Child Protection Officer - Tripoli

Job Description

Background

The International Rescue Committee (IRC), one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation, and post-conflict reconstruction support to people affected by natural disasters, oppression, and violent conflict in more than 40 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation, and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, the IRC assists people from harm to home. The IRC launched an emergency health response in Libya in September 2016 as the humanitarian situation in the country was deteriorating following the 2014 civil war. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with health, protection, and governance programs aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of crisis affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their futures. The IRC has been working to expand its multi-sectoral reach in areas of critical need in Libya and in these efforts houses a Grants & Partnerships Unit (GPU) to support the design of, fundraising for, and management of quality, responsive programming with ambitious goals for work in partnership with local actors.

The scope of IRC Libya’s protection and empowerment programming includes Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE, which includes gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and response), child protection (CP), and Protection Rule of Law (PRoL, or broader humanitarian protection) for conflict-affected and other vulnerable women, girls, men, and boys. In the design and development of responsive, client-centered protection programming, the IRC works both directly and in partnership with local actors promoting women’s social and, increasingly, economic empowerment and an improved protection environment for conflict-affected and vulnerable women, girls, men, and boys. Through this work, the IRC has raised awareness among communities, provided training for service providers, and established spaces for a range of psychosocial support activities and access to case management for women, adolescent girls, and children in and around Tripoli and Misrata. The IRC aims to build on that foundation with additional, targeted support to local capacities and community-based mechanisms.

Job Overview / Summary

IRC Libya is seeking a Child Protection (CP) Officer for an anticipated project that will build on prior project achievements toward increasing access to prevention and response services and an improved protection environment for children. Working in close coordination with and under the direct supervision of the Senior Child Protection Officer, the CP Officer is responsible for the supervision and implementation of all current and future child protection activities targeting children and care givers in the selected communities/locations. The services will include child protection case management, psychosocial support activities, life skills training with adolescents, parenting skills training for caregivers, community engagement and establishing an/or strengthening community-based child protection structured and building capacity of government departments. The CP Officer will provide direct line management to the Child Protection staff based in Tripoli.

Major Responsibilities:

The CP Officer will: Conduct situational and needs assessments and document gaps on child protection to inform IRC’s project design and service adaptation. Conduct consultations with different community members (parents, teachers and children) in order to introduce child protection concepts and principles, promote community participation guided by and humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. Together with the Facilitators and Assistants, develop and update a clear schedule of all activities for children in target locations and share it with the supervisor. Plan and ensure implementation of daily activities for children and their parents in the target locations. Ensure that children harmed or at risk of being harmed are identified and receive individual case management support by direct counseling to the families or by providing the CP caseworker with guidance on conducting case management, in accordance with the IRC standard tools and procedures. Supervise content and ongoing awareness raising campaigns, meetings and FGDs with children and their parents. Liaise with other IRC staff for referral of cases and to conduct joint activities (when relevant); Ensure regular communication with the Senior Child Protection Officer for updates on achievements, challenges and any other relevant report as requested. Compile, monthly, bi-weekly and weekly submissions of program’s data and reports and contribute to the development of regular internal and external reports, both qualitative and quantitative, in relation to child protection program activities Conduct capacity assessment and implement the required capacity building support to direct reports including on-going coaching and mentoring. Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to CP staff working. Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the community acceptance and protected environment for IRC programs Develop monthly and weekly plans and any other reports according also to donors’ requirements. Directly supervise Child Protection staff - processing their timesheets, leave requests, asset needs, and hold weekly/monthly team meetings; Ensure that the identified safe spaces have all materials needed for activities with children, monitor all distributions and provide a list of needs to the Senior Child Protection Officer/Supply Chain; Follow up and support all CP program related operational needs. This includes initiation, submission and follow up on procurement requests, salaries and payment requests, contracts and agreements start and end dates, recruitment and onboarding of staff and incentive workers Nurture and strengthen a good working relationship and environment with the local community; Coordinate services with other key actors and service providers in service catchment area. Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with protection actors and non-protection in the field, including UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors. Provide support to the Senior CP Officer and the Integrated Protection Coordinator as per need. Any other task as assigned by the line manager

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Child Protection Manager Position directly supervises: CP Facilitator, Caseworkers, and CP Assistants/ Community Outreach Volunteers.

Other Internal and/or external contacts: Internal: WPE Team, Capacity Building Team, Protection Information Management Team, Health Team, Supply Chain Team, The MEAL Team, and HR staff.

Qualifications

Job Requirements: Degree in social work, psychology, human rights, or related degree. Minimum two years’ experience working in the field of child protection or related field; Previous experience in working with children with special needs or psychological distress. Good understanding of CP Minimum Standards in Emergencies. Good understanding of CP Case Management. Good knowledge of Child Safeguarding and PSEA standards in humanitarian actions. Confident communicator, excellent negotiations skills. Very well organized and with good reporting skills. Able to work under pressure. Works well in teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well. Good Computer skills: MS Word and Excel Fluency in Arabic and English language required. Previous experience in NGOs preferred. Working Environment: The Child Protection Officer will be based in Tripoli, Libya.

_____________________________________________________________________________ The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.