Vacancy Notice No.: ETHJI/VN/53/18
Grade: GL6
Type of Appointment: TA
Date of Issue: 04/5/2018
No. Vacant Post: One
Closing Date: 13/5/2018
Duration of Contract: Until 31 December 2018
Organizational Context
The Protection Associate reports to the Protection Cluster Coordinator. He/she monitors protection standards, operational procedures and practices in protection delivery in line with international standards and provides functional protection support within the framework of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) and the Cluster Approach.
While Ethiopia battles residual needs from the 2015/2016 El Niño-induced drought, below average rains in the southern and south-eastern parts of the country led to a drought in lowland pastoralist areas, with the Somali region the worst affected. As a result, some 10 million people in Ethiopia require emergency food assistance. In addition, in 2017 another drought affected the same area of the country causing 8.5 million Ethiopians to be in need of relief food assistance. In September 2017, a series of events escalated in conflict between the Oromia and Somali regions. By the end of 2017, 1.6 million persons were displaced, and among these 1.1 million were displaced as a result of conflict. Internal displacement is increasing, due to the combination of drought and inter-communal tensions.
The Somali region currently hosts more than 562,000 IDPs. Displacement places additional strain on the limited resources for affected populations, which may also lead to competition over resources between host communities and displaced persons. Reports and assessments led by local authorities indicate that access to services is not designed to incorporate the needs of vulnerable groups amongst affected populations. As a result, the national Protection Cluster is working to ensure that services are provided in a meaningful and inclusive manner for affected populations based on the principle of the Centrality of Protection.
In order to address the significant needs in the Somali region, a sub-national Protection Cluster was established to coordinate and enhance humanitarian protection efforts in the Somali region with a focus on IDPs. The Protection Associate is expected to support Protection Cluster coordination, meetings, and inter-cluster relations, and to coordinate quality, timely and effective protection responses to the needs of populations of concern, specifically internally displaced persons, and identify opportunities to mainstream protection methodologies and integrate protection safeguards across other cluster sectoral responses. He/she contributes to updating the protection cluster strategy and liaises externally with authorities and partners on the protection doctrine and policy as guided by the supervisor.
The Protection Associate also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Protection Cluster in making decisions that affect them, whether in accessing their rights or in identifying appropriate solutions to their problems. To achieve this, the incumbent will need to build and maintain effective interfaces with communities of concern, local authorities and protection and assistance partners.
Accountability:
Responsibility:
Authority:
Essential Minimum Qualifications and Experience:
Desirable Qualifications & Competencies:
Required Competencies: