Inclusion / Safeguarding Coordinator

Background/IRC Summary:  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.

IRC has been working in Pakistan for over 30 years, and manages and delivers large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, protection, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor and disaster affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and currently works in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces.

Job Overview/Summary: The Inclusion and Safeguarding Coordinator will oversee the mainstreaming and strengthening of safeguarding and inclusion of targeted vulnerable groups in TEACH Project, ensuring that preventing harm to adolescent girls is a top priority agenda of the project. The Inclusion and Safeguarding Coordinator will lead the implementation of organizational Safeguarding policy and procedures, manage the Safeguarding team and provide them support. The post holder will ensure that procedures and practices are continually updated and that safeguarding and inclusion innovations are developed that respond to the dynamic and evolving interventions developed across the organization. This would involve engaging in the design, implementation, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on progress of inclusion and safeguarding component of the project. The role will also include when needed to ensure support to country office through developing and delivering training, coordinating learning and networking. The position holder will also work closely with the partners and strengthen their policies and capacities with regards to child safeguarding and inclusion..

Major Responsibilities:

Lead the development, implementation and updating of safeguarding policies and procedures.

·         Lead the implementation of safeguarding policy and procedures, promoting a culture of safety for children especially for adolescent girls and those with disabilities. This includes the safe engagement of children, especially adolescent girls, children with disabilities and other stakeholders through different channels.

·         Develop and update guidance, training and other materials to help all staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures as well as inclusion principles and standards.

·         Liaise with other stakeholder such as Clusters and Govt. agencies to ensure that TEACH project has strong measures in place in context of inclusion and safeguarding. 

·         Deliver induction training to new staff and provide a range of learning opportunities to ensure that the organization is up to date and implementing best safeguarding and inclusion practices.

·         Conduct safeguarding self-assessment, identifying gaps in implementation and develop a detailed work plan to address gaps and reduce risks particularly for adolescent girls and children with disabilities.

·         In collaboration with protection coordinator, build relationships and develop referral pathways with key protection agencies to ensure that TEACH project provides safe and effective signposting to children and young people in need of protection

·         Collaborate with staff to ensure that safeguarding is embedded within the design and delivery of project interventions.

·         Provide technical support to technical and implementing partners to ensure the children safeguarding and inclusion through trainings, provision of relevant resource material and regular field visits.

·          Review the partners’ organizations child safeguarding policies and procedure and help them to strengthen organizational systems and policies related to child protection/ safeguarding and inclusion of children with disabilities and other at risk children.

·         Develop and translate the context appropriate child safeguarding and inclusion resource material and protocols for the field teams and community facilitators

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to:  Deputy Director Program Position directly supervises: N/A

Job Requirements:

a)      Education:

• Master degree in Social Sciences, or relevant field.

b)      Work Experience:

·         At least 06 years of work experience in humanitarian sector.

·         Technical and practical knowledge and experience of child protection programming

·         Experience in developing and implementing organizational safeguarding policies and procedures

·         Experience supporting implementing partners to develop and implement context-appropriate safeguarding measures

·         Skilled in designing and facilitating safeguarding training in different cultural and organizational contexts

·         Experience identifying networks and building relationships with other agencies such as international NGOs, Government ministries and local authorities.

c)      Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

·         Strong co-ordination and proactive leading style and able to bring about positive change

·         Ability to mentor and support staff remotely and apply global policies in local contexts

·         Able to develop monitoring, evaluation and learning processes for safeguarding

·         Strong inter-personal skills and awareness, particularly in cross cultural contexts

·         Strong influencing skills with an ability to work across departments

·         Good teamwork skills

·         Strong communication skills both written and verbal

·         Ability to be flexible within a fast paced, changing environment

·         Commitment to realizing the potential of girls and to the vision and values of Girl education in TEACH project

Language Skills:

• Good written and spoken English and Urdu skills; regional language skills will be a plus

Others:  

·         Strong computer skills: must be competent in the use of Windows, MS office programs, email programs, etc.

·         Willingness to travel outside Islamabad to field sites under demanding conditions.

Gender Equality:

IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment. Women candidates are highly encouraged to apply.