Protection Officer

REPORTING LINES:

Post holder reports to:  Senior Protection Officer

Matrix management/technical overview: Protection Coordinator

Staff reporting to this post: Protection assistants

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY:  No direct budget holder responsibility but contribute to budget planning and monitoring.

DIMENSIONS:

• Analysis and internal communication of the locally relevant context to inform appropriate planning, and to develop a shared analysis of local issues, contacts and key players.
• Participatory protection information gathering and analysis in line with ICRC standards and ethics in protection work
• Ensures the effective planning and delivery of projects, including working with partners, and is responsible for weekly, monthly and project activity planning
• Required to solve problems and to make sound judgements regularly within agreed processes using technical knowledge, a good understanding of the team and the facilities of the team.
• Contributing to project/ programme budget planning and monitoring, and to report writing and revision.
• Representation and some level of negotiation in field protection working group and other relevant inter-agency coordination groups, as well as with local authorities
• Liaising with field offices of humanitarian agencies for coordination and to organise joint activities
• Management of field protection assistants
• Makes complex technical information accessible and useable by non-specialist within a defined area
• Strong technical understanding and leadership skills

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manage and join field protection assistants in field activities: community mobilisation, delivery of information about services and entitlements, local –level advocacy and monitoring protection issues affecting target population.
• Prepare for all field activities, with particular focus on community mobilisation and formation of peer-to-peer support groups, and including community consultations and orientation sessions about laws, rights, entitlements, and basic and specialist services in the districts
• Contribute to project design and proposal development, as well as to donor-reports, protection analysis reports, monitoring activities and other internal reporting.
• Provide written feedback about protection incidents, issues and aid-related community-conflicts
• Work with local partners, through counterparts in the organisations, to provide technical support for project delivery, and to maximise mutual learning and contribution to project design and implementation.
• Follow-up with external stakeholders (INGOs, national organisations, local institutions, UN, etc.) about requests and invitations for the community sessions, and about brochures and other information materials for distribution
• Represent Oxfam externally through participation in relevant protection coordination fora (such as protection WG) and other relevant inter-agency coordination groups, as well as with local authorities.
• Coordinate activities with other programme teams in the North Lebanon programme, ensuring joint planning and sharing of information as appropriate.
• Maintain regular contact with the beneficiaries is maintained in target areas including refugee representatives, peer group members, as well as with the wider community members, with particular attention to vulnerable groups and ensure mentoring of community focal points and peer group members, providing regular accompaniment to their activities
• Participate in defining the methods of community participation that ensure the greatest possible participation of vulnerable groups, and ensure correct implementation throughout all activities as appropriate
• Deliver capacity development activities for community focal points and peer group members in coordination with partners and other stakeholders
• Prepare and facilitate community consultations on project activities, encourage and collect feed back and suggestions from community members, and provide orientation sessions as necessary and on topics covered by the respective projects
• Under the lead of the programme manager and senior officers, participate in monitoring learning and developments of community focal points and groups, and the impact of activities and provide feedback accordingly
• Provide technical support to the North Lebanon programme for safe programming and protection mainstreaming, through capacity development and support in the design of activities.
• Support and contribute to the design and planning of programme-based research
• Support and coordinate with MEAL Officers for baseline survey, post-distribution and other monitoring activities, and ensure learning is captured

SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:

• Demonstrable experience in working with communities in humanitarian or development contexts
• Demonstrable experience in community mobilisation, as well as with local authorities and civil society engagement
• Demonstrable experience in using participatory research and assessment methodologies
• Good understanding of protection including some basic human rights and refugee rights, international humanitarian law, and first-hand experience of refugee issues
• Good understanding and knowledge in application of do no harm, conflict sensitivity principles and ICRC standards and ethics for protection work
• Good levels of spoken and written English and Arabic
• Commitment to a rights-based approach, gender equality and protection
• Proven analytical skills
• Understanding of monitoring processes, learning, adaptation and evaluation
• Ability to work in multi-cultural team
• Willingness to work in insecure environments and a high level of adaptability and initiative