Child Protection Specialist – Harmful Practices, NO-3, Freetown, Sierra Leone Post # 52512 (For Sierra Leone Nationals Only)

Job Number: 528480 | Vacancy Link

Locations: Africa: Sierra Leone

Work Type : Fixed Term Appointment

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

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 end harmful practices through informed understanding of social norms and behaviour change programming, and we want to ensure that parents, caregiver and adolescents are able to better prevent and respond to violence and harmful practices. Through the promotion of a holistic approach – which empowers and mobilizes communities; enforces national and local policies; builds local-level commitment and community mobilization; develops partnerships and social networks; and engages youth – we hope to end harmful practices. We also aim to improve the overall competency of social work, justice and education personnel; support the development of a more gender-equitable workforce; and accelerate efforts for the full establishment of the birth registration system within the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics.

How can you make a difference?

The Child Protection Specialist (NO-3) reports to the Child Protection Specialist (P3) for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist will support the development and preparation of the Child Protection programme on preventing and responding to violence against children and harmful practices, including child marriage, FGM and violent discipline. They will be responsible for the implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of programmes to prevent and respond to violence and harmful practices, within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes.

Support to programme development and planning: support research on child protection issues to guide development of evidence-based and targeted interventions, messaging and policies, as well as to understand the social dynamics and underlying drivers that foster harmful practices. Support the development of a national parenting education programme, and interventions to end harmful practices;

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results: management, oversight and reporting on the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage and the UNICEF West and Central Africa Key Results for Children. Provide strategic direction to programme areas and convergence work in programming relevant to parenting education and harmful practices;

Technical and operational support to programme implementation: develop programmes, strategies and policies for children, parents, teachers and community leaders on the prevention of harmful practices, including through social norms programming, adolescent empowerment activities, and parenting education programmes. Provide technical assistance and strategic guidance to government on the review, enactment, and implementation of laws and policies related to ending child marriage and other harmful practice;

Networking and partnership building: work in close partnership with the government, UN Agencies, and CSO partners to mobilise communities, develop and implement policies, develop social networks, and engage women and youth in organizing activities, operational research, advocacy and exchange of information and ideas supportive of programme communication goals and strategies. Initiate/participate in internal collaboration activities to ensure cohesion of programme areas towards the collective achievement of results;

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building: ensure the availability of social and behaviour change data and evidence to plan, implement and monitor behaviour change programmes to shift attitudes; build the capacity of government partners and CSOs to provide structured training programmes for parents and caregivers on good parenting and non-violent skills.

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

An Advanced University degree from a recognized university in social/behavioural sciences (Social Work, Education, 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.

Relevant experience in child protection and/or education, programme/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.

Fluency in English is 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.

The functional competencies required for this post are:

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

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

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

Closing Date Sat Jan 04 2020 00:55:00 GMT+0100 (Afr. centrale Ouest)