Protection Specialist

1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Under the direct and technical supervision of the Protection Coordinator, the Protection Specialist is in charge of overviewing protection activities, ensuring that quality and standards are met, and providing guidance and capacity building to field staff in the different locations of interventions (Akkar, Tripoli/T5, South).

The Protection Technical Advisor position’s major objectives are to properly achieve the following global tasks:

• Provide technical inputs for all protection activities, including community-based activities, social counseling and case management, cash transfers in accordance with internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and existing national protection guidelines;
• Provide guidance and support to Technical Advisors;
• Monitor the referral system;
• Ensure the protection team capacity building, including preparing training packages, facilitating sessions, and animating the pool of internal facilitators, in coordination with the CDA and PTA on specific protection issues to develop good practices and acquire skills and knowledge;
• Strengthen PU-AMI’s protection, gender, and inclusion mainstreaming, understanding of the identified needs and protection risks in the area, propose new activities and intervention based on needs and gaps identified.

2-RESPONSABILITIES AND TASKS

specific objective and linked activities

1. TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

• Provide Technical Advisors in coordination (CDA and Inclusion Advisors) and in the bases (Protection Technical Advisors) with technical guidance and support, based on PU-AMI SOPs, national and international standards;
• Undertake regular bases visits and field visits to meet with project managers and field staff, provide technical feedback;
• Advise on complex protection cases and support the case management process;
• Develop SOPs, tools and guidance on the different types of intervention, promoting best practices (case management, life skills, cash assistance under protection, inclusion services, community based protection)
• Monitor the good functioning of the referral system;
• Along with Protection Technical Advisors, collaborate with projects’ bases’ management (Project Managers and Inclusion and Community Health Team Managers) to ensure smooth collaboration and support of the concerned staff: Social Workers, Inclusion Social Workers who are working with the Health teams, Protection and Community Field Officers, Referral Officers.

2. CAPITALIZATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Lead or participate to the design, update and harmonization of tools and SOPs throughout the interventions, in coordination with the Protection Coordinator and concerned Advisors or departments;
• Promote Protection, gender and Inclusion mainstreaming in all departments and intervention;, share and present relevant resources pertaining to protection, gender and inclusion;
• Support the identification of trainings needs and assess internal and external capacity and opportunities to provide the needed training; Conduct on-the-job coaching
• Contribute to and review protection related trainings’ material and provide trainings to teams (PU-AMI staff but also local partner staffs) on protection related topics, such as protection core concepts, gender, inclusion, case management, referral pathways, safe identification and referral, etc.
• Lead on the elaboration of curricula and awareness raising material;
• Upon request, participate to recruitment process(es) of Protection staff (i.e. drafting job descriptions, shortlisting resumes, correcting tests, conducting interviews, etc.).

3. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, QUALITY MONITORING and REPORTING

• Contribute to project design by proposing activities relevant to the context;
• Collaborate with the MEAL department to support the design and elaboration of M&E tools and methodology;
• Undertake punctual field visits and quality spot check to guarantee the activities’ quality and the compliance with PU-AMI SOPs, national and international protection standards;
• Contribute to identifying and analyzing lesson learnt and good pratices with Program and MEAL teams.
• Monitor and capitalize the Advisors’ monthly reporting (on protection trends, on internal case management and on referrals);
• Contribute to proposal and external reporting.

4. REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• Participate actively to the Working Groups related to protection at national (if required) and/or local level;
• Contribute to the mapping of operational protection actors in the areas of interventionand to identifying potential partnes;
• Closely coordinate with PUI technical departments (Health, Shelter, FSL) and MEAL department
• Ensure an efficient coordination with partners, including consortiums’partners, and stakeholders, and report accordingly to the line manager.

5. STRATEGY

• Based on the context analysis and the capitalization of good practices, participate to the development of the Protection strategy and to the adjustment of current interventions and/or to the development of new interventions based on identified needs;
• Contribute to the Protection department’s structuration and to the development, implementation and promotion of its action plan
• Raise issues and trends and propose subsequent program adaptation(s);
• Provide information and suggestions to program proposal and reporting for donors;

6. HR and TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Supervise and manage technical advisors based in coordination and in the bases (North / South), including daily management, capacity development, performance appraisal
• Provide support, technical guidance and on the job coaching within the protection department, including for technical positions (Advisors) and Project managers/team leaders, upon the specificities of each role;
• Contribute to the HR structuration of the Protection department.
• In collaboration with the HR department, participate in the recruitment process(es) of staff under his/her line management and support the Proection Coordinator in: drafting job descriptions/technical tests/interview forms, shortlisting resumes and conducting interviews;
• Brief newly recruited personnel under his/her management 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 building, etc.) in collaboration with the Human Resources department and Protection 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;
• Solve team conflicts and ensure team building and discipline.

7. ACCOUNTABILITY

• In coordination with the HR department, actively contribute to making sure that PU-AMI’s Protection against Sexual and Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) policy is understood and respected by all involved staff and for all activities.

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

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 3 years experience in protection with a humanitarian organization (at least 2 in Lebanon)

Knowledge and skills:

• Good analytical and writing skills
• Excellent knowledge of humanitarian and Protection standards, including the Do no Harm principle
• Familiarity with Gender and Inclusion mainstreaming and programming  
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• A high sense of discretion and integrity when dealing with sensitive protection information;
• Excellent knowledge in community mobilization
• Knowledge of cash-based modalities within protection interventions
• Good knowledge of the zones of intervention
• Computer skills: Good knowledge of MS office software including Word, Excel, Outlook
• Willing and able to travel locally on weekly basis (North and South);
• Valid driving license
• Must understand and adhere to humanitarian and PSEA standards/principles ;

• Ability to deal with difficult work situations and to manage stress
• 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.
• Leadership skills, Team player: proven inter-personal skills
• Problem-solving
• Understanding of the political and humanitarian context in Lebanon
• Ability to adapt to change of context, flexibility.