Child Protection Sector Coordinator at the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF)

United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Child Protection Sector Coordinator

Job no: 535707
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Contract Type: Fixed Term Appointment
Level: P-4
Categories: Child Protection, P-4

For every child, Safety

• As part of UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian action, the Child Protection Sector Coordinator is expected to provide leadership and support to child-protection coordination structure in the north-east Nigeria.
• To provide effective leadership in the Child Protection Sector, the Child Protection Sector Coordinator will ensure child protection coordination mechanisms in north-east Nigeria, provide guidance to all partners on common standards, strategies and approaches, ensure that all critical child protection gaps and vulnerabilities are identified; and that information is provided on roles, responsibilities and accountability to ensure that all gaps are addressed without duplication.

How can you make a difference?
The Child Protection coordinator will be reporting to the Emergency Manager, P4 and will be responsible for the following duties:

Establish and maintain an appropriate humanitarian coordination mechanism:

• Ensure all Child Protection (CP) relevant actors are engaged as Sector members and adhere to the Principles of Partnership;
• Produce sectoral reports and analysis
• Regular updating of Mapping of child protection actors in north-east Nigeria and related sectors of interventions/capacities (5Ws and local partners including Community Based Child Protection Networks and Community Based Organizations);
• Strengthen pre-existing sectoral coordination through increased predictability and accountability;
• Build complementarity of partner actions: avoiding duplication and gaps;
• Ensure adequate resources are mobilized and are equitably allocated for the effective functioning of the Sector and its response;
• Effective and comprehensive integration of relevant cross-cutting issues, including age, gender, environment and HIV/AIDs;
• Maintain flexibility within the Sector to respond to changes in the operating environment, evolving requirements, capacities and participation; Effectively use and transfer information to, from and between Sector participants and other stakeholders.

Interact with other Sectors (including through inter-Sector coordination fora), humanitarian actors, government counterparts, and relevant authorities for operational planning, engagement and active contribution of operational partners:

• Participate in Protection, gender-based violence (GBV) and other relevant Sectors meetings;
• Design a mainstreaming Child Protection matrix and advocate with other clusters for Child Protection issues mainstreaming (in particular work with Education cluster on integrating child protection through Child Friendly Spaces and other community-based initiatives).
• Ensure with Protection Sector that Child Protection issues are included in multi-sectoral assessments and initiatives.
• Where there is both a national and a sub-national Sector, the post holder will ensure that there is effective communication, reporting, engagement and coordination between the two levels.

Supporting Service Delivery:

• Provide a platform to ensure that service delivery is driven by the agreed strategic priorities;
• Develop mechanisms to eliminate duplication of service delivery. Monitor the performance of the core Sector functions.

Informing strategic decision-making of the HC/HCT for the  humanitarian response:

• Develop and regularly update a CP Sector strategy including objectives and indicators for CP response that are aligned with and support realization of the strategic priorities set out by the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator for the overarching humanitarian response, the Child Protection Minimum Standards, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
• Needs assessment and gap analysis (across other sectors and within the sector);
• Analysis to identify and address (emerging) gaps, obstacles, duplication, and cross-cutting issues;
• Prioritization, grounded in response analysis.

Planning and strategy development:

• Develop sectoral plans, objectives and indicators directly support realization of the HC/HCT strategic priorities;
• Application and adherence to existing standards and guidelines, clarify funding requirements, prioritization, and cluster contributions to HC’s overall humanitarian funding considerations (Flash Appeal, CAP, ERF/CHF, CERF) Monitoring and reporting the implementation of the Sector strategy and results; recommending corrective action where necessary.

Advocacy:

• Identify advocacy concerns to contribute to HC and HCT messaging and action;
• Undertaking advocacy activities on behalf of Sector participants and the affected population;
• Develop advocacy approaches/strategies for issues related to child protection that require sensitization of local authorities or donors and contribute to the development of key messages for broader humanitarian advocacy/messaging initiatives of the protection cluster or the office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.

Contingency planning/preparedness for recurrent disasters whenever feasible and relevant:

• Promote interagency/inter-sectoral Child Protection (CP) needs assessments, lead and participate in inter agency child protection assessments to identify priority child protection issues and advocate for delivery of appropriate response;
• Identify response gaps and promote members’ response (including activation of provider of last resort);
• Support development and updating of Child Protection interagency Sector Contingency Plans.

Accountability to affected populations:

• Be accountable to the affected population through effective and inclusive consultative and feedback mechanisms.

Requirements
To qualify as a Child Protection Coordinator and advocate for every child…

• 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.
• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection related areas, at the international level, is required.
• Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in programme development in child protection related areas in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or local language of the duty station is considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core Values:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability.

Core Competencies:

• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness and Ethical Awareness
• Drive to Achieve Results for Impact
• Innovates and Embraces Change
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Works Collaboratively with Others
• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People.

Application Closing Date
30th November, 2020.