Protection Officer

Background/IRC Summary:

• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war and disaster.
• At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
• IRC has been working in Pakistan for approximately 40 years, leading and delivering large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, safeguarding, environmental health, and livelihoods for displaced, poor, and disaster-affected communities.
• With the support of the federal and provincial governments, and generous donors like FCDO, ECHO, USAID, GAC, and Australian Aid Agencies, the IRC is currently implementing projects across the country.

Job Overview/Summary:

• Under the supervision of the project lead and with the technical support from the Protection Manager and Integrated Protection Coordinator, the Protection Officer will have the responsibility to supervise, coordinate, and manage the child protection (CP), Gender-Based Violence (GBV), and Protection Rule of Law (PRoL) activities.
• Ensure quality case management service provision as per GBV/CP/PROL case management SOPs using GBV IMS, Excel database, PCM Comcare, and Cash for Protection on a need basis.
• Develop a referral mechanism and pathways, community structures mapping, and training in community-based protection approaches, community-based child and women protection, capacity building of staff, partners, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
• The incumbent will work closely with communities, children, and women to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to better protect themselves, their families, and communities.
• The Protection Officer will provide day-to-day supervision, guidance, and on-the-job training to field staff.
• S/he will also be responsible for assisting in tracking the project’s progress and keeping regular follow-ups with project teams to ensure that technical and financial progress of the project is on track.

Responsibilities:

• Support and facilitate protection activities ensuring appropriate coordination with relevant stakeholders.
• Provide technical support by visiting field locations on a regular basis, ensuring that activities are implemented in an agreed manner.
• Establish and oversee the referral mechanism (Identification, registration, referral, and case closure) for effective support to the survivors/children at risk.
• Enhance/develop capacities of the project staff in working with children and women, including people with special needs, to develop new, creative activities as appropriate.
• Ensure supervision and coaching for PRoL/CP/GBV Case Workers working with survivors and those at-risk beneficiaries at the WGSS and health facilities.
• Manage, coach, and orient the PRoL/CP/GBV Case Workers on GBV case management and GBVIMS data entry.
• Maintain close coordination with the IMS team for data entry.
• Coordinate the work of case workers in their respective locations and ensure that work is completed according to guidelines and standards, including a survivor-centered approach.
• Ensure all case management-related M&E tools are utilized, information is collected, analyzed, and actions are taken to ensure quality service provision.
• Supervise and monitor case management tools, specifically action plans/safety plans and Cash for Protection for beneficiaries developed by Case Workers.
• Supervise and manage PCM on Comcare, GBV/CP/Legal cases on IMS, and Excel sheet.
• Provision of Cash assistance (CFP) to the client on a need basis. Ensure that safeguarding standards are understood, met, and that a safe and protective environment is maintained throughout the project.
• Understand Case Management SoPs for PRoL, CP, and GBV and regularly coordinate with project leads to support capacity development exercises with relevant government departments and CSOs.
• Develop and strengthen strong relationships with relevant government departments and stakeholders.
• Contribute to awareness-raising campaigns for sensitizing communities and stakeholders on the protection issues of children and women.
• Undertake regular field monitoring visits to assess progress, identify technical quality issues and/or other implementation issues, provide solutions, and implement modifications as required.
• Support field teams in building the capacities of project staff and conducting parents’ and community meetings.
• Document success stories and lessons learned, where possible.
• Ensure that all protection-related incidents are properly documented.
• Ensure that equipment inventories are up to date and that replacement needs are highlighted.
• Support preparation of requisitions for appropriate project needs in line with the approved budget from time to time.
• Ensure that all interventions are in line with the IRC strategy and CP/GBV Minimum Standards.
• Perform any other project-related tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: Protection Manager and technically reports to Protection Coordinator.
• Internal: Finance, Supply Chain, Human Rescue Health Services Section, Health Information System Section, Community Mobilization Section.
• External: Government Service Providers, relevant departments, partners/CSOs.

Job Requirements:

• Education: Graduate/Master Degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another social science field.
• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of field experience in ProL, GBV, child protection, protection, and case management programming, preferably in emergencies/refugee response.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Applied experience in GBV, child protection, and protection-specific prevention and response in emergencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and implementation of multi-sectorial GBV, child protection prevention, and response programming.
• Demonstrated coordination and consensus-building skills to manage multiple stakeholder consultation processes.
• Experience managing protection case management programs, including the implementation of best interests’ procedures.
• Demonstrated understanding of critical issues around protection data and knowledge of safe and ethical data collection, analysis, and conducting assessments.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Flexible attitude towards receiving feedback.
• Strong networking skills with relevant stakeholders.
• Sound presentation skills.

Language Skills:

• Fluent, professional-level speaking, reading, and writing in English and Urdu. Knowledge of local languages will be an advantage.

Gender Equality and Diversity:

• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures, and actions demonstrate this commitment. Women, minorities, persons with disabilities (PWD), and transgender candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments:

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality, and Accountability.
• In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and implements policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti-Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, and Combating Trafficking in Persons.
• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge they need to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.
• Level of interaction with children: Frequent contact with children.
• IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities, and must have proficiencies to solicit and listen to feedback and others' perspectives, respond to feedback with maturity and sensitivity, and take appropriate decisions and make changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures, and actions demonstrate this dedication.