Child Protection Officer (Tonga) – P2  

UNICEF Pacific is hiring a Child Protection Officer (P2) on a temporary appointment to be based in Suva, Fiji. Under the supervision of the Chief Child Protection in Suva, this person is accountable for the technical, operational, and administrative assistance to child protection programmes/projects for both Fiji and Tonga.
 

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job ? it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, care

UNICEF is committed to creating environments where women, children and their communities are safe and respected by humanitarian and development personnel and can access the protection and assistance provided by them without fear or risk of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA).

In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria.

UNICEF has been supporting the Governments of Fiji and Tonga across different programme sectors including health and nutrition, education, WASH, child protection and social policy. Given the scope of work in a multi-country office setting, and the nature of engagement with the Government, particularly in the area of Child Protection, with growing rates of violence against children, impact of child marriage, and issues of child neglect within families, it is important for UNICEF to support the sectoral Ministries in both Fiji and Tonga through technical assistance. For the Child Protection multi-country programme, it is not feasible to provide only remote support to the government partners in Tonga from Pacific Multi-Country Office in Suva as government deliberations require in-country presence of a technical staff member who can adequately represent UNICEF.

All 14 Pacific Island countries and territories have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations. Explore the different areas of our work here: UNICEF Pacific Islands.

How can you make a difference? 

The Child Protection Officer will contribute to the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation and administration of UNICEF’s programmes in both Fiji and Tonga, focusing largely on Child Protection programme in conjunction with the Education and Health and Nutrition component of the workplan developed with the Government of Tonga to achieve UNICEF’s multisector goals and objectives for the country.

The CP Officer will also serve as UNICEF Pacific’s focal point in Tonga to manage the overall partnership UNICEF has with both government and civil society partners working in the area of child protection, towards implementing the Child Protection Rolling Workplans with the Government of Tonga.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

1. Provide timely strategic and technical support and coordination to the development, planning and implementation of the UNICEF Pacific Multi- Country Child Protection workplan

• 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.
• 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 for 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.
• 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.

4. Improve partnerships and coordination of UNICEF interventions for advocacy, technical cooperation, programme coordination, information sharing and knowledge networking.

• Act as a liaison for UNICEF Child Protection programmes with partners under the guidance of the Chief of Child Protection.
• 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.
• Coordinate activities and exchanges information and knowledge with other government and non-government partners and UN agencies to promote knowledge generation, information and experience sharing, and lessons learned.
• 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.

5. Emergency preparedness is maintained, and in emergencies, emergency responses with effective coordination are provided.

• Collaborate in supporting emergency preparedness plan relating to the areas of responsibility. In case of emergency, participate in monitoring and assessing the nature and extent of the emergency in the assigned area.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:

? 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.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of two years of relevant professional work experience is required in social development planning, programming and management in child protection related areas is required.
• Work experience with governments and/or UN agencies in the Pacific is desired and a strong asset.
• Experience at partnerships development with inter-governmental regional bodies and associations is required.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English required. Knowledge of the local language of the duty station and Tonga would be an asset.

Desirables:

• An advanced university degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, public health, child development, or another relevant social science field is an asset.
• Relevant experience in Planning, Programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes in areas such as gender, child protection, human rights or similar.
• Proven work experience related to child protection, gender and human rights and education in the Pacific region
• Experience in working on multi-sectoral programmes is highly desirable.
• At least one year of international experience in developing country will be considered as an asset.
• Work experience in the Pacific is highly desirable.
• Background/familiarity with emergencies is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are?

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position: 

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