Assistant Technical Officer – Safe Healing and Learning (Gamboru Ngala) at FHI 360

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, gender, youth, research and technology – creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges. FHI 360 serves more than 70 countries and all U.S. states and territories.

We are currently seeking qualified candidates for the position below:

Job Title: Assistant Technical Officer – Safe Healing and Learning

Location: Gamboru Ngala, Borno
Supervisor: Technical Officer, Child Protection – Safe Healing and Learning

Project Description

FHI 360 has expanded its scope of coverage into humanitarian assistance with an aim to provide emergency services to populations affected by conflict in Borno state and specifically in newly liberated areas.
FHI 360 received funding from OFDA to implement life- saving health and reproductive health, Nutrition, Water and Sanitation (WASH) and Protection services in Dikwa, Ngala, Bama ( Banki Ward) and Mobbar ( Damasak Ward) Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno state, North East Nigeria.
Under the Protection Sector, FHI 360 aims at improving the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals through increased access to psychosocial support services and integrated Gender-Based Violence (GBV) support and Child Protection. Key activities under the Child Protection sub sector includes:
- Improving access to timely and quality Case Management services for children at risk
- Strengthening and Supporting Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms (CBCPM)
- Setting up Safe Healing and Learning Spaces (SHLS), is a secure, caring and predictable place where children and adolescents living in conflict and crisis settings and implementing the SHLS approach using the available toolkit.
- Protecting excluded children
- Integrating Child Protection in WASH and Health

Basic Function

The ATO, Safe Healing and Learning will oversee the implementation of the Safe Healing and Learning approach and the implementation of adolescent mentoring sessions.
The ATO will ensure social emotional learning sessions, indoor and outdoor activities are conducted as per the SHLS established standards.
H/ She will also be responsible for organizing and overseeing implementation of adolescent mentorship classes through adolescent clubs and outdoor activities for children and adolescents.

Duties and Responsibilities
Implementing Safe Healing and Learning Activities:

In coordination with community leaders and local authority, identify suitable SHLS facilitators who will be responsible for facilitating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) for children aged 6 – 11 years.
Conduct training for the SHLS facilitators on the SHLS and SEL module.
Conduct prepping sessions with each Facilitator before each class and hold weekly review meetings with all facilitators to review challenges, lessons learnt.
In coordination with the Child Protection Technical Officer, develop a rigorous SHLS daily and weekly schedule that will encompass SEL classes for boys and girls, outdoor activities and adolescent club mentoring sessions.
Oversee enrolment of children into the SEL classes, ensuring informed consent from each child’s care giver and assent from each child is received before commencing classes.
Conduct weekly quality assurance of SEL classes to determine facilitation skills by SHLS facilitators, inclusion of all children during classes (especially children with special needs), attendance of children and make immediate corrective measures for implementation during the following week.
In coordination with the ATO – Case Management conduct identification and safe referral of children at risk in the SHLS and enroll children referred from case management into psychosocial activities in the SHLS.

Implementing Adolescents mentoring sessions:

Identify and enroll adolescents aged 12-17 years into adolescent clubs ensuring consent from each care giver before enrollment
Facilitate adolescent life skills sessions each week at the SHLS
Regularly invite role models to speak to adolescent club members on career development among other salient topics.
Support adolescents to identify and implement a community project once a year
Support members of the adolescent clubs to set up adolescent peer educator’s club and provide technical support for the dissemination of child protection messages among their peers.
In coordination with the Technical Officer, Child Protection and the Protection Coordinator, support the development of peer educators’ adolescent guides.

Implementing outdoor activities at the SHLS:

Ensure SHLS grounds are safe from any objects that may harm children participating in outdoor activities.
Report any risks to children to the Field Coordinator and the Protection Coordinator.
In coordination with children, community volunteers and SHLS facilitators, develop a compendium of games and other activities that will stimulate children cognitive and social development and oversee the implementation of the activities each week.
In coordination with the ATO – CP, ensure Health, WASH and Nutrition sectors are allocated time during the SHLS outdoor activities to conduct awareness and other related activities for children.

Overseeing overall management of the SHLS:

Initiate and regularly update the SHLS inventory of equipment, recreational materials, stationery.
Raise Purchase Requests of any missing items and share with the Technical Officer Child Protection for processing
Ensure availability and functioning of safety equipment including fire extinguishers, Fire Blankets, first aid kits among others at the SHLS. Report any expiry or non- function of safety equipment to the Field Coordinator and Protection Coordinator.
Ensure Codes of Conduct, Child Safeguarding policy and PSEA policies are posted in strategic places in the SHLS for everyone to see
Coordinate with the M & E department to ensure the Community Feedback Mechanism desk is operational and functional at the SHLS

Other responsibilities:

Ensure timely implementation of program activities as per the detailed implementation plan for CP and especially SHLS.
Update monthly activity workplans to indicate accomplished tasks, any postponed tasks and tasks that remain unfinished.
Adhere to the child protection guiding principles, Code of Conduct, FHI 360 Child Safeguarding and PSEA policy at all times.
In coordination with the ATO Case Management and the SHL ATO, compile weekly, biweekly and monthly activity reports and M& E data bases as required
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

B.Sc/BA in Sociology, Psychology, Social Sciences, Behavioral Sciences or its recognized equivalent with one to three years of relevant experience with NGO or CBO.
Two-year relevant experience in Child Protection programming especially in implementing SHLS Mandatory experience in Child protection in Emergencies projects Familiarity with Nigerian law enforcement systems and NGOs and CBOs are highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

Knowledge and experience implementing the Safe Healing and Learning Space tool kit
Experience in facilitating training and mentorship of local communities to support child protection activities.
Experience implementing adolescent mentorship projects
Mandatory fluent in English and Hausa. Knowledge of Kanuri and Shuwa Arab is an added advantage.
Excellent report writing skills
Good communication and negotiation skills
Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Understanding and commitment to child’s rights and child protection issues
Ability to live in a non-family field location with minimum access services
Excellent computer skills
Dynamic, pro-active
Knowledge on CPIMS is an added advantage
Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision