Overall purpose of the role

A commitment to protection is at the core of DRC’s mission. The Regional Protection Coordinator is the organisation’s regional expert within the protection sector. In the East Africa and Great Lakes region (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Burundi, South Sudan, Sudan, and DR Congo), protection concerns facing refugees, returnees, IDPs, as well as people in mixed migratory flows, are central to informing DRC’s programme and policy interventions. The purpose of the Regional Protection Coordinator is to strengthen protection in DRC’s programmes and response.

The Regional Protection Coordinator is responsible to lead on the development of regional protection trends analysis, technically support Protection staff in country programmes, support in building technical capacity, lead in building the centrality of protection via contributing to programme and business development, and represent DRC to key regional partners, stakeholders and forums. The position will also support DRC’s wider work in the EAGL region through co-leadership of the Regional Protection Working Group for East Africa, and collaboration with the Regional Durable Solutions platforms for East Africa and for the Great Lakes, and the Mixed Migration Centre (East and Southern Africa), which is grounded in protection of persons and communities affected by displacement and migration trends.

The most direct counterparts for the RPC in her/his daily work will be country-level Heads of Programme, and protection coordinators and managers. The RPC will have an advisory and technical supervisory role vis-à-vis the in-country protection lead/coordinator/specialist. The RPC will report to the Regional Head of Programme EAGL and have a technical compliance reporting line to Head of DRC’s Global Protection Unit (GPU) in HQ.

Responsibilities:

STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT

• Develop, in consultation with Regional Advocacy, CO Heads of Programme, ReDSS and MMC a regional protection strategy and across the EAGL region, in line with the global protection strategy & priorities. Provide technical support for Country Offices to develop their own protection strategies, based on protection analysis, and roll-out protection sector reviews for the countries.
• Seek out opportunities (research, cross-border projects) in collaboration with ReDSS, MMC, Regional Advocacy and other relevant stakeholders in the region to further explore aspects of DS in the EAGL context.
• Work closely with the technical experts for Economic Recovery, Climate Adaptation, and Alternative Financing to develop new, integrated programmes to mitigate climate change, enhance economic empowerment, and build a sustainable protection portfolio.

PROTECTION TRENDS ANALYSIS

• Develop a regular EAGL regional protection trends analysis for the region to help inform programming, policy, advocacy and preparedness.
• Provide technical support to country programmes to ensure quality protection monitoring, analysis, strategies, and responses are in adherence with global standards and principles (DRC Protection Minimum Operational Procedures – P-MOPs).

TECHNICAL SUPPORT, CAPACITY BUILDING, & PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT

• Lead the development and/or roll out of global and regional DRC protection standards and guidance; development of strategic protection documents, Standard Operating Procedures, and capacity-building tools at the regional level. To this end, provide technical support to country offices, particularly in the following programmatic areas: legal aid, protection information management (PIM) including protection monitoring, case management, psycho-social support, gender-based violence, and community-based protection.
• Provide technical review and/or support the development of proposals at CO-levels to ensure the centrality of protection, harmonization of protection standards, and that protection principles are integrated across all technical sectors, specifically, DRC’s humanitarian disarmament and peacebuilding and economic recovery sectors.
• Ensure country capacity on Protection Information Management (PIM) is of a good quality and standard. Collaborate with the Regional and Country MEAL, Information Management and IT staff to ensure development and operationalization of quality Protection IM systems in the region.
• Provide technical review and input to regional and country programmes on advocacy and policy papers to ensure the integration of centrality of protection and harmonization of protection approaches across the different countries in the region.
• Alongside ReDSS and MMC, identify and design regional programme opportunities and manage regional protection initiatives.
• Support the technical capacity development of country offices in identified areas of need. Design and deliver appropriate training or source relevant expertise.
• Lead on the development, review, and inclusion of minimum standards related to age, gender and diversity mainstreaming, while supporting COs in programme development processes.
• Contribute to training, awareness-raising, reporting and response processes in relation to Preventing Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
• Support the roll-out of the GDPR compliance work undertaken in the region as it pertains to protection implementation.

CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL EFFORTS

• Contribute to the development and implementation of protection policies, guidance and resources in collaboration with the GPU in HQ.
• Contribute to the adaptation of DRC’s protection programme approaches and the development of guidelines, tools and innovative approaches based on research of trends and the learning from the country offices.
• Responsible for the identification of pilot projects for the further development of the protection sector in the region. Contribute to the communication of results and the development of recommendations.
• Represent DRC in regional protection coordination meetings when relevant.
• Act as the interface between countries and GPU for specific requests coming from the field.

About you

In this position, you are expected to demonstrate DRC’s 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: You act in line with our vision and values.

Experience and technical competencies:

• Minimum 5 years of senior working experience in Protection at field level for an I/NGO, including working with displaced communities
• Documented skills in technical writing including writing policy and advocacy papers
• Documented skills in policy influencing
• Documented skills in capacity building and training
• Excellent skills in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Experience in project cycle management

Desired Qualifications

• Field protection experience from the 10 country/ies of the region is an added advantage
• Proven experience in leading and conducting analysis and research will be an added advantage
• Having a clear understanding of the regional protection concerns in the EAGL region
• Good IT command

Education

• Advanced academic qualification in a relevant field (law, political or social sciences or related disciplines).

Languages:

• English (fluent)
• French (working knowledge)
• Swahili, Somali and other EAGL languages (advantage).