Protection Adviser Colombia - Multiple locations - Only Nationals

NRC Colombia implements its Protection from Violence Core Competency, which includes the following streams of work: Community Safety & Prevention of Violence, which includes NRCs Civilian Self-Protection programme (a proactive protection programme which comprises protection by presence, protection accompaniment and protection advocacy), Individual Protection Services, which incorporates Protection Case Management for persons at risk of violence, such as community leaders threatened by armed groups, and Protection Influence & Policy, which includes Protection Monitoring. NRC also implements its Protection from Violence programme in rapid emergency responses. 

The Protection Adviser (National) position will work with NRCs Civilian Self-Protection (CSP) programme, which aims to prevent violence and offer protection to communities. The CSP programme has a new project with NORCAP that will implement three activities in complementarity to the wider programme:

1. Protection by presence: presence with communities facing repression or violence, if and when the communities themselves request such a presence, taking advantage of the complementary protective impacts of national and international staff presence. 
2. Protection Advocacy and Influence: Discrete, indirect, and collective advocacy with other actors, to encourage all armed actors to comply with International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. 
3. Protection Capacity Building: Support and protection to local actors to enable their active participation in national dialogue and planning processes that promote solutions for their protection challenges. 

   The staff of this initiative will include both Colombian nationals and International staff, initially to be deployed in Bogota, Quibdo, Tumaco and Puerto Asis, who will work together as a team to take advantage of the added value that each can contribute to the protection objectives of the project. Staff will share a strong commitment to protecting communities and promoting their empowerment. The objective of proactive protection demands that staff will spend a large portion of their time visiting rural communities under duress. Their work with advocacy and influencing will require them to engage in intensive networking at both the regional and national level. The aim of the capacity building arm of the programme will be to encourage local participation, and will require the development of close relationships with community representatives. This initiative provides a unique first-hand insight into the intense pressures faced by Colombian communities, and their resilience and courage in responding to find solutions.

   The Protection Advisers (National and International) will work together as a team under the leadership of NRC-Colombia’s Protection from Violence Specialist and the technical guidance of the NORCAP Senior Protection Adviser, within the structure of NRC’s existing Protection from Violence program, and in close collaboration and coordination with other NRC Protection from Violence staff.

   Generic Responsibilities 

   1. Adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
   2. Contribute to Protection from Violence strategy development, project proposals and provide input on needs and gaps
   3. Ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need of protection, explore and asses new and better ways to assist
   4. Technically support in the implementation of delegated portfolio of Protection from Violence projects (activities, budget and project documentation) as delegated from the Protection Specialist in line with proposals, strategies and donor requirements, and ensure high technical quality
   5. Contribute to the development of technical guidance, provide systematic training, and build capacity of the protection teams through day-to-day coaching and mentorships. This can be supported through online meetings and field visits. 
   6. Ensure that key learnings are extracted from protection from violence implementation and shared with all relevant stakeholders for incorporation. 
   7. Promote and share ideas for improvement and necessary changes in the activities
   8. Liaise and collaborate with relevant local authorities and other key stakeholders
   9. Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy

      Specific responsibilities 

      • Intensive and regular travel and visits to communities under duress who request such presence for protective impact.
      • Support community members and leaders facing threats or harassment.
      • Developing a thorough analysis of the political situation by listening to the widest possible range of viewpoints and experiences while respecting needs for confidentiality.
      • Ongoing analysis of the sensitivity and receptiveness of diverse communities and armed actors to the presence of International organizations and humanitarian staff. 
      • Meeting regularly with local, regional, national and international actors (including community representatives, civil society, INGOS, United Nations, Colombian government and others).
      • Develop close relationships with community leaders and other community representatives (including women’s organizations, youth groups and others.)
      • Consult and strategize with communities regarding their need for Protection-by-Presence.
      • Development of relationships, analysis, and messages to contribute to a complex advocacy strategy to indirectly influence the actions of armed actors in Colombia, encouraging compliance with IHL and IHRL by all actors. 
      • Analysis of community levels of participation in national processes in support of peace, human rights and protection objectives, identifying opportunities to support such participation.
      • Close coordination with other humanitarian, development and human rights presence in each territory. 
      • Provide support for the expansion of Protection-by-Presence efforts of other international and national actors, through capacity-building and coordination support. 
      • Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be developed in line with the overall objectives of the initiative as it develops. 
      • Deliver workshops on specific protection topics relevant to the project strategy.
      • Liaise with Protection colleagues to ensure close coordination and coherence of NRC Protection from Violence strategy, both at national and local level.
      • Monitor/assess safety and security in the field; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to their line manager and HSS Staff and liaising with external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment.
      • Representation of NRC Protection in Violence in relevant meetings as delegated by supervisor/management

        General professional competencies for this position:

      • At least five years of work experience in relevant fields [humanitarian/protection/ human rights/ peacebuilding/ rural development]
   10. Specific expertise in civilian self-protection and broader protection of civilians approaches, such as protection by presence, safe relocations, or civil-military coordination
4. Experience working in or with rural Colombian communities.

Context related skills, knowledge and experience

We are seeking highly qualified, resilient, dynamic professionals committed to supporting Colombian communities facing violence, threats and intimidation:  

Planning and delivering results

Communicating with impact and respect

Empowering and building trust

Strategic thinking

NRC might review applications before the adverted deadline, therefore interested candidates are encouraged to apply early.

Please indicate in the Cover Letter where you are interested in being a candidate (Bogotá, Tumaco, Puerto Asís or Quibdó).

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. We work in crises across more than 31 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. We stand up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP, our global provider of expertise, helps improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country. Employment with NRC may lead to employment in or deployment to Regions, Countries, Areas or Offices that may be host to considerable health, safety and security risks. NRC takes this very seriously and we have procedures in place to reduce known risks, but will never be able to take away all risks. NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.