Child Protection Coordinator

Program Brief:

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. More than 600,000 people have crossed the border from Myanmar to Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh since 25 August, and that number is still growing. The refugees are in urgent need of emergency shelter, food, access to clean water and sanitation, healthcare, protection and mental health support. Over 50% of the refugees are children, including children separated from their parents or caregivers, and are at escalating risk of abuse, neglect, violence, and exploitation, including child labor and trafficking. Lifesaving, quality, and age-appropriate support and services for children is critical for their protection and recovery. IRC is also planning to support host communities with protection, child protection and health services, to fill gaps in services and to support existing government structures. IRC’s programming is highly integrated, supporting the whole family.

PURPOSE:

The Child Protection (CP) Coordinator will responsible for overseeing the strategy, development, start-up of any CP programming components as part of the IRC’s Rohingya response. The CP Coordinator will also oversee the start up phase of education programming, until it can be stand-alone. The Coordinator must grasp the context, landscape and actors on the ground, and understand what the critical needs and priorities in terms of strengthening the response around childprotection. They will also work to strengthen current child protection responses through providing needs-based capacity building to staff and CP partners to standardize and strengthen the CP response; and work closely with the IRC’s emergency Health and WPE Coordinators, as well as Coordinators and managers for Education, Livelihoods and WASH who may come on board, as well as partner organizations on developing coordinated, integrated services that will respond to complex needs. As education programming comes onboard, it would likely run through Child Protection sites initially, and therefore the management of an Education manager and education programming may fall under CP, at least in early stages.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support the development and operationalization of the IRC’s CP and education response strategy in Bangladesh, ensuring that needs and priorities for programming and advocacy are in line with the context, needs, and gaps on the ground.
• Ensure child participation and core children’s right are core to the programme design and implementation.
• Proactively identify opportunities to develop direct programs and partnerships with relevant organizations to strengthen child protection and education outcomes and interventions, addressing critical needs and gaps in the response, conducting assessments where needed. Provide technical support (such as training, practice mentoring, development of guidelines) to the IRC’s partners and other actors, based on their requested needs and context priorities, to support the strengthening, scale-up, and harmonization of programming in urgent areas of child protection and education (may include: case management including caring for child survivors, Family Tracing and Reunification, Safe Healing and Learning Spaces and approaches such as community-based child protection facilitator professional development,etc. in alignment with sector guidance)
• Lead the development of CP project proposals and budgets, including opportunities for multi-sector programming, in close collaboration with the child protection team, relevant field coordinators/managers, deputy director of programs (DDP) and the CP Technical Advisors. Work with the Education Technical Unit to design integrated programming where required.
• Work closely with the IRC’s HQ Child Protection and education technical advisors to ensure global best practices are reflected in programming, and ensure integrated Child Protection and education programming to promote holistic support for children
• Ensure the technical quality of CP programs, coordinating closely with the Senior Field Coordinator and Senior Program Managers in the management of budgets, and reporting in accordance with IRC and donor regulations. (Areas may include: case management, FTR, CCSAS, child friendly spaces, community-based child protection, life skills (SAFE curriculum) etc.). Supervise the start up and implementation of Education programming, including reading and math.This position provides ‘dotted line’ technical support to Senior Managers; implementation is managed by the Senior Field Coordinator.Technical expertise in Education would come from the Technical Units, but in-country implementation would be overseen by the CP Coordinator.
• Proactively provide thought leadership in child protection and education coordination meetings, task forces, and build productive relationships with those actors to better understand the context, needs and priorities around child protection and education.Use this to inform or guide the next steps the IRC takes around Child Protection and education in this crisis in the short and longer term, with a preference around building CP mechanisms, and strong collaboration and cross-sector working.
• As relevant, develop, maintain and/or initiate partnerships with community based organizations, international and local NGOs, UN Agencies, potential and current donors and relevant Government Ministries to support IRC programming.Provide the technical evaluation of potential partners.
• Lead in setting up M and E framework and provide M and E capacity building to the team, in collaboration with M and E coordinator/team and ensure monitoring and evaluation informs learning for the programme
• Develop and maintain effective coordination and long-term relationships with external parties, representing IRC positions, promoting long-term strategy and resolving problems/conflicts.
• Oversee the selection and recruitment of qualified staff in the Child Protection and education programs
• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC program
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

MAJOR CHALLENGES:

• Building the capacity of a team from the bottom up.
• Demonstrating strong technical leadership in coordination forums and in partnerships where other agencies may need significant technical guidance and support to meet standards.
• Sourcing appropriate sites for CP response.
• Being accountable for education programming start up.

Deliverables/KPI

• Build the capacity of the Child Protection Team in core CP and education competencies, ensuring strong technical knowledge as well as capacity as trainers and facilitators.
• Work openly and collaboratively with colleagues in WPE, Health and Education, looking to leverage IRC’s strengths through combined approaches that serve the needs of girls, boys and their caretakers.
• Serve as a consistent and technically sound voice in coordination forums, demonstrating IRC’s thought leadership and collaborating well with other agencies.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER ROLES:

Within the Program or Department: Reports to Deputy Director of Programs, works closely with Technical Coordinators, Grants Coordinator.

Outside the Program or Department: Works closely with support functions

EXPERIENCE

• Excellent professional track record with at least five years of international management level experience within NGO leadership working in child protection in emergency / humanitarian program implementation in conflict or immediate post conflict environments.
• Experience in effectively dealing with international and headquarters staff, as well as donor agencies, government officials, and other NGO’s; ability to work with a broad spectrum of people.
• Good knowledge and understanding of international child protection and youth policy and practice issues.
• Prior experience in education in emergencies is strongly preferred; willingness to learn about education and lead education programming is required.
• Strong proficiency in budget management, grants management and reporting.
• Strong coordination and project management skills, especially working within coordinated multi-sector grants.
• Proven experience supervising and providing case management services and support.
• Proven experience running learning centers, including life skills, alternative learning, and support to caregivers.
• Strong writing and analytical skills, including ability to communicate technical matters to a range of audiences.
• Competent in Windows, MS office programs, emails and relevant database.
• Interpersonal qualities: Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• At least 5 years of staff management experience, including staff capacity development and team building experience.
• Good coping strategies in stressful and emergency situation, calmness is a requirement
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Prior experience working with Rohingya communities an advantage.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS  & COMPETENCIES:

• Knowledge of and interest in collaborating closely with the Education sector is a major plus.
• Strong proficiency in budget management, grants management and reporting.
• Strong coordination and project management skills, especially working within coordinated multi-sector grants.
• Proven experience supervising and providing case management services and support.
• Proven experience running learning centers, including life skills, alternative learning, and support to caregivers.
• Strong writing and analytical skills, including ability to communicate technical matters to a range of audiences. 

SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION:

Degree Master’s Degree in a child or youth related field, (eg. education, social work, community work) preferred.