JOB PURPOSE:
The Protection Coordinator role is primarily focussed on supporting Oxfam’s local partners carrying out protection activities for refugees and host communities. The role will maintain a protection analysis of the situation which will help inform partner activities, and both partner and Oxfam advocacy and influencing work. The Protection Coordinator will identify, monitor and analyse the protection situation in coordination with counterparts in other refugee receiving countries. A core component of the role is to provide protection technical support to partners in line with Oxfam’s feminist approach and goal of transformative partnerships. All team members will be expected to foster an appropriate working culture built on Oxfam’s values, respectful and cognisant of power imbalances internally and between Oxfam, our partners and the communities we serve and in line with Oxfam’s partnership principles. All Oxfam staff are expected to promote and use a safe-programming approach in all humanitarian responses, to be accountable for ensuring community participation shapes programme decisions, and actively seek a partnership approach and worked following feminist principles including strong awareness of power dynamics.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Coordination and Support on Implementation of Moldova Programme Support the Country Lead in:
• Continuously adapting and shaping the protection element of the response and design appropriate interventions and approaches to protection in conjunction with partner organisations
• Participating in field assessments in order to include protection issues, and/or carrying out specific protection assessments.
• Supporting the integration of specific protection activities into a humanitarian response (e.g., into advocacy, policy papers, coordination, information dissemination) including working with partners on referrals within the existing humanitarian system
• Coordinating protection activities/projects where relevant (noting that this is a partnerled response and Oxfam direct implementation, and management of activities will be minimal)
• Ensure programmes are safe, are sensitive to gender and other power dynamics and ensure that they are informed by the community to benefit from the work.
• Strengthening the capacity of Oxfam and partner staff on protection including specific issues such as safe referrals, meaningful community engagement, cash for protection e.g., through mentoring, coaching, training. Donor reporting Support protection partner organisations in
• Continuously identifying and addressing capacity-building and technical support requirements of partners; to be addressed through training and continuous mentoring/support, supporting partners in accessing training and mentoring opportunities.
• Adapting their existing protection programmes to the humanitarian needs in Moldova, including changes in activities, budgets, targets
• Scenario planning and preparedness planning, including organisational contingency planning
• Effectively monitoring the protection outcomes of their programmes
• Delivering high quality protection responses in line with global standards including ICRC Professional Standards for Protection
• Coordinating with international refugee response forums and networks Analysis and Problem Solving
• Promote collaborative working relationships with key internal stakeholders
• Promote integrated, gender aware protection responses which demonstrate accountability to beneficiaries and are consistent with Oxfam policies and international quality standards
• Support the protection response by carrying out or contributing to learning processes, studies or research as required including supporting programme policy development ensuring that partner organisations are fully involved in leadership of such work
• Ensure all protection work includes a strong gender analysis and works to promote women’s rights and gender equity as appropriate
• To track humanitarian information, learning and knowledge developed in responses, research and global fora and ensure these are actively shared within Oxfam teams and with partners
• Working with the Ukraine refugee response Policy Lead to provide protection information for international advocacy and campaigning and in joint information gathering processes (e.g. surveys)
• Ensure protection programmes are safe, are sensitive to gender and other power dynamics and ensure that they are informed by the community to benefit from the work. Impact
• Facilitate and support access of partners to global humanitarian bodies, processes and debates, including global partnerships, in coordination meetings and working groups (Protection Cluster or Working Group, Refugee Co-ordination Group), and to donors, UN agencies, government officials, ICRC, national civil society and NGOs.
• Provide guidance to partners on technical elements of protection programming and programme policy relating to protection issues incl. cash in protection programming, community-based protection, protection advocacy
• Provide, or facilitate access to, technical support to partners on generic humanitarian standards, requirements, approaches and tools such as safeguarding, safe programming, data rights and ethical use of digital tools, working safely and ethically with volunteers etc as required
• Facilitate access of protection partners to Oxfam’s protection peer groups of Oxfam and partner protection staff and their active participation in the network
• Documenting and sharing good practices and innovations on protection work
• Foster an appropriate working culture built on Oxfam’s values. (For all) respectful and cognisant of power imbalances internally and between Oxfam, our partners and the communities we serve.
Other
• Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights.
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.
Experience, Knowledge & Competencies Essential
• Knowledge of and demonstrated commitment to Oxfam’s values, mission and work including feminist approach to humanitarian responses, and Oxfam’s partnership principles
• Emergency response experience working in situations of displacement including in insecure and unpredictable environments
• Excellent technical knowledge and understanding of protection including issues relating to displacement, prevention and response to human trafficking and gender-based violence, legal protection, and psychosocial support
• Understanding of protection services and referral mechanism
• Experience working with and in support of national organisations, including community groups, local and national NGOs and federations, networks and platforms
• Enhanced and demonstrable collaboration and networking skills
• Excellent understanding of gender in conflict and disasters including the ability to analyse gender issues in a protection context and incorporate gender into all key responsibilities.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of protection including relevant international standards (e.g., International Humanitarian Law, Refugee Law)
• Understanding of advocacy, policy, campaigning and influencing for protection • Demonstrable project management experience
• A proven capacity for mentoring, facilitation, training, capacity building and coaching, especially local partners
• Excellent written and spoken English.
Key Attributes:
• Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
• Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
• Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.
Organisational Values:
• Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.
Desirable
• Understanding of Oxfam’s approach to protection
• Expertise in conflict sensitivity and social cohesion
• An advantage if the candidate is able to communicate effectively in relevant languages including Ukrainian, Romanian or Russian
Closing Date: 4 October 2022
