Protection Officer for Legal Assistance

INTERSOS is a non-profit humanitarian aid organisation that works to bring assistance to people in danger, victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Established in 1992 with support from the Italian Federation of Trade Unions, its actions are based on the values of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equal rights and opportunities for all people and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and the unprotected.

INTERSOS identifies with the core values of CONCORD, the European Confederation of NGOs; it adheres to international codes of conduct for humanitarian organisations and the values and principles expressed within those codes. INTERSOS is recognised by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and the principal UN agencies; it is privileged to hold an advisory status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
INTERSOS is an independent association which, through its own humanitarian operators, intervenes to effectively answer the needs of people in serious crises situations, mainly in the world's poorest regions, who are suffering, deprived of rights, dignity and essentials goods. It maintains a flexible operating structure. The head office in Italy coordinates, supports and monitors the planned activities in the countries of intervention carried out by decentralised offices.

Job Purpose:

The Protection Officer for Legal Assistance is responsible for supervising the Legal Consultants (Lawyers), the legal assistant and the legal caseworkers in providing legal information, and counseling to vulnerable persons, in accordance with INTERSOS’ mandate, priorities and donor agreements. The PO for Legal Assistance directly reports to the INTERSOS Project Manager.

Main legal issues to be covered:

• Family Law
• Gender-Based Violence and Child Protection
• Legal identity including obtaining civil documentation necessary to access rights and services (birth registration, marriage registration)
• Citizenship and statelessness issues related to displacement

Exceptionally, the team may engage in other thematic areas based on needs and external requests.

Generic Duties:

Main responsibilities

In his/her function of Protection Officer for Legal Assistance, he/she will be responsible to:

• Prepare, manage and regularly update the legal component’s work plan and related financial plan in close link with the Project Manager and Administration, ensuring timely and quality implementation in compliance with the sector strategy as well as INTERSOS and donor guidelines;
• Undertake technical assessment of Protection needs and gaps for anticipating potential changes on protection strategies and implementation;
• Periodically update the Legal Protection situation analysis and informing relevant colleagues accordingly;
• Set-up a capacity building Programme, with clear timeline, steps to be undertaken and goals to be reached to capacitate legal staff.
• Organize regular meetings with Lawyers and Legal assistant as well as other project’s components for:

1. coordinating activities in the field;
2. sharing information acquired in the field
3. discussing about new protection trends/gaps/challenges/needs and possible adaptation of the program;
4. Discussing about new ideas for new activities for legal projects.

• Take part in protection working group, wherever necessary with protection manager, as per project and INTERSOS guidance;
• Ensure self-care for legal staff is scheduled in accordance with the Project Document.  and budget of 2018.

Specific Duties:

• Support the Protection Specialist to draft the new integrated legal/protection monitoring strategy, design the activities and related tools including the initial household level assessment,  in-depth legal assessments and in the technical development of the related databases.
• Support the Protection Specialist in designing the legal assistance activities and areas of intervention, meeting other legal partners to ensure that there is no duplication
• Develop the legal assistance annual and monthly work-plan
• Support the Protection Specialist in developing the criteria for prioritization of beneficiaries who will benefit from legal assistance under the mixed mobile approach
• Update the legal referral pathways for T5 and Akkar with INTERSOS intervention and update it regularly
• Provide technical support for the legal team in the implementation of all legal related activities run under UNHCR project;
• Weekly and monthly planning of legal assistance activities
• monitor the quality of the implementation of legal activities providing feedback to Project Manager;
• Report weekly, monthly and quarterly the progress on targets, constraints and lessons learnt to the protection manager
• Promote the organization of ad hoc trainings provided by internal staff and/or external stakeholders;
• Lead the training of Mukhtars, Noufus, Judges and partners on legal topics such us civil registration, legal status and residency, GBV/CP, family violence and related topics
• Develop the awareness IEC materials, brochures, hotline to be used for info sharing, awareness and counseling
• support and provide input when requested by the Protection Manager and Project manager on project proposals and share new ideas for legal activities with the Protection manager
• Receive regular risk analysis of potential court cases.  Upon recommendation of the lawyer and decide based on timing, do no harm, cost involved if a case will be represented administratively or in court.
• Keep current with any new circulars, memos, updates issued by governmental premises and report to protection coordinators.
• Coordination of legal assistance activities with the local partner Frontiers
• Coordinate with the protection officer for protection monitoring the activities of the integrated monitoring/legal assistance activities on a weekly and monthly basis
• Expertise on Legal status and residency
• Expertise on House, Land and Property
• Lead the recruitment of the legal staff
• Draft a monthly monitoring plan of the legal activities and M&E tools to measure performance progress.
•  Attend the Inter-Agency Legal and GBV working groups and others when requested by PM
• Coordinate with logistics, administration and finance staff for funding and support of legal activities;
• Provide training to the legal staff on the Birth Registration Inter-Agency SOPs, Legal Court Representation SOPs, Guidance on Early Marriage Registration
• Undertake regular monthly field visits to provide technical guidance and supervision as well as regularly monitoring the progress of Legal Protection activities;
• Ensure that legal teams refer and monitor promptly vulnerable cases identified to the Agency in charge of case management in the different catchment areas

Competencies:  (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

Professional Competencies:

• 3 to 5 years of relevant experience in humanitarian Work (working on refugee related legal problems)
• Prior experience in working with governmental authorities is a plus;
• Familiarity with international protection and human rights legal standards;
• Knowledge on how to communicate with vulnerable population groups, such as women, children, youth, elderly, disable and refugees
• Excellent knowledge and understanding of local communities and customary rules;
• Excellent analysis and reporting skills;
• MS proficiency (OS Windows/Linux, MS Office, Internet etc.);
• Driving License

Behavioral competencies:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent planning and organizing skills.
• Driving and achieving results.
• Punctuality and respect for applicable rules and procedures.
• Strongly objective and impartial reasoning.
• Cultural awareness.
• Ethical and transparent decision-making.
• Flexibility and adaptability.
• Independence, i.e. conducting tasks with minimal supervision, and ability to work under pressure.
• Team work.
• Developing and motivating others.