Ukraine: Child Protection Program Support Adviser

The Child Protection Programme Adviser will provide technical support and capacity strengthening to the growing CP and MHPSS teams across Eastern Ukraine. The focus will be to ensure a systematic planning, onboarding, implementation and monitoring is taking place; and providing contextual analysis to ensure the program is implemented in a strategic manner where SC’s added value to local partners and relevant authorities and counterparts is clearly defined. The CP Programme Adviser is expected to work closely with multiple Technical Advisers based in Kyiv—including Child Protection, Case Management, Gender Equality/GBV, Adolescents and Youth as well as MHPSS—to increase the visibility on priorities, constraints and opportunities at field level, as well as to oversee the contextualisation and implementation of child protection-related assessments, programme design, technical quality and learning. This will require a strong interface with the MEAL team, Field Managers, Coordinator(s) and various other stakeholders Ukraine. She/he will have a focus on ensuring safe and quality programming, strengthening coherence across the diverse child protection portfolio (PSS/resilience building, CP monitoring, child protection case management, including cash for protection, Gender Based Violence prevention and response) while working with other sector Program Managers and the Head of Programme to ensure effective integration and information sharing.

The CP Programme Support Adviser will therefore primarily be expected to support the Child Protection programmes to increase impact and enable positive change for girls and boys affected by conflict. Due to the context a multi-pronged approach is required, which means implementing emergency assistance while simultaneously working in areas indirectly affected or newly accessible towards area-based approaches where CP programming is the central component around which the broader response is structured. To ensure a contextualized approach the Adviser will lead on a gap analysis to identify capacity building needs and appropriate staffing structures, devise immediate and longer-term solutions, provide close coaching and mentoring of the program implementation team, partners, and, define the local linkages need to increase effectiveness and sustainability. A key program implementation focus will be placed on family strengthening, family-based alternative care and de-institutionalization reform processes, including potential engagement with residential care facilities. Aspects of the CP & MHPSS portfolio, such as case management or de-institutionalization efforts, require a more coordinated and/or standardized approach across SCI CP programs in Ukraine, and therefore involve collaboration with CP PMs in the other Area Offices together with the relevant Technical Advisers.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Capacity Building: 

• S/he will be expected to mentor, coach and build the capacity of the program implementation team in the assigned field locations
• Identify learning and training needs with relevant partners, authorities and NNGOs and co-facilitate trainings to support and build a range of contextualized child protection capacities in the community and/or with relevant counterparts and institutions.
• Identify learning and training opportunities, through conducting gap analysis as needed, for Save the Children staff and partners; and develop plans/identify resources to build the capacity of national staff at all levels in the organization, including a focus on both technical and thematic knowledge, along with operational skills sets.
• Develop de-centralized systems for strong hands-on capacity building for Save the Children staff and partners and work as a mentor and role model for less experienced staff, in close collaboration with PDQ TAs.
• As and when needed, contribute to recruitment of key positions on the team and help to create a process and resource hub for more consistent and robust on-boarding in line with role/responsibilities.

Quality, Integrated and Safe Programming: 

• Working with the Programme Managers, Head of Programmes and the Child Protection Technical Advisers to support the contextualisation and implementation of child protection response plans. Based on the Child Protection sectoral strategy, s/he should support the following areas, as appropriate;
• Contribute to the child protection programme in East Area Office through supporting the contextualisation and implementation of needs assessment tools, in coordination with the relevant child protection stakeholders.
• Ensure a robust and responsive case management process in line with quality standards and complementary to existing CP systems.
• Support the CM team in a well-coordinated and well-resourced transition to CPIMS+ as well as the corresponding data analysis of a growing CM portfolio.
• Facilitate rollout of “Centrality of Protection” initiatives within EAO, together with HoP and other key staff. Including sensitising all sectors on the fundamentals of CoP, why and how we need to embed it our programming.
• Contextual analysis and supporting the team with decision making trees to ensure timely follow up and an understanding of internal and external processes linked to our interventions.
• Support the CP team to update stakeholder mapping and engagement planning
• Support the operationalisation of contextually relevant, high quality and integrated programming for CP, based on the strategic direction in place and SC’s global Common Approaches, including the following sub-thematic areas: child protection case management, alternative care, child and youth resilience, child and adolescent friendly space activities, community-level child protection, awareness raising, and child protection situation monitoring.
• Support the CP team to proactively engage with and activate effective referral pathways with other sectors and technical areas, such as Education, WASH, MHPSS, Gender/GBV, Health/Nutrition, Cash, Emergency Response and Early Recovery to ensure that the needs of the children are addressed comprehensively (holistically) and that synergies are considered at need identification and response stages.
• Develop programme team understanding of and skills to ensure activities adhere to the principles and framework of safe programming, and support teams to conduct safe programming assessments and planning; conduct safe programming audits and reviews and provide feedback and technical support to improve programming and programmatic approaches.
• Continually review and critically analyse SC’s programming approach, based on changes in the context and child protection operating environment, and share information with the AO management and Senior Child Protection Technical Adviser and other PDQ colleagues.
• Support child protection teams and multi-sectoral staff to ensure that the relevant humanitarian minimum standards are understood and applied in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection Humanitarian Action (2019), the ACE Toolkit, the Inter Agency Guidelines for Case Management and Child Protection, the Inter Agency Coaching and Supervision Package, the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, the Core Humanitarian Standard and the Red Cross Code of Conduct.
• Support the planning and definition of ways of working with partners to increase complementarity, two-way knowledge exchange and sustainability of outcomes for children.
• Where possible visit field sites to observe and engage with front line staff and to model coaching, feedback and participatory facilitation approaches as well as child-friendly and inclusive communication.

Representation, Advocacy and Organizational Learning: 

• Maintain overview of key regional coordination groups and platforms and facilitate timely exchange of information and coherent SC representation and participation back to PDQ/ Technical Advisers at national level.
• Identify opportunities and provide coaching for other CP staff to engage with coordination groups as appropriate, in order to build capacity.
• Develop a strong learning agenda that is built on regular reflective practice and documentation/knowledge management so that experience from implementation translates into actionable organisational learning.
• Provide contextualised inputs into media and advocacy products related to child protection, as well as ensure proper protocols and understanding are in place regarding ethical media practices particularly in the wake of acute tragedy or other sensitive situations.
• In collaboration with Save the Children CP colleagues, feed in learning, experiences and evidence to relevant global CP advocacy objectives and thought leadership products.

MEAL Systems and Reporting: 

• Identify bottlenecks and co-create solutions to enable improved information flow through harmonised monitoring and evaluation systems for both direct and partner-led programming, with a solid link to monthly IPTTs.
• Define clear roles and responsibilities to contextualize, utilize and then generate action plans based on quality benchmarks, including for partners.
• Support PMs and MEAL focal points to put in place accountability mechanisms for child protection, ensuring that feedback from children, communities, and all other relevant stakeholders is considered in programme design and throughout the project cycle.
• Work with PDQ and PMs to identify and increase opportunities for child participation in CP & MHPSS program implementation.
• Where possible, use the monitoring and evaluation frameworks and available data to build/contribute to an evidence-base for child protection programming interventions.

Child Safeguarding: 

• Ensure that SCI Child Safeguarding and PSEA Policies and systems are integrated into programming approaches, and support child protection teams to ensure safe programming.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

Essential:

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in the field of child and adolescent development, family strengthening and child protection in emergencies.
• Experience working in Ukraine and ideally previous experience working in similar contexts.
• Education at Masters level in a relevant subject and/or equivalent field experience.
• Previous experience of programme management and /or technical supervisory role across multiple locations.
• Demonstrated experience in leading assessment activities and of designing, managing, monitoring and evaluating CP programmes in emergencies for international NGOs.
• Proven capacity to supervise, train and coach staff in CPiE technical skills and in delivering training to a range of stakeholders.
• Experience of applying relevant interagency humanitarian frameworks and standards in CP in emergencies.
• Experience facilitating participatory approaches with children, young people and communities.
• Experience of representation, including on coordination mechanisms (e.g. Cluster or working groups) and working with government authorities and national CP systems.
• Field- and community-oriented with a focus on strengthening CP systems and sustainability.
• A high level of written and spoken English.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven ability to make relevant connections across issues, individuals and ideas to achieve results in a large organization and fast-paced country program.
• Sensitive to team dynamics and able to motivate individuals during times of stress and transition.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
• Strong team building, influencing skills and experience in advocacy.
• The capacity and willingness to be proactive, extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of SC. In particular, a good understanding of the SC mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable: 

• Experience or knowledge of working and living in relevant regions/contexts.
• Knowledge of local languages (Ukrainian, Russian).
• Familiarity with Save the Children.
• Knowledge of alternative care and de-institutionalisation.
• Experience working with CPIMS+ Primero in a child protection response.

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.

How to Apply: 

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