Job Title: Protection Monitor
Band / Level / Grade: 9A
Department: SARL – Protection Monitoring
Location:  Shabwa, Yemen

BACKGROUND: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC responds to people’s acute and longer-term needs with integrated programs that improve health and safety, prioritize children’s education, foster economic wellbeing, and empower communities to regain control over their lives. Our work gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, conflict sensitivity, coordination, and impact.

The IRC Yemen began its programs in October 2012. Since establishing its presence in the South of Yemen, in the Red Sea Coastal city of Aden, the organization has grown from just an implementing small project to handling large scale emergency and relief operations. Following the war which broke out in Yemen in March of 2015 and the humanitarian disaster, which was crafted by the same, IRC launched one an emergency response program in the southern governorates of Aden, Lahj, Abyan, Shabwah and Al Dhale, and expanded later in Sana’a and Hodeidah in the North.  Currently IRC Yemen is operating in eight governorates in the south and north of Yemen through direct programming and through local partnerships, in Health, WASH, Nutrition, Economic Recovery Development, Education, Child Protection, Gender and Women Protection and Empowerment.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) have been working in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) for more than forty years. Today, the IRC has more than 2,200 staff working across the region, including in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Yemen to support those affected by some of the world’s most complex and protracted humanitarian crises.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Protection Monitor (PM) will implement Protection Monitoring (PM) activities under the PRoL component, focusing on identifying, analyzing, and reporting protection risks affecting IDPs, host communities, and migrants in Shabwa.
The role will contribute to evidence-based programming, including data collection, trend analysis, early warning (alerts), and referrals, ensuring that protection risks are systematically captured and inform both IRC programming and inter-agency coordination.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Protection Monitor is responsible for conducting regular field-based protection monitoring, using both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify protection risks, trends, and service gaps. The role includes direct engagement with affected populations, data collection through interviews, FGDs, and observation, and contributing to the production of protection reports and situation alerts. The PM will also support referral of vulnerable cases and dissemination of information on available services.

WORKING RELATIONS:

The position is supervised by the Integrated Protection Manager and indirectly reports to the Field Coordinator for administrative and security-related matters. Protection monitor work directly with the protection information officer, MEAL team, child protection and WPE teams and external actors (as required for referrals and coordination).

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.    Conduct mobile field visits 4-5 times per week across targeted areas in Shabwa, urban areas, and informal settlements/tent clusters, movement route to meet with persons of concern and identify individuals at risk and humanitarian needs according to the weekly work plan.
2.    Apply data collection systems for data collection and uploading, and participate in trainings, data cleaning, and regular debrief and supervision of digital data collection activities. 
3.    Directly upload protection data to produce a clear, protection-focused report and translate and follow up on red flag protection-related issues;
4.    Analyse data and highlight trends and protection needs in reporting to the PI officer and the protection team.
5.    Under the mentorship of a direct supervisor, facilitate one-on-one interviews and FGDs with IDPs, migrants, host community members, state actors, community leaders and service providers in the field on selected protection concerns. 
6.    Conduct spot observation in areas where IDPs and migrants are housed or clustered for inclusion in protection monitoring, using qualitative and quantitative methods. 
7.    Work to nominate and support community focal points to engage in ongoing monitoring activities and follow-up. 
8.    Keep records through the digital system of the urgent protection needs identified and the actions taken to assist affected PoCs or equivalent experience.
9.    Conduct community-level awareness and information sessions.
10.    Support dissemination of key protection messages and available services.
11.    Maintain up-to-date knowledge of available services and service providers in the area, and support regular service mapping (4Ws/referral pathways) in coordination with IRC teams and partners.
12.    Provide accurate and timely information to communities on available services and access points, and ensure effective referrals and follow-up for identified cases, in coordination with relevant service providers.
13.    Conduct other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

REQUIREMENTS: (Qualifications, Skills and Abilities):

A.    Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences or relevant field

B.     Experience:

• At least two years’ experience in an NGO, preferably in protection or relevant field
• Experience working for an international organization is preferred.
• Good protection background and knowledge of the context, as well as consistent record working with vulnerable cases, is desirable.
• Experience in regular report writing.

C.     Skills and Abilities:

• Good communication skills, including building relationships with new communities.
• High standard of spoken and written Arabic and English, ability to translate is an asset
• Basic digital literacy, including Microsoft Word and excel
• Good interpersonal skills and working as part of a team, as well as independently.
• Flexible and able to work in a dynamic and diverse environment.

D.    Proficiencies:

• Protection Principles: Ability to understand and apply fundamental protection principles (e.g., Do No Harm, confidentiality, inclusivity) in daily activities, especially when identifying and referring vulnerable cases.
• Data Collection & Reporting Fundamentals: Competence in applying basic data collection methods and tools, and optimally contributing to reporting based on captured information.
• Contextual Awareness (Basic): Foundational understanding of the local context, including common protection risks and vulnerabilities, as well as the ability to identify and flag emerging issues.
• Interpersonal Engagement: Shown ability to establish trust and build relationships with community members and other collaborators in a respectful and culturally sensitive manner.
• Ethical Conduct: Adherence to ethical guidelines and human rights principles, including gender equality, in all interactions and tasks.

Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, marital status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

IRC strives to build a diverse and inclusive team at all levels who as individuals, and as a group, embody our culture statement creating a working environment characterized by critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity for us to achieve our aspirations as a team and deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Commitment to Client Responsiveness: By committing to Client-Centered Programming, at the IRC Yemen, we place the people we serve - our clients - at the center of our programming and services. The IRC Yemen Staff have an important role to play in supporting the implementation of client-responsive programming through raising awareness among the community and clients about the existing feedback mechanisms and how to use them including the response processes, access, and eligibility to services, and contribute to building an institutional culture that prompts staff to listen to clients.