National Position

• Position:  Protection Officer 
• Reports to: Project Manager (Functional) 
• Protection Specialist (Technical)
• Supervises: Technical supervision of the local partner protection teams including case management teams (social workers and case management supervisor)
• Location:  Aden with frequent travel to CBOs (Aden and Lahj) 
• Status: New 
• Starting Date: January 2024

About INTERSOS:    

INTERSOS is an independent non-profit humanitarian organization committed to assisting the victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. Its activities are based on the principles of solidarity, justice, human dignity, equality of rights and opportunities, and respect for diversity and coexistence, paying special attention to the most vulnerable and unprotected people.

INTERSOS is operating in Yemen since 2008 and is currently operational in 9 governorates (Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Hadramout, Taiz, Ibb, Hajja, Sana’a, Shabwa) with outreach to other governorates through local partners.  The population groups targeted by INTERSOS’ include all conflict affected populations (IDPs, returnees and host communities), in both rural and urban areas, and refugees and asylum seekers and migrants, with a specific focus on women/girls and children (including unaccompanied and separated minors) and PwSN. The main sectors of programs and operations are protection and integrated health & nutrition with support to referral hospitals and WASH.

Protection programming for IDPs, HC, migrants and refugees entails response, mitigation and prevention. Protection services provide for the full ICM package for PwSN, CP and WP cases, through different service centers (CCs), dedicated rooms at HFs, or semi-permanent structures (e.g., caravan/container in IDP sites). Promoting integration between static, semi-static and mobile approaches – aimed at increasing outreach, light ICM is provided by mobile protection teams who refer most critical cases for in-depth ICM to the static centers in the same district. Besides ICM, INTERSOS has also been working on gender and age-appropriate collective PSS (structured and semi-structured activities) for adults and children. For the protection work INTERSOS combines static and mobile/outreach approaches ensuring the largest possible coverage and the most comprehensive provision of services. INTERSOS conducts protection monitoring exercises, rapid protection assessments and develops regular trend analysis reports. Awareness raising on legal and protection-related issues and FGDs are held to disseminate information and as tool to monitor protection trends/needs/challenges in target communities.  

INTERSOS also has livelihoods sector and supports tertiary education (TVET and university education), mostly integrated with protection, and has WASH program, mostly integrated with H&N, or protection in case of IDP sites). A range of partnerships with local CBO partners, mostly for protection services, has been developed to promote local ownership and sustainable outcomes. 
Under the generous fund of the DRA; INTERSOS is a member of the YJR, the objective of the Yemen joint response is to provide multifaceted, life-saving humanitarian support to those in need, prioritizing the most vulnerable population. Simultaneously, it aims to facilitate early recovery and enhance the resilience of communities affected by the conflict in Yemen.
The Yemen Joint Response (YJR) 2024-2026 has been developed in line with the priority locations, sectors, activities and approaches defined in the YJR Protracted Crisis Mechanism (PCM) guidelines, a collaborative effort with partner organizations. 

Main Objective or Job Summary:    

The protection officer provides technical guidance and supervision as well as regular monitoring of the progress of the protection activities implemented through the local partners (with focus, but not exclusively, on individual case management (ICM), to harmonize approaches and methodologies of response, and to share challenges and best practices, ensuring timely quality support is provided to the case management supervisors or Social workers to deal with the critical protection cases, ensuring a maximum client centered approach, safeguard confidentiality and do-no harm, per fully informed consent of the case/client/survivor (CP, women protection and PWSN). The protection officer also follows and supports in the delivery of prevention activities as required and continuous attention for protection and WP mainstreaming.

Responsibilities/Duties:    

Individual Case management (ICM) 

• Ensure structured and well planned/ organized technical support to the local partners project teams by reviewing and providing technical assistance to ICM team particularly CMS at each site 
• Participate in monthly ICM review meetings led by CMS and provide technical guidance for the cases discussed. 
• Conduct monthly case file audit for all CP, PWsN and WP cases – 20% for each sector for both active (new & old) and closed cases. 
• Review all protection assessment reports, ensuring quality while serving the best interest of the beneficiaries and prioritization/timeliness of response per urgent needs. 
• Share case file audit findings / reports with protection specialist and protection coordinator on monthly basis.
• Support the Protection specialist and protection coordinator to harmonize the ways.
• Monthly protection ICM trend analysis for the project based on template shared by protection specialist

Capacity Building of Staff

• In consultation with PMs and CMS for CP, PWSN and WP to assess the training needs for the local partners protection teams, plan trainings with a focus on improve quality of ICM 
• Monthly visit to project sites to discuss challenges and solution with ICM site team 
• Responsible for ensuring protection teams of field locations on ICM, abiding by set SOPs and minimum standards, with special focus on monitor and support the process of identification of CP, WP (women protection) and PwSN cases by project teams of social workers (SW) and Case management supervisors (CMS), in addition to review case management intake forms to ensure quality & completes and monitor case follow-up systems in place post referrals (internal and external). Ensure standardized use of case management tools in accordance with all ICM steps and related tools and procedures, per set SOPs.
• Ensure that the data protection protocol is respected by all teams.
• Attend all required internal and external coordination meetings including case management meetings as required by the project. 

Monitoring & Reporting

• Support the analysis and reporting process of the collected data (case management). Ensure to check and review all CP, WP, PwSN database, deliver monthly database clear, clean and accurate. 
• Support the project manager and local partners in the draft of the protection trend analyses, and monthly report with a focus on analytical section.
• Provide weekly and monthly updates to the protection specialist and project manager on main trends, challenges, solutions and progress towards performance indicators, both qualitative and quantitative.

Learning and Development: 

Based on identified needs and gaps, conduct regular performance reviews of the staff and work on technical skills improvement plans for individual staff:

1.    Provide ongoing technical support to the local partner case management teams, through on-job training, mentoring and coaching sessions.
2.    Develop capacity building plan on quarterly basis and ensure capacity assessment is conduct to each case worker.
3.    Any other task assigned by supervisor 

Overall, these tasks require

• Adherence to Humanitarian principles of Neutrality, Impartiality, Independence, and Humanity
• Clear & timely communications to line management 
• Full abiding by INTERSOS internal rules and guidelines and respect INTERSOS Charter of Value and Code of Ethics, including INTERSOS PSEA and CP policy.

Qualification and requirements:     

Minimum requirements

• Hold an BA in social sciences or related fields
• Minimum 4 years of working with INGO
• At least 3 years of professional experience working as protection officer, working on CP, women protection and PwSN.
• Ability to travel throughout the South of Yemen
• Excellent  English language skills, reading writing and speaking 
• Strong knowledge of international protection standards
• Excellent understanding of case management principles, standards and procedures
• Demonstrable experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with different sectorial counterparts/referral pathways.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong IT skills (proven computer literacy)
• Readiness to commit and adhere to the values, mission and vision of INTERSOS

Other requirements:

• Native Arabic required 
• Fluent English written and spoken skills
• Strong team spirit, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment
• Excellent analytical skills, observation and analysis capacity
• Attention to detail and structured way of approaching tasks
• Ability to plan and work output-oriented
• Able to ensure quick quality delivery in a stressful environment
• Ability to adhere to deadlines 
• Very strong interpersonal skills: strong communication skills and demonstrated leadership skills
• Practical and problem-solver
• Ability to deal with heavy work pressure