Protection Coordinator at Oxfam

Ref Id: 4203
Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria with regular travel to the field
Contract Type: Full-time/ 40 hours a week for a 6 month, renewable contract

Purpose of the team and the Position

• To ensure Oxfam has the management, technical and logistical capacity to both scale-up and to respond rapidly to major humanitarian emergencies anywhere in the world.
• To support the development and implementation of Oxfam s humanitarian work by providing specialist advice and support on humanitarian protection.
• This will include implementing mainstreaming protection in the humanitarian response, supporting safe programming and undertaking gender-sensitive community-level protection activities in particular, protection monitoring, and information dissemination and referrals guided by Oxfam’s policies and guidelines for managing information and the relevant professional standards in protection work.

Main Tasks

• The situation in North East Nigeria is highly changeable and this job description maybe subject to change as the situation evolves.
• As such the post-holder will be expected to be flexible as to working location; however, should security conditions allow, we would expect the post-holder to be based in Maidiguri with regular travel to other field location.

Dimensions

• Development, coordination and delivery of agreed plans or strategies.
• Input to strategic plans and processes at country, region and global thematic level (e.g. protection strategy, analysis)
• Representation in coordination meetings and external relationships
• Impact and influence in own team, RC, in country teams across sectoral specialities. This includes Working along with WaSH, EFSVL, MEAL and other departments to ensure integrated protection activities are correctly planned and implemented throughout the project and campaigns work is protection-informed.
• Coordinates projects and people (including matrix management). Providing specialist protection advice or specific skills to team.
• Collaborates with other teams and departments
• Management tasks are complex and non-routine within a specialised function.
• Requires the ability to analyse and communicate complex information to a wide audience and to communicate complex concepts and issues in a relevant and meaningful way to other Oxfam staff.
• Decision-making requires significant levels of judgement based on technical and management experience, generally advising line management or the programme team.
• Role is variable with well-defined targets and/or minimum standards and is both proactive and reactive.
• To play active role in lobby and advocacy on issues related to programmes through personal contacts and co-ordination of allies.
• To take part in public campaigns based on agreed plan of action and objectives.
• To support fundraising efforts and produce clear and quality reports (financial and narrative) that demonstrates good accountability.
• Impact is on own department/Region, and through the impact of the team's work on technical quality of Oxfam’s humanitarian work on the whole of Oxfam, e.g. on the international profile of the organisation.
• Works with similar post holders and advisers across the Lake Chad Basin response and other Oxfam staff members in other countries and affiliates
• Participate in Oxfam’s internal Protection Peer Group and contribute to Oxfam’s global strategic thinking on protection

Key Responsibilities

• The situation in Maidiguri, Nigeria is highly changeable and this job description is subject to change as the situation evolves. As such the post-holder will be expected to be flexible as to working location, however should security conditions allow, we would expect the post-holder to be based in Maidiguri and travel where possible.

Programme Implementation:

• Ensure the delivery of protection activities and provide technical support to the Protection Team Leaders and Officers to undertake their responsibilities in line with their role and responsibility.
• Supportive supervision of field protection staff in monitoring and analysing protection issues affecting populations in area of Oxfam operations.
• Analyse protection concerns arising from Oxfam’s humanitarian response, provide recommendations on addressing them and throughout the process of addressing the protection concerns s/he must support continuous support to the relevant teams
• Provide specialist protection advice and support to Oxfam’s humanitarian response in North-east Nigeria, including regarding humanitarian access and engagement with armed non-state actors and ensuring independence and impartiality in providing services.
• Support the management to strategize, plan for and ensure appropriate integration and mainstreaming of protection throughout the humanitarian response in North-east Nigeria.
• Provide technical support to WaSH, EFSVL and MEAL teams in integrating protection within their programmatic tools, such as targeting criteria or PDM.
• Support Protection Team Leaders and Officers in preparing and organizing community consultations and community-based orientation sessions.
• Lead and supervise assessment teams during thematic surveys, needs assessment and data collection for protection-related research.
• Monitors protection issues affecting IDPs and host population in areas of operation.
• Provide technical and analytical advice to manager in developing safe programming and conflict-sensitive approaches to the humanitarian response.
• Provide capacity-building on gendered protection, safe programming, project management, community-based mechanisms.
• Ensure program staff members are fully trained on existing referral systems and relevant SOPs.
• Ensure Protection Activities abide by safe programming principles with risks analysed and gender considered in every action
• Organise and prepare protection analysis, if and when required, and draft the reports
• Build proposals to ensure appropriate funding and response for protection activities
• Prioritization of context suitable trainings for authorities, duty bearers, community leaders, civilian defence forces, religious groups, civil society on roles and responsibilities to protect.
• Support communication with communities through two-way channels between the humanitarian community and the population of Borno including community feedback channel radio broadcasts, outreach work action, creation of innovative IEC materials, and community protection committee engagement.

Advocacy and Research:

• Provide technical input into the policy, advocacy, campaign and media teams work (including the RiC campaign) on the identification of protection issues, the narrative content and collaboration on information dissemination of protection concerns, engagement in influencing appropriate stakeholders at the national and international level, conducting interviews, and supporting safety of campaigns actions.
• Lead on local level advocacy efforts alongside the programme management leads and supported as needed by the advocacy department.
• Provide technical support on humanitarian access and civil-military cooperation or coordination in inter-agency forums and working groups (if and as per requirements) and support adherence to Oxfam’s rules of engagement to improve access to populations

Coordination:

• Develop lines of communication and close collaboration with the PHE, PHP and EFSVL teams and contribute to a coordinated and three sector integrated humanitarian response
• Liaise with logistic and procurement to ensure protection activities have the required resources in good time. Complete and keep records of the necessary paperwork
• Represent Oxfam with key protection actors such as ICRC, UNHCR, IOM, OCHA and actively participate in the Protection Cluster and relevant Areas of Responsibility including the Access Working Group, GBV Working Group, and CP Working Group.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) and reporting:

• Produce regular protection updates
• Contribute in Sitreps, monthly reports and donor reports.
• Support and coordinate with MEAL Coordinator, Officers and assistants for baseline survey, post-distribution and other monitoring activities.
• MEAL tools (including PDMs) capturing protection relevant indicators with correct analysis of the impacts of gender and age
• Undertake research and assessments, both internally and with partners, on protection-related specific information gaps to inform Oxfam's response and the broader humanitarian community.
• Other duties and responsibilities required by the line manager

Requirements, Skills and Competence
Essential:

• A minimum of 3 years involvement in humanitarian response work, preferably in field-based protection work in conflict or insecure environments.
• University degree at Master's level in a relevant discipline (Law - including International Law - Political Science, Social Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, or any other relevant education profile);
• Strong conceptual and practical understanding of protection issues and specifically Oxfam’s approach to and role in protection work including advocacy;
• Understanding of the Protection Cluster and other protection coordination mechanisms and the roles and mandates of key protection actors;
• Analytical skills and strategic thinking, including experience developing written analysis and strategies for protection
• Strong understanding of gender-related aspects of protection work. Commitment to gender equity, diversity and equal opportunities
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Fluency in English
• Experience managing diverse staff/teams including in complex and challenging environments
• Experience of capacity-building and training of colleagues and partners

Desirable:

• Knowledge of NGO programming in emergencies
• Knowledge or experience of Oxfam’s Protection programme work
• Experience in using participatory research and participatory assessment methodologies.
• Project management
• Very good interpersonal skills, particularly in networking, working with communities, local civil society and local authorities.
• Previous experience in using and adapting community-led approaches

What We Offer

• Oxfam Novib is committed to providing you with a competitive, fair, and comprehensive pay and benefits package that is justifiable to our donors.
• The salary range for this position is set in scale 9 with a salary range between 3.021 euro,-- to 4.648 euro,-- gross based on 40 hours a week.