Mobile Protection Assistant

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country.  Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming, including meeting specific needs of women and girls.  The Coordination office is located in Maroua, with a field base in Kousseri and a representation office in Yaounde.

Following the increasing crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South West region in August 2018. The IRC is delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with a field base in Buea.

IRC Cameroon is committed in its 2020 Strategic Action Plan, to continue to provide essential humanitarian services, with a focus on safety in communities and ensuring affected populations can meet their basic needs, whilst also building the resilience of beneficiaries, especially women and girls. IRC Cameroon is funded by European and American donors.

IRC is recruiting Three Protection Assistants who are members of the Protection Mobile Team, including Protection, Protection and Women's Empowerment components for the South West office. The role of the Protection Assistant will be to ensure the implementation of emergency protection response activities to increase access on protection services to persons with specific needs through Sensitization and Awareness raising sessions on protection issues and conduct protection risk analysis in the implementation areas of activities. 

The Protection Assistant will work closely with other IRC sectors such as health, ERD, WPE, WASH and education.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Protection Assistant is responsible for protection activities in the areas affected by the crisis. The main tasks will to strengthen prevention activities in the protection sector by focusing on information, legal and referencing people at risk of protection on protection available service. He (She) will also focus to conduct awareness raising sessions on legal procedures to obtain / recover civil documentation and on protection  topics including humanitarian principles, protection and other instruments to community members affected in the areas of intervention. The Protection assistant will respect the principle of confidentiality of the information received during the activities. He (She) will work closely with the Protection Manager, protection Officers and other Mobile Team members to provide a protection response during deployment.

The Protection Assistant will report to the Protection Officer

RESPONSABILITES:

• Conduct the Rapid Protection Assessment and refer at-risk individuals to relevant / appropriate service providers, including health centers, community-based organizations, NGO programs or other care services in the intervention areas.
• Conduct awareness raising sessions on procedures to obtain / recover civil documentation and provide individual legal counselling for people in need and referrals
• Organizer Sensitization and Awareness sessions on protection issues  (service available, access to rights, child protection, importance of civil documentation, etc);
• Conduct protection risk analysis in deployment areas and in coordination with WPE teams, work with communities including CBOs to develop risk reduction mechanisms
• Work with WPE teams to facilitate internal and external referencing.
• Report daily information protection situation Protection Manager for integration in monitoring reports.
• Ensure ethical and confidential data collection during monitoring and evaluation.
• Monitor the progress of the program and identify any delays that have been or may be expected
• Comply with the IRC security procedures and report the security information provided to him to ensure a safe and secure environment for the implementation of the program.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Ensure that activities are fully documented, including regular and systematic collection of data required by the lessor and for use in M & E activities.
• Establish and implement a training evaluation system as pre-post tests to measure participants' learning level.
• Produce / contribute to the writing of the reports required by IRC and the lessor (progress of activities, monitoring of indicators, etc.)

Coordination & Representation

• Ensure coordination on the field with others DRA joint response as Plan and Care International organization and other humanitarian actors.
• Work closely and coordinate with the IRC Support Services to carry out program activities. This includes participation on need assessments, review programming and E&M meetings

• Bachelor Degree of Law or Science in Social Science, Public Health, Humanities or other related field, desirable;

Skills and Abilities

• At least two years' experience in humanitarian work, specifically in the protection sector and human law
• To be of Cameroon nationality;
• Strong ability to maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, and work in a difficult environment;
• Fluency in English and/or pidgin preferred or required ;
• Clear understanding of gender, human rights, and issues surrounding violence against women and girls;
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients;
• Knowledge and experience with community outreach and mobilization in the South Region