Protection Interagency Coordinator – Colombia (DRC/NRC)

About DRC

The Danish Refugee Council/Danish Demining Group (DRC/DDG) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian NGOs, working in more than 40 countries to provide adequate assistance with a rights-based approach to refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, returnees and migrants.

DRC/DDG has been present in Colombia since 2011, and in 2018 it began to upscale its operations due to large influx of migrants and refugees from Venezuela. DRC is currently implementing a protection focused humanitarian response financed by OFDA/BHA, ECHO, UNHCR and IOM in four cities in Colombia (Riohacha, Barranquilla, Medellin and Bogota). DRC´s protection programming includes protection monitoring, legal aid, MPCA, community-based protection, case management and GBV prevention and response. DRC also co-leads the national protection working group of the Interagency Group on Mixed Migration Flows (GIFMM by its Spanish acronym).

About NRC

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across more than 30 countries, providing emergency and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We deliver high-quality aid where needs are greatest and work to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable people during crisis.

NRC has been operating in Colombia for 17 years directly and for 30 years through partners in response to the on-going conflict in-country. Also, as since 2018 the regional impact of the Venezuela situation has grown in scale and scope, we scaled up our humanitarian assistance. We implement our core competencies: Education, Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Livelihoods and Food Security, Protection, Shelter, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). We also manage a large component of cash assistance. NRC co-leads the Protection Cluster in Colombia and until 2020 also co-led the GIFMM/Protection Working Group together with DRC.

About the job

DRC and NRC are currently looking for a highly qualified Spanish-speaking Protection Interagency Coordinator to co-lead both the Protection Sector in the GIFMM and the Protection Cluster under the HCT (Humanitarian Country Team) within the dual humanitarian coordination architecture in Colombia.

• The GIFMM in Colombia coordinates the humanitarian response to the needs of Venezuelan refugees, migrants, Colombian returnees, in a complementary manner with the Government. It is co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The GIFMM has different sub-sectors, and the protection sector is co-led by DRC and UNHCR.
• The Humanitarian Country Team coordinates the humanitarian response to the needs of people affected by the armed conflict and violence, disasters and the pandemic in Colombia. The Protection Cluster promotes interventions that prevent, address and restore human rights violations, through actions that complement the State’s response to the populations exposed to critical protection concerns. The protection cluster is co-led by NRC and UNHCR.

Given the dual coordination system but at the same time both crises becoming increasingly intertwined, it has become necessary to mainstream coordination, search for complementarities, harmonization of standards and approaches, where possible and necessary.

The Protection Interagency Coordinator will be based in Bogota with regular travels within Colombia. He/she will report to the respective Steering Committees and administratively be supervised by the DRC and NRC Country Directors.

Generic responsibilities

1. Promote relevant and robust coordination mechanisms, including monthly coordination meetings and information management, are established and maintained with Protection Sector and Protection Cluster members, government counterparts and donors, for timely and effective needs assessments, planning, prioritization, implementation, reporting and evaluation;
2. Lead the process of development and implementation of the protection cluster and sector strategies and work-plans throughout the humanitarian programme cycle and in collaboration with partners and lead agencies;
3. Ensure the adequate and effective functioning of the back-to-back system (protection working group and protection cluster) within the humanitarian architecture in Colombia;
4. Liaise permanently with national GIFMM coordinators (UNHCR and IOM) and coordinate with other subsectors of the GIFMM and the Cluster such as the cash transfer, multisector, gender-based violence (GBV), child protection groups among others;
5. Identify protection needs and support mobilization of resources through the GIFMM and the cluster;
6. Identify gaps in the response and ensure there is no duplication of actions of the protection partners; promote complementarity between protection mechanisms;
7. Conduct advocacy with local and national government and humanitarian sector according to the cluster and working group work-plans;
8. Provide training and capacity-building in protection related matters for members of the protection working group and cluster, local protection working groups and members.

Specific responsibilities

1. Proactively represent the Protection Cluster and the interests of Protection Cluster members in inter-cluster coordination mechanisms, at the HCT (as appropriate), and in other relevant fora (as necessary), including with the government, ensuring consultation with Protection Cluster members on key messages and adherence to humanitarian principles of impartiality, independence, neutrality and humanity;

2. Promote an age, gender, and diversity (AGD) approach in protection analysis, planning and response;

3. Work closely with information management colleagues in the GIFMM and Cluster to develop protection information management tools and products such as analytical reports;

4. Support protection needs assessments undertaken in the field;

5. Undertake inter-agency protection field missions in Colombia as necessary.

Roles reporting to this position: IM Officer

Required experience and competencies

• A minimum of 4 years of experience in humanitarian protection;
• At least 2 years of experience in protection coordination in the humanitarian sector;
• Experience in protection information management;
• Experience and knowledge of mixed-migration and international protection;
• Excellent coordination and diplomatic skills;
• Training and capacity building skills;
• Knowledge about the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis and the Colombian context;
• Ability to manage competing priorities and to meet deadlines;
• Effective team-player and problem solver;
• Fluent Spanish and advanced English skills are required.

Desired

• Experience of working in the Latin America context.

Required education

• Master’s degree in Human Rights, Political Science, Sociology, Forced Migration, Refugee Law, or any other relevant field.

We offer

Contract length: 12 months with possibility of extension based on performance and funding

Band F – No Manager

Start date: ASAP