Information Counseling and Legal Assistance (ICLA) Assistant

1. Role and responsibilities

The ICLA Assistant is responsible for providing quality information, counselling and legal assistance to refugees in Lebanon, as well as Lebanese host community members, on matters related to civil documentation, legal status, right to adequate housing and access to humanitarian assistance. This position is based out of NRC North Lebanon office with daily field presence across locations in Akkar and the North.

The following is a brief description of the role.

Generic responsibilities

1. Adhere to NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines
2. Assist with the implementation of the delegated ICLA programme portfolio according to plan of action
3. Prepare and develop status reports as required by management
4. Ensure proper filing of documents
5. Promote and share ideas for improvement of the ICLA programme.
6. Work cooperatively with the beneficiaries and other relevant stakeholders.
7. Carry out data collection as required
8. Carry out related mainstreaming of protection in programme daily implementation as per the set NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines, and ensure reporting any breaches/concerns to the line manager for proper action.
9. Ensure that all protection related detected cases are referred to the concerned referral focal point and to the related Protection Coordinator.

Specific responsibilities

• Conduct information sessions, deliver counselling services and represent NRC beneficiaries in front of the justice and administrative institutions as per the case management procedures.
• Gather information on activities implemented by other humanitarian actors in the area of implementation in order to maintain a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date written mapping of services
• Arrange appointments with ICLA lawyers and appropriately manage ICLA's legal assistance cases
• Work closely with ICLA lawyers and do the required follow up and identification of cases in need of counselling and/or legal assistance
• Provide inputs to the ICLA Officer on information, legal and protection needs of target communities that are identified during the course of information and counselling activities;
• Conduct individual and group information sessions with identified communities throughout the North
• Participate in team meetings with the ICLA team in the North, exchanging information and discussing ICLA's response to challenges and identifying lessons learned.
• Identify, train and work closely with Information Focal Points from the refugee and the host communities to ensure that NRC’s beneficiaries have access to information and legal assistance.
• Prepare the relevant mapping (including written format) of relevant services being provided by other actors in the North
• Prepare weekly and monthly work plans and outreach schedules
• Assist in contributing to the development of referral mechanisms in collaboration with other NGOs, ICLA team and NRC managers.
• Maintain archiving system up to date (both in hardcopies and electronically) and in a timely manner, in accordance with the ICLA filing structure, principles of confidentiality and protection and data management procedures
• Carry out any other related ICLA tasks as requested by the line manager

Critical interfaces

By interfaces, NRC means processes and projects that are interlinked with other departments/units or persons. Relevant interfaces for this position are:

• NRC North staff
• ICLA field teams
• Humanitarian actors
• Beneficiaries and host communities

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.

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, International Relations or Social Sciences
• Minimum of 1 year of relevant work experience in the humanitarian/development sector
• Experience in legal and/or protection work in a humanitarian context (desirable)
• Experience of providing information and counselling services (desirable)
• Experience of community sensitization (desirable)
• Proficiency in Arabic and in English, both written and spoken
• Proficiency in use of computers and Microsoft Office

2. Behavioral competencies 

• Communicating with impact and respect
• Working with people
• Planning and delivering results
• Handling insecure environments
• Coping with change

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 NRC Competency Framework