BACKGROUND:
IRC began working in South Sudan in 1989. South Sudan declared independence in July 2011 following decades of brutal civil war rooted in disputes over religion, ethnicity, resources, governance and self-determination. The security situation remains fragile and testing operational challenges abound. IRC-South Sudan operates a country office in Juba, and field offices in Lakes, Unity, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Central Equatoria states. Currently, IRC South Sudan implements programs in primary health care, community case management, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection and access to justice and livelihoods
JOB OVERVIEW
The Protection and Rule of Law Coordinator is responsible for strategy development, program design, technical support to ensure quality implementation, standardization, monitoring and evaluation of all activities in the fields of protection, human rights and Rule of Law. Currently, the Protection and Role of Law Coordinator also provides technical support to the Child Protection and the Camp Management and Camp Coordination (CCCM) sectors; this can change depending on the growth of these sectors program. Primary duties will include strengthening the protection and governance sectors and providing technical oversight of these programs across all sites of implementation. Focus is on program quality, with program progress being monitored and evaluated against quantifiable benchmarks, and business development, to ensure sufficient funding for multi-year robust programming.
The Protection and Rule of Law Coordinator reports to the Deputy Director of Programs and is based in Juba with regular travel to the field. This position directly supervises three manager positions, i.e. Protection M&E Manager, Information Management Specialist, and the Senior Child Protection Manager.
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Protection and Rule of Law Coordinator shall:
Program Management & Development
* Oversee the technical aspects of the implementation and coordination of protection, rule of law, child protection and CCCM programs, providing support to the program managers to develop work plans to guide implementation of approved grants.
* Support the program managers and field teams in the implementation and monitoring of the work plans ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community.
* Develop and/or improve monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for Protection, Child Protection and CCCM programs, ensuring that the program teams in the field actively monitor set indicators and evolving concerns of the target communities.
* Work to integrate protection into other program sectors in collaboration with other program coordinators and managers to ensure that all programs are contextually appropriate and consider and apply protection principles to their activities.
* Coordinate and participate in the development of new proposals and initiatives for the IRC South Sudan protection, rule of law and governance programs in accordance with the country program strategic plan, and the IRC program framework.
* Coordinate and participate in the development of budgets for program proposals in conjunction with the grants and finance departments.
* Work with the Deputy Director of Programs and the protection and governance team to strengthen the protection and governance sectors in IRC South Sudan, defining the strategic direction of the protection and governance programming and establishing a Country Sector Strategy.
* Liaise regularly with the relevant HQ technical units.
Staff Support
* Provide ongoing training and technical support and guidance to the program managers, and ensure all protection and governance staff adheres to best-practice principles in all aspects of program implementation.
* Establish regular and direct communication lines with all the program managers.
* Conduct technical interviews of candidates for Program Manager positions
* Work with the Field Coordinators/Managers to ensure technical aspects of the Performance Management System documentation for the program managers is in place and followed up regulaly.
* Support Field Coordinators/Managers to ensure that program managers put capacity development plans in place for the national protection teams based on documented capacity needs assessments exercise.
Grants Management and Reporting
* Review progress in achieving program objectives and targets in collaboration with the Programs Managers.
* Participate in Grants Opening, Mid-Term and Closing meetings.
* Review technical aspects of internal and external reports prepared by the Program Managers within agreed deadlines using IRCand donor formats, as required.
* In collaboration with program managers, review Budget vs. Actual expenditure for protection programs on a monthly basis.
* Bring any over/under expenditure issues to the attention of the Field Coordinators/Managers and the Program Managers in a timely manner and jointly develop corrective plans in collaboration with the DDP and the Grants team.
Representation and Coordination
* In coordination with the DDP actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders in South Sudan including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
* Establish networks with UN, INGOs, and local partners to promote technical capacity and develop strategic partnerships, including active participation in cluster meetings.
* Co-chair the Rule of Law Working Group with UNDP when in session.
* Participate in inter-agency protection, rule of law and governance forums at national and international levels.
* Represent the protection and governance programs with national authorities, non-state actors, UN agencies, NGOs, and donors.
* Upon request by the Senior Management Team, organize and facilitate field visits for stakeholders interested in IRC’s protection, rule of law and governance programming in South Sudan.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
* Position reports to: Deputy Director of Programs
* Position directly supervises: Protection M&E Manager, Information Management Specialist and Senior Child Protection Manager
* Indirect reporting: Program Managers have a dotted “support” line to their relevant Program Coordinator
* Other internal contacts: HQ based IRC Technical Advisors, Field Coordinator/Manager, Other Program Coordinators
* External contacts: Relevent other stakeholders e.g UN bodies, local and INGOs , local and national authorites
JOB REQUIREMENTS
* Masters degree in international law, human rights law, international relations, social sciences, or other related field
* Minimum of five years overseas professional experience in program implementation in the field of protection or human rights in conflict-affected areas, and access to justice or Rule of Law
* Ability to remotely work with teams in an advising role
* Demonstrated experience in capacity building, project design and budget management
* Strong understanding of protection principles and likely protection concerns arising in the South Sudan context as well as conflict sensitivity
* Experience in working with and coordinating with the UN, donors, INGOs and other stakeholders
* Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills.
* Excellent analytical and writing skills
* Fluency in English.
* Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills.
* Additional qualities: ability to multi-task, ability to handle pressure well, ability to improvise, flexibility, adaptability to transitions
WORKING ENVIRONMENT:
Security level orange - The situation in the country in general is calm but remains tense and unpredictable; concerns include criminality, presence of armed troops, and looting. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.
The position is based in Juba. Lodging is a private bedroom in a shared IRC guest house - with electricity, internet and cable TV. Food is the individual’s responsibility. Field office housing is more basic, i.e. in traditional huts or tents with separate shared latrines and showers.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the world’s leading humanitarian relief and development organizations. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC today responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps uprooted people survive, recover and rebuild their lives in the aftermath of armed conflict and natural disaster. We are committed to a culture of bold leadership, innovation in all aspects of our work, creative partnerships and thorough accountability to those we serve
