The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Program Brief
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Since 2017, IRC has supported Rohingya Refugees and Bangladeshi nationalities communities in Cox's Bazar, Khulna, Barisal, and Chittagong with integrated services. The organization also addresses climate change impacts by building resilience and promoting economic recovery, education, and protection.
Purpose of this role
The Protection Senior Officer-WPE provides technical supervision to the Protection Case Worker and Protection Officers – WPE and WGSS centre in order to ensure that basic, essential support for vulnerable women and girls (including survivors of gender-based violence- GBV) is provided according to survivor-centred principles during the emergency interventions. They will make certain that all activities conducted as part of WGSS centre and WPE activities follow the guiding principles and the survivor-centred approach to adhere to standard methodologies. The WPE Senior Officer will support the mainstreaming of these approaches throughout the wider Emergency Protection Response through close coordination with the IRC WPE TEAM in particular to ensure safe and quality referrals for GBV survivors to health services, also to the other service providers as well. They will receive on the job mentoring and training to fulfil their role and will be supervised by a Protection Manager - WPE.
Major Responsibilities
- Technical Quality Reinforce adherence to the GBV guiding principles and women-, girl- and survivor centered support throughout all activities in the Women Safe Space. Act as a focal point for WPE technical guidance to the wider MMT (Health and Child Protection teams);
- Ensure support for women and adolescent girls, including psychological first aid (PFA), safe referrals and information sharing, adheres to best-practice principles when working with women and girl survivors of GBV;
- Align with internal and inter-agency Protection against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) policies and procedures, reporting SEA through the IRC mechanisms.
Staff Supervision and Development
- Directly supervise, and provide ongoing mentoring and support to the Protection Case Worker and Protection Officer - WPE as they provide services to women and girls. This will include: survivor-centered PFA, referrals, information sharing on services and support, service mapping and service quality audits when not deployed to an emergency to ensure accurate information;
- Hold daily planning and debriefing sessions with the Protection Case Worker and Protection Officer, in particular to gain learning and feedback from the WPE team to continue to inform the emergency response;
- Mentor and support staff professional development and foster a positive team spirit to encourage innovative and quality programming;
- Identify training needs for the WPE team and support the organization and facilitation of training to meet those needs, in collaboration with the Protection Manager - WPE.
Implementation
- Work closely with WPE staff to design activities that respond to needs and priorities identified by women and adolescent girls;
- Prepare and maintain/update detailed work plan(s) that support and achieve activities;
- Develop and support the implementation of service mapping and service quality audits so the Protection Case Worker and Protection Officer-WPE have up to date and detailed information for referrals;
- Conduct regular field visits to support the implementation of activities with the WPE team, giving supportive feedback and guidance as part of the mentoring process;
- Give guidance to the Protection Case Worker and Protection Officer - WPE in making safe, confidential and timely referrals to services in line with the survivor-centered principles;
- Ensure the whole team is adhering the formal GBV referral pathways and are providing feedback to you on the functioning of this for action and forwarding to the Protection Manager - WPE;
- Ensure quality referrals between the Health team and Child Protection team for the coordination, confidential and safe support to women and girl survivors of GBV according to the internal referral procedures.
Monitoring, Reporting & Administrative Support
- Ensure that all data collection (paper and electronic) reporting tools are used accurately on every day, and are then provided on schedule to relevant staff (i.e. MEAL Officer/Manager);
- Monitor daily/weekly data collection to ensure that the data is managed in safe and ethical ways;
- Prepare and submit weekly and monthly work plans in a timely manner, and incorporate supervisor feedback as requested;
- Compile weekly data and narrative activity report for submission;
- Ensure that all relevant financial, supply chain, human resources and other administrative documentation is accurately completed and submitted.
Coordination & Representation
- Identify concerns related to and support adherence to GBV referral protocols by all relevant organizations and agencies; report up to the Protection Manager - WPE;
- Maintain effective working relationships with relevant partners including community-based protection mechanisms and other service providers (in particular the Protection Emergency Response Units) to work collaboratively for a quality survivor-centered response;
- Represent the IRC WPE team in camp-based coordination forums, giving updates on WPE activities, wider guidance on survivor-centered approaches and advocating for the safety and well-being needs of women and girls in the response
Outreach and Community Mobilization
- Build positive, productive, trusting connections with adolescent girls, their parents/careers and their communities, ensuring to maintain professional boundaries and humanitarian ethics at all times;
- In collaboration with the whole Center team, conduct community outreach and engagement activities to build community support and buy-in for the Centers in a safe and appropriate manner, and awareness activities on GBV and its health consequences, promote available services to adolescent girls, and listen to adolescent girls on barriers to accessing services with activities for female-only groups;
- Inform adolescent girls and their guardians about available services and material support in accordance with their needs
Other
- Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC [team/office]
- Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.
Experience
- At least 3 years of experience needed in the field of Gender, GBV.
Knowledge, Skills & Competences
- Education in women’ studies, social work, social sciences, other relevant field or work experience;
- Experience in GBV with a specific focus in supporting women and girl survivors of male violence;
- Experience in supervising GBV staff – highly desirable;
- Understanding of the impact and dynamics of men’s violence against women and girls, and a strong interest in working on women and girls protection and empowerment;
- Demonstrated commitment to women’s empowerment and protection through current/ previous volunteer or paid work;
- Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and respect for clients all times is essential;
- Experience facilitating trainings and workshops and mentoring others;
- Positive and professional attitude, including ability to lead and work well in a team setting;
- Strong ability to organize work, meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail;
- Personal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well;
- Excellent communication and observation skills, including ability to create trust, support, respect and interact with survivors of all ages, background and diversity
- Strengths in listening, empathy, flexibility, and creativity;
- Familiarity with principles of monitoring and evaluation. Experience in writing brief narrative reports;
- Computer literacy, including Microsoft Word and Excel;
- Good working knowledge of language spoken by population in need, plus English language
Specific Educational Qualification
- Degrees in psychology, gender or women’s studies, social work or other relevant/related studies, and /or professional experience in counselling and implementing activities for women and girls or proven engagement in women’s rights/groups – desirable, not essential;
Language Preference
- People who is familiar with local culture and local dialects will get preference.
Standard of Professional Conduct
The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality. In accordance with these values the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding (including PSEAH, Adult Safeguarding and Child Safeguarding), Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti Retaliation.
PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.
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