The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the Child Protection programmes/projects through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing, and presenting technical programme information while learning organizational rules, regulations and procedures to support the development and formulation of the Child Protection Programme within the UNICEF Iran Country Programme.
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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
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Job Title: Child Protection Officer
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment
Post Level: NO-B
Duty Station: UNICEF Tehran, Iran
Duration: 364 days
Supervisor: Child Protection Specialist
Start date: September 2021
Background
The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in
everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy, and in operations. The equity
strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this
commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an
opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias, or
favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political,
economic, civic, and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing
evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged
citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their
potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on
equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which
is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child,
while also supporting the equitable development of nations.
The present position - Child Protection Officer (Level 2)- is based in UNICEF Iran Country Office
(CO) Child Protection section. It will contribute to achieving the results of the Child Protection
component of the Country Programme and the United Nations Development Assistance
Framework (UNDAF). The Officer reports to the Child Protection Specialist who is at Level 3
(NO-C).
The purpose of the job
The Child Protection Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative
assistance throughout the programming process for the Child Protection programmes/projects
through the application of theoretical and technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing, and
presenting technical programme information, while learning organizational rules, regulations and
procedures to support the development and formulation of the Child Protection Programme within
the UNICEF Iran Country Programme.
Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks
1. Effective planning and implementation of the Justice for Children programme in close
consultation and cooperation with relevant government implementing partners.
▪ Develop and launch tools, guidelines and resource materials on child rights and children in
judicial proceedings.
▪ Strengthen the evidence base on child rights through strategic researches and studies.
▪ Enhance national capacities for monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the situation of
children.
▪ Strengthen capacities of relevant professionals on protection of children in judicial
proceedings and children affected by migration.
▪ Promote the best interest of the child in partnership with relevant stakeholders.
▪ Support improvement of the judicial process for children in judicial proceedings.
▪ Support implementation of the newly-adopted Law on Children and Adolescents (2020).
▪ Support national initiatives for responding to the needs of children in judicial proceedings
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Effective monitoring and evaluation of the Justice for Children programme and
delivery of results.
▪ Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect, analyze, and
share information on implementation issues, suggest solutions on routine programme
implementation and to submit reports to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for
higher-level intervention and/or decisions. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy
reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
▪ Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral
reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programmes/projects, and to
report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
▪ Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative,
and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules,
regulations, procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.
Report on critical issues and findings to ensure timely resolution by management and
stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
▪ Prepare regular and mandated sectoral programme/project reports for management, donors,
and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
▪ Conduct regular programme field visits and surveys and exchange information with
partners/stakeholders to assess progress and provide technical support. Take appropriate
action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical
issues, bottlenecks, and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.
▪ Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN
system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and
understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, and best practices in Child
Protection, to support programme implementation.
4. Networking and partnership building
▪ Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national
stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme
implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on Child
Protection.
▪ Participate in inter-agency meetings/events on programming to collaborate with interagency
partners/colleagues on UNDAF operational planning and preparation of Child
Protection programmes/projects, and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF’s position and
strategies with UNDAF development and planning processes.
▪ Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and
briefs for fundraising and partnership development purposes.
▪ Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote
awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fundraising for Child Protection
programmes.
5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
▪ Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned for knowledge development and to
build the capacity of stakeholders.
▪ Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation
and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
▪ Research, benchmark, and report on best and cutting-edge practices for development
planning of knowledge products and systems.
▪ Participate as a resource person in capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies
of clients and stakeholders.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education: A university degree in one of the following fields is required: International development, child rights, law, or another relevant social science field.
Experience: A minimum of two years of professional experience in planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation management in Child Protection-related areas is required.
Working experience in the area of Justice for Children is considered a major asset. Familiarity with Iran’s justice system is a distinctive advantage.
Working experience in a developing country is considered an asset.
Relevant experience in programme development in Child Protection related areas in, or in close partnership with, a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added
advantage.
Language Requirements: Fluency in both Persian and English (written and spoken) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language is considered an asset.
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.
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...
Core Values
- Care
- Respect
- Integrity
- Trust
- Accountability
Core competencies
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
- Works Collaboratively with others (2)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
- Drives to achieve impactful results (2)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
Functional Competencies:
- Analyzing (2)
- Applying technical expertise (2)
- Learning and researching (2)
- Planning and organizing (2)
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.
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:
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
