Humanitarian Protection Adviser

Reports to: Director of Protection and Safeguarding when in Dublin (Country Director when in the field)

Liaises with: Country Directors, Senior Managers and Technical Advisers

Job location: The post holder will be based in Dublin with frequent travel overseas. Approximately 30% of the adviser’s time may be spent overseas each year.

Pay Band: Grade 5: €49,167 – €57,843

Contract: 2 year fixed term contract initially

Job Purpose: Support and strengthen the integration of humanitarian protection into programmes through the dissemination and roll out of the Approach to Protection paper.

Actively support the dissemination and application of Concern Code of Conduct and its associated policies throughout Concern’s country programmes.

Ensure that all of our humanitarian protection interventions are consistent with international good practice.

Engage with the International Programme Directorate in establishing stronger accountability mechanisms across Concern’s humanitarian programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

Technical Support

Humanitarian protection

· Provide support, advice and direction in technical aspects of humanitarian protection, outlining how a more informed approach to protection may affect programme design and implementation.

· Provide training to staff and partners on mainstreaming protection into programmes, with a focus on prevention, and contributing to the improvement of the safety of conflict and disaster affected populations.

· Work with the Safeguarding Advisor to ensure a more strategic and systematic approach to protection across all technical functions.

· Assist the International Programmes Directorate (IPD) to mainstream humanitarian protection analysis into all programme interventions.

· Document and share good practice and lessons to be learned about protection interventions at the country programme level.

· Support the review of programme proposals, reviews and evaluations as requested.

· Roll out the Approach to Protection paper and develop additional tools to assist field teams to integrate protection considerations throughout the programme cycle and ensure that protection principles are applied throughout our programmes.

· Support the development and delivery of the training being planned by the Emergency Unit in humanitarian principles and practice.

· Increase our networking and sharing of experience to raise organisational profile in relation to protection, especially through the Global Protection cluster and related task teams, etc.

Accountability

· Work with IPD in relation to the Core Humanitarian Standard and, with the Safeguarding Adviser, take the lead on all issues related to Complaints and Response Mechanisms (CRMs) at the field level. This may include support in the design, establishment, implementation and review of CRMs processes and their effectiveness.

· Working closely with the Safeguarding Adviser, ensure that learning and good practice on CRM is captured and shared across the organisation.

· Develop an annual report in relation to the pattern of complaints generated through the country-level CRMs and identify any issues arising from these that need to be addressed at an organisational level.

Safeguarding policies

· Contribute to the dissemination and understanding of the Concern Code of Conduct and its associated policies at the country programme level.

· Provide technical support and training as needed to help country programmes (and – if requested – the staff of their partner organisations) reach a good understanding of the policy and an agreed standard of application.

· Engage with the Internal Audit and Investigation team to ensure consistency in the way issues and complaints related to the Concern Code of Conduct and its associated policies are handled at the country programme level, and that learning is captured.

Policy, best practice and strategy

· Ensure the understanding and dissemination of the Approach to Protection paper and its associated technical standards and ensure that this document is maintained to reflect changes in good practice. Keep abreast of relevant policy trends and good practice, ensure that Concern’s policy and practice reflects these, and that this information is widely disseminated throughout the organisation.

Emergency deployment

· Be available to respond quickly to emerging needs by undertaking or participating in humanitarian or protection assessments or in supporting the establishment of programme interventions.

Networking, representation, and information sharing

· Establish and maintain links with other organisations, institutions, professional groups, cluster mechanisms, etc. in relation to humanitarian protection.

· Represent Concern to relevant institutes, universities, organisations, and donors in areas related to humanitarian protection issues.

· Attend workshops or seminars on humanitarian protection and wider emergency-related issues as appropriate.

Organisational policies and strategies

· Contribute to Concern’s organisational policy, strategic development and general programming work through active participation in organisational programming discussions, and through making proactive suggestions on improving Concern’s approaches and strategies.

Skills and Experience Required:

Essential:

· A relevant third level qualification is essential, together with a theoretical knowledge of the principles of humanitarian protection.

· Strong understanding of international humanitarian law, refugee law, humanitarian principles, protection principles and standards, key sectoral issues and processes including advocacy for protection.

· Minimum of five years’ experience in a programme that involved areas of protection in humanitarian response work, preferably in a humanitarian or protection role in conflict or insecure environments. This should include two years at management level, preferably working with refugees and IDPs.

· Proven experience in protection mainstreaming in emergencies from the needs assessment to the project development and delivery stages.

· Proven experience in the provision of technical advice and support to field programmes, and skills in staff and partner development and training.

· Proven experience in developing training material and delivering workshops, particularly in cross-cultural settings.

· Proven experience in or understanding of accountability principles and mechanisms.

· French speaker.

· Proven experience of working in an insecure environment.

· Strong conceptual and practical understanding of protection issues and approaches in humanitarian contexts, including the constraints, sensitivities and risks associated with such work.

· Demonstrable understanding of the gender dynamics of protection work and ability to implement protection activities with an emphasis on the gendered aspects of conflict, violence and abuse.