USAID SOCY Child Protection Specialist Jobs – Action for Community Development (ACODEV)

Organization: Action for
Community Development (ACODEV)
Funding Source: U.S. Agency
for International Development (USAID)
Project Name: Sustainable Outcomes
for Children and Youth in Central and Western Uganda
Duty Station: Uganda
Reports to: Regional
Coordinator
About US:
Action for Community Development (ACODEV) is a Non-Governmental
Organization that serves and empowers individuals, families and communities in
East and Southern African region through promotion of innovative solutions in
the areas of Human Rights, Health Promotions and Institutional Capacity
Strengthening.
About USAID SOCY Project:
ACODEV will be implementing Sustainable Outcomes for Children and Youth
in Central and Western Uganda over the next five years. The Project will
improve the health, nutrition, education and psychosocial wellbeing of
vulnerable populations, as well as reduce abuse, exploitation and neglect to a
minimum of 625,000 children and 101,500 households in 17 districts in central
and western Uganda.  The Project is being
implemented by a consortium of partner consisting of CRS being the lead,
Futures Group, ANPPCAN and TPO.
Job Summary: The Child
Protection Specialist will support efforts to increase the quality of the
comprehensive protection Systems for OVC, youth and caregivers in four
districts of Western Uganda. Such efforts include capacity strengthening for
government and CSOs, ensuring adherence to Uganda’s OVC standards, and
improving child protection case management, including response and referrals.
S/he will work closely with the Project District Coordinators, Child Protection
Committees, and District Probation Officers.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
  
Capacity Development in Child Protection and Legal Support:
  • Develop quality program standards that
    will guide the OVC project implementing partners and sub grantees to
    mainstream and deliver quality child protection and legal support
    services.
  • Conduct a child protection capacity and
    skills gap assessment across all implementing partners to ascertain
    capacity needs, prepare and implement a Systematic capacity development
    plan.
  • In each district directly oversee the
    development of a functional community based child protection Systems that
    brings together the probation office, community based organizations and
    other informal structures in a coordinated manner.
  • Carry out capacity building for staff and
    community based structures through trainings, mentorship, lesson learning
    and knowledge dissemination.
  • Collect and put together a package of
    training manuals, relevant child protection literature and reference
    materials and establish a child protection reference point at the OVC
    department.
  • Interpret Ugandan government national
    policies and strategies on children such as the NOP, NSPPI 2, guiding the
    OVC team on how it can promote and contribute to the realization of the
    project.
  • Identify ongoing capacity development
    initiatives by other USG supported projects targeting vulnerable children
    and forge linkages and synergies that strengthen collaboration whilst
    minimizing duplication.
Increasing Access to Child Protection Services:
  • Put in place service delivery procedures
    for all implementation level staff and district duty bearers in the
    identification and management of child protection cases in each target
    district.
  • Supervise all district level duty bearers
    and backstop the functionality of the community based child protection
    Systems in the district.
  • Carry out regular support supervision,
    monitoring and support to all staff and district duty bearers to ensure
    that policies and procedures in relation to child protection are well
    understood.
  • Together with the Program Manager ensure
    that child protection data is, regularly updated and disaggregated in a
    meaningful manner that can improve the quality of child protection
    services delivered.
  • Together with the OVC team, map and
    identify other related child protection and legal support service
    providers, establishing referral pathways.
  • Work in liaison with the OVC team design
    and supervise the roll out of a community based advocacy and child
    protection awareness raising strategy that increases community
    responsiveness and support to vulnerable children.
  • Offer timely technical support for the
    implementation of activities targeting both out of school and school based
    child friendly activities that increase participation, self-esteem and
    relational abilities of children.
  • In the district together with the
    probation office, identify and agree procedures of supporting children in
    conflict with the law as well as children in need of legal support for
    reintegration.
Qualifications, Skills and
Experience:
  • The ideal candidate for the ACODEV USAID
    SOCY Project Child Protection Specialist career placement should
    preferably hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences, Development
    Studies or Community Psychology.
  • Professional training in child protection,
    juvenile justice, human rights and other essential skills will give you a
    competitive edge.
  • A minimum of four years of progressive
    experience in child protection technical advisory/ support role with a
    large scale NGO.
  • Broad knowledge and understanding of
    national level response initiatives targeting vulnerable children.
  • Awareness and familiarity with government
    policies and strategies on children.
  • Demonstrable training skills, development
    of training materials and capacity building of community based
    organizations.
  • Excellent interpersonal, oral and written
    communication and negotiation skills. Fluent written and spoken English.
  • Extremely flexible, and have the ability
    to cope with stressful situations.
  • Ability to maintain performance
    expectations and strong working relationships in diverse cultural
    contexts, psychologically & physically stressful environments
  • Experience with and enthusiasm for on the
    job training.
  • Computer literacy i.e. proficiency in
    Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet) required.
  • Desire to work effectively in a team
    oriented environment.
  • Supportive attitude towards processes of
    strengthening staff capacity;
  • Leadership qualities, personnel and team
    management including mediation and conflict resolution;
  • Proven skills in critical thinking,
    assessment and analysis; strong competency in conceptualizing and
    designing strategic frameworks;
  • Excellent communication, team building and
    training skills with the ability to establish and maintain effective
    working relations in and outside the organization;
  • Demonstrated ability in report writing and
    presentation to ACODEV Management and other stakeholders.
  • Ability to travel within rural Uganda.
How to Apply:
All applicants should send an updated CV, certified relevant academic
documents, and include past experience and personal statement on why you think
you are the best fit for any of the position above and what you would offer if
selected for the position. You may hand deliver a well labelled application
specifying position applied for to: ACODEV National offices in Masoli Gayaza
Road near Namirembe Hillside School or ACODEV Western Regional Offices located
in Kasese-Muyenga Zone next to Rwenzori the Gardens Hotel Email your PDF
documents to: info@acodevuganda.org
Deadline: 23rd January 2017 by
5:00PM
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