Job Overview

Purpose of Division:

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) is an international relief and development charity which envisages a caring world where people unite to respond to the suffering of others, empowering them to fulfil their potential. We are an independent Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) founded in the UK in 1984.  Working in 40 countries, we promote sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and disease. We also respond to disasters and emergencies, helping people in crisis. Islamic Relief Worldwide provides support regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender and without expecting anything in return.

Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) has been working in Iraq for more than 20 years. IR was on the ground throughout the military incursions and is one of the few aid agencies that continued working during and after the 2003 war.

Islamic Relief Worldwide-Iraq is implementing several projects in the sector of Food, WASH, Health, Education, GBV, Livelihood, Development and shelters.

 

Job Purpose:

The Protection and Inclusion Officer leads on “Leave no one behind” and “Do no harm” agendas to be integrated into all Islamic relief Iraq programmes, and ensures commitments towards Core Humanitarian Standards CHS) and inclusion Charter. Reporting to the Head of Programme and working closely with Project Coordinators / Officers. The Protection and Inclusion officer has responsibility for establishing strategies, technical guidelines, mechanisms and implementation of cross cutting issues (gender, protection, aging and disabilities) and ensuring that these issues are mainstreamed in all project/programme activities. Capacity building of IR Iraq staff on gender and protection analysis, mainstreaming and/or integration to improve programme quality and impact. Representing IR Iraq on the forums like protection cluster and developing Inclusion mainstreaming strategy and plans.

Responsibility for Resources:

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

The job holder is accountable for fulfilling his or her roles and responsibilities in line with Islamic values and principles of fairness, humanity, honesty, respect and fair treatment of his/her colleagues and staff.

Key Accountability 1: Lead the gender, protection, ageing and disabilities priorities on behalf of IR Iraq

  • Collect and compile key gender, protection, ageing and disabilities data (including GBV data, sexual exploitation and abuse issues in the Iraq context.
  • Assist in development/update of organisational inclusion strategy outlining identified rationale, objectives, and opportunities to contribute to gender, protection, age and disability inclusion in organisational policy and practice.
  • Ensure that assessments, registration methods and other sources of information about affected people employed by IR Iraq and its partners are respectful of the GBV and protection principles.
  • Facilitate development of an Organisational Action Plan, to be endorsed by senior management, outlining the concrete actions to be taken by the organisation to deliver the strategy.
  • Streamline needs assessment and analysis tools/processes including templates, team composition and methodologies to ensure that they are gender and protection sensitive.
  • Conduct assessment of protection needs of different target groups with focus on most vulnerable groups including women, girls and children, elderly and disabled.
  • Support preparation and development of proposals, with focus on protection and inclusion actions and lead in discussion with relevant stakeholders in the area of protection & inclusion, including donors, peer agencies and sectors leads.

 

Key Accountability 2: Supporting Internal Teams on Protection and Inclusion Issues

  • Identify training needs and build the capacity of IR local staff on inclusion, protection and CHS accountability components.
  • Conduct briefings and training for newly recruited staff as necessary upon coordination with HR staff
  • Ensure that the staff as well as our partners adhere to the PSEA policies.
  • Advise on establishing accessible, efficient, confidential and safe referral, feedback and complaints mechanisms.
  • Facilitate and support the integration of protection and GBV perspectives including the IASC GBV Guidelines in the programming across sectors.
  • Advocate for the implementation of gender, protection, age and disability sensitive humanitarian/development programming across the parent organisation’s policy and practice.

 

Key Accountability 3: Project Design, Monitoring and Reporting

  • Lead assessments, information collection, analysis and use of sex and age-disaggregated data (SADD) in project design, implementation and evaluation in order to be more effective in meeting the affected populations’ needs.
  • Review project plans and budgets (or provide written guidelines for such a review) to ensure that adequate attention is paid (and resources allocated) to the promotion of protection and inclusion (e.g. gender equality and women’s participation across all sectors, etc..).
  • Conduct assessment of protection & inclusion gaps in IR Iraq capacity and recommend key actions on how to build/ improve the IR Iraq protection and inclusion capacity.
  • Provide technical support to identify opportunities for the development of relevant advocacy and communication/information materials to address protection and inclusion issues.
  • Prepare and share technical reports on protection and inclusion issues. Drafts relevant sections of reports required for donors, management, annual reports.

 

Key Accountability 4: Case Study Collection, Dissemination and Networking 

  • Develop, maintain, and disseminate good practice examples of effective mainstreaming of gender, protection, aging, and disability carried out within and outside the organization.
  • Develop and establish linkages with key external stakeholders to find areas of collaboration, best practice, innovation, knowledge sharing and partnerships.

Attend/participate in sub-cluster/technical working group of protection, GBV, and Child protection.

 

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

  • To have regular contact with all Programme and MEAL staff in CO. Close coordination with the Programme Manager.
  • To work closely with Programme Manager, technical focal people such as MEAL, Accountability, safeguarding and others to ensure mainstreaming of inclusion, protection and gender into IR country programmes.
  • To work with key stakeholders within country to build their capacity on protection and inclusion, which includes child protection, prevention of GBV, inclusion of all ages and abilities and accountable systems.

 

SCOPE AND AUTHORITY

Planning:

  • To assist in identifying training needs and build the capacity of IR local staff on inclusion, protection and gender.

Responsibility for Resources:

  • All working machines and tools under his responsibility; computer, printer, scanner, Etc.

Key Responsibilities

  • To support on the protection and inclusion agenda within the CO including child protection, gender mainstreaming, age and disability inclusion and the inclusion of other socially excluded groups.
  • To carry out an organisational assessment on inclusion and protection across all operations at the country level and develop strategies to integrate protection and inclusion across CO operations and in coordination with all relevant departments within the CO.
  • To ensure that IRW’s Inclusive approach to programming is consistently applied through all CO projects/ programmes/ operations.
  • To assist in Building/ strengthening active partnerships with relevant government agencies and specialised NGOs/ CSOs partners, and strengthen referral systems in areas of Child protection and GBV and age and disability.
  • To provide support in networking with key external stakeholders to find areas of collaboration, best practice, innovation, knowledge sharing and partnerships.
  • To identify training needs and build the capacity of IR local staff on inclusion and protection.
  • To ensure data collection mechanisms are in place and data is collected and analysed periodically
  • To provide technical support on inclusion and protection aspects for new bids and proposals to ensure P&I concepts are  early weaved from planning phase.
  • To ensure CO protection and inclusion approaches are in line with international standards such as Core humanitarian standards, inclusion humanitarian standards and Child Protection standards, IASC gender guidelines.
  • To create a protection and inclusion working group that support the deliverables of organisational change within the CO.
  • To proactively exchange learning and synergy with all involved stakeholders.
  • To assist in drafting relevant sections of reports required for donors, management, and annual reports.
  • To participate and influence external platforms on protection and inclusivity.

Other:

  • To perform other related duties that may be assigned by the line manager and/or his supervisor.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

ESSENTIAL

Qualifications

  • University degree in one of the relevant areas- International Law, Human Rights, or Social Science, preferably in a development and/or humanitarian related field.
  • Fluency in both English and Arabic languages.
  • Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills;

Experience

Minimum 3 years’ experience of working with International NGOs in Iraq, preferably 2 years of relevant professional work experience in human rights issues, protection and/ or child protection and GBV. Working in emergency or conflict situations in developing countries is an asset.

  • Familiarity with the Sustainable Development Goals,

Required Skills/Competencies

  • Planning and organizing
  • Communication skills
  • Ability to work in a multicultural environment
  • Good interpersonal skills
  • Good advocacy, analytical skills
  • Teamwork/working with people
  • Drive for results Learning Elements
  • Be familiar with IR overall programming in unstable situations;
  • Articulate methodology of programme and project management;
  • Articulate rights based and results based programming in IRW;
  • Demonstrate a good understanding of IRW policies and strategy to address child protection and GBV issues;

Knowledge

  • Demonstrate enhanced knowledge of protective and inclusive programming
  • Good understanding of CHS Commitments, SPHERE, and international standards for child protection, gender and inclusion.
  • Good written and spoken English; able to contribute to written reports and proposals.
  • Committed to IRW values and code of conduct
  • Willing and able to travel for up to 40% of role
  • Sensitivity to cultural differences.

 

 

 

 

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