General Position Summary 

Under Nova-INVEST, Mercy Corps is piloting timely access and effective psychosocial support services to Nova Invest program participants.. The Protection Officerl  will work closely with the program team & the relevant humanitarian team in country to identify at risk participants. The Protection Officer will be largely responsible for service mapping and coording the referral system with relevant departments.

S/he will play a leading role in building staff capacities to understand the safety, dignity and inclusion challenges that affect our program participants. In coordination and guidance from HQ based Technical Support Unit (Youth and Protection team), the Protection Officer will coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of target participants and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguarding in operational responses in all Vocational Training Centers. S/he will be responsible for designing a comprehensive protection strategy and represents the office externally on protection matters and policy as guided by the supervisor and DCD-Programs. S/he also ensures that target participants are involved in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners. The incumbent may represent Mercy Corps in various coordination forums with government, humanitarian agencies and partners. The Protection Officer reports directly to the Senior Program Manager in Herat.
 

Essential Job Responsibilities

General

• Design, maintain and endorse a referral system in Herat.  and
•  Research the psychosocial and basic services available in the target communities and establish agreements with partners specializing in psychosocial assistance, reinforcing protection and referral networks.
• Assess protection needs and community assets to identify risks and vulnerabilities including those related to gender and age. Develop concrete strategies / initiatives to reduce these risks involving and building upon assets within the affected population and strengthening the capacity of displaced communities and other vulnerable groups to protect themselves.
• Represent Mercy Corps in clusters and attend meetings related to the protection sector and identify best practices and use lessons learned. 
• Make regular field visits to monitor the protection problems and concerns of vulnerable   people and groups: eg exploitation and abuse including sexual and gender-based violence separated children abusive or arbitrary detention forced involvement in fighting forces forced relocation etc.
• Focusing on strengthening the communication with other humanitarian organization to identify  different services for referral.
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• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection environment.
• Liaise with other agencies/NGOs/government bodies/donors to ensure coordination implementation of common standards in the field and consideration of protection issues in assistance programs.  May be required to facilitate protection working group(s).
• Prepare periodic reports on protection issues and activities.
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• Provide advice and guidance on protection issues to target participants; liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance of personal and other relevant documentation.
• Developing the training materials such as curricula pre and post evaluation format for analyzing the understanding level of the participants and have ability to conduct the workshops on upper level for the governmental relevant staff.
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• Lead and facilitate protection capacity building workshops in coordination and guidance from our HQ based Technical Support Unit (Youth and Protection team) to VTC staff.
• Contribute to a country-level protection and education plan as part of the protection strategy and take an active role in proposal development in the Youth and Protection sector.
• Assist the supervisor in implementing and monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual protection cases including those on SGBV and child protection. Monitor, and assist the supervisor with intervening in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents.
• Contribute to and facilitate a programme of results-based advocacy with sectorial and/or cluster partners.
• Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on target participants and their problems. 
• Participate in initiatives to capacitate authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen national protection related legislation and procedures.
• Priorities for reception, interviewing and counselling for groups or individuals.
• Enforce compliance of staff and implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.

Strategy and Planning

• Actively support  new proposal development, both solicited and unsolicited proposals.
• Identify project design frameworks for project development/assessment.
• Represent Mercy Corps with government and relevant actors in the field of youth, protection and entrepreneurship.
• Work closely and collaborate with other Mercy Corps’ departments: MEL, Finance, HR, Operations, Procurement, Security to ensure proper program implementation according to internal and the donor’s policies and procedures.

Department Management

• Work closely and collaborate with other Mercy Corps’ departments: MEL, Finance, HR, Operations, Procurement, Security to ensure proper program implementation according to internal and the donor’s policies and procedures.

Leadership and Team Management

• Engage and work with the staff of the Nova-INVEST program by exemplifying a collaborative and professional team culture.
• As an integral member of the Nova team, participate in the development and implementation of program-wide goals and decisions.
• Coach and develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Motivate, influence and engage staff in the investment of MC’s culture, mission and vision.