Protection Field Manager - Bamenda

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country.Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming, including meeting specific needs of women and girls.

Following the deterioration of the crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South West region in August 2018. The IRC is delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with a field base in Buea.

IRC Cameroon is committed in its 2020 Strategic Action Plan, to continue to provide essential humanitarian services, with a focus on safety in communities and ensuring affected populations can meet their basic needs, whilst also building the resilience of beneficiaries, especially women and girls. In compliance with our strategic plan, IRC Cameroon has recently decided to extend operations to the North West.

The Coordination office is located in Yaoundé, with a field base in Kousseri, Maroua and Buea.

Job Summary

Reporting to the South West Field coordinator and the Protection Coordinator, the Protection Field Manager North West, is responsible to ensure proper implementation of emergency protection response activities such as conduct Do No harm and protection risk assessment, and protection mainstreaming approach with WFP Local partners.

The Protection Field Manager North West will be also responsible to ensure North West field operations management, and will ensure the IRC presence of NW coordination platform (including representation).

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Implementation:

• Conduct Do no harm analysis and  protection risk analysis in deployment areas and in coordination with WPE teams, work with communities including CBOs to develop risk reduction mechanisms
• During the emergency intervention, provided necessary support for initial assessment to identify protection issues and recommend appropriate actions.
• Building capacity of local partners staffs on protection mainstreaming including feedback mechanism, 
• Organize monitoring and evaluation field visit to assess activities progress according to the program objective and to identify technical and practical challenges, correct and to provide necessary solutions.
• Support technical protection mainstreaming activities and ensure WFP local partners integration in all process of program implementation on protection principles.
• Ensure that the humanitarian committee is aware of IRC activities and promoted the handing over of emergency interventions by other actors if necessary.
• Reinforce WFP partners staff capacities in the protection mainstreaming and ensure that all protection principles are taken into account in all field of interventions.
• Develop and contextualized IEC Materials for Sensitization.  
• Maintain positive and professional relationship with team members, advised and/or technically guidance to the team to allow each member to fully fulfil his/her role.
• Ensured the effective operation of local protection committees set up in the intervention area.
• Audited the protection mainstreaming and ensured that beneficiaries had safe and equal access to basic service with dignity and no discrimination.
• Worked in close collaboration with the M&E team on protection data analysis.

Monitoring & Reporting.

• Produce the Do no harm and Risk protection analysis protection report of quality and  ensure that activities are fully documented, including regular and systematic collection of data required by the lessor and for use in M & E activities.

• Establish and implement a training evaluation system as pre-post tests to measure participants' learning level.
• Produce / contribute to the writing of the reports required by IRC and the lessor (progress of activities, monitoring of indicators, etc.)

Professional Standards

• Commit to IRC Way (or Code of Conduct / Mandatory Reporting Policies)
• Commit to ensuring the optimal implementation of these policies in its framework.
• Undertake to comply with IRC's Internal Regulations in Cameroon.

Field Operation Management:

• Lead assigned operational functions and ensure coordination amongst key functions including (Supply Chain, Admin/HR, Finance, IT and Security) of the field base assigned to and facilitate support from the coordination based in Buea. 
• Assist budget holders in the review of budget vs. actual reports with operations staff and ensure appropriate and timely action is taken regarding finance
• In coordination and consultation with the SW Field Coordinator oversee the financial management of assigned field office operations, including cash management.
• Ensure complete and accurate use of all finance and operations forms and timely communication of issues to the SW Field Coordinator.
• Ensure to master, apply and disseminate necessary information about IRC and donor finance and logistics policies, including all aspects of procurement and asset management.
• Support emergency needs assessments and emergency program implementation in response to the developing humanitarian situation as needed.

Safety and Security

• Work with Humanitarian Access and Liaison Senior Officer and the SW Filed Coordinator to review security plans and protocols on a regular basis and ensure they are up to date for all relevant areas of intervention.
• Collaborate with Humanitarian Access and Liaison Senior Officer and SW Field Coordinator to manage security incidents in an efficient and time sensitive manner, based on IRC Cameroon protocols.
• Support possible identification of new locations of intervention based on humanitarian principles through assessment of needs, evaluation of access, and evaluation of capacity of extending coverage if necessary.

Coordination and Representation

• Supervise the Procurement Assistant and oversee activities of the IRC Buea procurement to ensure that efficient procurement system and procedures are maintained and in accordance with IRC SoP.
• In coordination and consultation with SW Field Coordinator, liaise with local partners/authorities/NGOs and other stakeholders affected by or involved in project implementation (e.g. provincial level including donors, government actors, local traditional leadership, beneficiary populations and their representatives).
• In coordination and consultation with SW Field Coordinator and Technical Coordinators, represent IRC to external actors, including authorities, international and national NGOs, and attend coordination meetings at the field level.
• In coordination and consultation with SW Field Coordinator and Technical Coordinators Establish and maintain networks with UN, INGOs, and local partners to promote strategic partnerships

• Master’s Degree of Law or  Social Science, Public Health, Humanities or other related field, desirable;

Experience:

• At least three years' experience in humanitarian work, specifically in the protection sector;
• Have supervised a team and manage a budget
• Good experience of the humanitarian context of North West Cameroon
• Good ability in conducting protection assessments and specifically Do no harm and Protection Risk assessment

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong ability to maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, and work in a difficult environment;
• To be of Cameroon nationality;
• . Fluency in English and/or (other languages) preferred or required ;
• Clear understanding of gender, human rights, and issues surrounding violence against women and girls;
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients;
• Knowledge and experience with community outreach and mobilization;
• Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting;
• Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail