TA Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist (Children Associated with Armed Groups), P-3 at UNICEF

Location: Maiduguri, Borno Stat, Nigeria (364 days)

Purpose of the Position
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria is seeking the interest of a qualified Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist in the area of Psychosocial Support and Community Based Child Protection Mechanisms.

In the course of 2014 and early 2015, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad (JAS), more commonly as Boko Haram intensified its attacks on the civilian population in Nigeria, with tactics developing from hit-and-run attacks targeting Government officials, security forces, police stations, detention centers, religious figures and schools, to take-and-hold attacks in which JAS managed to establish and maintain control over large swaths of territory. While in late 2015 and 2016 the Nigerian Armed Forces took back most JAS controlled areas, the fighting caused additional mass displacement, especially in Borno State.

Children have been acutely impacted by the conflict. Over 1.2 million children have been displaced and over a million additional children lived under the control of Boko Haram in 19 out of 65 local government areas, many of which have been inaccessible to the humanitarian community for many months. It is estimated that 2.7 million children require psychosocial support to recover from the impact of the conflict. 20,000 are unaccompanied or separated. Children have been recruited and used by both sides to the conflict. The government estimates that over 8,000 children have been used by JAS in combat and non combat roles. 21 under-18 year old girls were used by JAS as suicide bombers in 2015. Children perceived to have fought for JAS are being rejected by their communities and attacked if they try to return. Over 7,000 women and girls have suffered conflict related sexual violence, including following abduction and forced marriage. Many have become pregnant and given birth as a result of the conflict. The girls and women, and their children are facing stigma and in some case violence as they return to their communities following escape or rescue by the Nigerian Armed Forces.

The conflict has taken an acute psychological toll on children who have experienced and witnessed violence and been displaced by the conflict. With funding from the European Union, the Government of Japan and the Central Emergency Relief Fund, UNICEF has reached over 100,000 children with psychosocial support through a network of community volunteers and after school clubs.

UNICEF has received funding from the ECHO Children in Peace programme to reach 40,000 children with psychosocial support over the coming year, maintaining and expanding this critical intervention in Borno and Yobe States

Overall Objective of the temporary position

• The overall objective of the post is to strengthen the protective environment for children, reinforcing the resilience of children and adolescents and families in Borno and Yobe and ensuring severely affected children are appropriately referred to specialist support services.

Specific project objectives to which the position is related:

• Output 36: By 2017, the capacity of key institutions and civil society is strengthened to monitor and report violence against children especially in humanitarian context and implement gender and age-appropriate prevention and response measures in at least three states.

Major Tasks to be Accomplished

• Provide technical guidance for the implementation of the ECHO funded Psychosocial Support Programme in Borno and Yobe
• Facilitate the training of community volunteers and after school club patrons and matrons for the delivery of the psychosocial support programme
• Support the development of community based activities, community protection mechanisms and delivery of psychosocial support services
• Provide continued technical support to the training and supervision teams and the community volunteers and after school club patrons and matrons, including establishing and managing a support system for community level volunteers/patrons and matrons
• Manage and quality assure the work of the team of third party local consultants responsible for overseeing and monitoring the psychosocial support programme
• Manage the development and dissemination of the life skills training manual for distribution in child friendly spaces and after school clubs
• Manage the integration of the life skills training/DEALS programme into the psychosocial support service
• Strengthen the referral mechanism for mental health and psychosocial support at local government area levels and for inter-state referrals
• Ensure robust data collection to capture the number of beneficiaries reached by the programme and the impact of the programme, including management of the well being survey to evaluate the impact of the programme on participating children
• Manage the ECHO funded Children in Peace Programme, ensuring timely implementation of activities, timely reporting to the donor, compliance with visibility requirements and compliance with internal UNICEF procedures and processes

Qualifications of Successful Candidate
Essential:

• Advanced university degree in Social Work, Psychology, Social Science or related field
• Minimum of 5 years demonstrable professional experience in implementing community based psychosocial support programmes.
• Excellent training and communication skills
• Proven ability to work independently under difficult conditions
• Excellent advocacy skills Fluency in English
• First university degree with additional two-years of relevant work experience is acceptable in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Desirable:

• Experience in programme for child protection in emergencies
• Experience in designing and delivering training in psychosocial support, preferably in humanitarian crises/emergency settings
• Experience in team management

Competencies of Successful Candidate
Core Values:

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core Competencies:

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)
• Applying technical expertise (III)

Remarks

• The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receiving an offer.
• Please note that Maiduguri/Borno is a non-family duty station.
• The position is based in Maiduguri, Borno State, with regular travel to Yobe State