human Resources department and Field Coordinator;

-Monitor and provide objective feedback related to the performance of the staff under his/her supervision (including staff performance appraisals every 6 months) to promote professional development;

-Define and implement the required training(s) to all field teams and to community volunteer/local partners;

-Supervise and build staff capacity (PU-AMI and local partners) on protection, in accordance with adequate international guidelines and technical handbooks;

-Deliver trainings and awareness sessions about human rights, protection standards and relevant topics (CP, SGBV, gender equity, etc.) and community mobilization to PU-AMI staff;

-Support and advise the field teams in the identification and solving of protection issues;

-Ensure good communication, coordination and information level of each member of the field teams during regular coordination meetings (or other when required);

-Solve team conflicts and ensure team building and discipline.

4. BUDGET & LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT

-Comply with all logistics’ rules, procedures and processes and ensure the timely supply of all logistics’ needs for the successful implementation of your program.

-Be responsible for eligibility and good utilization of funds allocated with the activities under his/her management;

-Be accountable for managing expenditures related to grants;

-Be responsible for the follow-up and control of his/her budget area;

-Analyze and propose solutions of reallocation if needed, after receiving a monthly updated financial follow-up (FFU) from the Admin/Finance department;

-Be responsible for approving expenditures and re-allocations within his/her budget area(s);

-Plan and monitor expenditures to take place during the grant period;

-Make timely cash forecast according to his/her budget areas.

5.CAPITALIZATION, REPORTING AND COMMUNICATION

-Write regular reports on the above activities as requested by the FC and DHoM;

-Contribute to the writing of intermediary and final reports for donors by providing exhaustive information on protection related activities, challenges and strategy;

-Capitalize lessons learnt and good practices throughout the project in coordination with the MEAL department;

-Participate in the writing of comprehensive Activity Forms for all major operational aspects, in coordination with the MEAL department and under the supervision of the Deputy Field Coordinator/FC;

-Participate in the development of comprehensive support documents and tools to ease the implementation of activities.

6. STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PROJECTS

-Contribute to needs assessment design and conduction, and suggests activities in line with the country strategy plan;

-In the context of identifying new operations, and together with the FC and the Coordination team, contribute to the preparation of project proposals and budgets for the protection sector;

-Participate in the strategy development of the base and the mission;

-Contribute to the development of accurate understanding of the Lebanese context and humanitarian situation (beneficiaries, needs, political context, and strategy of intervention…)

The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are non-exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project’s needs.

PRIORITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT

-Mainstream Protection practices among other departments at base level;

-improve referral management: system, tools, guidelines;

-Participate to the development of the protection strategy in Beirut, highlighting the main needs, gaps and suggested interventions;

   -Develop training materials on protection crosscutting issues.

• Language skills: Fluent in English (speaking/reading/writing) and arabic(speaking/reading/writing).
• Education degree: University degree in social work, community development or another relevant degree
• Work experience: Minimum 5 years experience in protection with a humanitarian organization (at least 2 in Lebanon), including a minimum of 2 year with team management experience

• Specific experience in cash distribution required (modalities, planning, implementation, monitoring)

• Knowledge and skills: Good analytical and writing skills /Understanding of project cycle management /Good management capacities and team leadership spirit/ A high sense of discretion and integrity when dealing with sensitive protection information

• Computer skills: Good knowledge of the MS office software including Word, Excel, Outlook, GIS
• High knowledge in community mobilization, protection standards, confidentiality, do no harm, referrals
• Good knowledge of Beirut, BML and South Lebanon, willing to travel locally;
• Valid driving license;
• Excellent communication and diplomacy skills to manage relationship in potentially tense situations;
• Must understand and adhere to humanitarian standards/principles.

• Ability to deal with difficult work situations requiring emotional stability
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
• High sense of responsibility and initiative
• Ability to prioritize a heavy workload and to delegate accordingly
• Ability to build positive working relationships with partners and other stakeholders.
• Self-motivated, flexible and adaptable to the needs of the team and organization
• Team player: proven management ability and inter-personal skills
• Problem solving and leadership skills
• Understanding of the political and humanitarian context in Lebanon