Consultancy - Child Protection Systems Strengthening Consultant

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY Mercy Corps exists to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps has been present in the Middle East since the 1980s and currently has offices in Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Libya. Working in Lebanon since 1993, Mercy Corps has been running community development programs focused on promoting economic development and increased opportunity for disadvantaged communities, while responding to emergencies as they emerged. Recently, Mercy Corps’ portfolio has expanded in response to the refugee influx from Syria, including grants from UNICEF, UNHCR, European Commission, Canadian and American governments, and private foundations. Humanitarian response and resilience programming will be an increasing focus of the Protection Sector portfolio in Lebanon.     CONTEXT As the Syrian conflict persists, instability and insecurity continue to impact the daily lives of boys, girls, adolescents and their caregivers in Lebanon, exposing them increasingly to protection violations. Tensions between refugees and host communities are worsening, with children emulating the discriminatory attitudes they witness. This is exacerbated by a lack of services and resources, as well as perceptions of unequal support for increasingly vulnerable host communities.   Child protection actors are working to provide protective environments for all children in Lebanon. However, as needs are increasing, funding is decreasing and is mostly short term. The deteriorating socio-economic situation of many refugees and vulnerable Lebanese, coupled with limited livelihoods opportunities and limited access to education, has contributed to families using negative coping mechanisms, such as child labour and child marriage. Breakdown of protection community mechanisms also place children and caregivers at greater risk of violence, exploitation, and abuse.   Greater focus is required on prevention and mitigating the impact of the crisis on women, boys and girls by continuing to strengthen and improve quality of psychosocial services (PSS), case management and access to specialized services. Services need to be made available for all children regardless of their nationalities. Working with children caregivers, families and communities at large is crucial to complement the support to institutions. Both system building and community based approaches are key to create a protective environment for children and to build resilience.     SUMMARY  Under the supervision of the Child and Youth Protection Program Manager, the Child Protection Systems Strengthening Consultant will provide technical support to and facilitation with SDC directors [Shouf Barj, Haret El Nemeh, Chebaa] To implement VAC Campaigns in those areas  .   DELIVERABLES     Activity Output Time Frame Tranche Meet SDC directors to agree on the topic of the VAC Campaigns.  To have detail plan of each VAC campaign.             1-10-2015 to 15-11-2015 after implementing 3 campaigns         16-11-2015  to 31-12-0215   After implementing the remaining 3 campaigns                                To Implement  6 VAC Campaigns  in the 3 locations (Chebaa  , Barja , Haret Neameh )   Implement 5 VAC Campaign in the 3 locations . Facilitate meetings with SDC directors in the three  locations and provide technical support to the field Coordinators Four (3) SDC Meetings and Field Visits  – (Chebaa  , Barja , Haret Neameh ) Provide reports after each VAC campaign and after each meeting with SDC directors  . Provide Reports after  each VAC and coaching visits Detail action Plan about each VAC  include Objective target Provide Action Plan of each VAC         KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE Strong technical knowledge and experience with designing, managing, monitoring and evaluating refugee protection, GBV and/or child protection programming in emergency, transitional and development contexts. Excellent knowledge of child protection issues, including child abuse, gender based violence, support for separated, unaccompanied and vulnerable children, psychosocial support for children and caregivers, working with host and displaced communities, etc. Experience establishing and supporting community-based protection mechanisms and strengthening local systems preferred. Solid knowledge and application of established inter-agency standards and guidelines relevant to protection. Experience in capacity building and strengthening various duty bearers understanding of and response to child protection. Strong experience of coordination with other humanitarian actors and local authorities on child protection and protection issues. Minimum 5 years of professional work experience in protection programming, including child protection, with proven ability to apply a rights based approach incorporating the principles of the CRC and other relevant UN conventions   Proven technical support provision, capacity building and capacity development skills. Good understanding of the linkages and intersections between child protection and social welfare, justice, education and health, with ability to advise and implement strategies that promote coordination between sectors. Excellent analytical skills with ability to identify problems and propose solutions. Strong communication, networking, advocacy, negotiation and diplomacy skills. Specialized background in gender, child protection, and minority rights and other vulnerable groups preferred. Knowledge of Lebanon, in particular its displacement context and protection threats relevant to internal conflict preferred. Proficiency in English essential Arabic competitive advantage