Protection Officer (GBV/PSS/SRH) Full Time NEW

Women Empowerment Action (WE-Action) is a feminist women’s rights organization that has been operating across various regions in Ethiopia, including Amhara, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia, Central Ethiopia, and Tigray, for the past 30 years. WE-Action has four strategic goals: combating gender inequality, promoting gender-equitable and sustainable livelihoods, ensuring protection and lifesaving support, and achieving organizational excellence.

WE-Action is currently seeking to hire a competent, qualified and interested candidate for the position of Protection Officer who will be responsible for the implementation of “Women at the Center: Enhancing SGBV Response in Crisis-Affected Communities (South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Burkina Faso and Chad)” projects which is funded by Global Affairs Canada (GAC) through Oxfam.

Reports to: Project Coordinator

Salary: As per the organization’s scale

Number of positions: One (1)

Duration: One year with possibility of extension based on performance and availability of funds

Sex: Female is preferred

General Duties and responsibilities

• The position holder will be responsible for all protection activities of the project ensuring the quality and effectiveness of plans within his/her designated project area including handling manpower and budgetary aspects of the projects.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Support the project team’s (WGSS Facilitators) adherence to internal polices and project management standards.

• Coach, mentor, and supervise project WGSS Facilitators for smooth implementation of planned project activities as per international and national protocols and standard operating procedures.

• Make close follow up in target kebeles.

Project Activity Coordination and Implementation:

• Ensure projects under coordination are implemented within time frame and quality through providing technical support and regularly follow up of case workers.

• Work closely with project coordinator, protection coordinator, in planning, budgeting and follow up of proper utilization of budget.

• Make a strong and continuous follow up of project implementation by setting weekly, monthly & quarterly action plans.

• Represent WE-Action’s interests in project implementation woreda.

• Make sure that project implementation is as per the sustainability plan and exist strategy manual of the organization particularly for early independency of group establishment and graduation.

• Ensure proper documentation (in soft and hard copy) of project under coordination.

• Facilitating training on protection topics for community members and stakeholders.

• Follow up and support government protection service providers to assess their capacity building needs.

• Facilitate the establishment /strengthen of a functional, safe, appropriate, and functioning feedback and complaints handling mechanisms for local community.

Protection Mainstreaming:

• Assist the project coordinator in ensuring the integration of protection measures into project implementation.

• Advocate for the protection of vulnerable populations, raising awareness about their rights and needs among relevant stakeholders.

• Advocate for survivor centered protection/GBV service delivery for survivors of violence

• Facilitate the establishment /strengthen of a functional, safe, appropriate, and functioning feedback and complaints handling mechanisms for local community.

• Collaborate with other sectors within the organization and external partners to mainstream protection principles into other project activities.

Program Development

• Develop annual and quarter operational plans with quality for projects, timely submit to the respective project coordinator.

• Work with protection /GBV service providers (organizations) in developing and adapting standard Operating procedure, referral pathway, guideline, Information, Education and Communication materials.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:

• In collaboration with project coordinator, timely follow and implement project mid and end term evaluations to be conducted by government signatories.

• Follow day to day implementation of activities vs budget.

• Collect and update project target data timely.

• Collect and prepare best practices, lessons learned and most significant changes and share with project coordinator.

• Organize and participate project visit for government and funding partners.

• Collect, compile and submit quality monthly, quarterly and annual project reports to the Protection Coordinator.

• When requested prepare presentations or any announcement regarding, WE-Action’s activities for government and other organizations in consultation with the Protection Coordinator.

• Assist the Protection Coordinator to codify lessons learned and best practices, etc

• Capture project woreda evidences/pictures.

Compliance and Performance

• Read, understand and strictly respect donors and government compliances
• Strictly follow and adhere to organizational policy and standardization manuals.

Gender and Social Inclusion and Accountability

• Participate and contribute for organization gender and accountability work.
• Plan, implement and report gender equality, social inclusions and accountability activities in respective project.

Accountability and transparency

• Ensure that communications and products of WE-Action are visible in project Kebeles area

• Adhere to the organization accountability framework

• Implement WE-Action compliances to Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) and develop communities’ capacity accordingly.

• Participate in external verification process of WE- Action Core Humanitarian Standards.

• Conduct routine monitoring and reporting any issues related to Safeguarding

• Create awareness to community, target groups and peers on safeguarding during weekly, monthly, and quarterly dialogue sessions

• Create awareness to community, target groups and peers on WE-Actions compliant Handling Mechanisms during weekly, monthly, and quarterly dialogue sessions

• Participate in organizational conversations to discuss on cross cutting issues such as gender, HIV, safeguarding, social inclusion etc…

• Gather feedback and complaints on any concerns of the project implementation and organization and formally document and report back to field offices with a confidential and secure manner

• Respond in a timely manner to safeguarding concerns to ensure participants are kept safe from harm

Safeguarding

• Able to seek appropriate advice and report concerns, and feel confident that they have been understood

• Understands local safeguarding structures and arrangements

• Practices in a manner that seeks to reduce the risk of abuse, harm or neglect

• Identifies and refers to appropriate services any other associated persons including careers, family members and children at risk

• Able to document safeguarding concerns, and maintain appropriate record-keeping, recording the wishes and views of the adult or child at risk, differentiating between fact and opinion

• • BA degree in psychology, gender studies, social sciences or related field
• • Minimum 3 years of direct experiences in protection programming, providing GBV response and case management services preferably in humanitarian or development contexts. Experience NGOs is preferred.

Key skills and competency required

The Protection Officer requires demonstration of the following competence:

• Project Management: Understand project quality, timely implementation

• Stakeholders Management: Establish system and matrices for effective stakeholders’ management at district level

• Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behavior and organizational practices, and ensure that own behavior is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the organization. Demonstrate strong personality and integrity.

• Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization particularly with current partners and sponsors; command a professional image.

• Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner including by phone with several stakeholders; articulate the organizational’ mission, project objectives with relevant stakeholders.

• Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

• Project management skills: demonstrated ability to take responsibility for a diverse number of activities and to complete them in a timely manner.

• Reporting Skills: Quality and timely report development, strong attention to detail, gender disaggregate, and ability to prepare simple informative format as per the need of respective project.

• Self- Management: Is self-directed, eager to meet and exceed objectives, and excited to take on more responsibility.

• Gender Sensitive: Understands gender equality and demonstrate gender sensitive and responsive behaviors.