Child Protection Specialist

Role Purpose

The Child Protection Specialist is responsible for all technical aspects of field operations, providing assistance and guidance on child protection, toward the strategic focuses of the program. He/she ensures the quality of SIF child protection programs in Lebanon, offering capacity building to local staff, supporting all departments for technical aspects, following and ensuring the quality of the SIF’s national strategy in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, providing leadership in technical programming for CP prevention across all sectors. The Child Protection Specialist is the direct line manager of Technical Unit Department staff (currently PSS Trainer and Protection Technical Officer).

Technical and Operational Support to Program Implementation

• Provide technical support to the mission at different levels, updating and ensuring the use of technical guidelines and tools during the implementation of CP activities.
• Design and provide input to the SIF national strategy in child protection and GBV prevention programs, based on needs assessment findings and in line with LCRP (Lebanon Crisis Response Plan) to harmonize interventions among international and local CP actors.
• Together with the Protection manager, ensuring that log frames and indicators in CP and GBV prevention are following technical standards.
• Supporting the data collection staff in reporting CP activities
• Supporting the proposal writing in technical aspects and descriptions of CP and GBV prevention Programs.
• Supporting operational and finance team to define appropriate budgets as well as performance indicators.
• Provide technical inputs for the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of CP activities.
• Support in writing and editing project reports to ensure meeting quality outcomes and donor’s requirements.
• Ensure child protection risks and mechanisms are assessed on a regular basis.

Compliance to Child Protection Standards

• Influence all departments of the organization in ensuring the CP and GBV mainstreaming in all sectors.
• Regular revision of the existing SIF child protection policies, PSEA and protocols.
• Ensure establishment of a complaints and response mechanism which hold SIF accountable as a safe organization for children in all community-based programs.
• Writing every 3 months a narrative report concerning the technical aspects of the mission.
• Ensure confidentiality of information regarding child protection and/or GBV information and incidents.
• Together with RFP, s/he will be the one responsible for ensuring confidentiality of all CP/GBV cases referred.
• Support staff in identification and referrals of CP/GBV cases in SIF Safe Centers.

Support to Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting

• Conduct regular field visits to monitor implementation of child protection programs and to provide technical guidance.
• Work to ensure that child protection programs follow the developed standards and indicators and address identified issues.
• Supporting logistic department, if needed, to facilitate solutions to technical material purchase and everything related to the beneficiaries safety in SIF Centers.
• Follow-up the Focus Group Discussion tools as community based M&E tools, following the Guidance Note in Prevention and Response coming from the national CPWG.
• Supporting the internal monthly sector reporting system when needed.
• Support program assessments, evaluation tools and other reviews required in the program.

Capacity Building on Child Protection

• Responsible for the recruitment of technical staff in the mission, together with HR department (Technical Unit staff if needed, Psychosocial Facilitators).
• Together with Technical Unit staff, responsible for  building the  technical capacity of frontline staff on child protection and GBV prevention, including:

-identification and referrals of CP cases, CP risk levels, PFA, Disability Inclusion in PSS Programs, GBV training, ToT training for staff, PSS community based interventions.

• Responsible for building the technical capacity of PSS trainer and Protection technical officer (SIF Technical Unit), in designing curricula, awareness sessions, PSS sessions, how to train the staff, how to support the staff in the field for technical needs etc.
• Responsible in reviewing all technical tools, Guidelines, Policies, training material presented to different targets (local staff, CBOs, beneficiaries etc.)  and curricula designed for each CP interventions, for children, youth and caregivers.

Networking, Relationship and External Communication

• Ensuring the network with other non-governmental organizations to ensure a harmonized collaboration in CP Programs.
• Participate effectively in technical discussions with relevant stakeholders including government technical departments, donors, development partners, and NGO partners
• Coordinate with other agencies, governments and NGOs to implement and coordinate common child protection standards.
• Represent and participate effectively in CPiEWG and ensuring the participation of TU in representing SIF when needed (PSS sub-clusters etc.)
• Support the advocacy work at the local and national level on child protection aspects.

Learning and Research

• Ensuring that a functional system is in place for sharing and exchange best practices in CP Programs.
• Identify new trends and opportunities to feed in new projects models.

Qualifications of Successful Candidate:

The ideal Candidate shows a deep technical knowledge on CP, GBV and PSS key areas: s/he knows and apply the IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action and minimum standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian actions. S/he shows deep knowledge of CP policies and PSEA protocols.

Education:  University degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology other social science field is required.

Experience: A minimum of 3 years of professional experience in child protection Programs and/other related areas (MHPSS, PSS etc.) Relevant experience in child protection and related areas, program/project development and management in humanitarian organization is an asset.

Language: Fluency in Arabic and English is required.

Competencies required

ï‚·  Commitment

ï‚·  Diversity and inclusion

ï‚·  Integrity

ï‚·  Excellent Communication skills

ï‚·  Drive for results

ï‚·  Leading and supervising

ï‚·  Deciding and Initiating action

ï‚·  Applying technical expertise