Child Protection National Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The overall vision of the UNICEF 2021-2025 country programme for Kazakhstan is that all boys and girls, from early childhood to adolescence, including the most vulnerable, grow up healthy and resilient, have the skills and knowledge to prepare them for adult life as citizens in twenty-first century Kazakhstan, and are protected from violence, abuse, neglect and abject poverty.

UNICEF Kazakhstan follows Child Protection System Strengthening Approach1 and supports the Government of Kazakhstan in strengthening mechanisms for the prevention, identification, referral and follow-up on cases of violence against children including online; enhancing availability and access to services for child victims of violence and crimes; and improving the monitoring and data collection on child protection, with a focus on violence against children and children in alternative care. Communication for behavioral and social norms change interventions target the public to reduce and better address violence against children, in particular to condemn and report on violence against children, including gender-based violence and discrimination, to increase knowledge of non-violent discipline, and to prevent bullying and discrimination among children. UNICEF supports the development of programmes for strengthening parenting skills through the health and education systems.

The digital environment is becoming increasingly important in most aspects of children's lives as public functions, including education, health care, government services, and commerce, are increasingly reliant on digital technology. One in three internet users in the world is a child2 and children are accessing the Internet at very young ages across a diverse range of devices. While Internet opens new opportunities for the achievement of children's rights, it also increases risks of rights violation or infringement: harmful materials, unacceptable behaviours and potentially dangerous contacts online and offline. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA) is increasingly becoming an issue of concern. The production, consumption, possession and sharing/distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has soared over the past decade. Therefore, children themselves, their parents, guardians, communities, professionals, the private sector and governments need to recognize, assess and find the balance between protecting children online while respecting their human rights and building their digital skills capacity. UNICEF supports the Government of Kazakhstan in enhancing children’s online protection by promoting evidence-based policy and strengthening child protection system; raising awareness of children, parents and teachers on risks and opportunities for children online and measures to address the risks; developing and enhancing children’s digital skills; capacity building of national child protection and justice specialists on tackling offline and online child abuse; enhancing the role of industry in child online protection.

The national UNV support will be needed to support UNICEF child protection program in Kazakhstan in strengthening the national child protection system including prevention and response to violence against children with focus on OCSEA.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Child Protection Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer will:

1. Support to programme development and planning 1.1 Support in conducting and updating situation analysis for the development, design and management of child protection related programmes. 1.2 Support the data collection and analysis for planning and monitoring purposes. 1.3 Provide all relevant support to the design, budgeting, and operationalization of programmatic activities.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results 2.1 Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions. 2.2 Support the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Child Protection programme interventions related to strengthening child protection system with focus on violence against children (hereinafter VAC) prevention and response including OCSEA, in line with UNICEF’s Child Protection Strategy (2021 – 2030), UNICEF Strategic Framework on Child Online Protection and the UNICEF Country programme for Kazakhstan (2021-2025). 2.3 Provide support in developing Minimum child protection package of services, including through planning and organization of technical and expert consultations with team of consultants and national stakeholders, preparing documentation for further analysis, communication with relevant stakeholders. 2.4 Support to strengthening the information management systems on violence against children and childcare. 2.5 Support arranging field visits and international experience exchange missions for national stakeholders on child protection and OCSEA.

2.6 Support programmatic activities related to child online safety and protection, including: - Research dissemination and advocacy for acting on recommendations. - Support awareness raising with technology industry representatives and internet services providers to build consensus on legal reform to tackle OCSEA. - Support in arranging capacity building activities for child protection and justice specialists on child protection system strengthening and addressing offline and online CSEA. 2.7 Prepare compendiums of international good practices relevant to child protection, child online safety, addressing violence against children including OCSEA to support advocacy, knowledge exchange and programmatic work.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation 3.1 Execute and administer a variety of technical, programme, operational, and administrative tasks, preparing related materials and documentations, in compliance with organizational processes. 3.2 Draft programme related Terms of References, Open call announcements, briefing notes and other relevant programme documents. 3.3 Plan, manage and follow up on programme events including steering committees under the programme on addressing OCSEA. 3.4 Exchange information with partners/stakeholders as part of technical assistance. 3.5 Support Child Protection programme in fundraising efforts. 3.6 Support arranging and undertaking field visits and program monitoring missions. 3.7 Take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for resolution. Report on critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems for timely action to achieve results.

4. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building 4.1 Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results. 4.2 Assist in research on best and cutting-edge practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems.

General operating and coordination tasks: 1. Attending partners events, office planning and coordination meetings 2. Ensuring daily communication with Social Policy & Child Protection and Communication teams and other sectors 3. Providing inputs to donor reports and annual reports 4. Supporting correspondence with national counterparts 5. Supporting external and internal purpose documenting exercises 6. Proofreading translation of reports and documents. 7. Keeping records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned 8. Supporting Child protection in advocacy, communication and visibility efforts.

Furthermore, UN volunteers are required to: 1. Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day). 2. Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country. 3. Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities. 4. Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc. 5. Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly arrived UN Volunteers. 6. Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

• Accountability
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Commitment and Motivation
• Communication
• Creativity
• Knowledge Sharing
• Planning and Organising
• Professionalism
• Respect of Diversity
• Technological Awareness
• Working in Teams
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness
• Works Collaboratively with others
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships
• Innovates and Embraces Change
• Thinks and Acts Strategically
• Drive to achieve impactful results
• Manages ambiguity and complexity

UNICEF’s Core Values * Care * Respect * Integrity * Trust * Accountability * Sustainability

• Experience in the development field, research, and/or programme management related to social development and/or education and/or promotion of human and/or children’s rights
• Technical expertise / experience in child protection is an asset
• Good programme management skills
• Good interpersonal skills, communication, and writing skills
• Experience in programming with innovations is an asset

Astana is the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan and located in the centre of the country in the dry steppe zone. Its population is more than 1,000,000 persons. The city consists of five districts: Almaty, Baykonyr, Saryarka, Yessil, Nura. The city’s economy is based on trade, industrial production, transport, communication and construction. Astana accommodates numerous business centres, theatres, museums, art galleries, exhibition halls and entertainment complexes (movie theatres, nightclubs, parks, restaurants, cafes etc.). Astana is a family duty station.