Child Protection Specialist

Job Title: Child Protection Specialist (Unaccompanied and Separated Children)

Organization: UNICEF

Job no: 566755
Contract type: Temporary Appointment
Duty Station: Kassala
Level: P-4
Location: Sudan
Categories: Child Protection

Open to non-Sudanese 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, www.unicef.org/sudan

Sudan, surrounded by the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya and South Sudan, positioned next to East, West, South and North Africa, is surrounded by complex conflicts in an unpredictable, volatile and rapidly evolving region. Sudan is by size the third biggest country in Africa, with a diverse population of around 42 million people. Sudan’s children make up half of the total population, and the past two decades have seen their lives significantly improve: fewer girls and boys are dying before their fifth birthday, primary school attendance is increasing, immunization coverage is high and the country remains polio free. Still, millions of children continue to suffer from protracted conflict in Darfur, the Kordofan’s, and Blue Nile, from seasonal natural disasters, malnutrition and disease outbreaks, and from under-investment in basic social services. More than three million of Sudan’s school aged children are not in the classroom. UNICEF has been in Sudan since 1952 and continues with a presence in 12 of Sudan’s 18 states.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose for the post:

As part of UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian Action, the Country office is expected to provide support to the UASC and children on the move coordination structures within the Humanitarian Cluster approach as well as address UASC and children on the move from a programming perspective, within the child protection system strengthening approach.

To fulfil this function, under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of Child Protection, the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist will be responsible for mitigation, preparedness, and response to UASC and Children on the Move, alongside the nexus humanitarian-peace-development to strengthen programming and coordination efforts in affected areas.

Key accountabilities, duties and tasks

• Work with the child protection section and other UNICEF sectors to ensure mitigation, preparedness and response to Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Children on the Move is adequately addressed across sectors and humanitarian interventions, alongside the nexus of humanitarian-peace development.
• Provide technical support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and country office partners/donors for programming strategy, advocacy, policy documents, best practices and approaches on child protection and related issues to support program management, implementation, and delivery of results, in the area of Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Children on the Move, including case management.
• Create linkages between CP working groups, the national task force on case management, and relevant groups/task forces on children on the move to ensure that all UASC are identified, registered and safely reunified and reintegrated with primary caregivers or other family members, family-based care or in a suitable, safe, alternative care arrangement and are provided with an individual case management/care plan.
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in child protection
• Promote and facilitate the inclusion of Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Children on the Move into humanitarian appeal processes and partner proposals.
• Provide technical assistance for specific Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Children on the Move programs for emergency and non-emergency affected areas, alongside the nexus humanitarian-peace-development.  
• Develop new or adapt existing training materials to the local context and implement training as needed.
• As needed, conduct assessments and/or consolidate existing information about Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Children on the Move.
• Plan and/or collaborate with internal and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators and other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurements to assess/strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the assigned sector in child protection programs.
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in program and management, identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programs/projects through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum/appropriate use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative and other assets), confirming compliance with organisational rules, regulations/procedures, donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity and ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular/mandated program/project reports for management, donors and partners to inform them of program progress.

 

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• Advanced university degree in social work, child psychology, or other relevant fields.
• *A bachelor’s degree in above area/s or other relevant field, combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and proven success in facilitating multisectoral and interagency processes to achieve a common goal,
• A minimum of 8 years of child protection experience with the UN and/or NGO, focusing on unaccompanied and separated children in complex emergencies and case management.
• Fluency in English (verbal and written). Fluency in Arabic is an asset.

For the full job description view the link below:

ToR - Child Protection Specialist P4.docx

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

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.

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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:

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

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

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.   

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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 only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/”

Advertised: 22 Oct 2023 E. Africa Standard Time
Deadline: 05 Nov 2023 E. Africa Standard Time

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