Child Protection Specialist, (P-3), Freetown, Sierra Leone - # 90921

The Child Protection Specialist will lead the development and preparation of the Child Protection programme on social welfare systems strengthening, justice for children, and birth registration. He/She will be responsible for the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of programmes on strengthening the social welfare and justice systems, and birth registration, within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Protection

Job Context: The UNICEF Child Protection programme in Sierra Leone is working towards developing a comprehensive child protection system, with three major interlinked strategic elements: child-friendly justice system; child-focused social welfare system; and family and community strengthening, supported by an enabling legal and policy framework. We aim to improve the overall competency of social work, justice and education personnel; and support the development of a more gender-equitable workforce. We are accelerating efforts for the full establishment of the birth registration system within the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system through inter-operability with the health system, including development of operational procedures and tools and using information technology as appropriate. We also work to end harmful practices through informed understanding of social norms and behaviour change programming.

Purpose of the Position: The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Chief, Child Protection for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist will lead the development and preparation of the Child Protection programme on social welfare systems strengthening, justice for children, and birth registration. They will be responsible for the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of programmes on strengthening the social welfare and justice systems, and birth registration, within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes.

The key accountabilities are as follows: 
1. Support to programme development and planning
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
4. Networking and partnership building
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

The Child Protection Specialist will facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and international efforts to create a protective environment for children against all harm, and to protect their rights to survival, development and well being as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/frameworks and UN intergovernmental bodies.

Qualifications:

• An Advanced University degree from recognized university in International Development, Human Rights, Social Work, International/Criminal/Family Law, Psychology, Sociology, or other Social Science field is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and/other related areas at the international level, some of which preferably were served in a developing country is required. Relevant experience in child protection and related areas, program/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Developing country work experience is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required.

Competencies: UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. The competencies required for this post are:

Core Values:

Commitment 
Diversity and inclusion
Integrity

Core competencies:

Communication (II)
Working with people (I)
Drive for results (I) 

Functional Competencies:

Formulating strategies and concepts (I)
Analyzing (II)
Applying technical expertise (II)
Learning and researching (II)
Planning and organizing (II)

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf