Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. 

POSITION : Child Protection in Emergency (CPiE) Adviser

DESCRIPTION

• Will be based in Borno and is the lead technical adviser in medium to large scale emergencies.
• Assess, design and guide staff to initiate quality interventions to address violations of children's rights to protection from abuse, exploitation, violence and neglect.
• Responsible for ensuring that quality programmes are initiated and capacities developed to provide these kinds of protection to children in a range of Save the Children's emergency responses in Nigeria.
• Expected to lead on assessments, proposal writing, programme design, capacity building of staff, and help partners and stakeholders setup child protection departments.
• Develop the sector strategy of the master budget; will represent Save the Children in coordination technical groups and support fundraising, recruitment and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Leads on child protection assessments using Save the Children assessment processes and tools and the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Resource Toolkit adapting the tools as necessary.
• Coordinate with other Save the Children thematic areas, the Child Protection Working Group, and other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a dis-aggregated analysis of children's needs.
• Works with the Humanitarian Deputy Team Lead to develop child protection response plans and sector strategy of the master budget, and contribute to Save the Children's overall response strategy. Starting from the strategy, the advisor will support and ensure:
  • The psychosocial (physical, social, emotional) well being of children and their families for example by anchoring the establishment of safe spaces for children;
  • Emergency family tracing interventions and alternative are options for unaccompanied and separated children, utilising tools within the  Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System;
  • Prevention and response to child recruitment including advocacy and disarmament, demobilization and Reintegration initiatives;
  • Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and gender-based violence (GBV);
  • Prevention and response to the main risks for children's exposure to physical harm;
  • Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labour and child trafficking; and
  • Integration of child protection in to other core sectors.
• Working closely with senior staff, support fundraising for child protection, including development of high quality concept notes and proposals, engaging with donors’ technical advisers.
• Monitor programme implementation to ensure quality delivery of programme activities, for example, monitoring against log frames.
• Support program managers in the preparation of timely programme and donor reports for child protection project activities in compliance with internal and external requirements.
• Working closely with the human resources team, identify child protection staffing needs for the emergency programmes, and facilitate rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff.
• Identify child protection programme supply needs and supports program managers and the logistics team to put in place a sensibly phased procurement plan.
• Ensure quality and comprehensive case management systems are in place to support UASC and at risk children.
• Anchor the development of contextual manuals for foster care placement, case management tools, child friendly spaces, child protection committees, for use on the field.
• Monitor quality of child protection activities implemented on field.
• Ensure the coordination of case management and Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) database activities for quality reporting.
• Ensure that the concept of confidentiality and do no harm are integrated into programming.
• Working closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation team to put in place a child protection M & E plan, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build child protection.
• Working closely with the accountability lead put in place accountability activities for child protection, ensuring that feedback from all relevant stakeholders is considered in programme design.
• Ensure the child protection response complies with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings, the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct.

Capacity Building:

• Identify learning and training opportunities for Save the Children staff and partners and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff.
• Building capacity of Child Protection managers, coordinators and officers.
• Build capacities of government and ministries staff.
• Build capacity of local partners' staff.
• Build capacity of other core sectors for fluid integration.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with other agencies and the government; take a leadership role in the Interagency Coordination forums to ensure children needs of children are addressed. This may involve taking the lead in the Child Protection Working Group, cluster and/or sub-groups.
• Take steps to document lessons learned for wider dissemination.
• In collaboration with senior programme staff, play a lead role in child protection advocacy activities targeting decision-makers.
• In collaboration with Save the Children colleagues feed in learning experiences and evidence to relevant global child protection advocacy objectives.
• Identify opportunities and material to contribute to external communications and media work, acting as a spokesperson when required.
• Review reports to donors to ensure that correct and appropriate sector information is included.

General:

• Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Deliver high quality results and development effective relationships with country programme staff which enhances the reputation of Save the Children.
• Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practices regarding child protection, Code of Conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Responsible for the security of all staff. Ensure that the security, health and well-being of staff are ensured and staff management and other processes and policies and systems reflect Save the Children principles of equity and fairness.
• Perform such other responsibilities as agreed with the advisor line management.

Person Specification

• Five years of experience working in the child protection field
• Previous first phase emergency response experience is essential
• MSc/MA/MEng level qualification in Social Work, Human rights Law, International Relations, Development Studies or similar disciplines or equivalent field experience is required.
• Identify the main gaps in child protection in the given context to inform a holistic response for children.
• Knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection, such as the Inter-agency Guidelines on Separated and Unaccompanied Children, the Paris Principles, MRM, Save the Children Child Friendly Spaces Handbook, and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings.
• Experience of managing a team and of project management
• Experience in an advisor role
• Experience in and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability
• Experience in monitoring and evaluating child protection programmes in emergency, transition and development contexts
• Work both in an Advisory and a hands on implementation capacity
• Experience in capacity building and in strengthening various duty bearers' understanding of and response to child protection issues.
• Experience in representation and ability to represent Save the Children effectively in external forums.
• Experience in the preparation of successful funding proposals for donors
• Write clear and well-argued assessment and reports
• Communication skills
• Influencing skills and experience in advocacy
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy
• High level of written and spoken English
• The capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances
• Commitment to and understanding of child rights, the aims and principles of Save the Children, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct. In particular, a good understanding of the Save the Children mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support

Desirable:

• Working knowledge of the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts and difficult environments
• Experience of designing and managing OFDA, DFID and ECHO projects
• Experience of working in interagency projects.