Protection Technical Advisor

GENERAL OBJECTIVE

Under the direct and technical supervision of the Protection Coordinator, the Protection Technical Advisor (TA) is in charge of overviewing protection activities, ensuring that quality and standards are met, and providing guidance and capacity building to field staff in the different locations of interventions (Akkar, Tripoli/T5, South). The Protection Technical Advisor position’s major objectives are to properly achieve the following global tasks:

• Provide technical inputs for all protection activities, including community based activities, needs and risks assessments, individual social counselling, cash transfers in accordance with internal Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and existing national protection guidelines;
• Provide guidance and support to Social Workers when dealing with complex cases;
• Monitor the referral mechanisms;
• Ensure the protection team capacity building, train and support field staff (Social Workers, Inclusion Social Workers, Field Officers, Referral Officers) and other teams on specific protection issues to develop good practices and acquire skills and knowledge;
• Strengthen PU-AMI’s protection, gender and inclusion mainstreaming, understanding of the identified needs and protection risks in the area, propose new activities and intervention based on needs and gaps identified.

Specific objective and linked activities

1-TECHNICAL GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT

• Provide field staff with technical guidance and support, based on PU-AMI SOPs and international standards, and share good practices;
• Conduct on-the-job coaching by undertaking field visits and providing feedback;
• Advise on protection cases and participate to the case management process by systematically discussing key steps with Social Workers;
• Liaise with partners and organize case conferences for complex cases when needed;
• Advise on case prioritization and participate to assistance’s selection process, notably of Emergency Cash Assistance, to ensure due attention if given to vulnerability criteria and protection risks’ exposure;
• Ensure the good functioning of the referral system by supporting the Referral units;
• Organize regular sessions to gather Social Workers and/or Referral Officers and/or Field Officers and discuss challenges and good practices;
• Collaborate with field staff management (Project Managers and Inclusion and Community Health Team Managers) to ensure smooth collaboration and support of the concerned staff: Social Workers, Inclusion Social Workers who are working with the Health teams, Protection and Community Field Officers, Referral Officers.

2-CAPITALIZATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

• Participate to the design, update and harmonization of tools and SOPs throughout the interventions, in coordination with the Protection Coordinator;
• Consult, share and present resources pertaining to protection, gender and inclusion notably;
• Identify trainings needs and assess internal and external capacity and opportunities to provide the needed training;
• Prepare protection related trainings’ material and provide trainings to teams (PU-AMI staff but also local partner staffs) on protection related topics, such as protection core concepts, gender, inclusion, case management, referral pathways, safe identification and referral, etc.
• Contribute to the eloboration of awareness raising material;
•  Promote Protection, gender and Inclusion mainstreaming in all departments and intervention;
• Contribute to designing and updating tools and SOPs;
• Upon request, participate to recruitment process(es) of Protection staff (i.e. drafting job descriptions, shortlisting resumes, correcting tests, conducting interviews, etc.)

3-PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY MONITORING

• Contribute to project design by proposing activities relevant to the context;
• Collaborate with the MEAL department to support the design and elaboration of M&E tools and methodology;
• Undertake field visits and quality spot check to guarantee the activities’ quality and the compliance with PU-AMI SOPs and international protection standards;
• Contribute to identifying and analyzing lesson learnt and good pratices with Program and MEAL teams.

4-REPRESENTATION AND COORDINATION

• Participate actively to the Working Groups related to protection at national (if required) and/or local level;
• Contribute to the mapping of operational protection actors in the areas of intervention in coordination with the Referral Officer;
• Coordinate with Protection and other external actors to set collaboration mechanisms (mutual referral, common activities), in coordination with Project Managers;
• Ensure an efficient coordination with partners, stakeholders, and other PU-AMI departments, and report accordingly to his/her line manager.

5-STRATEGY AND REPORTING

• Based on the context analysis and the capitalization of good practices, participate to the development of the Protection strategy and to the adjustment of current interventions and/or to the development of new interventions based on identified needs;
• Raise issues and trends and propose subsequent program adaptation(s);
• Provide information and suggestions to program proposal and reporting for donors;
• Report on a monthly basis on activities and protection trends.

6-ACCOUNTABILITY

In coordination with the HR department, contribute to making sure that PU-AMI’s Protection against Sexual and Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) policy is understood and respected by all involved staff and for all activities.

The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are non-exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project’s needs.

Mandatory requirements

• Language skills: Fluent in English (speaking/reading/writing) and Arabic (speaking/reading/writing);
• Education degree: University degree in social work, community development or another relevant degree;

• Work experience: Minimum 3 years experience in protection with a humanitarian organization (at least 2 in Lebanon), including at least 2  years of experience in implementing case management
• The position is based in the Coordination office in Beirut. However, the person in this position is expected to be willing to rove between north and south bases. 
• Knowledge and skills:
• Good analytical and writing skills
• Excellent knowledge of humanitarian and Protection standards, including the Do no Harm principle  
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills
• A high sense of discretion and integrity when dealing with sensitive protection information;
• Excellent knowledge in community mobilization
• Knowledge of cash-based modalities within protection interventions
• Good knowledge of the zones of intervention
• Computer skills: Good knowledge of the MS office software including Word, Excel, Outlook
• Willing and able to travel locally on a weekly basis (North and South);
• Valid driving license
• Must understand and adhere to humanitarian and PSEA standards/principles.

Assets

• Ability to deal with difficult work situations and to manage stress
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing
• High sense of responsibility and initiative
• Ability to prioritize a heavy workload and to delegate accordingly
• Ability to build positive working relationships with partners and other stakeholders.
• Leadership skills, Team player: proven inter-personal skills
• Problem-solving
• Understanding of the political and humanitarian context in Lebanon
• Ability to adapt to change of context, flexibility.