Child Protection Specialist (Emergency) P3, Yaounde, Cameroon (Temporary Appointment)

Yaoundé

Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
Location: Yaoundé
Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Medical Practitioners
- Humanitarian Aid and Coordination
- Children's rights (health and protection)
- Emergency Aid and Response
- Protection Officer (Refugee)
Closing Date: Closed

Under the supervision of the Chief Child Protection and in close collaboration with protection staff in the 2 field-offices (Maroua and Bertoua) the CPiE Specialist will have primary responsibility for the coordination of the child protection humanitarian response including GBV in Cameroun, including coordinating and harmonizing response between the East/Adamaoua and the Extreme North, supporting and strengthening the data collection system, indicators, and evidence based results, and ensure the development, implementation and of partnership agreements. The position will support the harmonized delivery of response and prevention services, including strengthening collaboration with C4D and education. The position will facilitate collaboration with other UN agencies (UNHCR, OCHA, UNWOMMEN, UNFPA), INGOs/NGOs and with different government departments.

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.

Purpose of Assignment & Justification:

CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION

Cameroon has been facing in the past 5 years a complex humanitarian crises, both in the Far North and the East/Adamaoua Regions. Following the March 2013 outbreak of political crisis in the Central African Republic and related violence, thousands of people have fled their homes. A great number of the population fled their own country to seek refuge from the highly insecure environment and violence. The latest Humanitarian Need Overview (2018) shows that 204,000 children are in need of protection (126,000 CAR refugees and 78,000 vulnerable children from host population). The population is settled in both refugees’ sites and villages.

Since May 2013, attacks by armed group Boko Haram have intensified along the Cameron’s northwest border resulting in the looting of villages, killing of innocent civilians as well as mass kidnappings, including of children. The massive human rights violations and escalation of violence caused influx of refugees resettled in Minawao refugee camp (Far North Region) and continuous rise to internal population displacements including children with 142,780 internal displaced children, 17.832 unregistered refugees children and 36,654 returnees children (DTM round 10, august 2017). Communities of some areas of the Far North region faces insecurity due to the effects to armed group. Recently in Far North region the security took a turn for the worst due to sudden spurt in suicide bombings and terrorist attacks.

The humanitarian crisis both in the Far North and Eastern Regions has aggravated already existing child protection issues, including child labor and exploitation, family separation, child marriage, sexual violence against girls and child abduction, mental health and psychosocial problems. Crisis affected families, both in the refugee and displacement context are forced to develop alternative coping strategies to overcome their increased vulnerabilities which often put children at increased risks, which are not in their best interest.

Girls are exposed to specific risks including abduction by the armed groups, forced marriage, and sexual exploitation. Boko Haram’s war tactic which consist in kidnapping and slaughtering hundreds of girls and indoctrinate some of them to the point of persuading them to let themselves died as kamikaze is prevalent in neighboring Nigeria and is a serious concern for Cameroon. Several security deadly incidents which involved very young girls as kamikaze already took place. Furthermore risks of sexual exploitation and abuse within IDP, returnees and non-registered refugee populations are increased by lack of adequate food, clothing, and other basic items exposing women and girls to rape, and other forms of sexual exploitation by military groups, police, and sites officials.

UNICEF is currently supporting partners to provide child protection and GBV response in the humanitarian crisis affected areas (refugee’s sites and host communities) through its sub-offices of Maroua and Bertoua.

For every child, [insert tagline]

Major duties and responsibilities: Fill in here key responsibilities

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief Child Protection and in coordination with the 2 field-offices, the S/M will support the planning, development, implementation and monitoring of child protection in emergency strategy and plan of action based on CCCs :

Percentage

50 %

Coordination: Supporting inter-agency coordination at national level with UNCHR, CICR, OCHA UNFPA, UNWOMEN, NGOs, and government; support field offices in leading the Child Protection and GBV sub working groups and ensure that child protection activities are prioritized in the overall emergency response and agreed minimum standard are applied. In coordination with filed –offices respond to the Sub Working Group participants’ needs for information. Adapt existing in-country information management approaches for collecting, analysing and reporting Sub-Working Group activities and resources, and identifying information gaps. Maintain established information databases that consolidate, analyse and report/disseminate information critical to decision making such as secondaty data review – to monitor the situation – Online Reporting Sysytem – to monitorresponse: HRP output indicators – and 3W to map the operational presence. Provide information management leadership in assessments and monitoring, including joint assessments and training: ensure that child protection in Emergencies is included in multi-sector assessments and IOM DTM and analyze data collected. Ensure that there is effective communication, reporting, engagement and coordination between the national level and the regional levels. Support the estimation of spatial and temporal gaps, overlaps and coverage of the Sub-Working Group activities and projects. Work with participants to identify information gaps at national and sub-national levels and propose ways to bridge those gaps. Work with the OCHA Information Management Specialist to develop appropriate supportive strategies. Manage flows of information and dissemination in an appropriate way, including website management (humanitarianresponse). Manage an inventory of relevant documents on the humanitarian situation. Support the development and analysis of needs assessment and monitoring programmes. Lead on the preparation of SitRep inputs with emphasis on CP and GBV Sub-Working Group plans, targets and achievements. Ensure technical support to the Ministry of Social Affairs in coordinating the national Child Protection coordination platform on humanitarian issues. Provide support to the national coordination platform on GBV on girls issues and ensure linkages between the CP and GBV coordination platforms

25 %

Planning and strategy development: Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the humanitarian response. Develop and conduct Needs assessment and gap analysis (across other sectors and within the sector) to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues. Develop sectoral plans, objectives and indicators directly support realization of the HC/HCT strategic priorities. Apply and adhere to existing standards and guidelines. Clarify funding requirements, prioritization, and sub-cluster contributions to HC’s overall humanitarian funding considerations (Flash Appeal, CAP, ERF/CHF, CERF). . Identify advocacy concerns to contribute to HC and HCT messaging and. Undertake advocacy activities on behalf of sub-cluster participants and the affected population. Monitoring and reporting the implementation of the sub-working groups CP and GBV strategy and results; recommend corrective action where necessary. Develop contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters whenever feasible and relevant. Analyze and contribute to documents review of the country program (situation analysis and report, strategy papers, mid-term reviews, etc.). Developing/updating agreed CP and GBV response strategies and action plans and ensure that these are adequately reflected in the overall country strategies, such as the HRP, HNO, UNDAF, and in the broader HC/HCT strategic priorities. Liaise with Regional Office Emergency and Child protection team to insure harmony of responses with Chad, CAR, Niger and Nigeria and better address cross border issues.

15%

Developing and monitoring of Partnership Cooperation Agreements and Contracts: support staff in the sub-offices in the development, review, and finalization and follow up of SSA, PCA and SSFA (including budget /expenditure monitoring).

Support the development of Direct Cash Transfers to government partners in humanitarian requests. Ensure an Overview of budget implementation and expenditures and take necessary action to ensure optimum use of allocated funds in accordance with program budget allotments. Ensure supply plans including contingency plans are developed and monitored.

10%

Proposal development and donor reporting: Participate in the development of strategies and funding proposals in the area of CpiE and maintain dialogue with donors and potential donors as well as ensuring timely and high quality reporting.

Ensure that all humanitarian funding possibilities are explored including (Flash Appeal, ERF/CHF,CERF, HIP…).

To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES
- Advanced University degree in child protection related subject areas such as social work, psychology, law, child development or other relevant field.
- A minimum of 5 years of experience with UNICEF and/or other relevant actors, on child protection programming for unaccompanied and separated children in natural disaster and/or armed conflict contexts, mental health and psychosocial support, GBV
- Understands, uses and adapts the tools, mechanisms and processes developed as part of Humanitarian Reform
- Demonstrates commitment to Humanitarian Principles - Knowledge of UNICEF’s core commitments to children in humanitarian action, key international standards and guidelines related to unaccompanied or separated children, as well as the humanitarian cluster approach.
- Thinks and acts strategically and ensures that sub-working group activities are prioritised and aligned within an agreed strategy
- Demonstrates commitment to the sub-working group and independence from employing organisation
- Fluency in French and English (verbal and written).
- Good knowledge of the Cameroonian context is an advantage
- Very good knowledge of Excel