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For every child, Protection
Due to multifaceted conflicts, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to the second largest displaced population in the world. The scale and complexity of humanitarian needs and protection concerns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are staggering. Chronic poverty and weak essential service systems, recurrent armed conflict, acute malnutrition and major epidemic outbreaks, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, are all heightening vulnerability. There are 5.2 million people internally displaced in the country, including 3 million children. Fifty per cent of displaced people were displaced in the last 12 months, which has created a protection crisis of unprecedented size. Displaced children are exposed to extreme violence, at heightened risk of abuse and live in precarious conditions with limited access to basic services such as drinking water, primary health care and education. Four million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are in urgent need of protection. The prevalence of gender-based violence remains high, particularly in conflict-affected provinces. Women and children are also at risk of sexual exploitation and abuse, with few avenues for reporting abuse and seeking assistance.
How can you make a difference?
Purpose of the job :
Under the guidance of the Country Representative, the Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Specialist will support the country office to roll out the UNICEF PSEA action plan and support UNICEF’s engagement in the inter-agency PSEA Network that is established under the HC/HCT. The PSEA Specialist will have a dotted line to the Deputy Representative Programme and will work closely with the Chief of Child Protection and Gender Advisor.
The PSEA Specialist will be based in Kinshasa and will be responsible for supporting country-wide implementation of PSEA, including technical support to UNICEF Field Offices. This includes working closely with the child protection section and gender advisor, as well as across programme sections, to support acceleration of PSEA around core programmatic priorities, including safe and accessible reporting, survivor-centered assistance (in collaboration with the GBV Specialist) and accountability, as elements of an overall preventative approach.
Within the context of the inter-agency response and the UNCT/HCT PSEA strategy and action plan, the PSEA Specialist will support UNICEF’s contribution to the inter-agency PSEA work including specific deliverables and responsibilities that UNICEF holds within the PSEA network and action plan.
Your Specific Responsibilities, Duties and Tasks :
Internal capacity building and technical support :
- Provide leadership, technical support and monitoring for the implementation of UNICEF DRC Country Office PSEA Action Plan, including implementation at provincial level ;
- Deliver PSEA trainings for UNICEF staff, consultants, volunteers, and implementing partners, in line with the PSEA Training Plan ;
- Build the capacity of selected UNICEF staff to replicate PSEA trainings and awareness raising efforts ;
- Support knowledge management efforts on PSEA, including a repository of tools, documentation of promising practices, etc… ;
- Together with C4D, and in liaison with the PSEA Network, develop awareness raising materials for UNICEF office and partners, including leaflets and posters for UNICEF offices and UNICEF partners’ offices including communities ;
- Develop an internal tracking tools to ensure regular and consistent monitoring of SEA cases and case management of child victims’ assistance ;
- Supporting the DRC CO to institutionalize PSEA efforts within their programmes, monitoring and facilities (e.g. HACT, supply section, programme component teams, etc.) ;
- Support DRC CO to expand/strengthen communities’ access to safe and accessible reporting channels across programmes/sections ;
- In collaboration with UNICEF sections, support partners to ensure PSEA policies and structures are aligned with standards and requirements as per UNICEF PSEA Implementing Partners Procedures and the UN Protocol.
Inter-agency response to SEA and PSEA Network coordination :
- Represent UNICEF in the inter-agency PSEA Network, including support to UNICEF’s contributions on the Steering Committee. Support UNICEF to actively engage in the PSEA network at provincial level and promote the implementation of the national DRC HCT Strategy on PSEA. Work with relevant stakeholder to take forward the inter-agency PSEA Network action plan, including ;
- Finalization, endorsement and system-wide implementation of the PSEA Network Standard Operating Procedures/ information-sharing protocol across network members, at national and provincial levels ;
- Develop and implement a safe and accessible reporting channels for SEA, both for humanitarian workers and community-based mechanisms that are gender and age sensitive, including to promote a coherent approach across all existing mechanisms ;
- Community Based Complaints Mechanism on SEA, building upon existing community-based complaint mechanisms as relevant. Develop 1) about outreach and sensitization on SEA in communities; and 2) training of PSEA focal points. Suggestion to dissociate as needs be ;
- Ensure systems procedures for inter-agency referrals are functionals and effective, including accountability mechanisms and development of joint interagency responses in relation to SEA risks and concerns ;
- Support to PSEA risk assessment as per HCT PSEA Action Plan ;
- Support the roll out of the UN Victims Assistance Protocol.
Support Appropriate Reporting and Response of SEA allegations :
- Support the internal roll out and implementation of UNICEF SEA reporting procedures ;
- Develop and implement a safe and accessible reporting channels for SEA, both for humanitarian workers and community-based mechanisms that are gender and age sensitive, including to promote a coherent approach across all existing mechanisms ;
- Work with UNICEF Child Protection and GBV officers to integrate SEA reporting channels within existing community-based mechanisms and services, in a manner that is gender and child sensitive and that links to GBV referral pathways; this should include the training of community PSEA focal points and outreach and sensitization on PSEA with communities ;
- Work across all UNICEF programme sectors to ensure that information about how to report SEA is accessible for children and women ;
- Provide technical support to partners to strengthen internal reporting procedures ;
- Once a complaint is received ;
- Ensure that all information pertaining to complaints is handled and referred strictly in line with agreed protocols: the internal UNICEF Notification Alert and inter-agency PSEA task force standard operating procedures (under finalization) ;
- Immediately refer survivors to appropriate service providers so that they receive the medical, psychosocial, legal and any other assistance support they may need, in line with the UN Victims’ Assistance Protocol.
Prevention :
- Collaborate and coordinate with partners and UNICEF sections to ensure sensitization activities on SEA are implemented across communities, and establish systems to track and monitor implementation ;
- Collaborate and coordinate with partners and UNICEF sections to ensure systematic SEA risk assessment is conducted and findings are reflected and included in programme implementation.
Survivor assistance :
- In coordination with the Chief Child Protection ;
- Ensure that survivors of SEA access assistance and support ;
- Monitor the quality of assistance and follow up provided to victims of SEA by UNICEF partners.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field ;
*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree ;
- A minimum of 7 years of professional experience in design, implementation and management of protection or GBV programming, PSEA and child safeguarding, preferably with the UN and/or international NGO ;
- Experience working in humanitarian contexts. Familiarity with the latest development in PSEA, inter-agency PSEA responses and humanitarian cluster systems ;
- Excellent communication skills. Proven ability to work independently under difficult conditions. Excellent facilitation, training, networking and advocacy skills. Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships, both within and outside the organization ;
- Fluency in French and a good command of English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks :
- Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service ;
- Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.