Regional Protection Manager

Position title : Regional Protection Manager

Supervised by : Regional Head of Programme

Reporting to : Regional Head of Programme

Duty station : Dakar with travels to other DRC offices of the region

Area of operation : Region of West, North Africa & Latin America (WANALA)

Employment period : 12 months (renewable)

Type of contract (Expat/National/Trainee) : National or Expatriate

Salary & Benefits : Band Management F ; For expatriate : accompanied position

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council assists refugees and internally displaced persons across the globe: we provide emergency aid, fight for their rights, and strengthen their opportunity for a brighter future. We work in conflict-affected areas, along the displacement routes, and in the countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive for responsible and sustainable solutions. We work toward successful integration and – whenever possible – for the fulfilment of the wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown to become an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 staff and 8,000 volunteers. Based in Copenhagen (Denmark) and present in forty countries, the Danish Refugee Council is a non-profit-making, politically independent, non-governmental and non-denominational relief organization.

Our vision is a dignified life for all displaced. All our efforts are based on our value compass: humanity, respect, independence and neutrality, participation, and honesty and transparency.

1. Background

DRC has been operating in West and North Africa since 1998 and in Latin America since 2011. The DRC West-North Africa & Latin America (WANALA) Regional Office is based in Dakar, Senegal, and covers several countries. Led by the Regional Executive Director, the DRC WANALAC oversees, supports, and provides strategic directions for DRC’s Country Offices within the above-mentioned regions. From May 2022, it will includes Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Libya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Tunisia, Venezuela.

The Regional Program Team has a range of technical capacities, including 2 Economic Recovery regional coordinators, one who covers West Africa and one who covers Latin America and North African countries.

The position advertised is for the protection manager, leading DRC’s protection expertise in the WANALA region.

2. Purpose

The overall objective of the Protection sector is to strengthen the protection and resilience of conflict- and displacement-affected people. The sector aims at addressing immediate unmet protection concerns through direct assistance, while supporting victims of violation of rights or people at risk as they recover or strenghten protection systems. We adopt a integrated and contextually adapted approach to support such efforts throughout the displacement cycle, with a specific focus on achieving access to rights and protection, restoring decent, safe and adapted protection systems, and improving social inclusion.

The RegionalProtection manager designs and supports the implementation of DRC’s policies and programmes within DRC’s strategic priorities through providing directions, technical and quality assurance support, operational guidance, capacity strengthening and troubleshooting to DRC and partners, in line with the global DRC strategy and standards on protection. The role defines the regional sectoral strategy and contributes to the development of country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks.

Geographical scope: This role provides support and/or technical guidance to WANALA operations while overseeing the activities of the regional and country based technical specialists deployed in Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Centra Africa Republic, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela.

The role defines the regional sectoral strategy and contributes to the development of country and multi-country strategies, which are translated into action plans and day-to-day tasks.

Sector responsibilities:

Protection as a sector for DRC includes seven programmatic components: Child protection, MHPSS, Gender-based violence, Legal Aid, Protection Information Management, Community-Based Protection and Support to Protection Cluster Coordination.

As the technical focal point for country protection staff, the RPM will be responsible for developing DRC’s protection capacity in the WANALA region as well as supporting the technical expertise in countries.

Main responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and support to the regional office and to country programs to ensure the highest level of quality in protection analysis, strategies and responses, in adherence with global standards and principles, and ensuring the harmonisation of protection approaches across the different countries in the region;
• Lead the development of strategic protection documents, guidelines, advocacy papers, SOPs, capacity-building tools at the regional level, and support countries in the development of protection analyses and strategies;
• Liaise with strategic partner organization, UNHCR / OCHA and other protection actors.
• Formalize and develop programme related operational tools (SOP) and training modules.

Program development and strategy

• Coordinate with other sector leads and partners to provide adapted responses to forcibly displaced population victim or at risk of violation of rights.
• Establish processes, systems and learning events in WANALA that will lead to a general capacity-building and professionalization of staff and partners on protection;
• Oversee knowledge sharing across teams and ensure that monitoring and evaluation results are used to improve programs.
• Drive the development and growth of the protection responses within DRC ‘s strategy.
• Support protection analysis at the regional and country level and propose timely actions to respond to protection risks.
• With the support of the Head of Programme and of the programme team, contribute to the elaboration of regional strategic documents, and revise the CO strategies and protection strategies

Programme and people Management:

• Assume direct management of regional protection specialists and technical supervision of Country protection experts.
• Build DRC’s technical expertise and support from all regional and country experts.
• Provide on the job training as much as required and adapt trainings/coaching to specific staff needs.
• Be accountable towards CO programmes, to respond adequately to demands for technical support.
• Conduct regular field visits to identify and address program quality concerns and gain a solid first-hand understanding of protection risks and trends at the CO level
• In collaboration with the MEAL team, analysis and report on relevance, outcomes and impact of DRC protection related activities to provide lessons learnt and to identify best practices
• Review job descriptions and participate in the recruitment process of senior protection staff

Accountability and reporting

• Ensure quality and compliance for projects, proposals and reports.
• Champion the mainstreaming of protection in DRC’s wider programs, according to DRC protection mainstreaming framework and in strong collaboration with other teams and sectors.
• Ensure that quality assurance systems are applied, with particular reference to upholding CHS (Core Humanitarian Standards) and Age Gender and diversity throughout the protection program

Coordination:

• Assure an efficient communication with HQ and other regions to guarantee institutional alignment.
• Ensure the coordination with relevant actors for an improved protection of the population of concern.
• Representation of DRC and active participation in protection sectors/working groups.
• Liaise with and support regional initiatives with protection and research components, including in coordination with the WANALA Regional Mixed Migration Centre, JIPS, P21.
• Ensure the effective co-lead of the Regional Protection Working Group,
• Contribute to DRC advocacy in the region, as well as representating the organisation in all relevant fora and meetings;

As Manager the post-holder is responsible for the following:

• Accountable for achieving DRC’s strategic goals and objectives within the area of responsibility.
• Accountable for making significant decisions on what the unit does: its purpose, functions, and role, and for making commitments and decisions that require the expenditure of significant unit resources.
• Accountable for people management of direct reports. This includes hiring & firing, objective setting, probation, performance appraisal, development of staff, managing performance, including poor performance, etc.
• Accountable for making sound decisions based on DRC policies, standards, and the advice of technical experts in DRC.

3. Required Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of practical experience in protection (or one of its sub-sector), including proven monitoring and capacity building in the field.
• Experience working in a regional or global office
• Strong understanding of protection principles and likely protection concerns in the WANALA context as well as conflict sensitivity;
• Experience in programming with local systems and actors: CSO, local/government authorities, INGO, community based systems.
• Proven commitment to humanitarian accountability and quality standards
• Experience in community-based protection activities and protection analysis.
• Understanding of and experience in developing integrated programming and programming in shifting contexts
• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodology and processes suitable to document the effects of protection programming.
• Demonstrable capacity building skills – including specifically with design and facilitation of impactful and contextually-adapted trainings and workshops.
• Experience working with technical teams to develop program proposals that are funded by institutional donors.
• Strong networking, representation, and negotiation skills.
• Superior computer skills.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in a conflict or forced displacement context

4. Required Skills & Qualities

• Full professional proficiency in French and English
• Professional proficiency in Spanish and/ or Arabic is an added advantage
• In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’ five core competencies:

. Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process

. Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback

. Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation

. Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly

. Demonstrating integrity: Upholding and promoting the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and Code of Conduct, including safeguarding against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment

• Ability to work in a multinational and multicultural environment
• Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
• Team-oriented & good sense of humor

5. General Regulations

The employee shall follow :

• DRC regulations on safety, health, COVID-19 norms and hygiene
• The Code of Conduct and all ethical guidelines, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework
• Rules for the use of the DRC guesthouse, which is a working accommodation

In addition :

• Employee should not engage in any other paid activity during the DRC contract period without prior authorization
• Employee should not engage in any activity that could harm DRC or the implementation of any project during the DRC contract period
• Employee should not give interviews to the media or publish project-related photos or other material without prior authorization
• Employee shall return all borrowed equipment for the project to DRC after the end of the contract period or upon request