Protection Coordinator

DRC is recruiting for a highly qualified Protection Coordinator to lead and coordinate DRC’s overall protection activities across the large and diverse humanitarian operation in South Sudan.

Background

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is operational in South Sudan since 2005, working with the overall aim of achieving durable solutions for displaced populations. The Humanitarian and Disarmament activities started in 2006.

Danish Refugee Council main programme objectives (2019-2021) in South Sudan are:

1. To save lives and alleviate suffering among displaced people and their hosts
2. To reduce displacement related risks and support and facilitate solutions
3. To promote peaceful, inclusive and resilient societies and address root causes to displacement

DRC primarily operates across Upper Nile and Unity states and other parts of the country, both of which are heavily affected by conflict and experience high numbers of internally displaced populations as well as refugees in need of humanitarian assistance. DRC has operational bases in Maban, Malakal, Kodok and Aburoc in Upper Nile, in Bentiu, Mayom, Koch, Central Equatoria (Magwi), Ajuong Thok in Unity state, and the Mobile Response Team and all are supported by a country-office in Juba.

DRC recently developed important multi-sectorial mobile response teams based in Juba able to rapidly respond to new and urgent humanitarian situations countrywide at short notice to conduct assessments and responses

Overall purpose of the role:

We are looking for a qualified, self-motivated Protection Technical Coordinator able to work with diverse teams, external stake holders such as local government authorities, UN agencies, I/NGOs and other partners. Reporting to the Head of Programmes, the Protection Coordinator will provide strategic vision, guidance, and sectorial technical support to DRC Protection Teams and Area Managers, with a view to ensure that DRC provides a high-quality Protection response across its intervention areas. The Protection Coordinator will lead in designing and writing country protection proposal. One of the key roles of the Protection Coordinator is to constantly improve programme quality and relevance. While the Protection Coordinator does not directly manage the Protection teams and are not directly in charge of project implementation, they are responsible for the mentoring, capacity building and training of Protection managers, team leaders and officers based on technical needs identified amongst the staff. DRC is seen as one of the key protection actors in South Sudan, the Protection Coordinator ensures close collaboration and strong relations, as required, with clusters, donors, and other Protection partners.

Responsibilities

Programme strategy development:

• Maintain up to date knowledge of protection issues in South Sudan and share this information with teams and senior management as appropriate; Provide high level technical advice to DRC Head of Programme and Country Director to support DRC strategic directions in terms of Protection;
• Develop and implement DRC Protection country strategy in coordination with the Head of Programmes and in consultation with South Sudan Protection Cluster and support DRC field teams with local strategy development;
• Develop and write protection, HLP and other related proposals, concept notes and briefing papers
• Produce guidelines on DRC strategy and its operationalization in the field for the sector managers.
• Ensure protection is mainstreamed in all DRC proposals and interventions;
• Define and update DRC South Sudan standards of quality, standard operational procedures, and standard tools. Ensure their implementation across all protection activities in all locations;
• Identify axes of improvement on the quality and impact of DRC Protection programming in South Sudan and develop innovative approaches – produce guidelines to implement these improvements and innovations.
• Contribute to Protection proposal development, providing strategic direction, innovative approaches in consultation with DRC other coordinators, HoP, Area Managers, and Sector Managers.
• Support the Grant team in the definition and description of Protection activities, in the preparation of log frames with SMART indicators, and in the definition of the budget.

External relations, advocacy, and representation:

• Represent DRC in external meetings related to Protection, attend and engage in strategic discussions during the Protection national cluster meetings; Advocate and guide advocacy on protection issues; Represent DRC in the Protection Cluster Strategic Advisory Group (SAG), the GBV sub-cluster and related working groups, protection monitoring working group, Housing land and property working group, and GBVIMS coordination meetings.
• Present DRC Protection strategy, innovative approaches, assessment outcomes, or/and key achievement in donor meeting or/and in National Cluster meetings;
• Establish and maintain links with all Protections actors and stakeholders, and continuously seek advocacy alliances;
• Stay up to date with donor strategies and practices within South Sudan and provide technical backstopping to the Head of Programmes in donor relations and humanitarian coordination meetings, when relevant;
• Maintain close collaboration and good relations as required with donors and other partners;
• Act as PSEA Focal point for the organization, and attend relevant meetings on PSEA;

Staff capacity building and HR:

• Identify areas of improvement and potential gaps in technical protection capacity of DRC staff;
• Ensure all staff are familiar with Protection Information Management (PIM) principles and processes;
• Ensure training and capacity building of all DRC staff on Protection mainstreaming;
• Identify professional growth opportunities and staff exchanges for the protection team
• Support recruitment of key protection staff by providing technical questions and participate in interview panels for;
• Provide input in revised job descriptions if needed;

Technical advice & quality:

• Provide technical support and advice to Protection staff on implementation of Protection activities, including advice on dealing with arising protection concerns at the field locations;
• Provide guidance on development of new Protection activities;
• Ensure standard operating procedures are in place for all activities and approaches;
• Promote a principled and participatory approach and solutions-oriented approach to Protection in the DRC programmes;
• Provide guidance and support to teams on principled and conflict-sensitive programming, as well as develop advocacy messaging on such.
• Ensuring data protection and security standards are upheld for all protection data and information gathered and processed by DRC protection team;
• Lead on engaging external consultants for technical protection assessments, such as legal assessments and Housing land and property assessments.
• Ensure harmonization and standardization of tools, and monitor implementation and use of the tools;
• Provide technical support and analysis on GBV case management and protection monitoring;
• Review all protection assessments, protection monitoring reports, and other protection technical reports, before external sharing. Ensure quality of advocacy notes and policy notes, other protection reports;
• Ensure collection of lesson learned from ongoing projects and promote learning from relevant best practices internally and externally;
• Ensure DRC feedback, complaints and accountability mechanisms in country are sensitive to protection concerns and sensitivities;
• Mainstream Age Gender and Diversity into protection programme;
• Act as an advocate for gender equality, and mainstream gender-sensitive approaches into programmes and practices

Coordination and Information sharing:

• Strengthen protection programmatic synergies between different implementation areas and between DRC’s various projects and donors;
• Facilitate communication and coordination between protection staff based in different locations via information sharing, workshops, and trainings. Ensure a strong information flow to and from field sites, including updates to and from the Protection Cluster;
• Identify gaps and needs in Protection programme in DRC IDPs and Refugees sites;
• Support the strategic planning and implementation of project activities related to Protection components of all projects;
• Ensure link and integration of Protection activities with other DRC sectors;
• Work closely with MEAL team on protection programme quality monitoring and evaluation; and ensuring protection related baseline and endline assessments are of high quality;
• Support protection managers on donor reports through review of performance/progress assessments against pre-defined project objectives, outputs, activities and indicators;

About You

• At least 3 years’ proven and successful track record of experience in protection in a humanitarian setting;
• Excellent writing and editing skills for external audiences (including governments and donors);
• Excellent reporting and protection analysis skills;
• Experience in producing high-quality technical material (training material, program tools, proposals, strategic documents etc.).
• Direct experience and/or broad knowledge of themes relevant to conflict-affected or post-conflict countries;
• Knowledge of protection and Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV), legal aid, and housing land and property;
• Knowledge of Protection information management;
• Experience in conducting protection advocacy in high level coordination meetings;
• Demonstrated experience in providing training on protection, GBV, PIM, protection mainstreaming, PSEA, etc.
• Ability to work effectively as an integral part of multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural team and to work with a wide range of counterparts, and other partners;
• Proven coordination and communication skills;
• Demonstrated experience in working to tight deadlines, and managing pressure;
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential;
• Self-motivated and able to work with a minimum of guidance;
• Very strong computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook)

Desirable qualifications

• Calm and diplomatic in nature;
• Ability to manage competing priorities and to meet deadlines;
• Effective team-player – problem solver;
• Experience with UN cluster system ;
• Experience in accountability to beneficiaries and communication with communities;

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate each of DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results through the Regional team both to position DRC and ensure excellence in all deliverable.
• Collaborating: You lead regional initiatives and processes by involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen to other stakeholders and staff; and you communicate concisely and persuasively.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values.

Conditions

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to www.drc.dk under Vacancies. This position will be placed at Employment Band – G (Non – Management).