Child Protection Specialist (Community Based Child Protection and Psychosocial Support), P-4, NYHQ, # 23558
Child Protection Specialist (Community Based Child Protection and Psychosocial Support), P-4, NYHQ, # 23558
Job no: 502121
Work type: Fixed Term Staff
Location: United States of America
Categories: Child Protection, P-4
Pay Grade: P-4
Purpose of the Position
Conflicts and disasters create new protection risks and worsen existing ones. UNICEF is working to adapt the systems approach to child protection to emergency and transition contexts, through strengthened vulnerability assessment practices, provision of frontline support and timely referral to support services such as psychosocial support and family tracing. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is a key area of UNICEF emergency programme response, reaching millions of children around the world.
Under the guidance of the Senior Adviser, the Child Protection Specialist for Community based child protection and psychosocial support in emergencies will provide programme guidance and technical support to enhance UNICEF's approach to the provision of psychosocial support for children and women in emergency situations, both natural disasters and armed conflicts.
Key Expected Results
1. Program development and planning
Qualifications of a Successful Candidate
Competencies of a Successful Candidate
Core Values
Work type: Fixed Term Staff
Location: United States of America
Categories: Child Protection, P-4
Pay Grade: P-4
Purpose of the Position
Conflicts and disasters create new protection risks and worsen existing ones. UNICEF is working to adapt the systems approach to child protection to emergency and transition contexts, through strengthened vulnerability assessment practices, provision of frontline support and timely referral to support services such as psychosocial support and family tracing. Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is a key area of UNICEF emergency programme response, reaching millions of children around the world.
Under the guidance of the Senior Adviser, the Child Protection Specialist for Community based child protection and psychosocial support in emergencies will provide programme guidance and technical support to enhance UNICEF's approach to the provision of psychosocial support for children and women in emergency situations, both natural disasters and armed conflicts.
Key Expected Results
1. Program development and planning
- Contribute to defining the sections annual work plan in the area of programming on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), including proposing priorities/targets and performance measurement. Monitor work progress in line with defined schedules and performance standards.
- Supervise consultants by providing them with clear objectives and goals, direction and guidance to enable them to perform their duties responsibly, effectively and efficiently.
- Lead in defining individual performance objectives, goals and timelines; Plan and ensure timely performance management.
- Contribute to increasing the financial resources available for MHPSS by supporting the development of project proposals and preparing multi-country proposals.
- Working with the Planning and Evidence Building Team in the Child Protection Section, collaborate with internal and external partners, including UNICEF Headquarters Sections, Regional and Country Offices to develop and implement monitoring frameworks, UNICEF/UN system indicators and measurement to strengthen performance accountability, coherence and delivery of concrete and sustainable results for programming on MHPSS.
- Prepare inputs for team and section reports including UNICEF annual reports. Prepare donor reports for MHPSS projects in line with defined deadlines and endorsed guidance.
- Manage Programme Cooperation Agreements (PCAs) and contracts and oversee timely implementation of defined activities and fund utilization.
- Provide remote and direct field technical support, expertise and capacity building to Country and Regional offices in programme planning and implementation, cost-effectiveness analyses, programme scale-up, and methods and tools for programming on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), with a special focus on emergencies.
- Support the design and implementation of situation analyses and guidance and related documentation to ensure that current comprehensive and evidence based data on MHPSS guide and inform programming, policy making and advocacy.
- Establish and build processes and mechanisms with relevant sections in UNICEF's Programme Division (including Adolescents, C4D, Disability, Early Childhood Development, Education and Health) in close collaboration with Regional and Country Offices and external partners to develop and disseminate the latest evidence and guidance on the prevention and response of MHPSS.
- Design and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of stakeholders in provision of MHPSS.
- Track research developments in the area of MHPSS, collate and analyze data including from country programme experience (lessons learned, best practices, reviews and evaluations) so as to inform the revision of results frameworks, capacity building and reporting.
- Liaise with the Data and Analytics specialists to strengthen the development of methodologies, tools and guidance for outcome and impact monitoring related to MHPSS.
- Generate and disseminate data-driven reports to identify gaps and strengths/weaknesses in MHPSS. Share lessons learned and use these to provide advice on programme refinement.
- Promote critical thinking and innovative approaches in MHPSS in emergencies initiatives, keeping abreast of current research on the issue;
- Contribute to the establishment and strengthening of strategic partnerships in MHPSS including the IASC Reference Group on MHPSS, as well as governmental actors, NGOs and the private sector.
- Build partnerships with all key MHPSS international actors with the aim of aligning programming, policymaking, guidance and standard setting with UNICEF's Strategic Plan and child rights international standards.
- Support UNICEF C4D and communication activities that are related to MHPSS collaborating closely with UNICEF's Division of Communication and relevant sections in Programme Division (notably C4D).
- Participate and/or represent UNICEF in international meetings and inter-agency discussions to ensure organizational position and priorities are fully considered.
Qualifications of a Successful Candidate
- An Advanced University Degree in Social Sciences or other related field with specialized training in social work, psychology, community development, development studies or anthropology.
- A minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the community, national and international levels in programme planning, management, monitoring and evaluation relevant to child protection or related field.
- Relevant experience working at country level in humanitarian contexts is an asset.
- Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts are an added advantage.
- Experience in the area of programming on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) is an asset.
- Relevant experience in related areas (as identified above) in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
- Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of an additional UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish) is considered an asset.
Competencies of a Successful Candidate
Core Values
- Commitment
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Integrity
- Communication - Level II
- Working with people - Level II
- Drive for results - Level II
- Leading and supervising - Level I
- Formulating strategies/concepts - Level II
- Analyzing - Level III
- Relating and networking - Level II
- Deciding and initiating action - Level II
- Applying Technical Expertise - Level III