Save the Children Child Protection Technical Consultant Job in Nairobi Kenya

Terms of Reference

Job Title: Child Protection Technical Consultant
 

Place of Work: Nairobi, with travel to field sites in Dadaab and elsewhere in Kenya as required
 

Duration: Up to 6 months
 

Reports to: Director of Programme Development and Quality
 

Line management Responsibilities: None
 

Budget Accountabilities: None 
 

Child Protection Level: 3

Introduction
 

Save the Children has been working in Kenya since 1984. Current programmes focus on Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Education, Health, HIV/AIDS, Livelihood, Nutrition and WASH implementing both directly and through local partners. 

Save the Children has child protection intervention in Dadaab Refugee Camps and works with partners on child protection issues at the national and local level.

The programme in the Dadaab Refugee Camps is one of the largest child protection programmes of Save the Children globally. 

A system approach is used to strengthen the child protection mechanisms at multi-levels targeting government and non-government actors, the community and children themselves. 

A comprehensive case management system is established to respond to the gravest child protection violations in the camps through identification, assessment, Best Interest Determination, referral and follow-up visits. 

Community-based alternative care, child protection community structures, child participation and psychosocial support, as well as community sensitisation and advocacy for behaviour changes are also key components of the programme.  

Currently the Dadaab programme is funded by UNHCR, UNICEF, BPRM and private donors, and is under-going a comprehensive review and evaluation of services over the past 6 years.

Save the Children also works with partners at the national level and within other projects to ensure that Children without Appropriate Care receive protective services, that working children’s needs are addressed and that children who have been abused are supported with comprehensive services.  

We seek to expand this work in the coming six months.  

We also would like to build on several studies and publications that Save the Children has worked on – including issues of children connected to the streets in the Rift Valley, children in urban slums in Mombasa and sexual violence in conflict.

Job Purpose
 

The Child Protection Technical Consultant will be under the functional and technical supervision of the Director of Programme Development and Quality in Nairobi. 

The Consultant will provide technical expertise to Save the Children’s Child Protection programme in the following key areas:

• Support the development and capacity building of the child protection staff in Dadaab to assume senior roles in managing the large-scale programme.  One staff will be mentored to take on the CP Manager role.  This will also include assisting the projects to transition to a more community-managed strategy (internally known as “Desert Flower”).  The consultant will ensure that a pilot in one camp is documented and staff are prepared to replicate lessons learned in other camps.
• Ensure the planned evaluation of the comprehensive Child Protection system in Dadaab refugee camp is completed and that data from the field and report drafts are adequately reviewed and prepared for sharing. A second external consultant has been identified and secured who will lead this evaluation.
• Oversee the subsequent documentation of the comprehensive Child Protection system in Dadaab refugee camp for communications and fundraising purposes.
• Represent Save the Children at the national level with UNICEF, UNHCR, the Government of Kenya and other donors and partners, as requested.
• Support the country office to remain a key contributor to national-level coordination on child protection; link field programmes with relevant structures and developments in the child protection systems; and ensure the delivery of programme quality is in line with donors’ requirements and child protection minimum standards.  

Key Deliverables

The Child Protection Advisor will be based in Nairobi with travel to field sites within Kenya as required.

1. Mentoring and transition plan for Dadaab 

• Work closely with the existing team in Dadaab to transition child protection staff to more senior roles and prepare for management with appropriate tools and systems.  This will include working on M&E systems to coordinate supervisory feedback and track progress.  One key deliverable is an agreed upon mentoring plan for the new Child Protection Manager. 
• Assist staff in Dadaab in designing and documenting the transition strategy from the current direct service delivery to the new Desert Flower approach, which includes more community engagement and ownership of services at the child friendly centres.  The deliverable is a documented step-by-step plan of how to move to the Desert Flower approach, with key lessons from one pilot in a selected camp.

2. Fundraising and proposal development

• Support the development of child protection proposals/concept notes for Dadaab and the emergency portfolio: ensure coordinated input from the field teams and other departments in the Nairobi office.

3. External networking and representation

• Establish new contacts and maintain existing relationships with key national level and field level donors
• Support the Department of Children’s Service to lead the Child Protection Working Group in Nairobi alongside with UNICEF. Ensure participation and representation of SC in other key coordination meetings at the national level
• Actively participate in key relevant internal meetings such as Programme Review, coordination meetings or area-based meetings as required.  Participate in Donor visits to project(s) within the child protection portfolio as required. 

4. Recruitment of a full-time Child Protection Advisor for the Kenya country office

• Assist in the recruitment and training of a full-time Child Protection Advisor for the Kenya country office.

5. Provide technical back-stopping for the country office in Child Protection

• On a day-to-day basis provide technical back-stopping and representation for Save the Children at the national level. 
• Coordinate with Technical Advisors from the regional office and Save the Children Members to ensure that our projects are delivering according to donor expectations, and community needs. 
• Provide technical review of donor reports prior to submission.
• Ensure that programme quality issues are raised within the Programme Development and Quality team, especially in regards to field-level implementation.

Person Specification

• Masters degree required in relevant field, social work background highly desired.
• 5 years field-based technical experience in child protection programmes in development and humanitarian settings. Experience working in Dadaab or other refugee settings will be an asset.
• Experience in national-level coordination and representation, including translating field-level challenges to donors and national and global debates and policy and best practice developments to field teams.
• Experience in case management, working with child survivors of SGBV and CAAFAG.
• Proven capacity to design, implement and evaluate protection programmes with children, youth, and families in difficult circumstances.
• Extensive experience in programme design, proposal development, and reporting for bilateral donors and private foundations. Experience with UNICEF, UNHCR, BPRM and USAID highly desired.
• Experience in undertaking programme evaluations, assessments and surveys for child protection.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English essential.
• Willingness and demonstrated ability to work effectively in insecure environments as well as the capacity to be extremely flexible and accommodating in difficult working circumstances. 

Desirable

• Experience working in Kenya or East Africa
• Experience in supporting other agencies and government in adapting or enhancing ways of working with regards to child protection case management
• Experience with child protection cluster coordination

How to apply

The application process is now open and will close on 14th June 2013 at 5.00 p.m. 

To apply for this position, please send a short cover letter and CV to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org indicating the position title on the subject line.