Protection Assistant

Requisition ID: req37989

Job Title: Protection Assistant

Sector: Protection and rule of law

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Hol Camp, Syria

Advertisement Deadline: October 23rd, 2023 

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria – more than half of the country’s population – are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, womens protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

When it comes to implementing protection interventions in a context of emergency or humanitarian crisis, it is important that it is the community members themselves who take action to guarantee their own protection. The community-based protection approach is often used to strengthen communities self-protection capacities. It enables the creation of protection mechanisms/structures that will be run by the affected communities, equitably (with the active involvement of people of all genders) and with the necessary technical support. This approach is part of a logic of proximity and participation and engages the communities, who then become the principal actors of their own protection and security in a crisis.

Under the direct supervision of the Protection Monitoring Officer (PMO), the Protection Assistant will be responsible for assessing humanitarian protection of humanitarian assistance amongst the internally displaced (IDP), refugee in Al Hol camp in a manner that protects the safety, confidentiality, and dignity of those communities. Such activities will lead to a) an increased understanding of the protective environment, including vulnerability mapping, available services, and referrals, raise the community capacity on the protection issues, and existing gaps impacting these populations, and b) reports/initiatives detailing needed actions to address such assistance gaps and contribute to referral mechanisms for specialized services.

Key Responsibilities:

• Through relationships with PoC and a network of partners, stay abreast of understanding the perspectives, capacities, needs, and resources of the PoC and advise the protection team, accordingly, highlighting the specific protection needs of people of all genders, children, youth, and older persons, persons with disabilities, marginalized groups.

• Establish Community-Based Protection committees and support them to develop community-owned activities to address, where applicable, the social, educational, psycho-social, cultural, health, organizational, and livelihood concerns as well as child protection and prevention and response to GBV.

• Assist in working with displaced and refugees to involve them in improving the protection of their environment.
• Assist in the analysis that identifies the capacities of communities of concern and the risks they face.
• Identify emerging community tensions, and Work with key partners and committees in developing initiatives to mitigate identified tensions.
• Respond to requests from organizations for further information relating to impacted communities in order to help them understand and respond to local cohesion priorities and community tensions.
• Protection monitoring: identify and collect information relating to the protection situation (protection risks and incidents, population movements, etc.).
• Support the analysis of data and highlight humanitarian trends and concerns in reporting to the Information Management Officer
• Update maps of basic social services (protection, medical, psychosocial, legal, etc.) with their location and access conditions.
• Identify main human rights violations; Set up and implement a community protection action plan with sensitization and advocacy activities; Listen to, advise, guide and refer protection cases.
• Work to identify and support community focal points/volunteers to participate in ongoing monitoring activities and follow-up.
• Strengthen the capacities, knowledge and skills of the community committees concerning protection threats, as well as behaviors to be adopted.
• Raise the capacity of protection community committees on humanitarian principles, principles of human rights, PSEA, collecting information about protection risks and referrals, conflict management and resolution, services mapping, and any other relevant protection topics.
• Build trust with stakeholders and the community committees through community engagement integrated with PRoL activities, identify the persons at risk, refer them, and disseminate the available information relevant to available services to them
• Conduct all work with respect to the IRC way and humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, independence, and non-discrimination.
• Conducts other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications

• Institute or BA or other advanced technical qualifications, preferably, in sociology, law, psychology, or education. 
• Minimum 2 years of experience in social work, protection or any other relevant field.
• Belief in human rights including gender equality.
• Good communication skills including ability to gain trust and build relationships with new communities.
• Basic computer skills including Microsoft Word and excel
• Experience in regular report writing.
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to work as part of a team, as well as independently.
• Flexible and able to work in a dynamic and diverse environment.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• A commitment to IRCs mission, vision, values and IRC Way Professional Code of Conduct.
• Credible written, presentation and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information effectively and solid experience providing training and staff development
• Validated sense of professional discretion, integrity, and ability to handle complex situations diplomatically and to effective resolution.
• Excellent management and interpersonal skills and a solid ability to promote harmonious/cohesive teamwork, in a cross-cultural context.
• Validated ability to plan long-term, organize priorities and work under administrative and programmatic pressures with detail orientation and professional patience.
• Highly collaborative and resourceful; ability to establish positive working relationships with senior level management and all other partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Curiosity, a desire to continually learn and develop and a sense of humor is a must.
• Analytical ability in creating effective solutions to complex matters while adhering to labor laws and internal policies.
• Demonstrated interest in humanitarian work and supporting people affected by conflict
• Positive and professional attitude, flexible, and able work under pressure
• Eager to collaborate with and support people from different ethnic groups and different religions.
• Team-oriented and collaborative

Language/Travel:

Fluency in Arabic. English is prefered.

Travel: if requested

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:Protection Monitoring Officer.

Position directly supervises:Community Committees

Indirect Reporting (If applicable):

Key Internal Contacts: With Protection Monitoring assistants and Protection Case Workers.

Key External Contacts:

Professional Standards: IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality. In accordance with these values, IRC operates and carries out policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Respect at Work Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Returning National Candidates: We strongly encourage national or returning national candidates to apply for this position. If you are a citizen of the Country in which this position is based and are currently located outside of your home country and possess over two years of international work experience, the Middle East Region has introduced an attractive remuneration package. The package includes competitive compensation, return flight to post, shipping allowance, temporary housing and a relocation allowance. Certain restrictions may apply. IRC strives to attract, motivate and retain qualified national staff in our programs.

Accountability to Clients: IRC staff must adhere to the commitment of contributing to the sustainability and development of its (CR) Client Responsiveness Mechanisms, preserving the culture of prioritizing the needs of our clients and affected communities by systematically listening to their perspectives and using their feedback to make programmatic decisions and give them greater influence over program design and delivery.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Diversity and Inclusion: at IRC MENA, we are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Organizations that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, nationality, and perspective are validated to be better organizations. More importantly, creating a safe workspace environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best is the right thing to do. So, bring your whole self to work.

IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. In keeping with our core values of Integrity, Service, Accountability and Equality, IRC strives to maintain a work environment built on mutual respect in which all individuals treat each other professionally, and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of IRC Persons in any work setting. All IRC staff, wherever they are located, are accountable for creating an environment free of discrimination, harassment, bullying, and retaliation.