Senior Protection Monitoring and Cash Officer

Background/IRC Summary:

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 Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Inside Syria, 6.1 million people are internally displaced, and 13.1 million are in need of humanitarian assistance, with three million in hard-to-reach areas. There are 5.4 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes, and infrastructure will take years to repair.

Program Overview/Summary:

The IRC’s Protection and Economic Recovery and Development (ERD) programming launched the cash for protection in 2017 in North West Syria. It was developed in response to the protracted Syrian conflict and the need for targeted interventions for those with protection concerns, and the limited specialized protection services that are available in Syria. The emergency cash component was envisaged as a protective response to growing the coping capacity of individuals and/or families facing unexpected and significant shocks, which may be optimally mitigated through a cash response. Under the supervision of the Protection Monitoring Manager, the Senior Protection monitoring and Cash Officer is responsible for ensuring a smooth and high-quality implementation of cash assistance, which is crafted to support protection outcomes and will lead analysis of protection trends related to protection cash issues supporting any related monitoring and research initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the focal point in cash for protection Amman committee and ensure protection cash procedures and controls are assessed and implemented per the required country standards
• Review all potential cash cases submitted to assess eligibility for a cash transfer in line with guidelines set out in the IRC Emergency Cash Transfer Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Lead the roll-out of updated cash for protection documents and forms for field staff through initial onboarding and refresher training and mentor
• Coordinate with ERD and MEAL on the safe delivery of cash to eligible individuals and families, including safer post-distribution monitoring
• Develop effective training materials to support protection mainstreaming and adherence to key protection principles in line with IRC technical practices and standards.
• Ensure safe and effective implementation of emergency cash assistance by supervising the quality of eligibility assessments, frequency, and quality of follow-up, and providing direct technical support to staff engaged in the activity.
• Be the focal point for cash for Protection Programming, including liaising with protection and ERD field and Amman-based teams.
• Streamline Protection Cash process, data flow, and required follow-up
• Ensure documentation of Protection Cash cases adheres to IRC Data Protection standards.
• Support during emergency responses, including the implementation of cash for protection services to populations affected by the conflict

Training

• Identify any continued needs for training or capacity-building support and facilitate trainings in liaison with the Capacity Building Officer and PMTF.
• Contribute to and support the development of work plans and training materials as needed
• Through training, review and reinforce protection principles and in the identification of cases in need of a protection referral.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

• Lead implementation of monitoring and evaluation activities related to the cash, including contribution to data collection tool design, organization of data collection, analysis, and drafting of findings and recommendations.
• Document learning and input into drafting guidance
• Provide input for advocacy initiatives, as required.
• Work closely with Information Management Unit to ensure accurate and effective data presentation in Protection reporting.

Other Duties

• Compiling and preparing weekly/monthly reports and any other data as required
• Actively participate and contribute in case management task force and build positive relationships with other actors to better understand the context, needs, and priorities around child protection to advise or guide the next steps.
• Attending training and assisting in the organization and facilitation of trainings as needed.
• Support the protection monitoring manager with procurement and payments in the field.
• Be the focal point for PROL potential partnership plans.
• Any other task designated by the supervisor

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to Protection Monitoring Manager - NW

Position directly supervises: N/A

Indirect Reporting: Cash and Basic Needs Coordinator, Integrated Protection Coordinator, Senior Protection manager

Other Internal and/or external contacts Cash Manager (NWS) Protection Specialist, Senior Protection Manager.