Child Protection Technical Advisor, Ukraine Response

Job Description

ROLE PURPOSE:

Within the overarching goal of preventing and addressing violations of children’s rights, the international CP TA leads the thematic portfolio of interventions aimed at preventing and responding to all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children in Ukraine. In a context of active war that dramatically reduces child right’s space and protection, children in Ukraine continue to suffer from the direct impact of the armed hostilities, are displaced within and outside Ukraine and are constantly exposed to child protection risks that heighten vulnerabilities. The overall purpose of the international CP TA is to design, lead on and oversee the implementation of a successful, large-scale, high-quality and sustainable Child Protection portfolio across all SCI operational areas in Ukraine. Primarily, the CP TA is the most senior official in SCI Ukraine responsible for ensuring the technical quality of all SCI CP projects. This includes aligning interventions with both SCI and international standards, guidelines, and best practices. The CP TA also knows how to adapts globally proven approaches to the specific context of Ukraine, ensuring consistency with SCI's quality standards and procedures.

The international CP TA line-manages the national CP TA, the international Case Management (CM) TA and the international Alternative Care (AC) and Deinstitutionalisation (DI) TA, and strives to further capacitate them from a technical and professional point of view. The international CP TA, in cooperation with the national CP TA,the CM TA and the national and international AC and DI TA, supports field-based CP Programme Managers (PMs) and Coordinators in all operational areas where SCI Ukraine implements programmes.

With an ongoing humanitarian response in its second to third year, the international CP TA must ensure that all CP in emergency (CPiE) components of the programme deliver high-speed and effective CP support to children in need, while simultaneously working across the Humanitarian-Development Nexus by anchoring SCI CP work in a system strengthening approach. Despite the continuous need to deliver CPiE interventions and therefore secure significant volumes of humanitarian CP funds, the international CP TA holds the responsibility to ensure financial sustainability of the CP programme by supporting the identification and securing development funding to allow longer-term programmatic approaches.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Leadership, technical advisory and quality assurance

• Under the leadership of the DCD-PDQ Director, contribute to the strategic vision and direction of SCI Ukraine CP programme and portfolio, by leading the development of and being accountable for the quality delivery of a state-of-the-art, ambitious, large-scale CP strategy.
• Ensure the contextualisation of CP interventions, in collaboration with all staff.
• Closely work and create synergy with all other technical advisors to ensure high quality programmes, integration and coherence of programmes across sectors and thematic areas.
• Ensure that CM programming meets SCI and international and national standards based on approved guidelines, including by supporting the implementation of specific data information systems.
• Ensure that programming aimed at improving alternative (family-based) and better care for vulnerable children meets SCI and international and national standards based on approved guidelines, thus contributing to enhancing governmental efforts towards safe deinstitutionalisation processes.
• Focus SCI CP portfolio on strengthening child protection systems and programming related to safe and appropriate care, in the short- and long-term.
• Lead and be accountable for the systematic adoption and contextualisation CP Common Approaches (CA) (including building an in-depth understanding of CAs to promote their use in all relevant projects, and monitor their uptake in new awards as well as their quality implementation).
• If and when required, safe and feasible, in cooperation with the international CM TA and the international AC and DI TA, lead on cross-border case management coordination and in the development of cross-border approaches.
• Lead the design and reporting of SCI Ukraine annual Humanitarian Plan (SCHP) CP component.
• Lead the design/revision and reporting of SCI Ukraine 2024-2027 Country Strategic Plan (CSP) CP goal and milestones.
• Cooperate effectively with SCI CP regional and global TAs.
• Mobilise, as required, SCI specialised (CP) technical assistance in thematic areas requiring additional support and specialisation.
• Foster innovative solutions in CP programming.
• Evaluate and oversee the technical quality of CP activities, and develop strategies to improve technical quality when needed, by providing specialised technical support.
• In cooperation with CP TA, CM TA, AC and DI TA and CP-MHPSS PMs, prepare timely programme and donor reports on CP project activities in compliance with SCI’s and SC Members’ requirements and donors’ requirements.

Programme design and proposal development

• Under the guidance of the Director of New Business Development (NBD) Unit and in cooperation with NBD staff, as well as in cooperation with the Director of the Recovery and Resilience Initiative for long-term programming:
• Lead the technical design of and develop CP proposals (or sections of proposals) to ensure high quality CP submissions that meet donors’ expectations and secure significant funding to the CP programme, for both humanitarian response and longer-term projects.
• Cooperate with field-based CP-MHPSS PMs and Heads of Programmes to create well-resourced budget during proposal development.
• Cooperate with field-based CP-MHPSS PMs and MEAL staff to design well-thought through LogFrames during proposal development.
• Ensure that proposals are evidence-based.
• Build relationships across SCI Members, as required, to get technical buy-in and support for new proposals.
• Ensure that CP proposals and projects are informed by child rights and child participation principles.
• Ensure that safeguarding risk assessments inform proposal development to guarantee that CP projects embed safeguarding risk mitigation strategies.
• Provide technical expertise for donor engagement vis-a’-vis CP programming.

Staff management and capacity strengthening

• Maintain , implement and when needed update a clear plan defining roles and responsibilities of the national CP TA.
• Provide mentoring and on-the-job training and other forms of technical and professional capacitation to the national CP TA, the international CM TA and the international AC and DI TA.
• Support the international CM TA and the international AC and DI TA line-manage and support staff under their care.
• Periodically review and provide feedback to direct reports.
• Be a compassionate and motivating leader for staff under direct care and management, and support them grow in their role by implementing all HR-related processes and procedures (such as, but may not be limited to, D2P, annual goals, professional development plan).
• Ensure that appropriate levels of technical assistance and capacity building are provided to partners.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning

• Under the guidance of the Head of MEAL Unit and in cooperation with PDQ- and field-based MEAL staff:
• Measure achievement and progress toward programme goals and results.
• Technically lead CP components of needs assessments, whether sector-specific or multi-sectoral, from design to data analysis and reporting.
• Contribute to evidence generation by leading on ensuring effective documentation of interventions, of training materials, knowledge management, and support processes to capture lessons learned.
• When required, technically lead CP components of evaluations, baseline studies and any other research and/or data collection process.
• Working closely with the Accountability lead, ensure that feedback from children and adults is incorporated into CP programme design and learning disseminated to the wider sector.

Inter-agency cooperation

• Actively engage with the CPAoR, and play a significant role as a SAG member.
• Attend and influence the Protection Cluster.
• Support the international CM TA in co-facilitating the CM task force.
• Support the international AC and DI TA coordinate and collaborate with the governmental ‘Coordination Center’ for the childcare reform, at national and oblast level.
• Network and build relationship with key external stakeholders.
• Represent SCI CP work with governmental institutions, coordination with AC/DI TA and ACCM.
• Coordinate and collaborate with other thematic working/coordination groups or other agencies and stakeholders.
• Influence humanitarian actors in prioritizing the protection of children’s rights in the ongoing emergency response in Ukraine, including through promoting that all sectoral and multi-sectoral needs assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.
• Promote child participation in the coordination work of the CPAoR and other Clusters.

Cross-cutting

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to safeguarding (child safeguarding and PSEA), code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures, in order to advance SCI’s global priorities, such as (but not limited to) gender equality, disability inclusion, safe programming and safeguarding, child participation.
• Actively contribute to strengthening team spirit and cooperation within the PDQ Department Team.
• Promote accountability and high performance, encourage a culture of learning, creativity and innovation, support staff and colleagues in efforts to deliver outstanding results for children in Ukraine.
• Ensure adaptability, flexibility, and ability to work on a wide range of tasks in a wide range of contexts with impeccable attention to detail and accuracy.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• A Child Protection technical expert with at least 10 years of CP experience in a variety of countries spanning emergency, transition and development contexts, both as a CP (programme) manager and advisor.
• Education to MSc/MA/MEng level in Social Work, Human rights Law, International Relations, Development Studies or similar, or equivalent field experience.
• Ability to identify the main gaps in child protection in the given context to inform a holistic response for children.
• Good knowledge of and experience in using established inter-agency standards and guidelines in child protection, such as the Inter-Agency Guidelines on Separated and Unaccompanied Children, the Paris Principles, MRM, Child Friendly Spaces Handbook(s), and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System, CM guidelines.
• Line-management experience of large and varied teams of national and international staff.
• Experience in working with and supporting local partners.
• Experience in capacity building and in strengthening various duty bearers understanding of and response to child protection.
• Experience in representation and ability to represent SCI effectively in external forums.
• Experience in and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability.
• Proven track-record of successful funding proposals to varied donors, in English language.
• Ability to write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports, including data analysis, in English language.
• Excellent communication skills, based on tact, respectful attitude, cultural and gender sensitivity (a politically- and culturally-sensitive individual with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy).
• Strong influencing skills.
• A high level of written and spoken English.
• Capacity and willingness to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to and understanding of child rights, the aims and principles of Save the Children, and humanitarian standards such as the Sphere Charter and the Code of Conduct. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable

• Language skills in Ukrainian and/or Russian.
• Experience in advocacy.
• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.
• Specific experience of designing and managing OFCDO, OFDA, ECHO and other major donor projects.