Child Protection Officer, NO-2, Awasa, Ethiopia (For Ethiopian nationals only) Temporary Appointment 364 days

Duty Station: Awasa
Level: NO-2
Location: Ethiopia
Categories: Child Protection

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, protection

UNICEF providing support to SNNPR, Sidama and South west regions of Ethiopia on the three major focus areas of Child protection: strengthening of resilient chid protection system, ending Child marriage, FGM and promotion of birth registration systems.

Regional statehood requests have been a major issue in SNNPR. Sidama becomes an independent region by 2020. In addition, the government recently declared the referendum result as “South West” became an independent third region. Current geopolitical and exacerbated child protection concerns in southern Ethiopia negatively impacted on UNICEF’s program support to the region by the only 2 Child protection staff in the field office.

While the previous SNNPR Region divided in to three separate regions, the number of child protection government partners with dedicated work plans and RAA activities tripled from the previous one. In addition, capacity of government partners in new separated regions is very low to implement UNICEF supported activities.  Most of the time, all CP Government IPs expect UNICEF’s staff closer technical support and ongoing guidance to the program. Further to the UNICEF supported development programs, recurrent emergencies in the regions requires close support from UNICEF side.  Because of these reasons, the existing two Child protection staff in the FO are always overstretched in providing technical support, monitoring, and overall management of the programs in those multiple regions. Moreover, with the current only two Child Protection staff in the Awassa Field Office, UNICEF’s capacity to be Fit to Drive all the Child Protection agendas in SNNPR, Sidama, and South west regions will be greatly compromised unless additional staff will be recruited. This calls for UNICEF through the Awassa Field Office to have adequate personnel who can support the regional government partners.

How can you make a difference?

Under the operational guidance of Chief of Field Office and technical guidance of Child protection Specialist, the Child protection Officer will support the Field Office in the acceleration of the Child protection program in the three regions of the field office, majorly supporting the existing child protection team on effective communication, advocacy, coordination, planning, implementation, monitoring, management and resource mobilization as required for both Humanitarian and development programs. The incumbent will prepare, execute, manage, and implement a variety of technical and administrative programme tasks to facilitate programme development, implementation, programme progress monitoring, evaluating, and reporting.

1. Support to programme development and planning

  • Conduct and update the situation analysis for the development, design, and management of child protection related programmes/projects. Research and report on development trends (e.g. economic, social, health) and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results in Humanitarian and development programs.
  • Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis and reporting of child protection and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting.
  • Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical, programme, operational, and administrative transactions, preparing related materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating of results.
  • Prepare required programme documentations, materials and data to facilitate the programme review and approval process.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

  • Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
  • Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programmes/projects, and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
  • Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations, procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues and findings to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
  • Provide up-to-date and timely information on the status of Violence against program, Birth Registration/Vital events, and Harmful practices mainly Ending child marriage, and female genital mutilation programs in terms of implementation, financial utilization, lessons learned, challenges/constraints, future recommendations and best practices at different levels;
  • Collaborate or Support to the FO team on Child protection in emergency program cycles management.
  • Prepare regular and mandated sectoral programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation

  • Conduct regular programme field visits and surveys and exchange information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
  • Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in child protection, to support programme implementation both in Emergency and development areas.
  • Support the strengthening of a routine administrative data collection system for VAC, Birth registration and HP/ FGM and Child marriage, building on achievements and recommendations made so far.

4. Networking and partnership building

  • Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on child protection in general.
  • Participate in inter-agency meetings/events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNSDCF operational planning and preparation of child protection programmes/projects, and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with UNSDCF development and planning processes.
  • Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.
  • Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for child protection programmes.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

  • A university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
  • A minimum of five (5) years of relevant professional experience in programme development in child protection related areas.
  • Work experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
  • Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
  • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

Core Competencies

  • Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
  • Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
  • Works Collaboratively with others (1)
  • Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
  • Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
  • Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
  • Drives to achieve impactful results (1)
  • Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time

 

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