Protection Manager – Salah Al Din – Iraq

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Protection Manager – Salah Al Din

Code: SR-29-3380

Duty station: Tikrit, Salah Al Din

Starting date: 27/03/2023

Contract duration: 12 months (funding dependent)

Reporting to: Programme Manager – Salah Al Din

Supervision of: Deputy Protection Manager & Protection Officers

Dependents: Non-family duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS has been present in Iraq since 2003 and currently operates across Salah Al Din (SAD), Ninewa, Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah Governorates. INTERSOS thematic sectors of intervention are Protection, Education and Health. The INTERSOS coordination office is in Erbil with bases located in Tikrit, Mosul, Telafar and Sulaymaniyah and programming presence in other areas of Ninewa, SAD and the Kurdistan region. As of mid-2022, INTERSOS Iraq has 300 national staff, 18 expat staff and 200 volunteers. By applying an integrated programmatic approach, INTERSOS provides lifesaving services and supports durable solutions for women, men, girls and boys in IDP, refugee and host communities in its areas of intervention.

In SAD, INTERSOS implements a comprehensive protection project targeted at assisting refugees/asylum seekers as well as IDPs, returnees, and host community. In 2023, the focus will be on legal and civil documentation services, community-based protection initiatives, and capacitance of local CSOs and government entities.

General purpose of the position

The Protection Manager position is aimed at ensuring protection technical expertise for a sound implementation of the protection project/s.

The Protection Manager leads, coordinates and supports the implementation of all protection-related activities in Salah Al Din, which include Legal Assistance & Civil Documentation, Case Management for GBV, CP & PwSN for refugees/asylum seekers; Situational Monitoring of protection trends and issues; and Community-Based Protection initiatives.

S/he guarantees the overall supervision of the SAD protection team in line with the project objectives and results, while upholding sound economic and financial administration. S/he ensures that training and capacity building needs of field protection staff are addressed and that the protection services and activities meet quality standards.

Main responsibilities and tasks

Reporting lines:

• The Protection Manager will report to the Program Manager for implementation of the protection project activities (line manager). S/he will report to the Protection Coordinator for all technical related matters of the protection component.

Generic Duties:

• Preparing, managing and regularly updating the protection sub-component work plans in close link with the Program Manager ensuring timely and quality delivery;
• Implementation in compliance with the project strategy as well as INTERSOS and donor guidelines;
• Undertaking technical assessments of protection needs and gaps in anticipation of potential changes on protection strategies and implementation;
• Coordinating with logistics, administration and finance staff for funding and support of operations;
• Undertaking regular field visits to provide technical guidance and supervision as well as regular monitoring of the progress of Protection activities;
• Periodically updating the Protection situation analysis and informing relevant colleagues accordingly;
• Working closely with relevant colleagues to ensure the integration of Protection Mainstreaming with other sectors within the program;
• Supporting the Program Manager as needed in preparing narrative and financial reports with reference to the project’s sub-components for Protection, according to INTERSOS and donor requirements;
• Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of the Protection Mission strategy and program in reference to the Protection sector, providing technical inputs and recommendations for new and ongoing interventions, leading and supporting the development of new proposals;
• Maintaining contacts with protection counterparts at donor organizations for the protection components of the project;
• Implementing a Protection Capacity Building Program, with clear timelines, steps to be undertaken and goals to be reached to capacitate national protection staff.
• In her/his function of Protection Manager, s/he will be responsible for several protection components:

Legal Assistance & awareness

• Supervise the implementation of legal assistance & awareness activities and provide technical support for the Legal Officer;
• Ensure adherence of legal assistance activities to the legal assistance SOPs with the support of the Legal Officer;
• Monitor the quality of legal assistance activities including legal awareness, legal counseling, legal services assistance and court representation (including visiting activities in the field);
• Ensure that monitoring of legal assistance activities conducted by M&E include feedback from beneficiaries;
• Review weekly and monthly planning of legal assistance activities prepared by the Legal Officer;
• Receive and monitor the weekly Liquidity Plan prepared and sent by the Legal Officer;
• Lead, with the support of the Legal Officer, monthly analysis of the legal protection trends affecting the region for evidence-based advocacy.

Situational Monitoring

• Supervise the implementation of situational monitoring activities, including monitoring of detention cases;
• Monitor the quality of the situational monitoring activities through field visits and regular checks of databases and monitoring tools;
• Regularly review the data collection protection monitoring tools & methodology (Household Assessments, Focus Groups Discussions, Key Informant Interviews etc.) and contribute technically to their adaptation/modification according to emerging protection trends;
• Receive, check and provide input for technical analysis of the monitoring reports including protection trends affecting the region for evidence-based advocacy prepared and compiled by the Situational Monitoring Analyst and other protection staff;
• Review weekly and monthly planning of monitoring activities.

Case Management (CM)

• Supervise the implementation of activities of the case management component in coordination with the Deputy Protection Manager, the Protection Officer and other staff, in accordance with the CM SOPs;
• Ensure the monthly monitoring of case management activities, according to established Case Management Supervision Monitoring Tools, including spot-checks of the case management platform and through case audits;
• Support the Case Management staff in dealing with complicated high-risk cases through technical advice;
• Receive and check the monthly Case Management protection trend analysis prepared by the Protection Officer.

Community-Based Protection

• Supervise implementation and monitoring of CBP activities by the protection staff, including the Capacity-Building & Engagement Officer, Protection Officer, and Community Mobilizers and Community Outreach Volunteers;
• Ensure community mapping is conducted and periodically updated, in order to enhance INTERSOS’ understanding of the social context, power dynamics, and local actors involved in protection-related activities;
• Support protection team to identify and facilitate community-led initiatives which promote protection and/or social cohesion objectives;
• Provide technical advice and support to Community Outreach Volunteers to conduct community awareness and sensitization activities on protection-related issues (GBV, Child Protection, etc) in the target communities.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure the capacity building of the staff on the use of the INTERSOS Management Platform (IMP), Case Management Platform (CMP), GBV IMS, Legal Database, and other relevant platforms;
• Revise technical reports prepared and compiled by the Protection Officers to be sent to the MEAL Department and/or to the Program Unit;
• Ensure the timely implementation of protection activities with regard to targets are on track with regard to budget and work-plan;
• Collaborate with the MEAL Department in order to ensure quality standards in the implementation of activities and feedback from beneficiaries;
• Contribute to quality reporting through protection trends analysis;
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor protection activities through all areas of operation in SAD.

Coordination and representation

• Conduct regular meetings with protection and program counterparts at donor agencies, and facilitate field visits as needed;
• Establish and maintain regular and collaborative relations with relevant stakeholders (partners, donors, other organizations, local authorities and institutions);
• Contribute to setting of programming strategies for INTERSOS Iraq with reference to the Protection sector;
• Proactively participate and represent INTERSOS in relevant working groups and relevant inter-sectoral coordination meetings (including Durable Solutions’ Area-Based Coordination) at field level;
• Contribute to the development of guidelines, standards, tools and strategies, both at the regional and national level;
• Proactively engage in bi-lateral meetings with other INGOs and NGOs active in relevant geographical areas to avoid duplication, ensure coordination and referral and work for complementary efforts.

Human resources

• Support the Protection Officers in recruitment and selection of Protection staff;
• Coordinate and supervise Protection staff and ensure regular performance evaluations of the Protection Officers;
• Train protection staff on protection concepts, guiding principles and related issues, and ensure that national staff have access to external protection trainings available.​

Required profile and experience

Education

• University Degree in human rights law, international relations, international cooperation, political sciences, humanitarian crisis or equivalent.
• Masters Degree in a related field preferred.

Professional Experience

• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in humanitarian or post-conflict contexts;
• Previous experience in managing protection projects;
• At least one year of experience in managing staff.

Professional Requirements

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Demonstrated experience in managing teams in the field and in working within multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural environments;
• Experience and knowledge in community-based protection, and in capacitating local state and non-state actors, is strongly preferred.

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and spoken);
• Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

Personal Requirements

• A high degree of flexibility and ability to work in remote and sometimes stressful environments;
• High confidentiality, respect and non-discriminatory attitude.