Child Protection Specialist (MHPSS, GBV) , P3 /TA, Niamey Niger #129318 ( 11 months)

Under the supervision of the Chief Child Protection and as part of the section’s overall support to the Government of Niger to strengthen child protection systems and services, the incumbent will provide programme management and technical support for the implementation of the section’s annual work plan priorities on MHPSS, GBV and CPIMS+. Given the relatively small size of the Child Protection section in Niger, this position will be expected to bring a sufficient level of subject matter expertise as well as prior management experience in order to achieve high impact results for children in the areas of MHPSS, GBV and CPIMS+, working alongside other section members whose work will also be contributing to these areas.

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For every child, hope

1. Background

Niger is a landlocked Sahelian country of 21.5 million people, most of whom live in rural areas (84%). The population is young, with 58% of Nigeriens being under 18, and nearly half of the population is poor, despite reductions in the poverty rate over the past decade. The country, which ranked last on the 2021 Human Development Index, sees its development constrained by several factors: high population growth, climatic conditions that hinder rural development, vulnerability due to the absence of economic diversification, gender equality issues, low levels of literacy and education, and the size and landlocked nature of the country, which obstruct the provision of essential goods and services to the population.

With children comprising more than half of the rapidly growing population, strengthening the realization of children’s rights to be free from violence, exploitation and abuse is an urgent priority in Niger. UNICEF supports the Government of Niger’s efforts to improve the situation of women and children, and the strengthening of the child protection system is a priority for in UNICEF’s Country Programme Document and rolling Annual Work Plan. In 2023, UNICEF worked closely with the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (MPFPE) until the coup d’état on 26 July. Since the dissolution of the MPFPE on 9 August, UNICEF has been working with the Ministry of Health, which oversees child protection and gender-based violence services.

The scale up of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), as well as the mitigation, prevention and response to gender-based violence, and the strengthening of the CPIMS+ system that supports case management in Niger are critical priorities for the Child Protection section, as per its annual work plan. UNICEF is aiming to reach 177,556 children and adults with community-based mental health and psychosocial support in 2024. In line with UNICEF’s approach to MHPSS globally, there is also a need to strengthen cross-sectoral collaboration on MHPSS, including with the health and education sectors in particular. Support for greater alignment of inter-agency standards, including as part of the inter-agency MHPSS working group in Niger, is also a priority.

In 2023, Niger adopted a new national strategy to prevent and respond to GBV, reaffirming the country’s political commitment to fight impunity and promote access to justice and rights without discrimination. However, the capacity of decision-makers at all levels to prevent and respond to GBV remains limited due to lack of information, inaccessibility to supervisory structures and social norms that make it difficult to claim sexual and reproductive rights and to eliminate other forms of GBV. Survivors of child marriage and young mothers face multiple barriers to accessing appropriate sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, especially given current funding levels and the limited capacity of child protection services. UNICEF is aiming to reach 390,000 women and girls with gender-based violence risk mitigation, prevent and response interventions in 2024, which will require a significant scale up of technical support, partnerships and cross-sectoral collaboration, as well as strengthened engagement in the GBV AoR in order to promote inter-agency engagement.

Finally, the full roll-out of CPIMS+ is a critical priority for Niger in 2024, where the country has recently upgraded to version 2.0 and technical support to government and NGO partners to ensure its full utilization is ongoing. This position will provide technical support to a national child protection officer working on case management and related issues, in order to address bottlenecks in CPIMS+ roll-out in Niger in a manner that is inclusive of government and NGO partners

1. Purpose of the assignment

Under the supervision of the Chief Child Protection and as part of the section’s overall support to the Government of Niger to strengthen child protection systems and services, the incumbent will provide programme management and technical support for the implementation of the section’s annual work plan priorities on MHPSS, GBV and CPIMS+. Given the relatively small size of the Child Protection section in Niger, this position will be expected to bring a sufficient level of subject matter expertise as well as prior management experience in order to achieve high impact results for children in the areas of MHPSS, GBV and CPIMS+, working alongside other section members whose work will also be contributing to these areas.

How can you make a difference? 

Key functions, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks :

1. Support to programme/project development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  2-ToR_Child Protection Specialist P3-TA-TMS.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education:
• Advanced university degree in relevant Social Science disciplines, such as: Child Development, Social Development, International Relations, Social Work, Law (international law, humanitarian law), Economics and Social Policy.

• Work Experience:
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work experience with strong programme management skills as well as technical expertise in the areas of child protection systems, mental health and psychosocial support, gender-based violence risk mitigation, prevention and response, and CPIMS+.
• Prior programme management experience, including cross-sectoral collaboration and inter-agency coordination, is a plus.
• Proven experience in managing project budgets, results management, and providing technical support on budgeting for results in the area of child protection is a plus.
• Skills (optional): [Insert technical and non-technical skills].
• Language Requirements: Fluency in French and working knowledge in English required.

Desirables:

• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

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.

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 females 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.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.