Protection Manager – Ninewa – Iraq At INTERSOS

INTERSOS is an independent humanitarian organization that assists the victims of natural disasters, armed conflicts and exclusion. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable people.

Terms of reference

Job Title: Protection Manager – Ninewa

Code: 29-7501

Duty station: Mosul with frequent visits to Jeddah 1 and all other project areas in Ninewa governorate

Starting date: 03/07/2023

Contract duration: Until 31.12.2023

Reporting to: Program Manager, Ninewa

Supervision of: 1 Deputy Protection Manager, 4 Protection Officers; overall responsibility for whole Ninewa protection team (legal, case management, community mobilization, PSS staff)

Dependents: non-family duty station

General context of the project

INTERSOS has been present in Iraq since 2003 and currently operates across Ninewa, Salah Al Din (SAD), Erbil, and Sulaymaniyah Governorates. Its largest operational field presence is in Ninewa. INTERSOS thematic sectors of intervention are Protection, Education and Health. The INTERSOS coordination office is in Erbil with bases located in Tikrit, Mosul, Telafar and Sulaymaniyah and programming presence in other areas of Ninewa, SAD and the Kurdistan region. As of mid-2022, INTERSOS Iraq has 220 national staff, 18 expat staff and 200 volunteers.

In the Protection sector, INTERSOS is one of the main actors in Iraq, providing a comprehensive package of protection services. In Ninewa, INTERSOS protection staff work in the Jeddah 1 centre (where Iraq returnees from the Al-Hol camp in Syria are temporarily housed) as well as in Mosul city and in other areas of the governorate. INTERSOS activities include protection monitoring and community mobilization; legal assistance, counselling and court representation; support for obtaining civil documentation; case management (GBV and Child Protection); PSS; Community-Based Protection activities; and capacitating of government entities, CSOs, and other stakeholders.The current context in Iraq provides an exciting opportunity for programming to transition from what has previously been traditional humanitarian interventions (during and after the conflict with ISIS in significant parts of the country) to longer-term durable solutions, stabilization and development interventions.

General purpose of the position

The Protection Manager ensures protection technical expertise for sound implementation of protection activities. The Protection Manager leads, coordinates and supports the implementation of all protection-related activities across the legal, case management, protection monitoring and other thematic areas. S/he provides overall supervision of the protection team and, in collaboration with the Program Manager, ensures the achievement of project objectives and results. S/he ensures that training and capacity-building needs of field protection staff are addressed and that the protection services provided meet quality standards in the sector.​

Main responsibilities and tasks

The Protection Manager will report to the Program Manager for implementation of the protection project activities (line manager). S/he will report to the Protection Coordinator for all technical related matters of the protection component.

Generic Duties:​

• Preparing, managing and regularly updating the protection activity work plans in close link with the Program Manager ensuring timely and quality delivery;
• Implementation in compliance with the project strategy as well as INTERSOS and donor guidelines;
• Undertaking technical assessments of protection needs and gaps in anticipation of potential changes on protection strategies and implementation;
• Coordinating with logistics, administration and finance staff for funding and support of operations;
• Undertaking regular field visits to provide technical guidance and supervision as well as regular monitoring of the progress of Protection activities;
• Periodically updating the Protection situation analysis and informing relevant colleagues accordingly;
• Working closely with relevant colleagues to ensure the integration of Protection Mainstreaming with other sectors within the program;
• Supporting the Program Manager as needed in preparing narrative and financial reports with reference to the project’s sub-components for Protection, according to INTERSOS and donor requirements;
• Supporting the development, implementation and evaluation of the Protection Mission strategy and program in reference to the Protection sector, providing technical inputs and recommendations for new and ongoing interventions, leading and supporting the development of new proposals;
• Maintaining contacts with protection counterparts at donor organizations for the protection components of the project;
• Implementing a Protection Capacity Building Program, with clear timelines, steps to be undertaken and goals to be reached to capacitate national protection staff.​

Specific duties:

In her/his function of Protection Manager, s/he will be responsible for several protection components:

1. Legal Assistance & awareness​

• Supervise the implementation of legal assistance & awareness activities and provide technical support for the Legal Officer;
• Ensure adherence of legal assistance activities to the legal assistance SOPs with the support of the Legal Officer;
• Monitor the quality of legal assistance activities including legal awareness, legal counseling, legal services assistance and court representation (including visiting activities in the field);
• Ensure that monitoring of legal assistance activities conducted by M&E include feedback from beneficiaries;
• Review weekly and monthly planning of legal assistance activities prepared by the Legal Officer;
• Receive and monitor the weekly Liquidity Plan prepared and sent by the Legal Officer;
• Lead, with the support of the Legal Officer, monthly analysis of the legal protection trends affecting the region for evidence-based advocacy.​

2. Situational Monitoring

• Supervise the implementation of situational monitoring activities, including monitoring of detention cases;
• Monitor the quality of the situational monitoring activities through field visits and regular checks of databases and monitoring tools;
• Regularly review the data collection protection monitoring tools & methodology (Household Assessments, Focus Groups Discussions, Key Informant Interviews etc.) and contribute technically to their adaptation/modification according to emerging protection trends;
• Receive, check and provide input for technical analysis of the monitoring reports including protection trends affecting the region for evidence-based advocacy prepared and compiled by the Situational Monitoring Analyst and other protection staff;
• Review weekly and monthly planning of monitoring activities.

3. Case Management (CM)

• Supervise the implementation of activities of the case management component (in Jeddah 1 center in particular) in coordination with the Deputy Protection Manager, the Protection Officers and other staff, in accordance with the CM SOPs;
• Ensure the monthly monitoring of case management activities, according to established Case Management Supervision Monitoring Tools, including spot-checks of the case management platform and through case audits;
• Support the Case Management staff in dealing with complicated high-risk cases through technical advice;
• Receive and check the monthly Case Management protection trend analysis prepared by the Protection Officers.

4. Community-Based Protection & Capacity-Building of Local Actors

• Supervise implementation and monitoring of CBP activities by the protection staff, including the Capacity-Building & Engagement Officer, MHPSS Officer, and Community Mobilizers;
• Ensure community mapping is conducted and periodically updated, in order to enhance INTERSOS’ understanding of the social context, power dynamics, and local actors involved in protection-related activities;
• Support protection team to identify and facilitate community-led initiatives which promote protection and/or social cohesion objectives;
• Provide technical advice and support to Community Mobilizers and Community Outreach Volunteers to conduct community awareness and sensitization activities on protection-related issues in the target communities;
• Support the Capacity-Building & Engagement Officer to plan and implement training and mentoring of selected local partners (government, CSOs, etc).

5. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

• Supervise implementation and monitoring of MHPSS activities, with support of the MHPSS Officer, in Jeddah center and in Mosul city targeting refugees/asylum seekers, IDPs and returnees;
• In collaboration with the MHPSS Specialist and Protection Coordinator, provide technical support and ensure quality of MHPSS activities (parenting skills training, child and youth resilience program, recreational activities, and psychological counselling for CP and GBV cases).
• Support and provide technical advice to the MHPSS Officer in dealing with complicated high-risk cases;

6. Monitoring and Reporting

• Ensure capacity-building of the staff on the use of the INTERSOS Management Platform (IMP), Case Management Platform (CMP), GBV IMS, MHPSS Platform and Legal Database;
• Revise technical reports prepared and compiled by the Protection Officers to be sent to the MEAL Department and/or to the Program Unit;
• Ensure the timely implementation of protection activities with regard to targets are on track with regard to budget and work-plan;
• Collaborate with the MEAL Department in order to ensure quality standards in the implementation of activities and feedback from beneficiaries;
• Contribute to quality reporting through protection trends analysis;
• Undertake monitoring field visit of protection activities.

7. Coordination and representation

• Establish and maintain regular and collaborative relations with relevant stakeholders (partners, donors, other organizations, local authorities and institutions);
• Contribute to set programming strategies for INTERSOS Iraq with reference to the Protection sector;
• Proactively participate and represent INTERSOS in relevant working groups and relevant inter-sectoral coordination meetings (including Durable Solutions’ Area-Based Coordination) at field level;
• Engage in bi-lateral meetings with other INGOs and NGOs active in relevant geographical areas to avoid duplication, ensure coordination and referral and work for complementary efforts.

8. Human resources

• Support the recruitment of protection staff;
• Coordinate and supervise protection staff and set work plans for them;
• Conduct regular performance evaluations of directly line-managed staff;
• Train, coach and mentor protection staff on protection concepts and issues, and where appropriate seek external capacity-building for the staff.

Required profile and experience

Education

• University Degree in human rights law, international relations, international cooperation, political sciences, humanitarian crisis or equivalent.
• Masters Degree in a related field preferred.

Professional Experience

• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in conflict or post-conflict contexts (Middle East experience is an advantage);
• Previous experience in managing protection projects;
• At least one year of experience in managing staff.

Professional Requirements

• Sound technical knowledge across different protection-related subsectors;
• Legal experience and expertise is an advantage.

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and spoken);
• Knowledge of Arabic is an advantage.

Personal Requirements

• A high degree of flexibility and ability to work in insecure, stressful and hardship environments;
• High confidentiality, respectful and non-discriminatory attitude
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.