Child Protection Specialist

 In alignment with the Global Strategic Plan for Goal Area 3, the role of the Child Protection Specialist for GBV – Gender-based violence /VAC – Violence against Children is primarily technical and programmatic, with the normative advocacy and coordination roles serving as an important function. The Specialist provides authoritative technical guidance/operational support throughout all stages of programming to facilitate the management and delivery of results contributing to prevention of violence against children and women through gender transformative programming in alignment with UNICEF child protection strategic framework (2021 -2030) the Gender Action Plan (2022-2025). S/he supports the development, implementation, and monitoring of high-quality VAC/GBV programming across sectors. The role of the VAC/GBV/Child Protection is to 1) supports child protection programme to advance prevention of violence against children and gender-based violence programming particularly for boys, girls, and women. S/He plays a role in working with 7 UNICEF sectors to mainstream child protection and GBV specially exploring and building community based structures and systems for prevention and response to VAC and GBV; Support specialized CP/GBV programmes to prevent VAC and GBV in line with the CP strategy, 2) Work in collaboration with other sectors to design and implement integrated programme models to further VAC and GBV outcomes 3), Mainstream CP and GBV risk mitigation across all sectors and areas of work 4) Supports/leads effective review, assessment, planning, capacity building, and knowledge management on gender; 5) Supports the assessment and identification of GBV needs for emergency preparedness and response, and provides GBV relevant guidance and technical input on emergency programming.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Management and/or advisory support to child protection programme, other sectors and partners including through the CP AOR and GBV Sub Cluster
• Programme Coordination Team; participate and contribute to partnerships, research, financial and contract review committees; and other key country-specific leadership teams to ensure strategic inclusion of VAC/GBV in all country-specific programming.
• Coordinate with the Regional Child Protection Advisor and the Headquarter CP Section to plan, utilize, monitor and report on VAC/GBV related funding, or other programmatic funds with large VAC/GBV components that are allocated to the country-specific interventions for the Country Programme, under the Country Office senior management.
• Provide technical assistance/advice to colleagues in the Section on all aspects of programming and implementation related to VAC and GBV to enable colleagues to achieve program/performance objectives.
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues and under the guidance of Deputy Representative, participate in the planning and monitoring of the utilization of the budget allocated to sectoral and cross-sectoral VAC/GBV interventions with sectoral colleagues.
• Lead the Violence prevention and GBV component of the reporting of the routine country-level programme expenditures, including the annual reporting and the RAM.
• Provide technical input and review on the VAC/GBV components in key funding proposal appeals and submissions and in the design of funded projects/programs so that VAC/GBV technical components are clearly defined, and technical capacities are included.

Support to Program development and planning (in the emergency contexts):

• Contribute and/or support the evidence-based programme planning on Child Protection, incorporating robust measurement and evaluation of results – especially in the event of the Country Programme development and Mid-Term Review.
• Identify and pursue concrete opportunities and platforms for violence prevention at scale.
• Develop and deliver community-based prevention programme by integrating positive discipline, Positive Parenting Approach within UNICEF-supported community-based prevention programme.
• Support in Developing an effective multi-sectoral approach to VAC and GBV with special focus on convergent approaches with Education, Gender, social protection, and Health and nutrition programmes, among others. This multi-sectoral approach will also involve Social and Behavioral Change (SBC) as well as Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships (CAP).
• Provide technical leadership on integration of VAC/GBV into country programming phases, including strategic planning, SitAns, strategic moments of reflection, CPDs, CPMPs, mid-term reviews, extended annual reviews, programme component strategy notes and in the programmatic assessment and institutional strengthening components of gender reviews.
• In collaboration with sectoral colleagues, identify the areas of focus for VAC/GBV programming with the greatest potential for impact and scale, in alignment with the GAP and the country/regional priorities.
• Work with sectoral counterparts to incorporate sound VAC/GBV indicators and measures in programme and policy initiatives, proposals, and advocacy efforts and assist in developing gender-sensitive theories of change models for sector and cross-sectoral programming.

Programme Implementation:

• In collaboration with relevant sections (Gender Unit, Health section, C4D and Youth and adolescent’s unit) contribute to the design and implementation of responses to the VAC/GBV in the target provinces, in line with UNICEF procedures and mandate areas.
• Provide advanced technical support to the team in UNICEF, partners including Government.
• Lead the roll out and implementation of VAC/GBV prevention and services for adolescent girls.
• Develop guidance notes on VAC/GBV implementation through static and mobile services for use by implementing partners.
• Ensuring appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms and systems are established and implemented for VAC/GBV programme component.
• Facilitate learning and exchange of experiences among programme stakeholders; Consolidate lessons learned and key outcomes.
• Contribute to the briefs and inputs on VAC/GBV related for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination, and development frameworks.
• Assisting in implementing knowledge management VAC/GBV strategies to capture lessons learned and best practices, sharing these with management for future planning supporting training needs of project personnel.
• Represent UNICEF in GBV sub-cluster.

Program management, monitoring and delivery of results (including emergency contexts):

• Provide technical support in indicator identification, measurement, and performance tracking as it relates to CP and GBV mainstreaming and the Targeted Priorities, in collaboration with Planning, M&E section and sectoral teams.
• Lead cross-sectoral collaboration and coordination on key programmatic results on prevention of VAC/GBV, ensuring coherence, maximization of synergies and efficiency in utilization of resources and delivery of results.
• Support the strengthening of data systems and collection, as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor and evaluate progress on prevention of VAC/GBV results.
• Support and strengthen the quality of research and evidence building on gender -based violence related programming, bringing in the latest learning and insights from the field of gender and development, and putting in place a coherent, well-prioritized research agenda.
• Actively represent UNICEF in relevant coordination bodies at the inter-agency level (gender theme group or other networks, GBV cluster if relevant), participate as a member of steering committees, and provide close oversight of inter-agency joint programmes

Advisory services and technical support:

• Provide technical support and guidance to national government, NGOs, UN Agencies and other country-level and local-level partners on aspects of gender based violence programming and to ensure incorporation of gender indicators and measures in programmes/projects, policy initiatives, proposals, and M&E systems.
• Support the development of adequate emergency preparedness measures, updating of contingency plans and establishment of early warning mechanisms that reflect GBV needs.
• Support the development and of sex-disaggregated databases on information crucial for the planning and implementation of emergency plans.
• Support the development and deployment of emergency training that incorporates gender issues and relevant strategies.
• Lead and/or participate in needs assessment missions on prevention of VAC and GBV, and in the event of an emergency, be deployed as a member of the Emergency Response Team.
• Identify implementing/operational partners and establish implementing arrangements in order to ensure an effective, GBV-inclusive emergency response.

Advocacy, networking, and partnership building:

• Liaise and consult with sections, government and other external partners (civil society, NGOs, UN Agencies, private sector) to identify areas for convergence, and develop and reinforce partnerships in VAC/GBV programming.
• Forge and support internal and external partnerships and networks in the development of harmonized, gender-transformative programme interventions.
• Build strategic alliances for gender equality with various partners, including institutional links with UN agencies and other relevant entities.
• Collaborate with other UN agencies and partners to enhance robust gender-based violence and prevention of violence agaist children results in sectoral programmes at the country level. If necessary, represent UNICEF in external meetings on gender integration into sectoral and cross-sectoral results, including UN Country Team meetings and UNDAF/UNAF preparations.
• Lead mapping of potential new partnerships and leverage existing partnerships to accelerate to VAC/GBV implementation at the country level in determined priority areas.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building:

• Initiate documentation and sharing of the country-level experience in gender programming and lessons learned, which will be shared with internal network and external partners and utilized for South-South cooperation.
• Represent the child protection section at sectoral, country-level and regional-level network meetings, and ensure best practices on VAC and GBV programming.
• Bring best practices in VAC/GBV programming and measurement to the attention of senior management and sectoral colleagues, as well as Regional Gender Advisor and gender section staff at HQ.
• Support and conduct innovative research on VAC/GBV at the country-level.

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

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, demography, psychology, political science, social policy, economics, or human rights,), public health, public policy, public administration, international development, or in an area relevant to UNICEF’s sectoral work (e.g. Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, HIV/AIDs, etc.).
• Academic credentials in child rights, women rights or gender are a strong asset.
• A minimum of five (5) of progressively responsible professional experience and demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led substantive programming and research on Violence Against Children (VAC)/Gender-based Violence (GBV) and development in key issue areas that are the focus of UNICEF’s Global child protection strategy and Gender Action Plan.
• Experience in designing, implementing, managing, and delivering results-based programmes on gender and development or any other cross cutting programme, especially at country/field level, experience in emergency response is 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.

Source:  https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/571196