Information Counselling and Legal Assistance Specialist

Background

Since 2015, NRC Nigeria has been working to help displacement affected communities meet their basic needs, improve their livelihoods, access essential services, and enhance their resilience to future shocks through our six core competencies: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Shelter, Education, Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Livelihoods and Food Security (LFS), Camp Management, and Protection. NRC provides immediate assistance during the onset of emergencies through the rapid response mechanism (RRM). In 2021, NRC reached over 269,000 people with assistance.

The crisis in Nigeria is marked by violence against civilians causing acute humanitarian needs and displacement. In the North-East, the 13-year conflict has shattered lives, infrastructure, basic services, and social fabric, with some two million people internally displaced across Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. In the north-west and north-central regions, violence and displacement are rooted in disputes over land and resources, which has been worsened by climate change. Many families have either lost identity papers while fleeing or never obtained them, hindering their ability to access essential services. Sadly, millions of displaced people in Nigeria do not have legal documents, blocking them from accessing essential services and their rights. NRC collaborates with the authorities to improve access to legal and civil documentation and provides counselling on legal issues including housing, land and property (HLP) rights for people affected by conflict.

Role and responsibilities

• Identify country programme priorities, problems and challenges from an ICLA perspective and adopt a problem solving approach, solving them in collaboration with other core competencies, support department, and senior management
• Lead on assessment design and analysis for ICLA
• Support and contribute to multi sector assessments and response designs
• Assess and analyse context, identify constraints, opportunities, and priorities of the ICLA core competency
• Identify, monitor and evaluate risks, constraints, technical issues related to ICLA implementation for timely action by relevant management authority
• Enable and guide the mainstreaming of gender, protection and environment into the ICLA strategies and operational practices
• Lead on ICLA concept note and proposal developments
• Support and contribute to multi sector donor reports, both narrative and financial
• Liaise with relevant donors and representatives
• Support in the recruitment of ICLA staff and development of their work roles and responsibilities
• Promote culture of shared learning within the ICLA core competency and across core competencies
• Contribute to the strengthening of the position of NRC in Nigeria; liaising with relevant authorities, UN agencies, donors, other NGOs and partners, and social cohesion and protection sector actors
• Support the area teams with advice on ICLA project implementation challenges
• Ensure the coordination of Housing, Land and Property (HLP) working group under the national protection sector

What we look for

• Minimum 4 years of experience within human rights / legal assistance / displacement area of expertise in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Strong understanding of relevant human rights frameworks, including refugee rights, IDP rights and humanitarian law
• Solid knowledge of and experience applying protection principles within humanitarian responses
• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile
• Professional Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Context/specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of the context in Nigeria and/or the region
• Experience engaging in/related to legal reform processes
• Experience in gender issues and programming
• Experience from protection and advocacy work within ICLA/legal assistance sector
• Solid experience from managing and implementing ICLA-type of responses
• High level of experience in programming associated to legal assistance, HLP rights, and civil documentation
• Strong capacity in leading proposal development
• Documented experience working with donors and conversant with their technical frameworks, strategic priorities and reporting requirements (e.g. EU, AFD, NMFA, SIDA)
• Experience from leading multi sector assessments and analysis
• Ability to work closely together with other field staff and across sectors
• High level of communication, representation, analysis, drafting and negotiation skills

Behavioural competencies

• Working with people
• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Initiate action and change
• Analyzing

Publication Closing on 5/01/2021

What We Offer

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility: At NRC we think outside the box. We encourage ideas and give responsibility to all employees at all levels, to help solve the complex issues that we face.

• An opportunity to match your career to a compelling cause
• A chance to meet and work with people who are the best in their fields
• Grade 9 of NRC Salary Scale
• 12 months contract with possibility of extension

Internal candidates are encouraged to apply but we are also open to external applicants who can show a commitment to NRC and being part of a challenging, but important mission to make a difference.