Protection Coordinator

DRC has been responding to various humanitarian crises in Lebanon since 2004, working with Palestinian, Iraqi and Syrian refugees. DRC received registration from the Ministry of Interior in 2011, and since then has focused primarily on responding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon and the resulting impact on Lebanese host community. DRC Lebanon’s focus is to ensure that we are able to respond to critical emerging humanitarian needs whilst improve the living conditions of displacement-affected populations and contribute to the achievement of durable solutions.   With an annual portfolio of $12million, and with approximately 200+ staff, DRC is focusing its response in protection and economic recovery (Ec-Rec) sector in Bekka, North Lebanon and Beirut. DRC is also contributing to the evidence base and coordination structures in country through our Evidence Generation and referral information management (RIMs) teams.

About the job

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is looking for a Protection Sector Co-Coordinator to actively support and enhance coordination of the Protection Working Group in North Lebanon. In Lebanon, an Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanism (IA) was established in 2011 that aligns with both stabilisation and humanitarian dimensions under the overall leadership of the Minister of Social Affairs (GOL) and the UN Residency Coordinator. The Inter-Sector Response Management is led by MOSA with UNHCR and UNDP as co-chairs. There are ten sectors working across the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP). The Protection Sector at the national level is led by MOSA and UNHCR. The Protection Sector has a national Protection Working Group (PWG) as well as four regional working groups (Bekka, North Lebanon, South, Lebanon, Beirut, and Mount Lebanon) to ensure strong and effective coordination close to point of delivery and to enable decentralised decision-making. Your main duties and responsibilities will be:

The DRC Co-Coordinator will work together with the North PWG Lead Sector Coordinator (UNHCR) in support of the North Lebanon Protection Working Group and in line with the developed Terms of Reference. The DRC Co-Coordinator will report to the DRC Protection Manager at national level with day-to-day liaison with the UNHCR North PWG Lead Sector Coordinator. The purpose of the Co-Coordinator position is to strengthen Protection Sector coordination in North Lebanon in accordance with IASC guidelines on cluster/sector leadership, and with particular emphasis on strengthening NGO representation, participation and contribution to the North Lebanon Protection Sector, in order to enhance humanitarian protection programming and advocacy responses.

• Co-facilitate meetings for the North Lebanon Protection Working Group with the Lead Sector Coordinator, ensuring agreement and follow-through of key decisions and action points.
• Ensure that Protection Sector partners in North Lebanon are updated on protection needs and situation analysis, gaps, planning, funding processes etc.
• Ensure coherent, accountable and predictable humanitarian protection interventions across the North and Akkar governorates though a coordinated approach, aiming to maximize impact, prevent overlap and minimize gaps.
• Facilitate and contribute to the North Lebanon Protection Sector needs assessment and analysis, reporting and development/review of strategic, contingency and response plans, ensuring that these are in line with and contribute to the Lebanon Protection Sector Strategy for 2023.
• Develop internal work plans for the North Lebanon Protection Sector and ensure effective implementation and linkages in consultation with PWG members and sub-groups.
• Provide practical guidance and support to North Lebanon PWG members on issues including protection analysis, protection information management and coordination.
• Identify gaps in current sector member capacities and opportunities for the roll-out of targeted capacity building activities. To that end, design, facilitate and/or deliver protection trainings, including tools and methodology for protection mainstreaming in emergency response and protection needs assessment, to North Lebanon PWG members and across sectors, to ensure adherence to relevant standards and guidelines.
• Identify and harmonise, where possible, good practices, tools, monitoring and evaluation indicators and guidelines in North and Akkar governorates, and in coordination with the national Protection Working Group.
• Closely liaise with the national Protection Manager to ensure coordination efforts and technical capacity-building initiatives are aligned with national coordination efforts and needs of DRC protection programming.
• Strengthen Protection Information Management systems within DRC at national level to support efficient and regular protection analysis at national and regional level.
• Contribute to development of data collection tools, support analysis and report writing of thematic protection assessments and protection briefs.

About you

To be successful in this role we expect you to have a minimum of three years of work experience working on protection or rule of law issues related to humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams; and to have previous experience in cluster/sector coordination in complex emergency contexts.

Moreover, we also expect the following:

Required

• Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and laws;
• Excellent leadership, coordination, communication, capacity building, planning and analytical skills;
• Previous experience with protection monitoring, analysis of protection data, and supporting information management systems;
• Experience in facilitation of workshops and trainings on protection topics, including protection analysis and protection mainstreaming;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relationships with members of cluster, consortiums, or other groups with diverse members;
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Arabic;
• Ability to work well under pressure and in adverse conditions and willingness to travel within Lebanon.

Desirable

• Experience in development of advocacy strategy and messaging.
• Postgraduate university degree preferably in Human Rights, International Law or a related field.

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 uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to our values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.

We offer

• Contract length: Six months with possibility of extension
• Band: G-1 Non-Management
• Designation of Duty Station: North
• Start date: 1^st of February 2023

Salary and conditions will be in accordance with Danish Refugee Council’s Terms of Employment for Expatriates; please refer to drc.ngo under Vacancies. For questions regarding the vacancy please contact [email protected]