Capacity Strengthening Coordinator

Background/IRC Summary:   

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global leader in providing emergency relief, rehabilitation, post conflict development, human rights protection, resettlement services and advocacy for refugees and others uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. Over the past 17 years, the IRC has pioneered and implemented programs that prevent and respond to violence against women and children, as well as other vulnerable groups in refugee settings and in other conflict-affected contexts. IRC is one of the first humanitarian organisations to bring together specific expertise involved in violence prevention and response in conflict affected settings to ensure collaborative and still specialized support to survivors and those at risk of violence. This expertise is housed in the Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU), which is responsible for ensuring overall quality and communication of VPR work within the IRC through support to the field and promulgation of global good practice.  The VPRU includes specializations focused on violence against women, violence against children, and protection/ rule of law for refugees, IDPs and other vulnerable populations.  Today, IRC manages VPR programmes in over 26 countries across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, with funding from governments, the UN, foundations, and private donors.  

Job Overview / Summary: 

In alignment with the Swedish International Development Agency’s (Sida) Humanitarian Strategy 2021-2025, the Localizing Protection Analysis Capacity for Impact Project (“the Project”) supports the strategic objective of improved ability to provide protection and assistance for crisis-affected people, through strengthening team capacity to conduct continuous, context-specific protection analysis to inform risk-reduction strategies and high-quality humanitarian interventions. In this two-year project, IRC will capitalize on the development of the Protection Analytical Framework (PAF) and associated training resource package to support Country Programmes and partners with enhancing knowledge, practices, and confidence with undertaking protection analysis. This project will be centered on the field testing of the PAF and its resource package in at least three country programmes. Sustained engagement with country teams will support skills development, mentorship, and confidence-building, and learn about successful strategies for global roll-out.

The Project also aims to further exchange between IRC country teams and with representative organisations[1] in focal countries, to ensure our analysis taps into the contextual knowledge and expertise of these organisations. Engagement with representative organisations will also enable review of our tools and processes to ensure they are accessible for a diverse range of frontline actors with a meaningful role to play in the analysis process.

The Protection Analysis Capacity Strengthening Coordinator will serve as a focal point for technical protection analysis support in the Sida Protection Analysis Project, responsible for strengthening the ability of protection staff (including across Protection Rule of Law (PRoL), Child Protection (CP), and Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE) stream team members) to identify and analyze protection risks to inform impactful risk-reduction strategies and responses in the contexts where we work.

Major Responsibilities

Capacity Strengthening Support to Country Programs (estimated 85%)

• Capacity Strengthening Support: Serve as the lead focal point for select focal countries in providing targeted and tailored ongoing Protection Analysis capacity strengthening support in coordination with the Project Team
• Capacity and Resource Mapping: Support in the design and delivery of country workshops to appreciate existing strengths, create a shared understanding and validate objectives/ outcomes, and co-develop a capacity strengthening roadmap which will pave the way for learning and collaboration throughout the project. This would include engagement with participating local and national representative organisations, and propose exchange opportunities with IRC staff.

• Support Protection Analysis Production and Use: Support country-level joint protection analysis production and use, coordinating with relevant IRC colleagues as well as local frontline actors.
• Facilitation of a Community of Practice: Support the design of and co-facilitate an online Community of Practice for ongoing technical exchange as related to protection analysis topics.
• Case Study Production: Document learning and experiences from country programs for production of case studies on protection analysis towards outcomes. Integrate feedback and reflections from capacity strengthening activities to inform resource adaptation or development, as needed.

Grants Management (estimated 15%)

• Track and update a work and spending plan for successful implementation of the Project, in coordination with Senior Protection Analysis Specialist and Grant Management lead.
• Contribute to programmatic donor reports, communications, and participate in meetings/calls as needed to keep the donor informed of program progress.
• Support proposal development activities for protection analysis with relevant staff.

Key Working Relationships

• Position reports to: Senior Protection Analysis Specialist – Technical Innovations, Violence Prevention and Response Unit (VPRU)
• Position directly supervises: N/A
• Regular internal (IRC) contact with: IRC country program staff in selected pilot countries; PRoL, WPE, CP Technical Advisors for focal countries; PRoL team, Health & Protection Data Specialist; MEL Advisor, Inclusion Advisor, STA for Technical Innovations, VPRU Grants and Operations Team, Program Quality Support Unit Learning Advisor
• Regular external contact with: Global and country-level Protection analysis fora

Job Qualifications:

Prior experience conducting analysis (of protection risks or human rights violations) at an operational level required. Experience working in and managing protection, peacebuilding, or human rights programmes, and participating in coordination mechanisms at country level and/or global level is desirable. Extensive experience designing and delivering remote and in-person capacity building activities (including training needs analysis, design, delivery, post-training support, evaluation) and provision of remote technical support is required.

 Key Skills: 

• Experience conducting and coordinating joint analysis, applying protection analysis tools and structured analytical techniques  
• Demonstrated knowledge of information management, analysis workflows and analysis levels.  
• High level of familiarity with coordination mechanisms, protection norms, standards, and understanding of protection as central to a humanitarian response,
• Experience with developing and delivering accessible & engaging face-to-face and online adults learning activities, including workshops and training events

·       Excellent facilitation skills to engage a variety of in-person and remote audiences in trainings, meetings, community of practice discussions, and other forums; including use of virtual collaboration platforms

·       Proven ability to develop and tailor info products and key messages to specific audiences

• Understands existing and new technological solutions for information management in humanitarian contexts  

·       Excellent communication and presentation skills – written, visual, and verbal. Mastery of MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. InDesign, Canva is additionally desirable.

·       Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect or diversity. 

·       Demonstrated ability to manage and coordinate diverse issues simultaneously and to develop clear goals, establish priorities and allocate time and resources appropriately 

 Preferred experiences & skills

·       Ability to work in French, Spanish, or Arabic is highly desirable

·       Understanding of program quality standards and approaches and IRC processes

·       Familiarity with the Protection Analytical Framework is an advantage

·       Ability to travel to IRC country program locations.

Working Environment

·       Some international travel as needed up to 10% - when deployed, will stay in IRC approved accommodation which may include shared guesthouses.

·       If home based: This role requires working remotely full or part time (i.e., telecommuting). Applicants must have a home or alternate workspace they can effectively complete their work during regularly scheduled work hours. Home work location must be in state and/or country where IRC is a registered employer.

·       This position is required to have a flexible work-day hours to accommodate varying time zones to complete required tasks and coordination functions.