Protection Officer – Community-Based Protection and PSS

Purpose of the Role

Lead community-based protection and group psychosocial support (PSS) activities in Ayod, strengthening community capacity to identify, analyse and address protection risks. Plan and deliver inclusive activities through the Protection Desk and mobile response, while providing technical guidance and coaching to General Protection Assistants under the supervision of the Protection Team Leader.

Key Responsibilities

1. Community-Based Protection

• Reactivate and support the five existing Community-Based Protection Networks, ensuring meaningful participation of women, youth, older persons, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities.
• Train and mentor network members on protection principles, safeguarding, confidentiality, inclusion and safe referral pathways. Ensure that confidential case management is handled exclusively by trained and authorised staff.
• Support networks to identify and analyse community-level protection risks, develop feasible action plans and monitor the implementation of risk-mitigation measures.
• Strengthen existing community structures and mechanisms, promoting local ownership and avoiding the creation of parallel structures.
• Maintain regular engagement with community representatives to identify emerging protection concerns and support appropriate responses.

2. Group Psychosocial Support (PSS)

• Plan and deliver structured and unstructured group PSS activities for women, men and adolescents, with guidance from qualified PSS technical staff and in accordance with approved approaches and age-appropriate methodologies.
• Facilitate group sessions, coach General Protection Assistants and observe their delivery to promote safe, inclusive and quality programming.
• Encourage voluntary participation, positive coping strategies and social connectedness without pressuring participants to disclose personal or distressing experiences.
• Coordinate session schedules, materials and follow-up activities across the Protection Desk and mobile response locations.
• Identify participants who may require individual or specialised support and facilitate safe, confidential referrals through approved pathways.
• Ensure that PSS activities uphold participants’ dignity, informed consent, confidentiality and the principle of doing no harm.

3. Protection Information and Community Outreach

• Use protection-monitoring findings and community feedback to develop timely, accessible and context-appropriate information on protection risks, available services, safe movement and help-seeking options, subject to appropriate technical review.
• Lead community outreach and protection-information sessions in collaboration with General Protection Assistants and community networks.
• Coordinate with the GBV Prevention Officer on overlapping protection concerns while maintaining clear roles, responsibilities and distinct General Protection programming.
• Develop and maintain community-activity plans for Ayod Town and mobile response locations, agree on staff assignments with the Protection Team Leader and ensure continuity of activities across deployments.
• Promote inclusive access to protection information, ensuring that communication approaches consider age, gender, disability, language and other barriers to participation.

4. Quality Assurance, Accountability and Coordination

• Provide day-to-day technical guidance to General Protection Assistants assigned to community-based protection and PSS activities.
• Identify and escalate training needs, safeguarding concerns, access constraints, security risks and workload challenges to the Protection Team Leader.
• Maintain accurate, proportionate and confidential activity records, documenting progress, participation and community feedback in accordance with organisational procedures.
• Coordinate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to support appropriate PSS outcome monitoring, using suitable indicators and methods that avoid double-counting repeat participants.
• Follow up on community concerns through approved feedback and complaint mechanisms, ensuring that sensitive information is handled appropriately.
• Coordinate protection risk-mitigation actions with relevant sectors and service providers, as appropriate.
• Prepare activity plans, movement requests and supply requests within delegated authority and in accordance with operational and security procedures.
• Contribute to timely activity reporting, lessons learned and recommendations for improving the quality, relevance and accessibility of protection interventions.

Experience and Technical Competencies

• A degree in Social Work, Psychology, Social Sciences, Community Development or a related field. A relevant diploma combined with substantial directly relevant experience may be considered.
• At least two years of relevant humanitarian protection experience, including community-based protection and facilitation of group psychosocial support activities.
• Demonstrated training or practical experience in non-specialised PSS, safe group facilitation, inclusion and referral procedures, with the ability to work under the technical guidance of qualified PSS personnel.
• Experience training and mentoring community networks, coaching facilitators and engaging with displaced and host communities in remote, resource-constrained or emergency settings.
• Strong planning, facilitation, communication and reporting skills, with a sound understanding of confidentiality, informed consent, safeguarding and protection risk analysis.
• Ability to identify protection concerns, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and apply the principles of confidentiality, inclusion and do no harm.
• Competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and email.
• Willingness and ability to travel to remote locations in accordance with approved security procedures and organisational movement arrangements.