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Child Protection Specialist – (MRM/CAAC) (P-3), FT, #128771, Port Sudan, Sudan (open to non-Sudanese)

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Job no: 572451

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment

Duty Station: Port Sudan

Level: P-3

Location: Sudan

Categories: Child Protection

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a chance.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

After years of protracted crisis, Sudan plunged into a conflict of alarming scale in mid-April 2023 when fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the capital Khartoum, before quickly expanding to other areas across the country. Since the onset of the conflict, more than 3.8 million children have been displaced, and a staggering number of grave child right’s violations have been reported, with verified incidents showing a four-fold increase in 2023 as compared to 2022 figures.

The impact of armed conflict on children in Sudan has been featured in the UN Secretary-General’s Report on Children and Armed Conflict since its first report in 2000 (A/55/163–S/2000/712). As required by Security Council Resolution 1612, UNICEF co-chairs the Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) to implement and coordinate all aspects of the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism (MRM), including the monitoring and documentation of six grave violations committed against children by parties to the conflict, drafting and submission of reports such as the Global Horizontal Note (GHN), and other inputs to the Secretary-General Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict and other specific country reports.

The purpose of this assignment is to ensure that effective monitoring, reporting and response mechanisms of grave violations of children’s rights are in place and support to the overall child protection humanitarian response is provided to ensure children and adolescents are protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and harmful practices including, but not limited to: 1)

scale up Monitoring and reporting on grave violations; 2) prevent and address Child recruitment and use by armed actors, as well as illegal and arbitrary detention and criminal processing of conflict-affected children; 3) Prevent and address the impact of the use of landmines and other indiscriminate or illicit weapons by state and non-state actors; 4) Engage with communities for behavior and social change.

Purpose for the job:

The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Child Protection Manager for guidance and general supervision with dotted lines to the chef of section. The Specialist takes primary responsibility for the development of the MRM work plan and the preparation of timely and quality MRM-related reports for the CTFMR and the Security Council’s Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. The Specialist supports and strengthens action to address grave violations, including with respect to grave violations related advocacy, engagement with parties to the conflict and programmatic response, as well as capacity-building of MRM actors throughout the country. In parallel, the Specialist supports the development and preparation of the Child Protection programme(s) in relation to Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) and is responsible for the contributing to management, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the child protection programmes/projects related to CAAC.

Additionally, the Specialist facilitates the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and international efforts to create a protective environment for children against all harm, and to protect their rights to survival, development and wellbeing as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/frameworks and UN intergovernmental bodies. The Specialist contributes to the achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

How can you make a difference?

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Support to programme/project development and planning
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation
• Networking and partnership building
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
• Support to programme/project development and planning
• Support and strengthen the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism under the joint framework of the UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) as an independent platform to ensure that the grave violations of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict are monitored, verified and reported.
• Represent UNICEF in the monthly CTFMR task force to review and analyse MRM data.
• Enhance effective sectoral or inter-sectoral planning, development and management by guiding, coordinating and supporting the timely completion MRM component of the Child Protection programme of the Situational Analysis and its periodic update through accurate and complete monitoring and analysis, and the timely preparation or finalization of sectoral input.

Support the development and action of a MRM Work Plan and MRM training plan for key.

• UN agencies, in coordination with relevant stakeholders including the RC's office (and other stakeholders such as UNICEF RO, HQ, DPPO, SRSG-CAAC).
• Take primary responsibility for the preparation of Sudan’s contribution to the Global Horizontal Note (GHN), Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, and two-year Country Report on Children and Armed Conflict in Sudan.
• Review and develop the way forward for a Sudan CAAC engagement strategy (including potentially through the peace process).
• Support implementation of the action plans signed by national authorities regarding the prevention of and response to grave violations against children.
• Coordinate and participate in formal DDR process to ensure the screening of troops to secure the release of children and provide them protection and care through UNICEF partners.
• On a monthly basis – with the support of the P2 Child Protection Officer MRMIMS+ Database Manager –review cases documented and submitted by Field Monitors to ensure the credibility, reliability and verification of all cases finalized and uploaded onto the MRMIMS+ and present data in the monthly CTFMR technical task force meetings
• Contribute to other Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) issues as requested by the Chief of Section or Child Protection Manager.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
• Plan and collaborate with colleagues and external partners to establish monitoring benchmarks, performance indicators, other UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurements, to assess and strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for the MRM component of the Child Protection Programme.
• Support field-based UNICEF Child Protection Officers to strengthen and/or establish MRM Working Groups at the sub-national level and participate, as appropriate, in verification missions.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual reviews with the government and other counterparts to assess progress and to determine required actions and interventions to achieve results.
• Prepare and assess monitoring and evaluation reports of partnerships with organizations undertaking direct monitoring on MRM to identify gaps, strengths and/or weaknesses. Identify lessons learned and use knowledge gained for development planning and timely intervention to achieve goals.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems. Take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, as well as standards of accountability and integrity. Ensure timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Prepare regular and mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
• Provide inputs to UNICEF strategic sectoral programmatic documents and proposals and reports to donors related to MRM, CAAC, and other child protection areas.
• Technical and operational support to programme implementation
• Provide technical support to CPiE programs related to Children associated with armed forces and groups and detention of children in the context of armed conflict, Mine action and weapons, and other relevant areas as Mental Health and Psycho-social support, GBV mitigation, prevention and response.
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners and donors on the interpretation, application and understanding of MRM guidelines and implementation of Action Plans, as well as on UNICEF policies, strategies, processes, best practices, and approaches on child protection related issues to support programme management, implementation and delivery of results.
• Arrange and coordinate availability of technical experts with Regional Office/HQ to ensure timely and appropriate support throughout the programming process.
• Participate in child protection programme meetings, including programme development and contingency planning discussions on emergency preparedness in the country or other locations designated, to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration, including briefings for high-level meetings for the Security Council’s CAAC Working Group, Group of Friends and CTFMR.
• Networking and partnership building
• Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, global partners, allies, donors, and academia - through active networking, advocacy and effective communication - to build capacity, exchange knowledge and expertise, and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in child protection.
• Participate in the meetings including the CTFMR Technical Working Group, state-level MRM Working Groups and any other relevant inter-agency working groups relevant to the MRM agenda in Sudan.
• Collaborate with other Programme/Project Officers to ensure linkages between MRM and other sectors. Specifically, regularly coordinate with child protection collegues working on GBV and MRM Focal Points from Health and Nutrition, Education and WASH for the monitoring of related violations and implementation of relevant declarations (e.g., Safe Schools Declaration).
• Ensure the capacity-building of the relevant actors in conflict-affected regions to increase coverage, participants and reported cases of grave child rights violations to improve the reporting and analysis of trends and response to child survivors, including cross-border capacity-building.
• Strengthen linkages between the monitoring and reporting of grave violations and programmatic response to child survivors through the reinforcement of coordination and referral mechanisms.
• Ensure exchange of information, experience, identify new strategies and courses of action to accelerate/improve MRM data collection, reporting and analysis.
• Collaborate with partnerships, communication and Social Behaviour Change (SBC) colleagues to ensure development of effective communication materials and strategies to support advocacy and social mobilization efforts to prevent grave violations against children, including the involvement of children in armed conflict.
• Overall coordination with relevant teams in the regional office and HQ.
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders, and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Provide recurrent trainings for UNICEF staff on the MRM, as well as conduct capacity-building of identified partners to increase coverage, participants, reported cases of grave child rights violations and to strengthen the analysis of trends and response to children survivors of grave violations.
• Engage in dialogue and provide trainings/sensitization sessions to national and international forces on the protection of children.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in child protection management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders to promote sustainable results in child protection and related programmes/projects.
• Ensure exchange of information, experience, identify new strategies and courses of action to accelerate/improve MRM data collection, reporting and analysis.

IV. Impact of Results:

The strategic and effective advocacy, planning and formulation of child protection programmes/projects and the achievement of sustainable results, contributes to the achievement of goals and objectives to create a protective environment for children against harm, all forms of violence and ensures their survival, development and well being in society. Achievements in child protection programmes and projects in turn contributes to maintaining and enhancing the credibility and ability of UNICEF to provide programme services for mothers and children that promotes greater social equality in the country.

For more info, on the Job Description

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

QUALIFICATION AND COMPETENCIES

1. Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in international development, social sciences, public policy, public health, or relevant field.

*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

2. Experience

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field. Familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in child protection in emergency is required.

Previous humanitarian child protection experience in fragile and conflict-affected countries is required.

Strong analytical and writing skills in analyzing complex data and trends and ability to produce high quality written work is required.

Relevant experience in programme development in child protection related areas in a UN system agency or INGO is considered as an asset.

Proven track record of implementing trainings considered an asset.

Technical expertise on Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups (CAAFAG) and the detention of children in the context of armed conflict (CCC6) is and asset.

4.Language Requirements

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of Arabic is a strong asset. Knowledge of another official UN language (Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

ii) Core Competencies (For Staff without Supervisory Responsibilities)

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Advertised: E. Africa Standard Time

Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time