Integrated Protection Coordinator

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 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, working both directly and in partnership with local actors, IRC Libya integrates health and protection (with e.g., sexual and reproductive health, MHPSS) while also promoting women’s social and, increasingly, economic empowerment.

Scope of work

The Integrated Protection Coordinator (IPC) is a highly experienced, dynamic individual with a strong technical background and team and program management experience. The IPC leads the design, development, and management of a robust violence prevention and response program able to meet the safety and protection needs of conflict-affected people, reducing risk and responding to cases of violence, coercion, and deprivation, as well as mainstreaming protection throughout the IRC’s and partners’ response in Libya. Strong capacities and adaptive, evidence-based approaches in protection are integral to the delivery of the IRC Libya country strategy through both dedicated and integrated programming toward improving outcomes for target populations. The IPC plays a critical role in building staff technical and program management capacities, driving forward implementation and coordination with other actors, ensuring qualitative data is produced and analyzed effectively, and participating in IRC and multi-agency advocacy efforts.

Duties and responsibilities

1. Program Quality and Management

• Serve as a technical lead in quality program design and concept note and proposal development to further fund and develop IRC Libya’s protection programming, both targeted and integrated.

• Ensure that IRC Libya protection program activities and deliverables (WPE, CP, PRoL) are planned effectively and delivered on schedule, are of high quality, meet humanitarian standards, mainstream protection, align with IRC’s Outcomes and Evidence Framework, are based on learning and technical best practice, and respond to community and monitoring feedback.

• Liaise with IRC Technical Unit advisors to ensure relevant support, tools, and other resources are being provided and integrated into programming.

• Ensure close alignment and coherence with IRC country, regional, and global strategy as well as with local Health and MHPSS programs.

• Proactively identify, assess, monitor and implement measures to reduce or control risks that may impact program delivery, quality, or compliance.

• Promote joint work across all protection teams (CP, WPE, PRoL) to enhance the quality of programming and a holistic approach to addressing safety risks.

• Develop/ensure adherence to the internal Standard Operating Procedures for integrated protection.

• Effectively manage IRC program resources and facilitate the strengthening of program management capacities across the team.

2. Grant Management

• In collaboration with the Grants & Partnerships, Finance, HR, and Supply Chain departments, ensure smooth and IRC- and donor-compliant management of project work plans, procurement plans, and budgets (i.e., actively and effectively engage in budget forecasting, spending planning, procurement plans, BVA reviews), promoting best use of resources across activities and delivering on time, to scope, and within budget.

• Through direct liaison with the Supply Chain Coordinator, help ensure timely procurement of supplies and materials in compliance with donor and IRC rules and regulations through timely planning, specifications development, and collaborative relations with Supply Chain colleagues

• Ensure that all internal and external reporting requirements are met, that reports are of a high quality and are submitted on time.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

• Work with program managers/senior managers and MEAL/information management teams to analyze program performance and course correction actions needed.

• Ensure close and effective collaboration with MEAL staff in the design of program M&E plans and promote adherence to internal MEAL standards.

• Conduct regular reflection or program review meetings with field-based staff to assess the level of achievement and draw on learning and data trends (including client feedback) to further inform program design and management decisions.

4. Partnerships

• In collaboration with other program coordinators and dedicated partnerships support staff, actively participate in the identification of, and promote coordination and work in partnership with, Libyan organizations.

• Support partnerships staff to conduct participatory capacity needs assessments of prospective partners and assist in regular performance monitoring of active partners (through various modalities) to achieve program objectives.

• Support delivery of capacity strengthening and sharing plans for partner organizations as needed.

5. Representation and Coordination

• Attend relevant coordination forums inside Libya and represent the IRC protection program in coordination with local communities, government departments, international agencies, local partners and donors as required.

• Collaborate closely with other program departments in order to ensure that linkages between programs are made and programs gain from training best practices.

• Participate (directly or via an appropriate delegate) in all technical meetings for consortium projects.

• Identify, monitor, and report unmet needs; explore the potential of the IRC to address those needs within the parameters of the country program’s Strategic Action Plan while preventing duplication with other actors and taking advantage of synergies.

• Work closely with senior health staff in the promotion of enhanced internal coordination and integration.

6. Human Resources Management

• Plan, organize, recruit, supervise and develop the team and individuals needed to achieve program goals and maximize national ownership and leadership.

• Ensure that capacity development plans are in place for all teams.

• Coach, train, and mentor staff with the aim of strengthening their technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance.

• Conduct regular one-to-one meetings with direct reports; clearly set expectations for performance and manage to those expectations.

• Provide constructive feedback and effective management to direct reports and empower them to manage their teams by ensuring HR, Admin, and other organizational policies are understood and adhered to.

• Work with direct reports to manage day-to-day activities of the teams including leave planning, time sheets, and other administrative roles.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being; approve and manage all leave requests to ensure adequate coverage.

7. Program Strategy

• Provide strategic direction, leadership, and overall technical and management support to protection programming in Libya, ensuring it is needs-based, context-appropriate and conflict-sensitive, responsive, coherent, and operationally feasible.

• Lead assessments and context-appropriate research aimed at generating a strong evidence base for IRC protection programming, as well as informing IRC advocacy.

• Maintain/strengthen integrated approaches for Protection with Health and MHPSS; seize opportunities to strengthen coordination and integration with governance and economic recovery and development.

• Contribute to greater sharing and strengthened use of data/research and learning across IRC’s work.

• Proactively contribute to strategic growth of the Libya protection portfolio through development of concept notes and proposals to existing and new donors, maintaining a coherent strategy across IRC’s areas of intervention in Libya aligned with the IRC Libya Strategy Action Plan.

Working relationships

The IPC reports to the Deputy Director for Programs. The IPC directly supervises four to five staff (WPE Manager/Senior Manager; PRoL Manager; Child Protection Manager; Capacity Building Officer; and/or information management position(s)). Other key working relationships include:

• Internal: Grants & Partnerships Coordinator; MEAL Coordinator; HR Director; Supply Chain Coordinator; Deputy Director Finance/Finance Controller; Health Coordinator/Deputy Coordinator; Governance Coordinator; and Advocacy/Communications Lead(s). Effective coordination/collaboration with human resources, finance, supply chain and other operations staff/teams is essential.
• External: Relevant multi-agency coordination forums and working groups; international and Libyan partner organizations; Libyan authorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in humanitarian assistance, international development, social work, human rights, international law, public health, social science or related field. An advanced/postgraduate degree in a relevant field is preferred.

• At least 6 years of relevant experience with program implementation in some or all of the areas of protection programming covered by this role, with at least 3 years of experience in a related position or similar role.

• Must have experience implementing similar programming in complex emergency contexts and conflict-affected areas with a demonstrable understanding of the relevance of international humanitarian law and human rights law to humanitarian action. Experience working in the Libya context is an asset.

• Demonstrable knowledge of and commitment to women’s and girls’ protection and empowerment, gender-based violence prevention and response, Child Protection, and Protection Rule of Law.

• Applied experience in child protection and/or GBV case management.

• Understanding of psychosocial support in protection programs.

• Demonstrable experience working on funding proposals – program design, technical inputs, and cost applications (i.e., budgeting).

• Strong program and budget management skills including planning and reporting across multiple grants.

• Ability to influence and help build the capacities of others to mainstream protection across the portfolio.

• Strong team and people management, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to effectively prioritize tasks in a fluid environment.

• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison with external parties.

• Works well in and promotes teamwork; comfortable in a multi-cultural environment; able to maintain and manage positive, constructive working relationships; flexible and able to handle pressure effectively and productively.

• Fluent in spoken and written English; Arabic a strong advantage.

• Willing to work in a highly insecure environment with strict movement restrictions. Strong personal resilience.

Working Environment

Position is based in Tripoli with regular travels to Misrata and Tunis, with strict security protocols and monitored movement.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality 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.