Child Protection Officer in Emergency, NO-2, Boa Vista, Brazil

Contract

This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.

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. And we never give up.

And we never give up.

For every child, protection

For further information, please visit www.unicef.org.br

Job organizational context:

Over 260,000 Venezuelan migrants and refugees arrived in Brazil since the onset of the migration crisis10. Among the migrant population, Venezuelan indigenous communities are amongst the most vulnerable. Through the child protection programme interventions, psychosocial support activities reached thousands of children and specialized interventions and mobile teams allowed for the identification and referral of hundreds of cases of violence, abuse and neglect to the Child protection statutory services. Since 2019, UNICEF has a dedicated response for unaccompanied and separated children in Roraima, with a dedicated case management team in the border, two units for alternative care arrangement (Casas Lares) in partnership with the local government, and a team dedicated to finding families and support the reunification of more than 600 families across Brazil. While the response has mostly focused on Roraima State, child protection programming already expanded to Amazonas and Pará States with technical support in selected cities, including as part of support to interiorization process.

How can you make a difference?

The Child Protection in Emergencies Officer - CPiE reports to the Chief of field Office Boa Vista for supervision and technical guidance from the Chief of Child Protection. The CPiE Officer provides overall technical, managerial and operational leadership in delivering Child Protection programme within the context of the humanitarian response, work closely with other team members, local authorities, and partners, ensuring national coordination too.

In particular, the CPiE Officer is responsible for: (i) conducting and updating the situation assessment and analysis, (ii) providing technical assistance to municipal and state authorities, service providers and partners (iii) ensuring effective coordination of child protection partners, (iv) supporting programme progress monitoring and reporting, (v) elaboration of donors’ proposal and reporting; and (vi) support technically the Child Protection team working in the Venezuelan migration crisis, among others.

The main responsibilities, tasks and Deliverables are:

1) Situation assessment, analysis and reporting

• Conduct rapid assessments (incl. by leading inter-agency needs assessments, and intersectoral needs assessments), analyse existing research sources and monthly data gathered through partners or external source to determine child protection priorities (focusing on emerging issues, protection concerns, risks and needs making sure that the most vulnerable children are being reached). The exercise should include and encourage adolescent’s participation in monitoring and establish community-based surveillance systems. This will allow for a regularly updated situation analysis to verify that interventions, mobilization of actors and advocacy of UNICEF responds adequately and sufficiently to the local situation affecting children, their families and the community.
• Draft in a timely manner child protection sections of key reporting requirements (including UNICEF’s bi-monthly/ monthly sitreps, R4V Response for Venezuelans platform monthly reports)
• Contribute to child protection components of emergency appeals and donor reports, and support initiatives related to the mobilization of funds. Writing of proposals and reports to donors. Contribute with the organization and conduction of donors’ visit at field levels.

2) Programme/project development, support and monitoring

• Develop, monitor and report on UNICEF’s humanitarian response in child protection in coordination with authorities and partners. In particular: i) prepare at least 3 Project Proposals; ii) monitor project implementation ensuring efficient utilization of resources and delivery of supplies in compliance with UNICEF rules and procedures; iii) provide technical support and guidance for the setting up and functioning of the integrated Education and Protection Spaces (this includes identification of capacity gaps, and development of guidance manuals), and for the implementation of the Unaccompanied and Separated Children and Adolescents strategy response, including the implementation of PRIMERO CPIMS - Child Protection Information Management System locally; iv) Identify opportunities and propose mechanisms to strengthen the local child protection system, in order to respond to the needs of children in the move; and v) promote internal coordination with other relevant programmatic areas and foster cross-sectoral linkages/joint programming whenever feasible (health, C4D, adolescents, etc.).

• Support the transition from child protection emergency response to the sustainability of public policies, strengthening local services through a joint action plan with the state and municipal government. The linkages between UNICEF´s humanitarian and regular child protection programming should be reflected and integrated with the UNICEF Seal Strategy.

• Contribute to the overall development of child protection humanitarian/children on the move programme objectives, strategies, and results-based planning within the framework of the yearly Refugee and Migrants Regional Response Plans (Regional and National Platform), and the HAC. Ensure the identification of transition / integration child protection strategies with the regular programme, such as UNICEF Selo, etc.

• Provide technical support throughout all stages of the programme review and annual work planning processes strengthening linkages between UNICEF’s humanitarian and regular child protection programming.

• Contribute to the elaboration, implementation and monitoring of the Yanomami intervention in collaboration with DSEIs (Distrito de Saúde Especial Indigenas), FUNAI (Fundação Nacional do Indio), Roraima SUAS (Sistema Único de Assistência Social), and community-based organizations.

3) Inter-agency Coordination

• Provide leadership for the effective and efficient co-coordination of the child protection sector working group (CPWG) in Roraima, and at national level too. Secure the active engagement and buy in of relevant government and non-governmental stakeholders, mainstream and contextualize selected global standards, norms and tools (e.g. IASC) and provide technical guidance to the sector coordination of child protection responses. In particular, provide technical guidance for i) the development of workplans, reporting tools, protocols and advocacy messages; ii) the elaboration of inter-agency initiatives on capacity development and delivery of services (e.g. case management).

• Channel the CPWG issues and contributions into other coordination forums in Roraima (education, health broader protection sector etc.).

• Field driven contributions to regional initiatives, coordinating the strategies with LACRO, and contribute to the cross-border coordination with UNICEF Venezuela.
• Ensure constant coordination and collaboration with other UN Agencies working in the migration response, particularly at daily basis in Roraima (Boa Vista & Pacaraima), but also at national level, in communication with Child Protection in Emergency Individual Contractor & the Chief Child Protection.

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: law, anthropology, international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
• A minimum of two years of professional experience in social development planning and management in human rights, and particularly to child protection related areas is required. Additional year of experience/experience in humanitarian & emergency contexts are assets.
• A minimum of one year of experience working in child protection in Brazil.
• Relevant experience in programme development in human rights and particularly 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 Portuguese and Proficient English (reading and writing) are required. Knowledge of Spanish will be considered as an asset

  For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following competencies: 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), and Manages ambiguity and complexity (1).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

This Vacancy Announcement is open for competition to Brazilian nationals only.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

All candidates who wish to apply to this Vacancy Announcement are requested to prepare and submit their application in English.

. This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either: a role with direct contact with children, works directly with child, is a safeguarding response role or has been assessed as an elevated risk role for child safeguarding. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) applies

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Appointments are also subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.