The Protection Team, through Protection Coordinators, Protection Officers (PO), and Managers, drive Front Line Defender’s (FLD) strategic priorities on behalf of HRDs in each of the countries/regions. The Protection Team is primarily responsible for outreach to human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk, as well as local support networks, managing and nurturing these crucial relationships through their work and presence in all the world regions. 

The team coordinates and directs the protection work in the countries/regions, and hold the strategic overview of the various context and trends. The team is responsible for undertaking rapid advocacy actions (urgent appeals, statements and other advocacy submissions and initiatives) and directing, coordinating and supporting the various holistic protection responses (advocacy, digital and physical security, visibility, well-being, rest and respite, relocation and grant-making) via close collaboration with the various FLD teams, as well as local, regional and international organisations. 

The Protection Team is also responsible for conducting research on HRD protection trends (annual Global Analysis) and for the secure and accurate recording and storing of HRD related data, as well as overseeing and providing strategic leadership for special programmes that tackle particular trends relevant to HRDs protection, such as the HRD Memorial and Long Term Imprisonment Cases. The HRDs Researcher will support Front Line Defender’s global work to deliver quality research on protection for HRDs at risk responding to FLD’ strategic priorities and needs. 

Research in Front Line Defenders covers: 

• Investigating HRDs’ risks, specific protection needs and providing inputs for the relevant advocacy; supporting changing narratives by bringing focus to new groups or helping to protect HRDs as part of visibility strategies; 
• Investigations into attacks on specific groups expanding the understanding of contextual risks
• Relevant mapping exercises considering different countries and regions; among others.

The person will be responsible for developing and researching both internal and external pieces, including FLD quarterly Urgent action reports and the annual Global Analysis among other Global research pieces previously agreed with management. 

The HRDs Researcher will act as critical  support to the Protection team to strengthen analysis and learning on the threats and risks faced  by HRDs and effective protection responses. The person will also overseen research pieces identified by Protection Coordinators working towards safety for HRDs participating in the research, quality control, fact checking and supporting the work commissioned to external consultants.

The successful candidate will work in close coordination with the Head of Protection, Protection Managers, the Strategy and MEAL Manager, and Advocacy team to support the different research pieces undertaken by other team members with geographical or thematic focus. The HRDs Researcher will engage on supporting the use of the database for better capturing data for trend analysis and research. The role is expected to perform at a level to maintain responsibility for the development and adherence to FLD research methodology and security during research. 

Responsibilities:

Design and conduct research and investigations

• To oversee the organisation research agenda, including deliver of the Global Analysis and quarterly urgent actions reports, selection and delivery of other priority pieces of research, and oversight and quality control of any others research projects;

• To deliver the annual Global Analysis in coordination with the Head of Protection, Protection Coordinators, the Global Advocacy team and other relevant team members;

• Support the development of other quality research identified and lead by Protection Coordinators on a range of protection related issues and gap areas with strong gendered and intersectional lens;

• Provide inputs for research to inform outreach to range of less visible and less connected groups, women and non-binary human rights defenders and overall gendered analysis of their experiences as defenders;

• Act as first point of contact during the design and proposal phase of all investigations, mappings or reports;

• Maintain responsibility for the development and adherence to FLD research methodology and security ensuring standards and approach are consistent across the organisation; 

• Work in collaboration with consultants and partners conducting research from the planning to its implementation maintaining regular communication and ensuring its HRDs focus;

• Assist in editing and fact – checking research reports and other protection and advocacy documents as needed, ensuring relevant documentation for backing up public documents is stored;

• Advise on the design of collaborative research with HRDs and other organisations and innovative, secure and participatory methodologies on research for protection of HRDs;

• Participate on external meetings, webinars and calls with relevant stakeholders upon request;

• To liaise with development team in integrating research into donor project proposals where relevant, and ensure we meet commitments;

Learning and Evaluation protection 

• In collaboration with MEAL team and Protection Managers identify key and strategic areas and priority group of defenders while applying intersectional lens, to deepen analysis that inform better protection for HRDs; 

• Lead on analysis of relevant information on human rights defenders and action taken on their behalf available in Front Line Defenders' database and submit inputs for team discussion, planning and reporting;

  Support Protection Coordinators, other Protection Team and Global Advocacy team members to better document FLD urgent actions in the database, supporting the review of tags and terminology per violations;

• Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework for research outputs;
   
• Submit quarterly reports on activities and feed into monitoring frameworks.

Internal Collaboration and Communications

• Close daily collaboration and workload prioritization with the Head of Protection and Strategy MEAL Manager ; 

• Collaboration with the Capacity building team identifying opportunities to support pieces bring visibility to HRDs;

• Regular communication with the Global Advocacy team liaising around thematic research e.g BHR, EU recs, etc);

• Liaise between the Head of communications and Protection team for report publication and dissemination strategies;

Security and Well being 

• Contribute to active risk management and smart risk taking around research practices; 

• Help identify, analyse and mitigate against risks, and contributing to update FLD research security protocols for research activities conducted in person or remote to meet our duty of care;

• Manage research security protocols and support all research consultants on HRD security when conducting research for FLD, in collaboration with PCs; 

• Ensuring research’ consultants security protocols are followed, regularly reviewed and updated;

• Hold high standards of collaboration and interactions with Human Rights Defenders to prevent re-traumatizing HRDs when interviewing, and being sensitive to particularities that consider culture, gender, generation,disabilities, race and ethnic background .

Person Specification: 

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and ability to work on other languages;

• Excellent research skills build on solid methodological approach;

• Ability to search and identify relevant information online; persistent in seeking out difficult to find information; creative in identifying new sources of information;

• Ability to deliver accurate and objective written information; 

• Ability to demonstrate a nuanced understanding of contexts in which local HRD communities operate;

• At least some knowledge of key practices and trends in the area of protection, digital security resiliency and well-being for both HRDs and their advocates;

• To work collaboratively and in a high pressure environment ;

• Ability to work well with a wide range of people from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, with empathy and clear boundaries;

• Able to take initiative and drive work forward independently within agreed frameworks, motivated by achieving results and compelling tasks.

Desirable:

• Experience with participatory methodologies 

• Updated on methodologies in the human rights and international relations research field

Experience

Essential:

• At least 5 years of experience working with a diverse range of human rights defenders;

• Proven experience on planning, disseminating and conducting research on human rights violation and the work of Human rights defenders;

• Strong knowledge and understanding of human rights violations and their impact on human rights defenders and their movements, including available mechanism for their protection; 

• Strong understanding of the gendered and other risks women human rights defenders and LGBTIQ+ defenders face;

Desirable:

• Experience with managing collaborative projects inside organisations and with external partners.