Child Protection Officer, NO-2, Brasilia, Brazil post#124796 (Temp Appointment)

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.

For every child, protection

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

Job organizational context:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere. The equity strategy, emphasising 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, civil, 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 will also 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.

The Child Protection Program of UNICEF Brazil Country Program nationally leads the full implementation of UNICEF Goal Area 3 that is aimed at ensuring that every child, including adolescents, is protected from violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, and harmful practices. UNICEF is shifting towards a greater focus on preventing violence and harmful practices, including by better understanding children’s particular, intersecting vulnerabilities; by transforming negative social norms using social and behavioral change interventions informed by social science research; and by enhancing the capacities of the social service workforce as an integrator between health, education, protection and other systems, to strengthen protective environments for children and address the multidimensional nature of child protection issues. The pandemic has exacerbated the many intersecting vulnerabilities faced by children, with disruptions to the caregiving environment, schooling and work, and social and justice services increasing pressures that can send children and women into a spiral of harm and violence, with heightened risks of negative coping mechanisms and negative effects on mental health and well-being. As well, UNICEF supports Brazilian Government – at national and subnational levels- to strengthen policies, legislation, and regulatory frameworks; build the capacities of the social service workforce; and increase financing to scale up services and strategies.

Due to the maternity leave of a member of the child protection team, the Brazil Country Office is seeking the support of a temporary position to implement the child protection program in 2023.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Chief Child Protection, the Child Protection Officer will support the implementation of the Child Protection program by providing technical contribution and management support for implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on progress, with particular focus on workplans, involving the prevention and response to violence within UNICEF Brazil Country Program, particularly armed violence, gender-based violence, and prevention of violence from early childhood.

Bearing in mind plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s strategic plans, standards of performance and accountability framework, the Child Protection Officer contributes to the achievement of results aimed at creating a protective environment for children against violence and discrimination under the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other relevant international treaties and frameworks, and through its two main municipal strategies: UNICEF Municipal Seal, and #AgendaCidadeUNICEF.

Key Expected Results

Support programmes/projects design and management:

• Support programme design and management in accordance with UNICEF’s global strategic plan 2022-2025, UNICEF’s global child protection strategy and national priorities, undertaking situation analyses for child protection interventions to ensure efficient and effective interventions.
• Liaise with colleagues (from Brazil Country Office - BCO and Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office - LACRO) and external partners to discuss strategies and methodologies and to provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to harmonization with other programme areas and integration between national and sub-national interventions.
• Propose programe/projects’ monitoring benchmarks, with the definition of indicators and targets to assess delivery of concrete results for the child protection area and ensure accountability.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects implementation through field visits, surveys and/or exchange of information with internal and external partners/stakeholders to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and risks and take timely mitigation measures.
• Elaborate and review reports on programmes/projects progress, highlighting results achieved, lessons learned and optimal resources management, in compliance with organizational rules, regulations and donor commitments.
• Under the line of action of online violence, accompany the local implementation / contribution to global/regional initiatives, such as: WeProtect, Disrupting Harm, and Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children.
• Revise and strengthen the current child protection program and the next CPD, regarding gender-based violence interventions (concrete recommendations, including monitoring of the interventions in Selo UNICEF, AgendaCidadeUNICEF and CP in Migration/climate change)

• Other activities required by the Chief of Child Protection to achieve this result.

  Networking and partnership building:

• Build and sustain effective partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders, and global and regional partners to advocate for child protection priorities, build capacities, exchange knowledge and reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results.

• Represent UNICEF in events and act as child protection spokesperson to position child protection priority themes in the public agenda and promote UNICEF’s interventions with a focus on results achieved.
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners, donors and UNICEF FOs and other programme areas on child protection and related issues to support programme management, implementation, and delivery of results.
• Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic programme materials, including legislation, ordinances, and policies, to promote key child protection priorities.
• Other activities required by the Chief of Child Protection to achieve this result.

Advocacy and campaigns for awareness-raising and Social Behaviour Communication Change - SBCC

• Support the creation of communication materials, including campaigns, and other information resources for awareness-raising, advocacy, and relationship building.
• Liaise with key stakeholders and identify potential partners for programme implementation and resource mobilization to support the delivery of concrete results.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and efficacy of sustainable programmes and projects, ensuring UNICEF’s involvement in key priority issues, such as the legislation on special hearing of children victims of violence (Lei n. 13431/2017).
• Organise and implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders to promote sustainable results in child protection and related programmes/projects, with special focus on Selo UNICEF and #AgendaCidadeUNICEF capacity-building activities and purposes.
• Other activities required by the Chief of Child Protection to achieve this result.

Overall Management of the Child Protection Section during Chief of Child Protection’s absence

During the absence of the Chief of Child Protection, perform as the Officer in Charge of the Section to ensure business continuity.

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: law, social science, international relations, development, social policy, human rights, gender/gender-based violence or related field. Master’s or higher degree is desirable.
• A minimum of two (2) years of professional experience in in child protection at national and sub-national levels, with focus on programme development and management, policy advocacy, campaigns design, and resource mobilization and management. Desirable to count with experience in managing projects with gender-based violence in child protection.
• Fluency in Portuguese and English is required.
• Experience within the UN system is an asset.
• Teamwork skills and capacity to work with tight deadlines.
• Capacity to build a network of external stakeholders and alliances with government counterparts, civil
• society, the media, and the private sector, in order to promote high level advocacy.
• Commitment to action, responsibility and ownership for own performance and the associated outcomes.
• Capacity to create an environment that drives creativity, innovation, flexibility, and responsiveness. Strong communication and advocacy skills.
• Experience in planning child protection interventions (including monitoring of the intervention and financial monitoring), writing of fundraising proposal and donor’s reports.
• Strong skills in elaboration of technical concept notes, strategic papers, assorted presentation and capacity to publicly speak on issues related to child protection.

For every Child, you demonstrate:

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS) 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).

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

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.