Protection Coordinator/Manager

1. PEOPLE IN NEED AFGHANISTAN

People in Need (PIN) is a Czech organization established in 1992, currently working in around 40 countries on human rights and humanitarian aid. Globally, PIN is recognized as a leading actor in Education in Emergencies and actively contributes to international coordination mechanisms and humanitarian clusters, including education, food security, nutrition, shelter, and WASH. In Afghanistan, PIN has been operating since 2001, delivering humanitarian and development assistance to communities affected by conflict, economic crisis, and natural disasters. Over the years, PIN has established itself as a trusted and experienced actor, with strong acceptance among local communities, authorities, and stakeholders, enabling access to some of the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations. Throughout its presence in the country, PIN has supported over 850,000 people across multiple regions. The Organization has remained operational through periods of significant political and social change, continuing to provide life-saving and resilience-building assistance to more than 250,000 individuals in recent years. It works in key sectors including food security and livelihoods, education in emergencies, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and protection.

The Protection Coordinator/Manager is accountable for ensuring technical quality of child protection programming implemented directly or through partners, strengthening referral pathways, and is responsible for supporting capacity development of staff, partner and community structures, representing the organization in relevant child protection coordination mechanisms and providing technical inputs for proposal development whenever needed.

The role provides overall technical leadership and quality assurance for child protection programming within the country programme, directly working with the Project Manager, the Project Coordinators, field team and partner organisations. The role supports the design, implementation, monitoring and continuous improvement of child protection interventions, including community-based child protection, awareness raising, referrals, capacity strengthening, and integration of child protection and safeguarding considerations across sectors, particularly Education in Emergencies (EiE). 

3. RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Leadership, Programme Quality and Program Development

• Provide overall technical leadership and quality assurance for child protection programming (including partner’s activities), ensuring programmes are aligned with international child protection standards, national frameworks and PIN policies.
• Support the development of child protection tools, guidance documents, SOPs and technical resources.
• Ensure child protection considerations are integrated throughout the project cycle across PIN programming.
• Undertake regular supervision activities, including field visits and review of program data to support programme quality and partner capacity.
• Support establishment and maintenance of safe referral pathways.
• Support assessments, programme design, proposal development and budgeting.
• Support child protection risk assessments, safety audits and community-based risk mapping exercises. 

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Develop and deliver training materials and capacity-building initiatives for staff, partners and community structures.
• Mentor, coach and provide day to day technical guidance to programme teams and partners on child protection approaches and standards.
• Support capacity strengthening of community-based child protection committees and other community structures.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting

• Support development of child protection indicators, monitoring tools and data collection systems.
• Ensure quality monitoring of child protection activities and partner implementation.
• Review programme data and provide recommendations for programme improvement.
• Review and provide technical input into internal and donor reports, ensuring accurate analysis of child protection activities, achievements, challenges and lessons learned.
• Work closely with MEAL teams to strengthen monitoring systems and ensure child protection considerations are integrated into assessments, monitoring and evaluations.

Coordination and Representation

• Represent PIN in national child protection coordination mechanisms, clusters and technical working groups.
• Coordinate with government authorities, UN agencies, NGOs and community stakeholders.
• Contribute to inter-agency child protection initiatives and technical discussions.

4. PIN COMPETENCY MODEL

PIN Competency Model is a framework used to define, assess, and develop the behaviours, skills, and attitudes expected from staff. It focuses on how people perform their work, not only on their technical knowledge.

The Protection Manager will be recruited, and subsequently evaluated, following the PIN competency areas here below, where the staff is expected to at least meet the expectations as outlined below:

1.      Personal integrity and values:

Demonstrates honesty, accountability, and consistency in actions and communication. Adheres to PIN’s values, policies, and ethical standards, addresses inappropriate conduct, and continuously reflects on and improves personal performance.

Committed to gender equity/equality, inclusion, non-discrimination, and the rights of women, children and persons with disabilities. Show empathy, caring and patience.

2.      Universal competencies

o   Communication: Communicates clearly and effectively, adapting messages to different audiences. Shares information in a timely manner, listens actively, encourages dialogue, and uses evidence to support decisions and recommendations. Be fluent in communicating on issues of protection (mainstreaming), GBV, gender, and in using the required vocabulary.

o   Cooperation: Builds positive and inclusive working relationships, values diverse perspectives, and promotes teamwork. Shares knowledge, supports collaboration, and addresses conflicts constructively.

o   Resilience/coping with stress: Maintains composure and effectiveness under pressure. Manages stress constructively, remains solution-oriented, and adapts well to challenges and changing circumstances.

3.      Specific competencies

o   Problems and tasks solving approach: Analyses issues, identifies root causes, and makes informed decisions. Proactively solves problems, collaborates with others, and seeks practical improvements and innovative solutions.

o   Result Orientation: Takes ownership of objectives, delivers high-quality results, and continuously seeks opportunities to improve performance and outcomes.

·        Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, International Development, Education, Human Rights, or related field.

·        Master's degree desirable. 

Experience

·        Minimum 5 years of progressively responsible experience in child protection programming in humanitarian and/or development settings.

·        Experience managing partnerships and providing technical oversight.

·        Experience developing training materials and facilitating trainings, including for implementing partners.

·        Experience with monitoring, evaluation and learning systems

Technical Skills

·        Strong knowledge of child protection principles, referral systems, community-based child protection.

·        Familiarity with child protection information management systems (e.g. CPIMS+/Primero) and data protection/confidentiality principles for sensitive case data.

·        Strong technical knowledge of case management standards and systems for humanitarian settings

·        Demonstrated experience providing technical supervision, mentoring, or case consultation to caseworkers, including guidance on complex or high-risk cases

·        Working knowledge of referral pathway design and inter-agency/inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms

Languages

·        Excellent written and spoken English required.

·        Fluency in Dari required.

·        Knowledge of Pashto preferred.