Protection and GBV Specialist

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004, working in rural, peri-urban and urban areas in five regional states - Somali, Oromia, Afar, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, Amhara - and the capital city of Addis Ababa. We engage in both development and humanitarian work, and seek to integrate approaches, programs and geographies as much as possible.  Our partners include government, academic institutions, development and private sector actors, civil societies and communities.

            Position Title:  Protection and GBV Specialist

Duty Station: Negelle

Open Position:  1

Position Status: Contingent on funding

The position holder shall be in charge of technical quality implementation and delivery of the standalone protection and GBV related activities and mainstreaming of GBV and protection in all focus area of the EHF multisectoral project in the assigned Woreda. The position holder will mainly responsible the daily implementation; and consultation with government agencies, humanitarian actors and community members to identify GBV and protection risks and to develop possible strategies to mitigate protection risks and to strengthen response capacity of various actors. In addition, the position holder is also responsible to provide capacity building trainings on different protection topics including basic protection principles, GBV prevention and response mechanisms, PSEA and safeguarding to government line bureaus, community representatives and other humanitarian actors. S/He will also be responsible for day-to-day documentation of GBV and protection related activities, compile reports (weekly, and monthly); as well as represent Mercy Corps in protection and GBV related coordination forums such as Zonal and Woreda levels protection, CP/GBV, PSEA Network and so on.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Strategy & Vision

·       Collaborate and work closely with the project team members for effective integration of GBV and protection issues in all project activities

·       Collaborate with local authorities and other development and humanitarian actors’ to effectively identify GBV and protection risks in the area and to come up with risk mitigation and response strategies.

·       Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt the changing situation and context

Program Management

·       Coordinate and facilitate proper implementation of GBV and protection related activities of the project

·       Provide trainings for Mercy Corps, government staff and other service providers in the areas on GBV case management, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, interagency standing committee guide line/IASC/ on Gender Based Violence /GBV/, GBV basic concepts, GBV referral and coordination mechanism and so on

·       Lead the process of capacity building to women and social affairs office and other service providers of GBV and psychosocial support providers on GBV case management and MHPSS

·       Conduct protection risk assessment, analysis and share the information to service providers

·       Conduct GBV service mapping and coordinate with service providers to strengthen service provision and to support GBV survivors to have timely and multi- sector response services as required

·       Lead the process of strengthen the GBV coordination mechanism in the area

·       Lead the community level awareness raising sessions on GBV and protection related issues

·       Provide awareness to community members on basic protection principles, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) trainings, Mercy Corps safeguarding principles and reporting mechanism

·       Organize review meetings and other periodic meetings with community members, government representatives and other humanitarian actors on the GBV and protection concerns in relation to the project 

·       Ensure that the GBV referral and psychosocial support related activities are properly implemented at the local level in collaboration with women and social affairs office 

·       Participate in humanitarian coordination forums and platforms which focuses on GBV and protection issues

·       Provide on job training for the safe space facilitators and community volunteers if GBV and protection replated activities

·       Lead the process of dignity kit distribution for affected community members (women and girls)

·       In place and lead the process of safe space activities in the selected areas

·       Participate in capacity building trainings and workshops which focuses on gender, GBV and protection issues

·       Make sure to provide appropriate support to the FO in implementation of gender equality, diversity, and equality (GDI) priorities

·       Coordinate and prepare weekly and monthly reports on GBV and trauma healing, and protection related services and submit to relevant staff including the GBV and protection adviser at the country office 

Team Management

·       Supports and liaise with all project team and provide a capacity building on protection mainstreaming and other on the job training and capacity building.

·       Make sure to coordinate with other humanitarian actors in the areas and provide support to make sure to integrate basic GBV and protection principles during service delivery

·       Coordinate with humanitarian actors and conduct periodic GBV and protection risk assessment and develop a joint strategy

·       Coordinate with the health team and counsellors and make sure that MHPSS services are properly provided to the community who needs that support and document the information properly

·       Supervise the safe space facilitators and community volunteers of GBV and protection work

Influence & Representation

·       Represent Mercy Corps in different GBV and protection related platforms (Zonal and Wereda) levels and communicate what Mercy Corps is doing regarding GBV and protection and share lesson from other agencies as well 

·       Provide timely training and orientation to safe space facilitators and  community volunteers and make sure that they convey messages clearly to the community

·       Coordinate with safe space facilitators, community volunteers and other community structures in the area to provide information to community member on available services for GBV survivors and other protection issues

·       Creates and maintain relationship with local authorities and other service providers for effective service provision on GBV and protection issues

·       Upholds the image and values of Mercy Corps at all times,

Security

·       Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

·       Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning 

·       As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

·       Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically  to our program participants and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

·       Mercy Corps team members are expected to implement community accountability reporting Mechanism (CARM) effectively 

·       Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

The GBV and Protection Specialist is responsible to provide technical support to all project team members to be able to properly integrate protection principles during day-to-day activity implementation; as well as responsible to provide a capacity building trainings.   

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. 

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. 

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the

realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)

• Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Safeguarding & Ethics

·       Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Knowledge and Experience

·       BA degree in Gender and social development, Sociology, Psychology, Social work, or other similar social science field of studies

·       Minimum four years’ work experience in protection and GBV related roles (Experience working in NGO is an advantage)

Success Factors

• Skill in direct counselling and psychosocial service provision to GBV survivors and other trauma affected community members
• Ability and willingness to frequently travel to project areas
• Good training facilitation skill
• Fluent in communicating in English (knowing local language is a value add)
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience in closely working with regional and Woreda government offices
• Excellent coordination skill
• Communication skill, good human relations

·       Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality and social inclusion