Protection Specialist – Lebanon

Background Description

The Protection Specialist will strengthen protection mainstreaming in NRC’s programmes and outline NRC’s protection position vis-à-vis relevant coordination and decision-making fora. The Protection Specialist will lead on supporting the Country Management Group (CMG) with context analysis on key protection trends and protection advice, building protection capacities, as well as developing and implementing the protection strategy and plans. The Protection Specialist will develop strong working relationships with NRC field, programme and management teams and external protection actors.

In Lebanon, NRC implements Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA), Shelter & Settlements, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Education for refugees and vulnerable populations. NRC’s programming in Lebanon requires a strong protection focus, to ensure integrated programme activities that meet diverse needs of vulnerable populations.

The Protection Specialist will strengthen protection mainstreaming in NRC’s programmes and outline NRC’s protection position vis-à-vis relevant coordination and decision-making fora. The Protection Specialist will lead on supporting the Country Management Group (CMG) with context analysis on key protection trends and protection advice, building protection capacities, as well as developing and implementing the protection strategy and plans. The Protection Specialist will develop strong working relationships with NRC field, programme and management teams and external protection actors.

The position will be part of the Programme Support Unit, together with Accountability, M&E, Partnerships and Grants, and will work closely with the Protection Coordinators in each area office, as well as with the Core Competency Specialists and support functions, on the application of NRC protection mainstreaming tools, ensuring integrated and robust protection outcomes. The Protection Specialist will lead on development of a protection strategy for NRC Lebanon, to inform the 2021-2023 Country Strategy.

Generic Responsibilities:

• Lead on development of protection strategy for NRC Lebanon and relevant SOPs and strengthen NRCs protection response in-country.
• Develop the Lebanon protection strategy, to inform the 2021-2023 Country Strategy
• Provide analysis and advice regarding key humanitarian protection trends and risks, and monitor how they interact with NRC’s current and planned activities in Lebanon.
• Represent NRC in relevant forums, such as Consortia Protection Technical Reference groups, and forums with other NGOs and UN agencies.
• Facilitate conflict analysis/ DNH mapping and safe programming evaluation
• Provide technical advice and assistance for the analysis of gender, diversity, and inclusion in the Core Competency programmes.
• Contribute to capacity building of NRC staff and partners on minimum protection mainstreaming standards, and support organisational and programmatic implementation of protection standards.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Prepare protection reports, with context analysis updates and key protection trends, and contribute to programme and advocacy deliverables with protection inputs.
• Responsible for networking and representation of NRC for protection related issues at strategic level ensuring NRC protection work is valued and understood by the wider humanitarian sector in Lebanon.
• Provide technical advice in relation to identifying ‘red lines’ and support application of humanitarian principles and protection standards in programme development and implementation.
• Institutionalise and further develop systems that capture trends in protection risks and needs, and follow up on their implementation with the Core Competency Specialists and implementing teams.
• Facilitate conflict analysis/ DNH mapping, as follow up of 2020 mapping to measure progress
• Facilitate safe programming evaluation to measure progress on use of proactive approach to identify, report and respond to protection risks, including PSEA, as follow up of 2020 evaluation.
• Oversee and strengthen the programme internal and external referral mechanism and pathways.
• Contribute to harmonisation of identification and tracking of Persons with Disabilities across Core Competencies
• Train staff to identify, report and respond to protection risks, including PSEA, and accountability standards
• Support the Accountability Manager in strengthening the centralised helpline platform and complaints, feedback and response mechanism, including roll-out and training
• Contribute to awareness-raising, reporting and response processes in relation to Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; and participate in investigating allegations of sexual exploitation or abuse in coordination with NRC Lebanon Senior Management.
• Lead on programme and proposal development for integrated protection projects.
• Contribute to the institutionalization and promotion of best practices and learning related to protection.

Competencies

1. Professional Competencies:

2. Advanced academic qualification in a relevant field (law, social sciences or related disciplines).

3. A clear understanding of protection issues, legal frameworks and professional standards in humanitarian and displacement contexts.

4. Minimum 5 years of experience within protection, preferably in a humanitarian context

5. Knowledge of Lebanon, the Syria conflict and the Middle East regional context
6. Strong knowledge of global protection standards and relevant bodies of international law (international human rights law, international humanitarian law and refugee law)
7. Fluency in English and Arabic, both written and spoken
8. Strong communication skills and ability to build trust and confidently navigate both internally and externally at different levels.
9. Ability to think strategically and constructively and to apply these skills in developing policy frameworks and guidelines to support institutionalization of protection mainstreaming.

10. Experience in developing and delivering high quality protection-related training and tools to support practical implementation of protection standards.

11. Behavioural Competencies:

These are personal qualities that influence how successful people are in their job. NRC’s Competency Framework states 12 behavioural competencies, the following are essential for this position:

• Planning and delivering results
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Analysing
• Initiating action and change
• Handling insecure environment

What we offer

Duty station: Beirut, Lebanon

Travel: 30%

Type of contract: 12 months Fixed-term, renewable based on performance, funding and need

Salary and Benefits: As per the NRC scale