Temporary Appointment (Internal and External Vacancy Announcement): Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist, P-4, 364 Days, Pemba, Mozambique (Open to None Mozambican Only)

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, [insert tagline]

The humanitarian situation in Cabo Delgado has been deteriorating, with increasing attacks by non-state armed groups since 2017, causing wide-spread displacement and disruption of basic service provision. The increasing frequency of attacks in 2020 have caused an estimated over 300,000 people to flee.  Non-state armed groups attacks are expanding geographically, both along the coastal and inland areas in Cabo Delgado province and as new areas experience violence displacement are expected to rise. In some areas people are repeatedly displaced by reoccurring attacks.

The security situation remains unpredictable, especially in the northern and eastern districts of Cabo Delgado where humanitarians are unable to access or sustain a physical presence on the ground. These areas are deemed ‘hard-to-reach’ locations, where due to the security situation humanitarians are unable to remain on ground for an extended period of time.  In many of these locations people have been cut off from basic services for months, unable to flee violence and reach safe locations where services can be provided.

Thousands of people are living in ‘hard-to-reach’ locations in the northern and eastern districts of Cabo Delgado. In these areas, communities are in higher humanitarian concern, due to disruption of several services over time and the lack of humanitarian assistance. A well-run cluster including Information Management is a formal deliverable of the Cluster Lead Agency and forms a part of the agency’s work.

UNICEF, as highlighted in their Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, is fully committed to scale-up its Child Protection in Emergencies program in Cabo Delgado, as well as its accountability in the Child Protection Area of Responsibility.  

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Child Protection, in collaboration with the Chief of Field Operations  (dotted line supervision) and coordination with  the CFOs ( Cabo Delgado and Nampula) , the overall objective of the post is to support overall implementation of Child Protection in Emergencies program , including on children associated with armed forces and groups (approx. 50%). The incumbent will also support advocacy efforts for the signing of a handover protocol to ensure their prompt release and safe and supported safe return, reintegration and recovery from their experiences. Moreover, the incumbent will support on coordination of the Child Protection Area of Responsibility at sub-national level in Cabo Delgado and Nampula (approximately 50%).

RESPONSIBILITIES/ DUTIES/ TASKS

The post holder has joint responsibility for the CPiE program for the Cabo Delgado Emergency Response and leading coordination at subnational levels of the Child Protection Area of Responsibility.

UNICEF Child Protection in Emergencies Programme (approximately 50%):

• Ensures the development of the sectoral work plan and technical decisions for Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) including for overall CPiE programme management, implementation and monitoring, in compliance with the defined programme strategies and approaches as per UNICEF Core Commitments for Children;
• As part of CPiE programme management, work with partners, notably IOM, UNHCR, UNFPA among others, to ensure better reintegration of CAAFAG, coordinated support efforts on UASC and FTR, and SGBV through the provision of individual psychosocial support,  case management, empowerment, peer group support, family tracing, reunification and reconciliation, and community dialogue to promote return and reintegration; as well as monitoring and reporting of violations against children and women;
• Lead CPiE programme coordination with sub-national local authorities and other actors to implement community-based child protection, including reintegration strategy for children affected by armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG), efforts on UASC and FTR, and SGBV, and ensure provision of related technical support;
• As applicable, ensure integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including age, gender, disability, environment and HIV/AIDs in CPiE interventions;
• Engage with religious and community leaders to promote community-based child protection mechanisms, including alternative care for UASC and reintegration of children and women;
• Contribute to the development of new partnerships with international and national/local CSOs for the Child Protection in Emergencies response support;
• Facilitate the training of and ongoing support for state and non-state actors, including community volunteers, on child protection
• Facilitate the training of military and security personnel on child protection and engage in advocacy on the handover of children from military authorities to civilian authorities;
• Support capacity building of partners, including CSOs, on child rights monitoring and reintegration of CAAFAG;
• Provide technical guidance and support to strengthen the child protection and GBV referral pathways, including mechanism for CAAFAG to available services and programmes, involving coordination/collaboration with education and ADAP programming, including peacebuilding initiatives in focus communities, leveraging existing and planned youth clubs, child friendly spaces, etc;
• Ensuring timely implementation of CPiE activities, timely reporting to the donors, compliance with visibility requirements and compliance with internal UNICEF procedures and processes;
• In close collaboration with the Information Management specialist and officers, ensure robust data collection to capture the number of beneficiaries reached by the programme and the impact of the programme, including management of the evaluation of the programme;
• Monitor performance of UNICEF CPiE response against agreed indicators; and
• Monitor cross border CP situation (in collaboration with colleagues from RO CP Section and Tanzania CO)

 

Child Protection Area of Responsibility Lead (approximately 50%):

• Work with governmental and non-governmental child protection actors and mobilise them at sub-national levels (Cabo Delgado, Nampula) to develop an inter-agency CPiE response plan in coordination with national level CP AoR, based on needs and gaps identified, that fits within the wider subnational and national protection response and is captured in the overall Strategic Response Plan (SRP) and other relevant IA plans and appeals; 
• Carry out a mapping of CPiE actors (sub-national/local) to identify gaps, avoid duplication and build complementarity of partner actions;
• Ensure the CPIE response is evidence-based through conducting secondary data reviews and, where necessary, assessments identifying the priority child protection needs and capacities;
• Ensure continued sharing and management of information and generation of analysis, to/ from and between CP AoR participants and other stakeholders, including relevant government counterparts, and between national and sub-national levels;
• Promote the implementation of the Minimum Standards of Child Protection in Humanitarian Action amongst child protection and non-child protection actors;
• In collaboration with national CP AoR, contribute to resources mobilization efforts for the CP AoR and advocacy on funding allocation for the effective functioning of the AoR and the CP AoR response;
• Work with child protection actors to develop an inter-agency CPiE capacity building strategy that meets the needs and priorities;
• Interact with other clusters (including through inter-cluster coordination fora), humanitarian actors, government counterparts, and relevant authorities for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners; coordinate with CP AoR partners engage in IA needs assessments and response;
• Maintain flexibility within the cluster to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation; and
• Monitor performance of the inter-agency CPIE response against agreed indicators and monitor the core cluster functions; recommending corrective action where necessary

 

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

Education: Advanced university degree in social work, social science, development studies or its equivalent is required;

 

Work Experience: Minimum of 8 years demonstrable professional experience in managing, coordinating and implementing child protection in emergencies (CPiE), including CAAFAG, Child Rights Monitoring;

Demonstrable ability to work under difficult conditions, high pressure situations and manage complex and ambiguous situations;

Experience in advocating with military/security forces for the handover of children and Experience in implementing peacebuilding programmes;

Understanding of the overall humanitarian sector architecture, how elements are inter-related and how to apply them to CP AoR coordination work;

Knowledge and understanding of CP AoR information management, M and E and related tools and reporting frameworks; and

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and proficiency in Portuguese

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are…

• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)
• Applying technical expertise (III)

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.