Job Description
Child Protection Specialist (Systems), Dakar, Senegal
Purpose of the Position
Under the overall supervision of the Regional Child Protection Advisor, you will promote and support adoption of the systems approach to child protection in the region through partnerships, evidence-based advocacy, and capacity building. You will provide technical support, capacity building support, quality assurance, oversight to WCAR country offices to plan, design and implement national child protection policies, institutional and legal reform. You will support the Regional Director in providing technical leadership and strategic representation and contribute to knowledge management in the area of national child protection policies and systems.
Key Expected Results
1. Provide technical support and guidance to country offices on strengthening social welfare services and community protection critical to the protection of children from abuse, exploitation and violence. Promote methodologies for the setting of standards, establishing strong coordination and referral mechanisms at the sub-national level, and building national social worker and community volunteer capacity. Coordinate and strengthen collaboration with regional OVC, Social Protection and Education Advisors and Specialists.
2. Provide technical support and advice to country offices and partners in the West and Central Africa region on the analysis, strategic planning and strengthening of child protection systems and their components (e.g. human resources gap analysis, budget analysis). Support the development and implementation of an interagency framework for the strengthening of child protection systems that are adapted to specific country contexts in the region. Ensure effective information sharing on child protection systems strengthening across West and Central Africa. Ensure that UNICEF plays a pro-active role in strengthening strategic partnerships on child protection systems. Represent UNICEF in regional and sub-regional meetings with senior government officials as well as multi-lateral and bi-lateral agencies, to advocate and promote UNICEF programme goals and objectives, and communicate with major partners on organizational policies.
3. Strengthen the child protection roles and contributions of allied systems and sectors (health, education, civil registration, governance, etc.) within and outside UNICEF. Develop partnerships and provide technical support to build each sector's protective functions.
4. Provide specific technical advice on several core child protection areas and interagency regional initiatives, including alternative care, children on the move, and violence against children.
5. As part of the regional team, support country offices in situation analysis, programme planning, reviews, evaluation and reporting (CPD, UNDAF, CCA, SitAn, MTR, etc.). Contribute to the preparation of detailed rights-based situation analyses, evaluations and documentation on child protection issues related to child protection systems. Participate and provide inputs to the regional situation analysis and reports.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, Social Work or related areas.*
Eight years of relevant work experience with progressively greater management and/or advisory responsibilities, in the planning, design and implementation of child protection and social protection systems at national policy, service provision and community levels. Direct field experience in child protection and related institutional reform planning, management or evaluation, a distinct advantage. Relevant UN or international NGO experience is an asset.
Fluency in French and English is required.
*A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Competencies of Successful Candidate
Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.
Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
Has good leadership and supervisory skills; co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear.
Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.
Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organisation.
No Fee
AJS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS AND AJS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS.
SOME EMPLOYERS MAY ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION.
