The Ugandan Jobline

Job Title:    Regional Safeguarding Officer

Organisation: Village Enterprise

Duty Station:   Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Senior Director, People and Culture

About US:

Village Enterprise’s mission is to end extreme poverty in rural Africa through entrepreneurship and innovation. Village Enterprise targets the poor, provides business training, seed capital/startup funds and on-going mentoring to over 10,000 new entrepreneurs to start 3,000 enterprises each year. Since its inception in 1987, Village Enterprise has started over 40,000 micro-enterprises.

Job Summary:  Village Enterprise seeks a Regional Safeguarding Officer to provide technical support, guidance and oversight for safeguarding matters within the East Africa region. The Regional Safeguarding Officer will work with the Senior Director of People and Culture to ensure that Village Enterprise’s safeguarding policies, procedures, and best practices are effectively implemented across the organization, with a specific focus on the East Africa region. The role will also include providing training and capacity building to staff, partners, and beneficiaries, as well as leading investigations of safeguarding concerns or allegations in accordance with Village Enterprise’s safeguarding policy.

The Regional Safeguarding Officer provides strong safeguarding support to People and Culture representatives and will actively build a culture of safeguarding within VE and empower Safeguarding focal points in each country to become safeguarding champions on and for their teams. They provide technical guidance on all aspects of safeguarding policy implementation at VE and ensure safeguarding compliance and capacity building in alignment with VE’s Safeguarding Policies.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Prevention: Policy and Systems strengthening

• Lead the development of safeguarding procedures and practices in VE, ensuring that safeguarding policies are in place, and rolled out across the organisation;
• come up with a team of in-country Safeguarding focal points (SFPs) across various employee levels.
• Lead the implementation of Village Enterprise’s safeguarding policies across the East Africa region, ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations as well as international best practices.
• Provide technical guidance, support, and advice to staff, partners, and beneficiaries on safeguarding issues, including prevention, response and reporting of safeguarding concerns.
• In consultation with all levels of the organization, especially the people and culture department and safeguarding focal points, support the process of improving the prevention of SEA through HR policy and practices, including PSEA/CP standards into induction materials and training courses for VE employees and related personnel; reinforcing PSEA/CP standards from the job description to final recruitment stage and performance management; and overall in systems development to ensure VE does not rehire or redeploy or provide references for those found responsible for SEA;
• ENSURE that relevant safeguarding inductions and trainings are in place and available for staff in appropriate formats and information channels;
• Support program managers in defining, compiling and collecting data related to safeguarding as lead on report-back both internally and externally.
• Initiation of targeted and data-driven prevention efforts
• Develop and deliver training on safeguarding policies and procedures for staff, partners, and beneficiaries to ensure that safeguarding concerns are identified and addressed in a timely and appropriate manner.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning

• Working closely with the monitoring and evaluation department, undertake field audits in Country offices
• Undertake trainings to key staff on gaps identified and strengthening their capacity in areas related to protection and safeguarding
• Develop an assessment plan and a checklist to assess country office compliance to safeguarding
• Advise and support country offices to apply safeguarding procedures and facilitate related trainings as relevant to the mandate;
• Support Country offices to have in place effective and consistent monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for safeguarding.

Safe Programming/Risk management

• Support management and key staff in promoting safeguarding culture within organisation;
• Support in safeguarding risk assessments, and collaborate with relevant management staff to develop mitigation strategies and measures;
• Monitor red flags regarding implementation of and compliance with safeguarding policies are duly addressed;

Case Management

• Work in close collaboration with Safeguarding Committee at VE, process complaints and reported incidents, and manage related investigations;
• Maintain a log of all safeguarding cases including investigations and final action.
• Provide technical advice, support and mentoring to VE country offices, partners and related Personnel in conducting investigations and act as the resource person to help source tools, resources and provide any relevant guidance;
• Ensure that safeguarding incidents are reported according to donor and national reporting requirements;
• Submit monthly safeguarding reports.

Internal learning

• Convene and facilitate Safeguarding Coordination Committee and encourage the Safeguarding Community of Practice;
• Convene and facilitate country training on safeguarding
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date safeguarding records and databases, and prepare regular reports on safeguarding activities and trends in the East Africa region.

External engagement

• Liaise with external stakeholders, including government agencies, other NGOs, partners and community members, to share information and best practices and to build relationships to enhance Village Enterprise’s safeguarding efforts.

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Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must hold a Bachelor’s degree in social work, development studies, law, human rights or related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least five years of professional experience working in safeguarding, protection, or related field, preferably with an NGO or international organization.
• Experience in designing, implementing and monitoring safeguarding policies, procedures and best practices, including conducting investigations of safeguarding concerns.
• Knowledge of international and local safeguarding standards, laws and regulations.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and training skills, including ability to communicate complex safeguarding issues to diverse audiences.
• Experience working in East Africa, with knowledge of local culture, customs and languages preferred.
• Demonstrated good understanding of complaints and response mechanisms, as well as of procedures of investigations regarding sexual exploitation and abuse (and harassment);
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, effective organizational and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work independently, with strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
• Commitment to and understanding of safeguarding principles and values, including respect for diversity, gender equity, and human rights.
• Fluent English (written & verbal, required).

How to Apply:

All interested and qualified candidates who meet the set criteria are invited to send their Cover Letter and CV including 3 referees, salary history, and expectations via this link, Click Here addressed to: ‘The Senior Director, People and Culture’ with the Subject Line: Regional Safeguarding Officer

This being an East Africa-based role, qualified nationals from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia are invited to apply.

Deadline: Wednesday, 17th May 2023.

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