Niger: International Individual Consultancy Child Protection Sub-Cluster Coordination

Terms of Reference

International Individual Consultancy

Child Protection Sub-Cluster Coordination

1.Background & Purpose

Niger has been facing a humanitarian crisis in the region of Diffa due to armed conflict in Northern Nigeria since the beginning of 2014. To date, the number of internally displaced, returnee and refugee population has reached 285,000. Children are facing a wide range of protection issues.

A number of humanitarian actors, mostly international NGO’s, as well as government child protection services, have been implementing a wide range of interventions to address protection issues. These include: Child Friendly Spaces where children participate in socio-recreational activities which help them reduce stress in an environment which provides a sense of normalcy, and where children with special needs are identified and referred to psychosocial support or other services as needed; identification, documentation, temporary care, family tracing and reunification of unaccompanied and separated children; services for children victims of any form of violence – sexual, physical or emotional abuse, early/forced marriage, worst forms of labour, trafficking, recruitment into armed groups, etc.; establishment of community-based child protection mechanisms which includes volunteers and youth peer educators committees which role is to raise awareness about prevention and response to child protection issues, as well as to detect and report child protection cases; awareness-raising through community radios.

In order to avoid duplication and to ensure adequate geographic and thematic coverage, a full-time person is needed to coordinate interventions. This person is assisted by an Information Management Officer in charge of collecting, processing and analyzing data on the situation of children and on interventions carried out by all child protection actors in the area.

This position is part of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee(*IASC***)** Cluster approach, led by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance (OCHA), which is the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance.

This person will provide technical support to the two coordination mechanisms of the Child Protection Sub-Cluster of the Protection Cluster. In the capital city, Niamey, the Child Protection Working Group is led by UNICEF and co-led by the Ministry in charge of Child Protection, and comprises all CPiE country office representatives of INGOs working in the area of CPiE in Diffa. In Diffa, it is led by the Regional Child Protection Directorate and co-led by UNICEF, and comprises all CPiE field actors, all of which are international NGO’s. The former focuses on strategic coordination and the latter on operational coordination on the ground.

2.Objective of the consultancy

On behalf of UNICEF, the Country Lead Agency for the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (AoR), and in support of the Government, the purpose of this position is to provide leadership and to facilitate processes at national as well as field level (in Diffa), that will ensure a well-coordinated, strategic, adequate, coherent, and effective response by participants in the Child Protection Working Group.

3.Specific tasks

3.1 Collaboration with Protection Cluster, SGBV Sub-Cluster and other actors

· Work with the Protection Cluster and / or other actors including other Areas of Responsibility to identify opportunities to integrate Child Protection into other protection and other sector activities and to avoid duplication

· Work with the Protection Cluster and / or other humanitarian actors to prevent unintentional harm to children as a result of inappropriate humanitarian assistance.

· Collaborate with the Protection Cluster and/or other bodies as necessary to support and contribute to SGBV coordination mechanism as necessary.

3.2 Strategic Planning

· In collaboration with national and international Child Protection Actors, map current institutional response capacities – including conducting a child protection specific 6Ws.

· In collaboration with Child Protection Actors, develop a realistic evidence‐based, interagency Child Protection response plan, including both programmatic and advocacy activities (results oriented).

· Work with partners to develop a child protection interagency emergency preparedness plan (before, during and post emergency)

· During the transition phase of an emergency, work with child protection actors, government and other key stakeholders, including, where appropriate, groups at the global level, to develop a clear plan of action to hand over child protection in emergencies work to the appropriate actors.

· Promote emergency response actions, while at the same time considering the needs for early recovery planning. When feasible, work with Child protection actors to identify entry points for building national child protection systems.

· Coordinate the preparation of the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP)

3.3 Assessment

· Work with the Protection Cluster lead to ensure that key child protection concerns are reflected in OCHA‐led multi‐sectoral assessments, as well as other non‐child protection specific sectoral assessments.

· If necessary and together with Child Protection Actors, organize and supervise an interagency child protection needs assessment to map out priority protection gaps and identify key resources and assets while considering the impact of the emergency on existing protective systems.

· Coordinate the preparation of the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO)

3.4 Capacity Building

· Work with Child Protection actors at national as well as field level (Diffa) to develop an interagency CPiE capacity building strategy that meets the needs and priorities of key national and local stakeholders (i.e. Community, Civil society, Government officials, NGOs, non‐ CP Humanitarian actors) in order to be able to implement the agreed programmes.

· Conduct training workshops for child protection actors as needed.

3.5 Monitoring and Evaluation

· With Child Protection Actors, identify benchmarks for the interagency Child Protection response plan, and ensure periodic review of agency and interagency response.

· With partners, identify response gaps (including geographic coverage and programmatic scope) and seek solutions for filling gaps. When implementing agencies are unable to fill an identified gap, work with UNICEF – and the Protection Cluster – to find a solution.

· Contribute to the preparation of UNICEF monthly Situation Reports (SITREP)

· Coordinate the updating of OCHA Online Reporting System (ORS)

3.6 *Management and Representation*

· Promote, respect and ensure that the Principles of Partnership are reflected in the day‐to‐ day work of the Child Protection coordination mechanism at national as well as field level (Diffa).

· Represent the interest of the sectoral group in discussions with the humanitarian community and other stakeholders on prioritization, resource mobilization and advocacy.

· Establish results‐oriented, two‐way communication channels between the national and sub‐national level to promote, upgrade and strengthen a more standardized child protection response at the operational and national level.

· Represent Child Protection Actors within the Protection Cluster, the OCHA lead inter‐cluster coordination mechanisms and, when possible, within the HCT/UN country team, as well as within any other inter-agency humanitarian coordination mechanism.

· Provide technical support to Child Protection Working Groups: call meetings, write minutes of meetings, keep documents organized in Drop Box, share information, write annual report of Child Protection Sub-Cluster.

3.7 Fund Raising

· In close consultation with Child Protection Actors, develop CERF and other proposals.

· Contribute to the mobilisation of resources to fill funding gaps.

4.Qualifications

· Advanced university degree in the Social Sciences (Master’s Degree).

· At least five years of relevant experience, i.e. in inter-agency coordination and programme management in the area of child protection in emergencies.

· Demonstrated excellent leadership, negotiation, communication, facilitation, advocacy and writing skills.

· Full working proficiency in oral and written French and English.

5.Duration of the assignment

6 months, renewable up to 11 months, based on needs, funding and performance.

Starting date: as soon as possible.

6.Supervision

The Consultant will be supervised by the Chief Child Protection and work closely with the Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Officer and the Information Management Officer, as well as with the Emergency section**.**

7.Remuneration

Candidates must submit a financial offer which includes fees, subsistence allowance and international travel (Economy Class round-trip ticket and airport transfers).

8.Duty station

Niamey, Niger. Frequent travel to Diffa.

9.Work arrangements

The Consultant will be provided work space and computer, as well as access to printing, Internet and other office facilities, and transport for official travel within the country.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• a cover letter indicating their ability and availability to undertake the terms of reference, as well as their financial offer

• a CV of 2 pages maximum

• a United Nations Personal History Form (P-11) duly filled out, dated and signed, to be downloaded from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_apply.html)

• Scan of highest academic degree

Applications should be sent to nigrecruit@unicef.orgno later than 19 August 2016.