Child Protection Specialist (CAAC/DDR), P-3, Cotabato, Philippines, # 92255

Join our dedicated team and provide support to Child Protection and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) work. You will be responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the progress of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) program for Mindanao, with emphasis on support for a comprehensive programme for disengaged and at-risk children to prevent their association/re-association with armed groups.

UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has spent 70 years working to improve the lives of children and their families. Defending children's rights throughout their lives requires a global presence, aiming to produce results and understand their effects. UNICEF believes all children have a right to survive, thrive and fulfill their potential – to the benefit of a better world.

For every child, a fair chance

UNICEF has been an active partner of the Government of the Philippines and civil society in realizing the rights of every Filipino child, in line with priorities to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. UNICEF efforts have been focused on the most vulnerable regions identified by the Government of the Philippines Development Plan, particularly in the regions of Visayas and Mindanao. To ensure that interventions are sustainable and scaled up, UNICEF will support primarily local government units (LGUs) as the main instruments of delivering services and building systems. The level of engagement with government institutions will take into account capacities, economies of scale and sector issues.

Cotabato City is the second largest city in Mindanao, southern Philippines, with some 300,000 population. The city is the regional administrative centre of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao and over 80 percent of the population is Muslim. Mindanao is both conflict-affected and prone to frequent earthquakes and typhoon storms. 

Visit this link for more information on Philippine Country Office: https://www.unicef.org/philippines/

How can you make a difference?

The Child Protection Specialist will report to the Head of Office in Cotabato, with technical support and guidance from the Chief, Child Protection based in Manila. The Specialist will support Child Protection and Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) work and will be responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the progress of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) program for Mindanao, with emphasis on support for a comprehensive programme for disengaged and at-risk children to prevent their association/re-association with armed groups.

The Child Protection Specialists’ assignment follows the successful implementation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Action Plan with the UN, and the development of a follow up programme for children formerly associated. The programme is a multi-sectoral initiative with emphasis on education, psychosocial support, and provision of social welfare and other services for children and adolescents, and affected communities. Ensuring effective implementation of the DDR programme, in coordination with other concerned sectors, will be a key element of the specialists’ assignment.

He/she will also work closely with the Manila Child Protection team, in particular to coordinate with them on relevant aspects of the implementation of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict, noting that the majority of violations occur in Mindanao.

The Specialist will provide technical guidance and support in programming processes to create a protective environment for children and to protect their rights to survival, development and well-being as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/framework and UN intergovernmental bodies.

The Specialist will also contribute to achievement of results according to plans, allocation of resources, results based-management (RBM) approaches and methodology and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

This will involve:

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

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, political science, international law and other social science field is required.
• A minimum of five of relevant professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and/other related areas at the international level some of which served in a developing country. 
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience in child protection in situations of armed conflict and DDR as well as the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM) on grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict is an asset.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.
• Fluency in English (written and oral) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
  
  

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Our core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

This position is classified as “rotational” which means the incumbent is expected to rotate to another duty station upon completion of their tour of duty,

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.