Child Protection Officer (MRM) at UNICEF

How can you make a difference?

Below is a list of Key functions & accountabilities expected of this role: 

Support to programme development and planning

• Conduct and update the situation analysis for developing, designing and managing CAAC and MRM components of child protection related programmes/projects. Research and report on development trends (e.g., social, economic, political, health) and data for use in programme development, management, monitoring, evaluation and delivery of results.
• Contribute to developing and establishing t of CAAC sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis and reporting of child protection and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting. 
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical, programme, operational, and administrative transactions, preparing related materials and documentation, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating of results.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and MRM/CAAC partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and MRM/CAAC counterparts to assess programmes/projects, and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Monitor and report on the use of MRM/CAAC programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verifying compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations, procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues and findings to ensure timely resolution by management and stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare regular and mandated MRM/CAAC reports for management, donors and partners to inform them  of programme progress.

Technical and operational support to programme implementation of MRM

• Prepare and timely provide inputs to the Global Horizontal Notes (GHN) and country annual report on CAAC in Nigeria submitted to the Office of the SRSG on CAAC through the  CTFMR

• Ensure capacity-building of identified partners and UNICEF MRM team to increase coverage, participants, and reported cases of grave child rights violations and to strengthen the analysis of trends and response to children’s victims by technical supervision, support, mentoring and coaching, as needed.
• Ensure the link between monitoring & reporting activities and programmatic response to children’s victims of violations by liaising with protection and child protection working groups for appropriate referral of cases.
• Provide inputs to UNICEF strategic sectoral programmatic documents and proposals and reports to donors related to MRM.
• Manage the partnership and stakeholders undertaking direct monitoring of MRM.
• On a monthly basis - with the support of the MRM Information Management Officer - all  MRM cases documented by relevant CTFMR agencies are compiled, reviewed (ensuring the credibility, reliability and verification of all cases), finalized and uploaded onto the MRM Database. This includes following up with partners and facilitators on cases pending verification.
• Prepare for the high-level meetings including briefings and trend analysis for the Group of Friends of CAAC and the Co-Chairs of the CTFMR.
• Provide technical and coordination support during the State based MRM Technical Working Group 

Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts, national stakeholders, donors, academia and, where necessary, parties to the conflict on issues touching on grave child rights violations- through active networking, advocacy, and effective communication, and build the capacity of stakeholders to achieve and sustain results on child protection.
• Prepare communication and information materials for Country Office programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships/alliances and support fundraising for child protection programmes and emergency interventions.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply innovative approaches and promote good practices to support implementing and delivering concrete and sustainable programme results.

• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in child protection management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Organize and implement capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders to promote sustainable results in child protection and related programmes/projects.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
• A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection-related areas is required.
• Experience working in humanitarian contexts, particularly protracted humanitarian contexts.
• Relevant experience in programme development in child protection-related areas in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Experience in a development context is an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required. Has a basic knowledge and can speak one or two of the local languages common to the Northeast, Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.