Kenya: Child Rights and Safeguarding Officer

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Our global strategy has an ambition of a world where all girls can claim and exercise their rights and live the life they choose. Plan International will work, alongside partners, to support girls in all circumstances, especially in fragile contexts, fighting injustice or facing crisis. By 2027 Plan International’s contribution, together with our partners, will be to positively impact the lives of 200 million girls and those that surround them.

With over 40 years of experience in implementing its programme, Plan International Kenya (PIK) mainly operates in 12 Counties namely; Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Tharaka-Nithi, Siaya, Kwale, Kilifi, Homabay, Kisumu, Tana River, Turkana and Marsabit.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL KENYA STRATEGY STATEMENT: 

Plan International Kenya’s (PIK) strategic goal in the next five years is to end teenage pregnancies and end all forms of sexual and gender-based violence against adolescent girls and young women. We aim to help create an enabling environment where girls and young women are safe, valued, equally cared for, and have equal opportunities. PIK will contribute to the global strategy by aiming to reach directly approximately 2.75 million (children, including girls and young women over the period of the strategy running between 2022-2026 and to reach additional beneficiaries through its interventions.

THE ROLE: 

The Child Rights & Safeguarding Officer will coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Global Policy on Safeguarding of Children and Programme participants, as well as the Policy on Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA). The position holder will be responsible for the design, implementation and monitoring of the annual priorities for Safeguarding and PSHEA for Plan Kenya, working in partnership with representatives from all Programme Units, relevant Departments, and external stakeholders as needed. S/he must have proven experience in child & youth safeguarding and child protection programming, have expertise on engaging children and youth, and be well-versed with the community, county and national protection systems and mechanisms.

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES: 

Planning, Strategy and Policy (15%): 

• Coordinate the implementation of Plan International’s Global Policies on Safeguarding Children and Young People, and Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA) informed by the annual Safeguarding Self-Assessment exercise
• Ensure Plan Kenya adopts a survivor-centred and rights-based approach in the prevention and response mechanisms established for all Safeguarding incidences
• Facilitate strengthened integration of Safeguarding principles, procedures and practices in all programmatic and operational functions

Programme and Project Design and Influence (15%): 

• Promote the adherence to and integration of Safe Programming Principles in the implementation of projects
• Engage Program and Project Implementation staff to ensure that there is use of harmonized strategies on engaging/involving and/or empowering children and young people, including providing platforms for their meaningful engagement with Plan and other external stakeholders
• Engage with the Media Relations and Communications Team, as well as the Influencing and Advocacy Advisor in defining, establishing and sustaining Plan Kenya’s strategy and practice on engaging children and youth
• Facilitate interaction and engagement with partners and external stakeholders on good Safeguarding practice; sharing our policy and practice where relevant, and exploring opportunities to link and/or strengthen our Safeguarding mechanisms with the available systems and services for protection of children and youth
• Develop, consolidate and/or provide input to periodic reports on the implementation of Safeguarding/PSHEA
• Identify and support on strengthening points of integration with other thematic areas
• Lead on co-creating innovative safeguarding solutions together with children, girls, young women and youth as well as the communities and other partners
• Working closely with implementing teams, lead/support on the identification and documentation of safeguarding best practices, safe guarding champions and stories of change
• Working closely with implementing teams, lead on generating concepts and proposal development ideas to raise grants to scale up on safe guarding and its integration in programming
• Coordinate with the M&E and knowledge management unit and ensure the compliance of indicators of safe programming
• Lead on and/or support implementing teams on organizing learning forums on safeguarding among programme participants at different levels – schools, community and county/national stakeholder forums
• Keep informed of current legislation, statutory and other guidance and changes or updates with regards to safeguarding and PSHEA – including data protection and confidentiality – and cascade the information accordingly.

Working in Partnership and Resource Mobilisation (10%): 

• Uphold the principles of Building Better Partnerships Approach, while ensuring Safeguarding principles are embedded in the assessment, on-boarding, and regular capacity building of partners
• Contribute to strengthening good Safeguarding Practice among Plan Kenya’s implementing partners, specifically the community-based organizations and the youth led organizations, including supporting their development/enhancing their own Safeguarding policies
• Participate in networks and forums (civil society, NGOs, Government stakeholders, Academic Institutions, etc) on Safeguarding and PSHEA
• Engage in providing input and relevant information to flagged business development opportunities
• Support in reviewing of proposals with a child safeguarding lens to ensure safe programming principles are upheld

Capability Building and People Management (15%): 

• Support staff orientation and capacity building on Safeguarding and PSHEA, as need be
• Drive regular learning sessions on topics relating to Plan’s Safeguarding Standards, with an aim of improving the appreciation/understanding and uptake of key Safeguarding principles among staff in different functions
• Identify training needs and conduct capacity building trainings, sensitization sessions and briefings for program participants (including children and young people), partners, and other external stakeholders
• Support the coordination of the Safeguarding Focal Points
• Develop and prepare materials for all Child Safeguarding related trainings including translations of IECs where need be
• Develop child safe guarding messages for various groups of stakeholders and facilitate publication.
• Provide technical guidance on child safeguarding to partners, volunteers, PIK representatives and other key stakeholders including consultants.

Financial Responsibility (10%): 

• Monitor programme performance and budget utilization of the KCO/National Protection and Safeguarding Project(s), on a monthly basis and provide information on corrective measures as needed
• Support the quarterly and annual planning and reporting processes of the KCO/National Protection and Safeguarding Project(s), to ensure budgets are well structured, managed and utilized against planned objectives

Risk Management (10%): 

• Support the development and review of Safeguarding risk assessments for project activities, project documents, program proposals and partnership documents for both development and emergency related implementation
• Compile partners’ activity documents, analyse partners risk assessment result and support on identified gaps

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) (20%): 

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Leads the orientation of programme staff to ensure that they are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team;
• Ensures that Plan Kenya contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
• Act as the first or among the primary focal point or point of contact for any safeguarding/PSHEA concerns, providing timely, relevant support and advice in order to safeguard children, girls and young people.
• Make timely referrals as needed, to support victims/survivors of safeguarding/PSHEA incidences. This may include psychosocial support, health care and legal support as appropriate

Other Duties (5%): 

• As assigned by the Child Rights & Safeguarding Advisor

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE: 

Qualifications/Experience Essential:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences or Development Studies
• At least 3 years of relevant work experience in a child focused organization
• Proven experience in child protection/safeguarding at all levels (community, county and national)
• Good understanding of child protection systems in the country, with specific knowledge of case management and psychosocial support
• A clear understanding of the strategies for engaging with children and young people in programme activities and advocacy
• Experience working with civil society and community-based organisations, particularly in Kenya
• Commitment to Plan values, with special attention paid to the adherence of Plan’s Global Policies on Safeguarding Children & Young People, and Prevention Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA)
• Result oriented, good interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, coordination and networking
• Ability to conduct trainings for varied audiences – adults, children, youth; Government representatives, CSO representatives, etc

Qualifications/Experience Desirable:

• Experience in designing and managing initiatives on Safeguarding and PSHEA
• Good understanding of Safeguarding sector strategies
• Demonstrated experience in child and youth participation
• Experience in handling sensitive cases for survivors of violence
• Experience working in emergency/humanitarian set-up

Languages Required: 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

Knowledge:

• In-depth knowledge of gender and inclusion and global/local development issues, with particular knowledge in girls’ rights and child rights, feminist movements, the key actors and institutions, and the power dynamics involved.
• Competent understanding of key gender inequalities, gaps, barriers and opportunities at the national, regional and global level and gender and inclusion in programs, and especially for children and girls.
• In-depth understanding of the policies, processes, institutions and organizations that shape the development and humanitarian context and standards within Kenya.
• Understanding of the implications of working with a rights-based approach to development and is able to analyze the situation of children’s and particularly girls’ rights in his/her working context
• In-depth knowledge on different types of partnerships and civil society strengthening and capacity building. Understanding issues, principles and strategies and their root causes and working with Plan’s principles and a range of strategies and approaches to improve outcomes

How to Apply: 

Application Link: https://career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/jobreqcareerpvt?jobId=47322&company=PlanInt&st=DC8090931F8116FDC8912399E3B9F15F1601BAEE

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme*. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.*

Disclaimer: Plan International is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate applicants on any basis. We also do not charge Job seekers any fees at any point of the recruitment process.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.