Thailand: Child Protection Technical Expert

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Country Management Team

LOCATION: Bangkok, with frequent travel to the field

CONTRACT LENGTH: Fixed Term 12 months National staff contract

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Program Director

Staff reporting to this post: None

Role Dimensions:

Key Internal Stakeholders: Senior Operation Manager, Child Safeguarding focal points, CP Coordinators, in collaboration with the Country Management Team and wider Program team, Member technical advisors and members of the Save the Children Global Child Protection Community.

External Representation: Regular contact and representation with national and local government, civil society organizations, UN member organizations, corporate sector and donors.

Budget Responsibilities: None

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Thematic Area Leadership and Strategic Planning: 

• Take lead in communicating CO’s vision 2022-24 and for long term programming in relation to Child Protection. Ensure that child protection staff are aware of and understand Save the Children’s Child Protection global strategy, and the Country Strategic Plan, Project Result frameworks and common approaches in child protection.
• Support staff to adopt common approaches in new and ongoing program implementation, adapting to fit within the country context.
• Share best practices and latest thinking on child protection with programme colleagues, supporting them to incorporate these into programme design and delivery.
• Identifies innovations in Child Protection work and ensures evidence-based results when designing Child Protection programs and projects
• Facilitate a community of practice on Child Protection involving staff from different teams across the country programme to foster a culture of sharing and learning
• Provides inputs in the development and monitoring the country office strategies and annual plans, with a particular focus on Child Protection
• Work with programme colleagues to ensure that child protection programmes contribute towards achieving the country strategic goals and the global thematic breakthroughs

Programme Quality:

• Overall responsibility to ensure programme quality of Save the Children’s child protection programming in Thailand
• Provide technical leadership to the child protection team in Thailand to ensure new proposals are technically sound and reflect best practice, latest thinking and learning from programme implementation.
• Builds the capacities and provides technical support to field offices, CP coordinators and partners to enable them to meet agreed results and effectively execute strategies in relation to Child Protection. ·Provide required technical support to field teams and partners to achieve the required standards in Child Protection by developing relevant tools, designing modules and quality benchmarks.
• Collaborate and coordinate with Save the Children’s Global Child Protection Theme, member representatives, technical advisors, programme staff and consultants to ensure that child protection projects receive quality technical assistance in line with programme/project strategies and work plans;
• Work closely with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure quality MEL systems and frameworks for CP programme that monitors the impact of projects and progress towards strategic programme and advocacy objectives. Ensure that monitoring systems provide information in the appropriate form and at the right time (in different levels) to allow for effective decision making
• Develop and implement strategies to ensure gender equity, inclusiveness, child participation and beneficiary accountability in all Child Protection programmes.
• Ensure CO Emergency Preparedness and Response Plans (EPP) and Contingency plans contain clear CP and Child Safeguarding direction and that partners are identified and listed, with adequate CP and CSG experience.
• Technically support, as required, the roll-out of the Safe Programming and Safer Partnerships initiatives and CSG program strengthening agenda across SC program areas, with the aim of building internal CO technical capacity and handing over full leadership.

Programme Design and Development:

• Lead the strategic development of quality child protection programming, including development of project designs and proposals that meet SCI and sector standards. Identify and pursue opportunities for synergistic, inter-sectoral programs to address the holistic needs of children, especially the most deprived.
• Serve as the Child Protection thematic lead in development of proposals and budgets coordinating with Business Development Manager and other technical and implementation staff
• Build on technical knowledge, research and current/previous programming to lead development of innovative child protection proposals in close coordination with other teams.

Programme Evidence & Impact: 

• Providing tools and frameworks for evidence-based policy advocacy ensuring Save the Children Child Protection research is designed, conducted and disseminated with a clear policy advocacy plan in place.
• Work closely with the MEAL team and other colleagues to develop and implement effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks, supporting the development and implementation of project-specific M&E frameworks and quality benchmarks, and ensuring that monitoring data is analysed and shared;
• Capture learning from child protection programmes, identifying internal and external opportunities to share lessons learned and ensuring that this evidence informs project design and advocacy;
• Contribute to development of donor and programme reports, ensuring they reflect the impact of child protection programme activities.

External Representation, Policy and Advocacy:

• Coordinate closely with the Advocacy and Communications, Campaigning and Media (CCM) team on policy and advocacy work relating to Child Protection and with country MEAL to ensure evidence and knowledge translation is compelling and rigorous.
• Build strong relationships with government ministries, INGOs, UN agencies, development and humanitarian partners, CSOs, local authorities, corporate sector and academic institutions working on child protection.
• Establish a strong reputation for Save the Children, ensuring we are valued as a key technical resource which contributes effectively to joint learning, analysis, policy development and strengthened child protection systems in Thailand;
• Lead on policy and advocacy for the Child Protection sector, ensuring that Child Protection technical interventions are designed to inform relevant policy concerns. In collaboration with the Senior Advocacy Manager, develop policy briefs and position papers, ensuring the inclusion of technical input from the relevant CP staff.
• Represent Save the Children at national, regional and international meetings, with a particular focus on developing the reputation of Save the Children as a leading child protection agency in Thailand through active participation in the government’s and sector working groups;
• Identify areas where child protection programming evidence and learning can make a significant impact to policy change, in collaboration with the Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns team, actively engage in advocacy efforts to realize such changes; Identify appropriate strategic partnerships for joint advocacy initiatives on Child Protection issues
• In close collaboration with other child protection and advocacy colleagues, support the development of policy engagement and advocacy strategies with a view to influencing child protection policies and practice in Thailand, providing guidance and support to data collection and the building of an evidence base and contributing to key policy discussions, including development of policy briefs, lessons learned documents and other products based on programme data and analysis;
• Support Thailand’s engagement with global Save the Children campaigns and advocacy initiatives.

Management and Capacity Building: 

• Identify and support professional development and career growth opportunities for child protection staff, and provide mentoring support where appropriate;
• In close collaboration with the Senior Operations Manager, develop and support capacity development plans for child protection staff across the country programme;
• Supervise consultants, researchers or other short-term staff hired for specified quality, policy or research activities;
• Support child protection teams in working with and strengthening civil society partners, including partner assessment/risk analysis, capacity building planning and technical support.
• Provide technical advice and support to external stakeholders including government, corporates and other authorities working in the field of child protection

Cluster Coordination, Representation and Networking: 

• Provide adequate and effective leadership in coordination of the CPiE sub-cluster. ·
• Develop and maintain appropriate coordination mechanisms with the UNICEF, UNHCR, I/NGOs, Donors and other members of CPiE sub cluster.
• Participate in relevant working groups, task forces, seminars and related fora in the thematic area; and among donors, UN agencies, International NGOs, and national and sub-national government counterparts in coordination
• Alongside the Senior Advocacy Manager, maintain working relationships with relevant Ministries in Thailand and connect flagship programs with government and other non-government interventions.
• Identify partnerships/collaborations and build strong networks with other governmental agencies in Thailand or ASEAN, local NGOs, INGOs, CSOs, donors, UN agencies and academic institutions and the private sector working on Child Protection and Child Rights to collaborate on programs, joint learning, analysis and advocacy initiatives, explore jointly capacity development opportunities for them and implement them.
• Ensure that the country office has effective representation on national, regional and international networks and fora related to Child Protection, and that we participate in conferences/meetings that will enhance our reputation and programming.
• Actively participate in technical coordination meetings to ensure synergies with other agencies in our development work and emergency responses
• As appropriate, support the BD team in maintaining excellent relationships with donors, both in terms of strategic positioning and program delivery.
• As appropriate, represent the CO on the Regional and Global meetings on Child Protection, both internal and external.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice): 

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS: 

Essential: 

• Master Degree in Social Sciences/Social Work or a field(s) relevant to international development assistance;
• Proficiency in English, and Thai
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in child protection programming within the development sector, this should include senior level technical leadership, representation and policy work in development and/or humanitarian contexts
• Proven extensive knowledge and expertise in key child protection strategies and approaches, including but not limited to child protection systems strengthening; mental health and psychosocial support; case management; parenting without violence; and community-based child protection mechanisms;
• Excellent understanding of, and technical excellence in at least 2 of Save the Children’s core CP sub-thematic areas (Protecting Children from Violence; Protection from Harmful Work; Child Protection Systems; Appropriate Care; and Child Protection in Emergencies
• Experience in risk management
• Demonstrated leadership in improving Safe Programming approaches and ensuring Child Safeguarding across thematic areas, in particular, education
• Demonstrated knowledge, expertise and or commitment to Child Rights.
• Demonstrated experience in strengthening the capacity of child protection staff and partners in child protection technical skills and knowledge in development and/or humanitarian contexts;
• Experience in conducting or contributing to operations and formative research, including study design, protocol and questionnaire development, data analysis and interpretation, and dissemination and use of findings;
• Strong analytical and writing skills;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, highly developed report writing and presentation skills.
• Strong relationship building, influencing, negotiating and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with key stakeholders at all levels.
• Commitment to Save the Children’s mission, vision and values.
• Experience in working with Save the Children is an asset
• Willingness to travel frequently to field locations, including along Thai-Myanmar Border and the Deep South of Thailand – estimated 35% LOE

Desirable: 

• Additional professional certificates: Certificate or diploma in Child Protection or relevant field.
• Advanced knowledge on Child Protection laws, policy and context in Thailand
• Experience working on Digital Safety, Child Protection and Child Resilience, and/or Child Labour programming
• Experience supporting multi-country/ cross border portfolios
• Relevant academic qualification in child protection or child rights.
• Proven experience of delivering child protection in humanitarian emergency settings

Additional Job Responsibilities: 

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities: 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the Save the Children Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding: 

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding Our Staff: 

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the Save the Children anti-harassment policy.

Health and Safety: 

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with Save the Children Health and Safety policies and procedures.

How to Apply: 

Interested candidates should apply and submit a motivational letter, comprehensive CV, expected salary and details of at least 3 referees via the following link;

Job Description - Child Protection Technical Expert (230002E1) (taleo.net)

“We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse”