Protection Specialist

Contract

This is a DRC - Expatriate contract. More about DRC - Expatriate contracts.

Danish Refugee Council 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 is currently looking for a highly qualified Spanish and English-speaking Economic Recovery Specialist for his country office in Venezuela. This is an opportunity for an experienced professional to support DRC’s emergency response in Venezuela.

DRC established operational presence in Venezuela in 2019 to meet the urgent needs of internally displaced people and vulnerable host communities. DRC is currently scaling up its response in Venezuela through an integrated programming. Primarily based on protection activities (protection monitoring, individual protection assistance, community-based protection, prevention and response to Gender Based Violence (GBV), legal assistance and case management), the response also includes growing components of Economic Recovery, with current food security (including support to small scale agriculture) and livelihoods activities (employability, T-VET). DRC is currently active in Apure, Zulia and Sucre, both through direct and indirect implementation, with a strong capacity-building component.

Overall purpose of the role: Under the supervision of the Country Protection Coordinator, the Protection Specialist contributes to the development and implementation of DRC’s sector strategy in Venezuela and is responsible for supporting the delivery of high-quality protection services across DRC Venezuelas areas of operation, in close collaboration with the field management and Protection Manager at a country level. While contributing to DRC’s broader protection strategy to ensure linkages across protection activities, the specific technical focus of this role will be Protection Monitoring, Case Management (CM), Individual Protection Assistance (IPA), and Community-Based Protection (CBP). Additionally, the Protection Specialist will support the Country Protection Coordinator in representation, advocacy, capcity building, and coordination with other key stakeholders (as agreed with the Protection Cluster), and continuous sharing of PM-based analysis of protection risks to UN agencies and I/NGOs with the objective to ensure humanitarian responders in Venezuela beyond Protection agencies integrate protection analysis in their responses.

To this aim, the Protection Specialist will support the harmonization and rollout of tools, guidelines, and SOPs, strengthen referral pathways and ensure standard donor and data analysis/reporting methods (in collaboration with M&E) are in place for these activities.

Main Responsibilities

• Technical support (20%)

• Provide regular technical support and guidance to Protection Managers (PMs) to strengthen the capacity of protection teams in delivering high-quality PM, CM services, IPA and CBP, while ensuring that supervision and coaching structures are in place at the field level to ensure adequate oversight by PMs (see capacity building);

• Undertake regular field visits to monitor the quality of implementation, provide technical advice, and conduct customized needs assessments to base the capacity building of protection staff on (with specific regard to PM, CM, and IPA;
• Support the broader information management needs of the protection program by data tracking and data visualization (POWERBI) ensuring data/information consistency and integrity, and continuous availability of data analysis for informed decision-making and project design (particularly for PM, CM, IPA, and CBP);
• Contribute to the establishment and regular updates of the MEAL plan, including (a) ensuring appropriate indicator and quality tracking (both quantitative and qualitative) and (b) working closely with MEAL to put in place accountability mechanisms;

• Stay abreast of developments that have an impact on the protection environment in Venezuela and provide ongoing analysis on key issues regularly

• Capacity building (****20%)

• In collaboration with the Country Protection Coordinator, develop program tools, and guidance notes to support and reinforce the quality of activities and lead the coaching, mentorship, and training required for implementation;
• In coordination with the PMs, assess training and development needs within the Protection team, provide technical inputs for the development of capacity building plans to be implemented with the support of the Country Protection Coordinator, including the development and/or delivery of training materials to further build the capacity of protection staff;
• Participate in the recruitment process, the capacity building and the evaluation of the protection staff, as necessary;

• In collaboration with MEAL and with the support of the Country Protection Coordinator develop monitoring tools to track the process of the learning events and identify gaps that will lead to a general capacity building and professionalization of DRC staff;

• Strategy and Program development (10%)

• In close coordination with the Country Protection Coordinator, the Protection Specialist contributes to the development and implementation of DRC’s sector strategy in Venezuela,
• Support the development of guidance to mainstream protection through other DRC core sectors,
• In coordination with the Base Managers and Protection Managers, contribute to the program strategy and the establishment of sector-based log frames and targets under the guidance of the Country Protection Coordinator;

• Participate in the proposal development process by providing field-specific context analysis, technical sector-specific analysis, beneficiary information, and technical feedback on the concept

• Representation and technical support to Protection Cluster (50%)

• Active participation in, contribution to, and representation of DRC in the Protection Cluster, and assigned AoRs or other relevant bodies, including working groupsand other meetings related to protection;
• Ensure that DRC’s work is coordinated with the efforts of other agencies, ensuring the adoption of mitigation measures are taken to address the protection risks affecting communities;
• Feed into National Protection cluster and other relevant spaces through sharing DRC Protection Monitoring (PM) findings, ensuring that protection analysis is guiding the design of humanitarian responses.
• Promote and implement trainings for all Clusters as well as humanitarian partners on core protection concepts such as the Centrality of Protection, Age, Gender, and Diversity and Community-based Protection
• Support the Protection Cluster in capacity building activities for its partners.
• Support the Protection Cluster in the coordination of the Disability Working Group together with partner organizations

• Support Cluster initiatives and activities in strengthening AGD protection analyses that promote inclusion of persons with disabilities and older persons in the humanitarian project cycle

• Experience and technical competencies:

• Proven experience of at least 4 years in international protection and management of protection programs, including in, Protection Monitoring, Case Management, community-based protection and Protection of IDPs in conflict-affected countries;
• Prior experience implementing case management is required;
• Experience providing technical guidance, developing and delivering participatory training/capacity building;
• Significant knowledge of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Laws and International standards relating to the protection of IDPs;
• Experience in report writing, data/information analysis, and M&E;
• Strong information management skills, including but not limited to the creation of databases, use of server-based information collection tools, etc.;
• Proven strong analytical and communication, representation, negotiation, advocacy, and diplomacy skills;
• Strategic thinker with the ability to quickly develop good insight and understanding of the conflict, the human rights situation, and the political environment of the program country;
• Knowledge of Gender and Protection mainstreaming, AGD, PwSN, and AAP approaches;
• Experience in projects and initiatives that promote inclusive actions for persons with disabilities.
• Experiences in community-based protection related activities is a strong asset
• Experience working and living in a multicultural environment and traveling to conflict-affected areas;
• Extensive experience in reporting and project development, excellent writing skills in Spanish. Very good command of English is an asset.

Education:

University or Master’s degree relevant to humanitarian work, preferably in law, social work, gender studies, social sciences, or humanitarian aid.

Languages:

• Fluency in Spanish (written and spoken).
• English language skills highly desirable.

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with DRC’s vision and values.

We offer:

• Designation of Duty Station: Caracas
• Start date: June 2023 / Please indicate in your application your availability
• Contact Length: 9 months renewable depending on funding and performance;
• Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for expatriate/National staff. Level: G – non manager.

Application process: Applications must be submitted through this page by clicking Apply button. All applicants must send a cover letter and an updated CV (no longer than four 4 pages) in English. No application sent by email will be accepted. For information about the position, please contact DRC Venezuela Country Director [email protected] – or DRC Venezuela HR Team Leader – [email protected]

Closing date for applications: June 5, 2023. Please note that the applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.