Child Protection Officer

Details

Mission and objectives

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work to translate that commitment into practical action, especially for the most disadvantaged children. In the Pacific we work in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific island countries are home to 2.3 million people, including 1.2 million children and youth, living on more than 660 islands and atolls stretching across 17.2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean, an area comparable to the combined size of the United States of America and Canada. Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu are classified as Fragile States according to World Bank/OECD criteria. All 14 Pacific island countries have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, but only a third are on track with reporting obligations.

Context

UNICEF Pacific Child Protection Programme aims to fulfil the right of all children to be protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Programme provides technical and financial assistance to strengthen child protection systems to prevent and respond to child protection concerns in 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICT’s), through three programme components: (i) strengthening of the legal, policy and coordination framework; (ii) building the capacity of services across social welfare, justice, police, health and education sectors; and (iii) promoting social and behaviour change. The main child protection issue in Kiribati is violence against children in all settings, in particular violent discipline (92%) and neglect at home, and peer violence in schools. Child labour, child marriage and separation from family affect between 15% and 20% of children. Emerging issues include adolescent risky behaviours, including inappropriate use of internet. Kiribati passed the Children, Young People and Family Welfare Act in 2013, and in 2018, revised the Children, Young People and Family Welfare Policy and started developing its costed implementation plan. Child Protection Inter-Agency Guidelines/Referral Pathway and Terms of Reference for the national Child Protection Working Group were also developed in 2018, and both were revised in 2020 and endorsed in 2021. Island Child Protection Working Groups are gradually being established and service providers oriented on the referral pathway. Child protection services are under the Social Welfare Division (SWD) of the Ministry of Women Youth Sport and Social Affairs (MWYSSA). The social welfare workforce includes a total of 30 officers, 5 at national level and 25 at local level (one per Island Council and two in urban areas). In 2019-2020, all officers participated in a five-week training course on social work with children in need of care and protection and their families. Since October 2019, SWD has benefited from on-the-job training provided by an international child protection technical specialist. Standards and procedures for accreditation of CP service providers are being developed. In the justice sector, the Juvenile Justice legislation and Police Standard Operating Procedures are being revised. In the education sector, an implementation plan for the Child Protection in Schools Policy is being developed. Once these are finalized and endorsed stakeholders will be trained in their application. The child protection community programme has been on hold since the beginning of the pandemic and is expected to resume in 2022. The programme also supports birth registration through legal reform, training, supervision, public awareness and decentralization of services.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the administrative supervision of the Chief Field Office and technical supervision of the Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office in Suva (Fiji), or his/her designated mandated representative, the UN Volunteer will provide professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the child protection programme 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 in Kiribati. Key functions: 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 1. Support to programme development and planning • Research and analyze regional and national political, protection, social and economic development trends. Collect, analyze, verify, and synthesize information to facilitate programme development, design and preparation. • Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevancy of information. • Facilitate the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, collection, analysis and reporting of child protection programmes and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting. • Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials and documentations, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluation of results. • Prepare required documentations and materials to facilitate the programme review and approval process. 2. Programme management, monitoring 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 the government and other counterparts, and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders. • Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocation, goals, organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, and standards of accountability and integrity. • Report on issues identified to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution. • Prepare inputs for programme and donor reporting. 3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation • Undertake field visits and surveys, and collect and share reports with partners and stakeholders. • Assess progress and provide technical support 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 inter-agency 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 fund raising and partnership development purposes. • Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising 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. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities using UNV’s Volunteer Reporting Application; Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible. Results/expected outputs As an active UNICEF team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNICEF, and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: • Child protection legislation, policies, plans, standards and procedures developed and endorsed. • Child protection services with improved quality, access and coverage. • Child protection community programme implemented and expanded with adequate quality. The development of capacity through coaching, mentoring and formal on-the-job training, when working with (including supervising) national staff or (non-) governmental counterparts, including Implementing Partners; Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment; A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed.