Co-Facilitator Cluster Protection At Danish Refugee Council

Position Title: Co-Facilitator Cluster Protection

Supervised by: Country Director

Responding to: Lead UNHCR Cluster Protection

Duty Station: Cameroon

Area of Operation: Yaoundé with trips to the regions

Period under review: 12 months (potentially renewable and subject to funding)

Type of contract: National or International

Salary & Benefits: Non-Management – G Level 1

Introduction

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) provides assistance to refugees and displaced people around the world: we provide emergency aid to these people, fight for their rights and strengthen their opportunities for a better future. We work in conflict-affected areas, as well as along displacement routes, and in countries where refugees settle. In cooperation with local communities, we strive to achieve responsible and sustainable solutions. We work for the successful integration of vulnerable communities and, where possible, the fulfilment of their wish to return home.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) was founded in Denmark in 1956 and has since grown into an international humanitarian organization with more than 7,000 employees and 8,000 volunteers. Headquartered in Copenhagen and present in 40 countries, DRC is a non-governmental, non-profit, politically neutral and independent non-denominational aid organization.

Our vision is a life with dignity for all displaced people around the world. All our efforts are based on our moral compass: humanity, respect, independence, neutrality, participation, honesty and transparency.

DRC is a member of the Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) and collaborates with lead protection agencies, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNFPA and NRC.

1. Context

Under the leadership of the Dakar Regional Office and closely linked to the interventions in the neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), DRC began its operations in Cameroon in 2018 responding to the humanitarian needs of refugees from CAR and vulnerable Cameroonians in the Adamawa region. Currently, DRC operates a regional office in Meiganga and two sub-offices in Djohong (Adamawa region) and Garoua-Boulai (East region). Interventions focus on finding durable solutions for the most vulnerable, using the holistic graduation approach to improve both protection and economic recovery. Interventions include the identification of key protection risks and conflicts between populations in order to identify social cohesion and conflict resolution projects that will bring communities together.

The Mobile Emergency Team (EMPACT) established the DRC programme’s presence in the South-West region in late 2018 to respond to the needs of forcibly displaced people in the context of the Anglophone crisis, starting humanitarian activities in January 2019. DRC operates in the divisions of Meme, Fako, soon Kupe-Manenguba and Ndian with an office in Buea and a sub-base in Kumba (opening soon). Programming focuses on rural and hard-to-reach areas to meet people’s basic needs for food, shelter, and NFI, while improving the protection environment and providing income-generating opportunities.

In 2023, DRC expanded its activities to the Far North of Cameroon to provide a protection, positive peace, governance and economic resilience response to the multidimensional and interconnected crises affecting the region. Together with its local partner, DRC aims to provide support to the large number of internally displaced persons as well as refugees from Chad and Nigeria.

In this context, we are looking for an experienced collaborator, capable of intervening at the strategic and operational levels in order to ensure the co-facilitation of the Protection Cluster with the UNHCR while supporting a pre-identified local partner to take over this role in the long term.

2. Objective

The Protection Cluster Co-Facilitator (CCP) works collaboratively with UNHCR colleagues in charge of protection cluster coordination to support country coordination activities in line with the IASC guidelines on cluster leadership and accountability. The CCP will work on improving the representation of NGOs and other actors in cluster activities, participate in strengthening the effective management of the cluster and improving humanitarian protection programmes and advocacy responses – as well as strengthening the capacity of the local partner to transmit this co-facilitation in the long term.

3. Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities :

Co-Facilitation

• Co facilitates meetings by ensuring that agreements, follow-up activities, decisions and action points are effective.
• Documents and analyzes the activities of the coordination team and communicates the results to the cluster members.
• Ensures that the partners of the protection cluster are informed of the needs in terms of protection, the analysis of the situation, the shortcomings of intervention, the intervention schedules, the financing processes in progress, etc.
• Encourages NGOs working on protection in Cameroon to actively and regularly participate and report their activities and analyses to the protection cluster.
• Supports effective coordination with the Protection Sectors’ Areas of Responsibility (AoRs), GBV, Child Protection and Housing and Property.
• Additionally, DRC is a member of various Regional Working Groups and Task Forces, including Natural Resources, Population Movement Commission, Civil Documentation and Social Cohesion.
• Conducts the meetings of the identified working groups.

Representation and Advocacy

• In consultation with the Cluster Coordinator, represents the interests of the Protection Cluster in discussions with the Humanitarian Coordinator, donors, and other actors on priorities, resource mobilization, and advocacy.
• In coordination with relevant actors, organizes advocacy to improve humanitarian access to displaced populations.
• In agreement with the cluster coordinator, it ensures coordination and exchange of information on protection issues with other clusters, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, government counterparts, and strengthens links with appropriate partners working on development issues.
• In consultation with the Protection Cluster Coordinator, he/she contributes to coordination and planning within the Inter-Cluster Committee under the leadership of OCHA.
• Supports the cluster coordinator in the preparation of advocacy materials based on documents using the evidence-based approach to protection monitoring.

Planning & Reporting Strategy

• In consultation with the cluster coordinator, he/she ensures that the protection cluster covers all the needs identified for the affected populations, not only the needs of IDPs and refugees or the needs covered by the mandates of the members of the protection cluster, through the development and review of strategic documents, response plans and contingencies.
• Ensures that analyses and priorities are in line with the country humanitarian strategy as well as other response plans such as the Humanitarian Needs Overview, HNO, Humanitarian Response Plan, HRP.
• Supports the development of the protection cluster’s internal work plan in the field to ensure effective implementation in consultation with the protection cluster’s partners and areas of responsibility (AoRs).

Setting standards, developing capabilities, and supporting the working group and sub-cluster

• Ensures that the activities of the protection cluster are aligned with the transversal and inclusive approach of Age, Gender and Diversity.
• Creates, adapts and/or contributes to the development of gender-sensitive protection tools for reporting, needs assessments, gender analyses, etc.
• Co-coordinates and delivers the implementation of protection training for cluster members, local partners, relevant authorities and members of other clusters.
• Produces practical tools and supports cluster members and regional working groups on issues of needs assessments, coordination issues, joint participation and funding processes, e.g. HRP.
• Conducts field missions to strengthen the links between the national cluster and the regional working groups.
• Establish with the Coordinator and the local partner, an action plan allowing the transmission of the co-facilitation of the protection cluster to a person pre-identified by the local partner (key steps, training, progressive roles and responsibilities, duration, etc.).

Information Management, Reporting and Evaluation

• In consultation with the Cluster Coordinator, supports the compilation of information, produces analytical reports and information on protection issues for sharing with partners, the humanitarian country team, donors and relevant government counterparts.
• Coordinates the work of the various networks/agencies contributing to the protection cluster monitoring system.
• Supports the quality of the protection monitoring system through the review of information and performance of data collection networks.
• Ensures that trends identified by protection monitoring are disseminated to partners and other relevant partners.
• Facilitates reporting and sharing of information within the cluster.
• Ensure that monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms are in place to assess the progress and results of the protection cluster’s activities.

4. Qualifications

Essential Technical Experience and Skills:

• At least five years of practical experience in the humanitarian sector on general and/or specialized protection topics
• Excellent knowledge of protection issues in emergency contexts and increased knowledge of protection, humanitarian principles, guidelines, and international law
• Good understanding of the UN Humanitarian Clusters approach and architecture
• Excellent advocacy and representation skills, ability to establish effective working relationships to facilitate communication within clusters and with various actors
• Good management and coordination skills in a humanitarian response mechanism
• Experience in creating strategic documents and setting up evaluations
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills
• Experience in workshop and training facilitation
• Experience and/or willingness to pass on knowledge
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work under pressure and under stressful conditions
• Excellent communication skills in French and good communication skills in English
• Knowledge of the Cameroon context would be a plus

Education

• Master’s degree preferably in the field of human rights and/or international humanitarian law
• All other training in the field of protection

Languages:

• French (good fluency)
• English (full fluency)

5. Required Skills and Qualities

• In this position, you must demonstrate the five core competencies of DRC namely:
  • Striving for excellence: You focus on delivering results while ensuring an efficient process. You strive to produce accurate, thorough, and professional work with optimal use of time and effort.
  • Collaborate: You cooperate with and involve relevant parties, actively seeking their opinion and sharing key information with them. You support and trust others, while encouraging feedback.
  • Take the Lead: You take responsibility and prioritize your work based on DRC’s overall vision and goals. You take the initiative when faced with a challenge or opportunity and look for innovative solutions.
  • Communicate: You write and speak effectively and honestly while adapting your style and tone to the situation. You actively listen to others and involve them in dialogue.
  • Demonstrate integrity: You uphold and promote the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct in relation to DRC’s values and code of conduct, including protection from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
• Ability to work in a multicultural and cosmopolitan environment;
• Proactivity, with a cooperative and collaborative approach;
• Excellent communication skills (including attention and patience) are required;
• Good organizational skills are required;
• Exemplary work ethics;
• Ability to work in a team and good sense of humour.

6. General regulations

• The employee must follow the DRC’s guidelines on safety, confidentiality and ethics, including the Code of Conduct and the Humanitarian Accountability Framework;
• The employee will not engage in any other paid activity during their contract with DRC without having received permission to do so;
• The employee must not engage in any activity that may adversely affect DRC or the implementation of its projects while under contract with DRC;
• At the end of the contract, the employee will return all the equipment entrusted to him for the performance of his duties.