National Protection Coordinator (Protection Sector Co-coordinator) At Danish Refugee Council

Employment Category: Grade F / Non-Management

Reporting to: Head of Programme Direct Reports: None

Unit/Department: Protection

Location: Khartoum, Sudan

Authorization Level: Not Applicable

Overall Purpose of the Role:

DRC will be supporting the Sudan protection sector as co-coordinator, working alongside UNHCR as the lead agency responsible for the overall implementation of the sector coordination role in accordance with IASC and GPC guidelines on sector leadership and accountability to: a) strengthen effective management of the sector, b) improve the representation of NGOs and other key stakeholders, including civil society organizations and c) reinforce the accountability of the humanitarian response towards the sector’s people of concern in order to enhance humanitarian protection programming and advocacy.

Responsibilities:

The Co-coordinator is responsible for performing the following Protection Sector activities and delivering the following outputs alongside and in collaboration with the Coordinator and Lead Agency, and in coordination with relevant sub-groups. The Co-coordinator represents the Protection Sector jointly with the Coordinator and ensures an NGO voice in humanitarian coordination. The Co-Coordinator does not replace a co-lead, but complements the lead and provides a representation of NGOs in this essential coordination body.

The Protection Sector Co-coordinator will support the Protection Sector Coordinator to carry out activities outlined in the Protection Sectors ToRs. Activities will be shared and divided as agreed, with the ultimate responsibility remaining with the Protection Sector Coordinator to report through UNHCR on the Protection Sector ToRs.

Protection Sector Meetings, Information Exchange and Representation

• Co-facilitate meetings for the Protection Sector alongside the Coordinator, ensuring agreement and follow-through of key decisions and action points.
• Ensure that Protection Sector partners are updated on protection needs and situation analysis, gaps, planning, funding processes, etc.
• Ensure coordination and information exchange on protection issues with other sectors, UN and government counterparts, and strengthen links with recovery and development partners as appropriate.
• Contribute to inter-sector coordination and planning, including meeting participation in the Inter-Sector Coordination Group on behalf of the Protection Sector.
• Represent the interests of the Protection Sector in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC)/Humanitarian Country Team (HCT), donors and other stakeholders on issues related to prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy issues identified by the Protection Sector members.
• Conduct field missions to strengthen links between sub-national sectors and the Protection Sector at the national level.
• Enhance monitoring, tracking, documentation, and information exchange on protection concerns between Protection Sector members.

Strategic Planning and Reporting

• In equal partnership with the Sector Coordinator, facilitate and contribute to 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 Protection Sector strategy.
• Develop in equal partnership with the sector coordinator and periodically review a common protection strategy and work plan that prioritises protection needs and gaps and identifies response, remedial and environment building activities.
• Ensure effective implementation of the workplan in consultation with partners and sub-sectors or sub-national Protection Sector.
• Ensure adequate monitoring and reporting mechanisms are in place to review the progress and outcomes of Protection Sector activities.
• Ensure that sector analysis and priorities are adequately reflected in humanitarian country strategies and plans, e.g. the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and Humanitarian needs overview (HNO).

Capacity Building, Trainings and Promotion of Protection Mainstreaming

• Ensure the integration of protection issues in sectoral needs assessment, analysis, planning, monitoring and response.
• Ensure gender-sensitive programming and promote gender equality.
• Support the development and dissemination of beneficiary selection and vulnerability criteria and guidance.
• Support efforts to strengthen the capacity of the local authorities and civil society.
• Together with the Sector Coordinator, 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 Protection partners and across sectors, to ensure adherence to relevant standards and guidelines.

Protection Tools and Protection Information Analysis

• Support the compilation of information and draft reports and briefs on protection concerns for sharing with partners, the HCT, donors and government counterparts as appropriate.
• Identify key advocacy concerns and consolidate policy positions amongst protection partners; support the development and implementation of advocacy initiatives when possible and relevant.

Resource Mobilization

• Liaise with donors to mobilize resources for joint protection response and update donors on Protection sector priorities and needs.
• Engage with donors to fund humanitarian actors to carry out priority activities while encouraging sectoral group participants to mobilize resources for their activities through their usual channels.

Promote and Support Accountability to Affected Populations

• Support timely and coordinated action by sector participants to meet the protection needs of IDPs and affected populations in the country, according to humanitarian principles, including Do No Harm.
• Based on assessed protection vulnerabilities, needs and gaps, develop or update agreed upon response strategies and action plans for the Sector and ensure that these are adequately reflected in overall country strategies.
• Ensure that Sector participants are aware of relevant policy guidelines, technical standards and commitments under international humanitarian and human rights law.
• Support Sector partners in their development and implementation of mechanisms for increased accountability to affected populations.
• Support and build the capacity of the Government to uphold its obligation and responsibilities to protect the rights of affected civilian population in adherence with international and national laws.
• Secure commitments from humanitarian partners in responding to needs and filling gaps, ensuring an appropriate distribution of responsibilities within the protection sector, with clearly defined focal points for specific issues where necessary.

Experience and Technical Competencies:

• Excellent understanding of protection issues in emergency situations and detailed knowledge of humanitarian principles, guidelines and laws.
• Excellent leadership, coordination, capacity building, planning, advocacy and analytical skills.
• Minimum of 5 years proven experience working on protection related issues in humanitarian environments, including provision of technical advice to field teams.
• Previous experience in sector/sector coordination in complex emergency context; Previous experience as sector coordinator preferred.
• Proven experience with IMS, emergency protection monitoring, documentation and analysis of protection data.
• Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
• Excellent representation and interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to establish effective and working relationships with members of sector, consortiums, or other groups with diverse members.

Preferred: experience in development of advocacy strategy and messaging.

Education:

• Postgraduate degree in international law, social sciences or related field

Languages:

• Excellent verbal and written English.

Key Stakeholders:

• UNHCR, OCHA and NGO humanitarian actors
• INGO forum
• IDP and host communities
• Governmental agencies
• HCT