Child Protection Specialist(Nationals of Ethiopia only) Duty Station Shire/Mekelle

To provide technical support through coordination, management and quality assurance of child protection Programmes for children affected by refugee situations in Shire, Tigray The purpose of this assignment is to support the UNHCR Shire field office in implementing any emergency related child protection programme in line with the Core Commitments for Children of UNICEF and UNHCR’s framework for child protection, as well as the Shire child protection action

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For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Specific Tasks

In coordination with the Child Protection Officer (P3) of UNHCR in Shire, the UNHCR field office in Shire and the UNICEF Field Office in Mekelle, the incumbent is responsible for the following key areas:

•  Provides strategic direction and support in implementation the UNICEF DFID funded "Building self-reliance for refugees and vulnerable host communities programme" with a special focus on the child protection in emergency programme component based on the ongoing and any newly arising situations in Shire region by:
• Assisting in the implementation and development of the Child Protection In Emergency (CPiE) Strategy based on the UNHCR Framework for the Protection of Children and a component of the overall Comprehensive Protection & Solutions Strategy for Eritrean Refugees in Ethiopia (2015) which guides the Operation;
• Advocate in coordination with Regional VERA and UNHCR for the registration of all births, including issuance of birth certificates for all children and ID cards for refugee children in the Shire camps and hosting urban areas;
• Support the successful piloting and expansion of the UNHCR-supported cash-based support programme for refugees to promote family-based care for UASC and minimize the reliance on community based small group care;
• Support the implementation and monitoring of Child Protection partners programmes in line with relevant partnerships-agreements to ensure all children at risk are identified and supported;
• Ensure Child Protection issues are mainstreamed by working closely with other agencies working in the refugee camps to promote a comprehensive prevention and response system to violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect of children (including adolescents). This includes sectors working on education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation issues concerning sexual and gender based violence, strengthening livelihoods, access to basic services, social inclusion and programmes to counter unsafe migration including trafficking and smuggling;
• Support the programme team in identifying gaps and needs for the Child Protection (CP) and other related partners, facilitating convergence and linkages with other UNICEF emergency supported initiatives (education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation) and participating closely in the annual programme cycle and partnerships revision;
• Conduct training for the partners staff, refugee community and children in Child Protection and related areas, including Result Based Management and support the documentation and sharing of results of these capacity building efforts;
• Meet regularly with children (including adolescents) and young people's groups, including UASC, promoting their participation in decisions that affect the programmes they benefit from, and that their needs are well known to the operation.
• Meet regularly with government staff at woreda levels to ensure evidence based planning, timely implementation and
• Work with partners to ensure statistics and reporting of children at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse, children who have experienced violence and exploitation (including sexual and gender based violence) and UASC is provided on a regular basis (with data disaggregated by age, sex and type of support provided),
• Coordinate similar reporting of the entire UNICEF DFID funded "Building self-reliance for refugees and vulnerable host community's programme" component implemented in Shire.
• Plan and undertake capacity building initiatives on child protection and children's rights more broadly for UNHCR, ARRA, and Partner staff, local authorities, as well as refugee communities
• Strengthen the Best Interests Assessments (BIA) and Best Interests Determination (BID) processes for individual children and ensure that the best interests of the children is the underlying principle in the CP partners case management programmes;
• Support the tracing and reunification mechanisms for UASC with child protection partners, including ICRC and ARRA.
• Ensure the Partners Case Management and Database systems are functioning adequately and allow for the effective identification and assessment of children at risk as well as referral and follow-up for those who have experienced child protection violations (including with data disaggregated by age and sex and other markers of difference as possible), promoting durable solutions and other support.
• Work with education, child protection, health, nutrition, water and sanitation and other partners to identify and support other children at risk, including children out of school, vulnerable youth and children with disabilities.
• As part of good case management, ensure case conference (which brings together the key sectors to coordinate efforts to protect and promote the rights of the child) and BID panel meeting are held regularly and facilitate Child Protection coordination meetings with partners, staff and community groups.
• Assist at the camp level in the implementation and development of the CP SOPs and ensure referral mechanisms between partners / services is functioning effectively.
• Work closely with the UNHCR registration team to ensure data is updated into Prores;
•  Promote inter sectoral linkages between child protection , education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation Programmes in the Shire Operation: 
• Coordinate with partners and other actors in education to strengthen the adaptation of UNHCR's National Education Strategy to the Shire context and ensure ownership;
• Facilitate integration of technical aspects of child protection, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), gender, community services, livelihoods, environment, shelter, water and sanitation and health, in the education programme..
• Assess needs for services of refugee children, as related to education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation and child protection, and coordinate partners' responses, working closely with Government authorities.
• Collaborate closely with Child Protection, Education, Health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation Government authorities to ensure coherent annual planning based on a longer-term strategy, and jointly monitor and assess implementation, providing advice on programme reorientation where necessary.
• Liaise with competent authorities to ensure the issuance and recognition of education relevant documentation for children in refugee camp.
• Support towards promoting Alternative Learning Programmes, Catch-Up Classes and Late Registration processes, identifying gaps that result in children out of school.
• Coordinate with Education networks and ensure that refugee education interests are understood and included in relevant policies and initiatives.
• Support the country education information management strategy through the collection of disaggregated data on populations of concern, and ensure the collection and dissemination of education information and best practices to enhance education delivery.
• Promote and participate in initiatives to capacitate national authorities, relevant institutions and NGOs to strengthen access to quality and certification for refugee children.  
• The incumbent will assist in implementation of the child protection in emergency programme led by UNHCR by addressing gaps identified through regular monitoring of measures and established structures (including SOPs, referral pathways, proGres database, child-friendly spaces, child protection committees) provide relevant guidance and support to the Field Office so as to ensure effective CPiEsystems in place and timely planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of the UNICEF DFID funded "Building self-reliance for refugees and vulnerable host communities programme" in Shire, Tigray.

Expected Deliverables

• Implementation strategy and work plan for UNHCR and UNICEF supported interventions in refugee camps and host communities by end February/March 2017
• Work plan for UNHCR/UNICEF supported location with partners by end March 2017

• On the job technical assistance to UNHCR's and UNICEF's partner/s for implementation of each location work plan for 6 months according to existing technical capacity.- ongoing
• Capacity needs assessment and capacity building plan for each UNICEF's partner (including BOLSA and NGOs) on child protection in emergency, resilience and RBM and provision of trainings by 1^st June 2017

• Rapid child protection assessment (and Emergency need assessment in general) as per need and situation of the refugees (and host communities) and other emergencies which might arise- as per need
• Inter sectoral coordination plans to mainstream child protection concerns in Education, WASH, Health and Nutrition responses for children affected by refugee situation or any other emergency by 28^th March 2017
• Programme strategy to address child protection, WASH, Health and Nutrition issues in the education sector in the refugee operation and develop monitoring and reporting mechanism for the same. By 15^th March
• Consolidated Field monitoring reports submission in a timely manner- monthly

Reporting

 The incumbent is expected to apply a multi sectorial approach involving health, WASH, nutrition, education, and the justice sectors with diverse child protection interventions to be employed to respond to the refugee situation. S/he will be reporting to the Chief, UNHCR Sub Office in Shire and the Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Mekelle, with technical support provided by Child Protection Specialists (UNHCR Shire and UNICEF Mekelle and Addis). Administratively (travel for field visits, leave, meetings, etc) the staff member will report to the CFO UNICEF Tigray Region. S/he is.expected to work closely with and provide the required support to the Protection Officer (P3) at the UNHCR Sub Office in Shire and UNICEF Mekelle Specialists.

 A consolidated monthly reports based on agreed deliverables will be submitted to the UNHCR Associate Protection Officer (Addis) and UNHCR Chief, Sub Office Shire and UNICEF CFO, Tigray with a copy to the Social Welfare Specialist (P4) and Chief, Child Protection of UNICEF at Addis level and submit a final report at the end of the contract period.

Expected background and Experience

•  Advanced University degree in social sciences, education, international relations, human rights or other related subjects.
• Good understanding on the concept and practice of child protection system strengthening and Education sector.
• Prior experience in child protection programming, experience in emergency programming is desirable including a good understanding of the refugee situations and response.
• Minimum five years' experience in programme management, in emergency context desirable.
• Experience of working in emergency and non-emergency situation especially in partnership with local Government settings.
• Experience in monitoring and reporting/documentation of programme results
• Excellent coordination skills and ability to work effectively with other UN agencies and Government
• Excellent interpersonal and team work skills
• Good communication skills and fluency in English language
• Tigrinya as a second working language would be desirable.
• Good computer skills.
• Knowledge and experience on Result Based Management would be an added asset. 

Competencies of Successful Candidate

 Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication
• Working with people
• Drive for results

Functional Competencies

• Leading and supervising
• Formulating strategies and concepts
• Analyzing
• Relating and networking
• Deciding and initiating action
• Applying technical expertise

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.