Safeguarding and Accountability Specialist at TechnoServe

Job Summary:

The Senior Safeguarding and Accountability Specialist reporting directly to the Country Director will provide technical expertise to mainstream accountability and safeguarding mechanisms, procedures, activities, prevention, awareness raising, monitoring and reporting specifically through the use of TechnoServe’s policies for the program and TechnoServe Nigeria. The SSA Specialist will oversee support strategies and activities stirred towards keeping TechnoServe employees, beneficiaries and the communities TechnoServe serves safe from abuse and harm.

Program/Practice/Department Overview:

The SAY WEE project seeks to address unemployment in Nigeria through four pathways namely: self-employment, micro and small growing business acceleration, job readiness and ecosystem development.  With a strong learning agenda, the project will pilot methodologies that drive behavior change and successfully link women and youth to relevant and lasting jobs. To achieve its objectives, the project will leverage existing infrastructure, institutions, and organizations where possible. It will also apply lessons learned from other initiatives in the entrepreneurial ecosystem support space by adopting multiple proven approaches. The design will follow a common set of principles, such as being market-driven to help entrepreneurs tap into high-growth sectors, build youth skills, and facilitate linkages to drive job placement for targeted youth. The project targets women and girls and therefore needs a strong accountability and safeguarding mechanism to ensure seamless implementation.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities:

Inception responsibilities

• Support the development of a robust, well-coordinated and practical accountability system for TechnoServe Nigeria through connecting all the existing safeguarding and accountability policies, and communicating clear processes for implementation and oversight across the programs portfolio, locations, and partnerships.
• Recommend improvements to the organization's safeguarding policies to the Operations Committee to ensure continued alignment with international best practices, that these policies and procedures link and align with relevant standards and best practices.
• Establish and regularly coordinate with HQ and in-country safeguarding team on complaint and feedback procedures in place.

Coordination and dissemination Responsibilities

• Act as the focal point in providing ongoing advice, resources, training and guidance on safeguarding to SAY-WEE staff, volunteers, and partners.
• Coordinating with Senior Management, work to establish and/or strengthen investigation protocols, including clear case handling responsibilities.
• Map community engagement activities in SAY WEE and work with the Senior Program Manager and communications specialist to mainstream safeguarding messaging and gather community input where appropriate.
• Develop Age, Gender and Diversity informed awareness-raising tools with emphasis on Safeguarding/Protection from Sexual Exploitation Abuse, and the rights of our clients and stakeholders.
• Assist in developing safeguarding messaging for all other TechnoServe donor funded programs.
• Spearhead the establishment and implementation of TechnoServe Nigeria’s Complaints, Feedback and Response Mechanisms (CFRM),
• Strengthen safeguarding procedures for receiving and reporting information through TechnoServes Complaints, Feedback and Response Mechanisms (CFRM), informed by good practice and community consultations (and incorporating the relevant national laws).
• Support the dissemination of TechnoServe’s Safeguarding Policies, and annual refresher training in order for staff to be able to safely identify and report PSEA/CSG and other complaints.
• Ensure accountability for staff and communities in accordance with TechnoServe laid down standards ensuring feedback and input is collected and reflected.
• Support in the design and dissemination of culturally sensitive safeguarding materials across all sites of the program.
• Ensure that we have all the accessible and functional ways in place to listen to our stakeholders.
• Ensure beneficiaries and stakeholders are feeling safe and easy while approaching us to share their feedback and/or complaints.
• Conduct spot checks and visits at all SAY-WEE program sites and offices and participate in safeguarding monitoring.
• Analyze information collected on safeguarding risk factors and make recommendations to Senior Management and the Senior Program Manager on how to enhance prevention strategies to mitigate risks.
• Take appropriate measures to ensure safety and protection of survivors, whistleblowers, and subject of complaints.
• Support planning, budgeting, implementing, and reporting on TechnoServe’s safeguarding activities.

Training, Capacity Building in ASG Mechanism

• Ensure that all safeguarding policies and processes are adequately disseminated to all staff and partners and support the development of training and capacity building of staff and managers where necessary.
• Assist Human Resources in safer recruitment practices and policies; provide technical expertise on the mainstreaming of safeguarding in conducting interviews, job advertisements, screening/reference checks, etc.
• Assist Program teams in designing PSEA risk assessments and assist in the mainstreaming of safeguarding.
• Strategize on how to support and strengthen existing community-based protection mechanisms (CBPM). Assist in providing CBPM safeguarding capacity building opportunities to community members.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in International Development, International Affairs, Sociology, or related areas from an accredited college or university with 3 years’ experience in accountability/safeguarding/child safeguarding/PSEA or experience in a similar field (e.g., child protection and/or gender-based violence protection in humanitarian National/international settings or Master's Degree + 1 years’ experience.
• Candidates should have at least one years’ experience in planning and facilitating on accountability and safeguarding on a range of the organizational levels.
• Experience track record of supporting operational change and/or the rollout of new policies and strategies.
• Experience in delivering training programs and supporting organizational capacity building in safeguarding/protection.
• Background in leading/participating in corruption/PSEA/child safeguarding investigations.

Preferred Qualifications:

Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable.

• Experience in working in Nigeria with an INGO

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong belief in human rights, gender equality, and safeguarding.
• Good interpersonal skills including the ability to gain trust and build relationships.
• Good diplomatic and persuasion skills.
• Ability to work effectively with people at all organizational levels.
• Strong ability to work independently.
• High standard of spoken and written English required.
• Good computer skills, experience with Google Drive.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing environments.