Child Protection Officer, NO-1, temporary appointment until 31 December 2020 (for BiH citizens only), UNICEF Bihac, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the child protection programmes/projects, with a primary geographic focus on Una-Sana Canton and a primary programmatic focus on children on the move. The Child Protection Officer reports to the Emergency Coordinator (based in Bihac) on a day-to-day basis and for technical guidance to the Child Protection Specialist (based in Sarajevo).

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

Background:

Over 53,000 persons arrived in BiH from January through December 2019, following the closure of other established migration routes. Most arrived irregularly by land, from Serbia and Montenegro. About 8,600 were stranded in BiH by the end of 2019, including almost 1,000 refugee and migrant children, of whom 30 percent were unaccompanied and separated. Government systems struggled to cope, and many services were provided by UN Agencies and NGOs, and funded internationally, including temporary accommodation, food, health care and protection.

Many children and parents are severely traumatized by experiences in their home countries. Out of the 8,600 refugees and migrants stranded in BiH by December 2019, about 3,500 were accommodated in temporary reception facilities, with almost 5,000 were in private accommodation and/or squatting in the open. Insufficient and inadequate reception facilities, overwhelmed child protection and asylum systems, and rising xenophobia, expose women, girls and boys, to heightened protection risks, such as physical and gender-based violence, human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.

UNICEF’s humanitarian child protection response takes a two-track approach:

1) immediate humanitarian assistance and protection to migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children, especially UASC, working in close collaboration with government authorities at all levels, UN agencies such as IOM, UNHCR, UNFPA, WHO and CSOs;

2) strengthening child protection systems to provide better services to all vulnerable children in BiH, through capacity building, policy reform and technical assistance. The response cuts across the following key programming areas: child protection, education, health and nutrition, and delivery of essential non-food items.

In October 2018 UNICEF BiH established a field presence in Bihac, Una-Sana Canton, consisting of an emergency coordinator, an education officer, an emergency associate, and a driver.

How can you make a difference?

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. In close collaboration with colleagues in UNICEF's Country Office in Sarajevo and two national officers based in Bihac, you will support the implementation of UNICEF's humanitarian child protection response, with a primary focus in Una-Sana Canton. You will support local authorities in Una-Sana Canton in ensuring that families with children on the move and unaccompanied and separated children come first, that meeting their human rights and ensuring their access to protection and basic social services is being prioritized.

The Child Protection Officer reports to the Emergency Coordinator (based in Bihac) on a day-to-day basis and for technical guidance to the Child Protection Specialist (based in Sarajevo).

The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the child protection programmes/projects, with a primary geographic focus on Una-Sana Canton and a primary programmatic focus on children on the move.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Support the implementation of UNICEF's humanitarian child protection response, with a primary focus in Una-Sana Canton.

1. Provide support to Government and NGO counterparts in ensuring that migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking children benefit from quality child protection support (case management, legal counselling, and mental health and psychosocial support) and child protection standards; that unaccompanied and separated children benefit from appropriate care arrangement and services; and that frontline workers have improved knowledge and skills on child protection.
2. Participate in inter-agency meetings/events on programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on humanitarian response operational planning and preparation of child protection programmes/projects, in particular for migrant, refugee and asylum-seeking children, and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and strategies with the UN’s contingency/humanitarian response development and planning processes.
3. Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fundraising and partnership development purposes.
4. Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fundraising for child protection programmes, in particular related to the humanitarian response to the refugee/migrant crisis situation.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:

• A university degree in one of the following fields: international development, human rights, social work, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
• A minimum of one year of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection related areas is required.
• Fluency in local language and proficiency in English required.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Qualified male candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

For further information please contact Human Resources at UNICEF Office in Sarajevo, Ms. Marina Kadic at 387 33 293 606,

mkadic@unicef.org 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.