Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Nigeria
Closing date: 21 Mar 2019

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, Change

In its 2017 Report on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, the Secretary General confirmed the United Nations’ commitment to taking effective actions to preventing and ending impunity for Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by UN staff and related personnel, as well as to providing support for SEA survivors. The potential for SEA against children affected by the crisis in north eastern Nigeria is high. The levels of poverty and critical needs of communities affected and displaced by the conflict in the northeast, combined with large-scale humanitarian operation, often in areas of insecurity and remote access, often create a context that puts vulnerable populations at greater risks for SEA.

To this end, UNICEF has developed Minimum Operating Standards for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (MOS-PSEA), which sets out the measures to be taken by the organization to meet its obligations relating to SEA. Globally, UNICEF has contracted dedicated personnel to build its internal capacity to respond to SEA in emergency contexts and high-risk settings. In May 2017, the Regional Office supported the Nigeria Country Office by sending a PSEA Consultant for 3 weeks, to develop a PSEA Action Plan for Nigeria. From August 2017 to February 2018, an international consultant in close collaboration with UNICEF Child Protection Specialist (Gender Based Violence) who was also the designated PSEA Focal Point helped implement the plan. UNICEF urgently needs to a full time PSEA support, based in Maiduguri, to mitigate risks, scale up prevention and response systems and take forward PSEA work. The PSEA Specialist will be managed by the Chief of Field Office, Maiduguri, with technical guidance from Chief of Child Protection, Abuja. Supporting this post will be the UNICEF GBV and national PSEA officer, both based in Maidugiri, Borno State, Nigeria.

How can you make a difference?

The overall objective of the post is to support overall GBV prevention and response initiatives and programming, including but not limited to the capacity building initiatives, case management and PSS support. The incumbent will also promote the handover of girls and women associated with non-state armed groups to civilian authorities and to ensure their safe, supported return and reintegration and recovery from their experiences.

Specific project objectives to which the position is related

Outcome 6. Children who are victims or at significant risk of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation, including those in humanitarian settings, receive quality preventive and responsive services from a functioning child protection system at federal level and in targeted states

Output 6.4. By 2022, children in humanitarian situations have timely and sustained access to quality preventive and responsive child protection services

The PSEA Specialist will implement UNICEF Nigeria’s Office PSEA Action Plan, which focuses on scaling up and taking forward UNICEF’s prevention and response efforts to sexual exploitation and abuse. This will include conceptualizing and implementing PSEA prevention activities, responding to alleged PSEA cases that are reported (including reporting, investigating, and ensuring appropriate victim support), liaising with the PSEA Task-force and other inter-agency bodies addressing PSEA and making contributions to inter-agency PSEA response and monitoring, liaising with UNICEF senior management at national, regional and international levels on the same. The PSEA Specialist will be also responsible for building the capacity of UNICEF staff, consultants, volunteers, and implementing partners on PSEA.

Major tasks to be accomplished

Internal capacity building and technical support

Provide technical support and monitoring for the implementation of UNICEF Nigeria Office PSEA Action Plan, with a focus on Borno Field Office

Deliver PSEA trainings for UNICEF staff, consultants, volunteers, and implementing partners, in line with the PSEA Training Plan

Build the capacity of selected UNICEF staff to replicate PSEA training and awareness raising efforts.

Together with C4D, and in liaison with the PSEA Taskforce, develop awareness raising materials for UNICEF office and partners: including leaflets and posters for UNICEF offices and UNICEF partners’ offices

Build the capacity/ mentor the PSEA national officer to enable him/her to deliver PSEA trainings and to carry out other PSEA related activities

1. Inter-agencyresponse to SEA

Participation in PSEA Task Force coordination meetings and events

Work with the PSEA Task Force in taking forward actions including; development of information sharing agreement on SEA; development and implementation of a Community Based Complaints Mechanism on SEA; development of outreach and sensitization on SEA in the communities; training PSEA Focal Points and staff from humanitarian organizations, responding to complaints that arise, and developing inter-agency responses to problems that become evident

2. Victim assistance

In coordination with the GBV Specialist (Maiduguri), ensure that child victims of SEA access assistance and support

In coordination with the GBV Specialist, monitor the quality of assistance and follow up provided to victims of SEA by UNICEF partners

Work with the GBV Specialist and the Chief of Child Protection to define the modality for monitoring the assistance provided to child SEA victims by service providers (other than UNICEF implementing partners)

3. Prevention

Carry out sensitization activities on SEA in communities

Identify opportunities across UNICEF programmes for community sensitization, risk assessment and capacity building on SEA

Respond to any circumstances that create risk and vulnerability for SEA, seeking to address underlying risk factors

4. Reporting

Support and advise the Head of Office on the reporting of SEA allegations through the internal Notification Alert

Receive complaints and reports about alleged SEA (from staff, partners, community members, other)

Once a complaint is received:

Ensure that all information pertaining to complaints is handled and referred strictly in line with agreed protocols: the internal UNICEF Notification Alert and inter-agency information sharing procedure agreed with the PSEA Task Force

Ensure that information gathered on SEA allegation is verified and whistle-blowers and alleged victims are interviewed in line with the interviewing protocols

Immediately refer victims to appropriate service providers so that they receive the medical, psycho-social, legal and material support they may need

5. Information management

Work with the Information Management Officer (IMO) for Child Protection to regularly update the database on SEA cases and case management of child victims’ assistance

Update share drive for office staff to access PSEA policy and guidance materials

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

An advanced University degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law or other social science field is required.

A minimum of (8)eight years of professional experience in designing, implementation and management of protection, GBV and PSEA, preferably with the UN is required.

Experience working in humanitarian contexts is required.

Familiarity with the latest development in PSEA, inter-agency PSEA responses and humanitarian cluster systems is required.

Excellent communication skills is required.

Proven ability to work independently under difficult conditions is required.

Excellent facilitation, training, networking and advocacy skills is desirable.

Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the organization is desirable.

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic,Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

* Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

* The successful candidate for this emergency recruitment MUST be available to commence work within 31 days of receivingan offer.

* Please note that this is a non-family duty station.

* Employment is conditional upon receipt of medical clearance, any clearance required, the grant of a visa, and completion of any other pre-employment criteria that UNICEF may establish. Candidates may not be further considered or offers of employment may be withdrawn if these conditions are unlikely to be met before the date for commencement of service.

How to apply:

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=520125