Child Protection Associate

The Protection Associate (Child Protection) also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office 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 child protection and assistance child protection partners. 

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the child protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Promote the implementation of UNHCR Child Protection Policy, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS), and Best Interest Procedures (BIP) directly and in-directly through implementing and operational child protection partners.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft guiding documents (SOPs, ToRs) related to PoC, including developing and implementing child protection strategies, BIP in line with UNHCR’s guidelines and international standards.
• Provide technical advice and support on child protection to UNHCR staff, UNHCR’s partners, government institutions, and community-based organizations.
• Assist in conducting Best Interest Assessment (BIA) and Best Interest Determination (BID), including identification, assessment, referral facilitation to appropriate services, documentation, and follow-up for PoC.
• Organize and facilitate training related to child protection for partners, UNHCR staff, community-based structures, and government officials on child protection principles, case management, and BIP (BIA/BID), including strengthening the capacity of community-based child protection networks and fostering their engagement in response efforts.
• Contribute to designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating child protection programming, ensuring alignment with UNHCR’s AGD approach with implementing and operational partners.
• Collaborate with other sectors to integrate child protection considerations and to identify, prevent, and reduce child protection risks.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection and child protection strategy.
• Conduct needs assessments to identify child protection risks and gaps including monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual child protection cases including those on SGBV and legal protection when there is a need.
• Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents against refugee children.
• Document and report on child protection trends, achievements, and challenges, including contributing to donor reports, proposals, and strategic planning documents.
• Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems, maintaining confidentiality, and adhering to data protection principles in all child protection activities.
• Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview , counseling and propose child protection support for individual cases.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global child protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of child protection services.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all child protection standard operating procedures.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Monitoring and Progress Controls

Performance of the incumbent will be assessed at the end of the contract term against the objectives and responsibilities specified in the Terms of Reference.  Key results that are expected to achieve include:

•  The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
•  Child protection activities are guided by the UNHCR Child Protection Policy, and country child protection strategy.
•  The participation of persons of concern is facilitated through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches.
•  Child protection risks incidents are immediately identified and reported.
•  Prioritize persons of concern for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
•  Enforce compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
•  Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.

Essential: 

•  Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
•  Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
•  Proficiency in English and local language and ability to work in multicultural environments
•  Familiarity with data collection tools and protection information management systems
•  Good computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MST)
• The Protection Associate (Child Protection) also ensures that persons of concern are involved with the Office 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 child protection and assistance child protection partners.

Purpose and Scope of Assignment :

• Stay abreast of political, social, economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the child protection environment.
• Consistently apply International and National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes of conduct.
• Promote the implementation of UNHCR Child Protection Policy, Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS), and Best Interest Procedures (BIP) directly and in-directly through implementing and operational child protection partners.
• Assist in providing comments on existing and draft guiding documents (SOPs, ToRs) related to PoC, including developing and implementing child protection strategies, BIP in line with UNHCR’s guidelines and international standards.
• Provide technical advice and support on child protection to UNHCR staff, UNHCR’s partners, government institutions, and community-based organizations.
• Assist in conducting Best Interest Assessment (BIA) and Best Interest Determination (BID), including identification, assessment, referral facilitation to appropriate services, documentation, and follow-up for PoC.
• Organize and facilitate training related to child protection for partners, UNHCR staff, community-based structures, and government officials on child protection principles, case management, and BIP (BIA/BID), including strengthening the capacity of community-based child protection networks and fostering their engagement in response efforts.
• Contribute to designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating child protection programming, ensuring alignment with UNHCR’s AGD approach with implementing and operational partners.
• Collaborate with other sectors to integrate child protection considerations and to identify, prevent, and reduce child protection risks.
• Contribute to a country-level child protection plan as part of the protection and child protection strategy.
• Conduct needs assessments to identify child protection risks and gaps including monitoring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all protection/solutions activities.
• Manage individual child protection cases including those on SGBV and legal protection when there is a need.
• Monitor, and intervene in cases of refoulement, expulsion and other protection incidents against refugee children.
• Document and report on child protection trends, achievements, and challenges, including contributing to donor reports, proposals, and strategic planning documents.
• Facilitate effective information management through the provision of disaggregated data on PoC and their problems, maintaining confidentiality, and adhering to data protection principles in all child protection activities.
• Assist the supervisor in prioritizing PoC for interview , counseling and propose child protection support for individual cases.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance of local implementing partners with global child protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of child protection services.
• Assist the supervisor with enforcing compliance with, and integrity of, all child protection standard operating procedures.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Monitoring and Progress Controls:

Performance of the incumbent will be assessed at the end of the contract term against the objectives and responsibilities specified in the Terms of Reference.  Key results that are expected to achieve include:

• The protection of populations of concern is met through the application of International and National Law, relevant UN/UNHCR protection standards and IASC principles.
• Child protection activities are guided by the UNHCR Child Protection Policy, and country child protection strategy.
• The participation of persons of concern is facilitated through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches.
• Child protection risks incidents are immediately identified and reported.
• Prioritize persons of concern for interview, counselling and propose protection support for individual cases.
• Enforce compliance of local implementing partners with global protection policies and standards of professional integrity in the delivery of protection services.
• Enforce compliance with, and integrity of, all protection standard operating procedures.

Essential: 

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Proficiency in English and local language and ability to work in multicultural environments
• Familiarity with data collection tools and protection information management systems
• Good computer skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MST)