Closing date: 11 Feb 2020
UNICEF’s role in emergencies is to protect children and women, ensure the rigorous application of international standards covering their rights and provide them with assistance. UNICEF works with many partners to ensure that this assistance is reliable, effective and timely. While UNICEF integrates approaches to emergency programmes and policies throughout its divisions, the coordination of its humanitarian response is done by the Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS), based in New York and Geneva.
Established in 2007 by the Interagency Standing Committee as part of the cluster approach, the Child Protection is an Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) within the Global Protection Cluster. As the designated Focal Point Agency for the Child Protection AoR, UNICEF coordinates the Child Protection AoR and is also the provider of last resort. The CP AoR is responsible for ensuring that national and international humanitarian efforts to protect children in Humanitarian Coordinator and Early warning settings are timely, well-coordinated, and achieving maximum coverage, quality and impact. CP AoR is dedicated to supporting the Grand Bargain objectives on localization throughout its workstreams.
This includes increasing local government and civil society leadership and participation in child protection coordination structures. To this end, the CP AoR has undertaken a government strengthening process from West and Central Africa to East Africa and is continuing this work, soon also in Latin America and potentially Asia. Preparedness is an essential element in this work with governments. Lessons from West, Eastern and Southern Africa show that in order to accomplish this at a high level of quality and to provide the necessary technical and managerial support, a dedicated position to coordinate this project is required.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network that reaches 150 million people in 190 National Societies through the work of over 13,7 million volunteers. IFRC acts before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. Guided by Strategy 2020 – IFRC’s collective plan of action to tackle the major humanitarian and development challenges of this decade – IFRC is committed, in this fast-changing world, to ‘saving lives and changing minds’.
In line with humanitarian standards, and within the context of several humanitarian emergencies, CP AoR and IFRC work alongside with other partners in order to respond to humanitarian crises and disasters and to support healthier, safer and more resilient communities around the world.
Job purpose
The incumbent will oversee the overall coordination of the “Government Leadership and Coordination Strengthening” project, including design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
Job duties
• Regularly convene all project partners (CP AoR, UNICEF, UNHCR, IFRC/NS, Global partnership to end violence, Countries and regional bodies) to discuss progress and follow up on activities planned, facilitate countries peer to peer support, discussions, and sharing of best practices, etc.
• Undertake regional reviews of the current government and partnership systems, capacity, and lessons in child protection in emergencies to meet existing and likely upcoming child protection-related needs;
• Develop multi-year learning and development work plan with milestones and targets, in collaboration with governments, Partners and other relevant stakeholders;
• Develop a baseline of capacity of partners to meet expected requests;
• Design and plan project-related activities, such as capacity-building workshops, training programmes, advocacy events, including by preparing project-related documents, concept-notes, Gantt and PERT charts, stakeholders mapping, log-frames, indicators, etc.
• Implement the above-mentioned activities in collaboration with existing as well as with new partners;
• Monitor and evaluate project results against established key indicators and quality assurance tools on preparedness; Providing recommendations to help UNICEF, IFRC, UNHCR and other relevant partners on how to best invest in supporting government engagement and leadership;
• Identify new government and partnership strengthening opportunities and propose new projects of collaboration;
• Support documentation efforts to inform global advocacy and preparedness efforts;
• Other tasks, as required.
Education
• Advanced university degree in social sciences, law, psychology or related discipline.
Experience
• A minimum of 7 years of experience with either the UN, Red Cross and Red Crescent, and/or NGO in international settings;
• Experience working with government from developing countries;
• Experience in the child protection in emergencies field, including sound understanding of relevant international instruments, standards and best practices;
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian contexts, including L3 environments and the cluster system; including development of small-scale funding agreements and mentoring support to local partners;
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian coordination, team management and coaching, including remote management; Work with government in coordination is an asset.
• Ability to work under pressure and with minimal supervision; and willingness to travel, including emergency and hardship contexts;
• Proven high level analytical and communication skills and ability to build collaborative relationships at all levels and across sectors and agencies;
Skills
- Fluency in English (verbal and written), knowledge of a second UN/IFRC language highly desirable
- Ability to work under pressure and with minimal supervision; and willingness to travel, including emergency and hardship contexts;
- Proven high level analytical and communication skills and ability to build collaborative relationships at all levels and across sectors and agencies;
How to apply:
If you are interested please apply on our career page before Tuesday 11 February.