Child Protection Officer (Birth Registration), P2, Yaounde, Cameroon, (Temporary Appointment)
Yaoundé
- Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
- Location: Yaoundé
- Grade: Junior level - P-2, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
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Occupational Groups:
- Children's rights (health and protection)
- Refugee rights and well-being
- Population matters (trends and census)
- Protection Officer (Refugee)
- Closing Date: Closed
Under the supervision of the Chief Child Protection, the Child Protection Officer (Birth Registration) will support the implementation of the EU-UNICEF project “Towards Universal Birth Registration in Africa” and the implementation of birth registration strategy in the humanitarian affected Far Northern region. This will include supporting project management, monitor implementation, management and monitoring of financial aspects.
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.
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Purpose of Assignment & Justification:
CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
Birth registration is often referred to as the “first right” of a child in order to access to a legal identity and benefit from other rights (access to education and health services, right to vote…). However, in Cameroon, available data demonstrates birth registration rate has been declining since 2000, except slight increase in 2014, leaving out about 33% of children under 5 without birth certificate (MICS 2014). Of greater concern are the disparities between regions. In the Far North, only 48% children possess birth certificate (MICS 2014) followed by South-West and the East region.
To improve the civil registration system, the Cameroonian government committed to The Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in the Second Conference in 2012. Since then, the government engaged, with UNICEF support, in realizing some of key recommendations of the programme in order to align the civil registration system with the international standards. Some of key achievements so far include the comprehensive assessment of the CRVS system (2016) and a five-year costed CRVS action plan.
UNICEF is a key partners in Cameroon who has been supporting the CRVS reform from the beginning. Cameroon is also part of the regional project “Towards Universal Birth Registration” (2016-2019) wich is funded by EU and UNICEF. The objective of this project is contribute to an increase registration of children at births in two targeted districts in the East and the Far North. The project will strengthen structures and capacities of local administration (civil registrar, medical personnel, and justice actors) to improve service performance as well as facilitate household’s access to birth registration services. Outreach services will be carried out to engage the vulnerable communities, many of whom give birth outside health facilities.
As part of the CRVS strategy UNICEF Cameroon has been advocating for and technically supporting the interoperability between CRVS, health and justice sectors as a key strategy to increase the registration of children at birth. Equally having in place a functioning mechanism between local administrations and community actors (traditional chiefs, community health volunteers) is instrumental to register children who are born outside health facilities.
Birth registration has been identified as a child protection sector priority in the humanitarian response plan. Conflict-affected IDP children without birth certificate are on the rise in the mist of insecurity and ongoing conflict in the Far North as well as in the post-emergency context in the East.
For every child, [insert tagline]
1. Major duties and responsibilities: Fill in here key responsibilities Under the overall supervision of the Chief Child Protection, in collaboration with the Health, Innovation and Knowledge, and IT teams, the incumbent will support the development, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Birth Registration component of the Child Protection programme. More specifically, the Birth registration Officer will support the management and coordination of the project “Towards Universal Birth Registration in Africa” (EU funded) including providing technical expertise, formulating strategies and guidance, budget allocation and planning, reporting to donor, as well as networking with other donors in the sector of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics. The BR Officer will support the implementation of the birth registration strategy in the humanitarian context of the far Northern region in collaboration with the CP and Health team in the Maroua flied-office as well as in the refugee’s affected eastern region.
Percentage
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To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…
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QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
- University degree in international development, international cooperation, political science, M&E, law or other relevant field.
- A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in child protection preferably with UNICEF or other UN agency
- Experience on Civil Registration and Birth registration specifically
- Good knowledge of data managment
- Experience in managing large scale projects and budgets
- Advanced technical knowledge of theories, principles and methods in the following: child protection systems approach, Civil Registration and Vital Statistic, child protection M&E, system strengthening
- Fluency in French and English (verbal and written) is essential
- Previous experience in Africa and in Cameroon will be considered an important asset.
- Experience in providing remote technical support to field counterparts.
- Knowledge of UNICEF environment and procedures is an advantage
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
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