Child Protection Advisor

The role

We are currently looking for Child Protection Advisor based in Vientiane Capital

Role Purpose

The Child Protection (CP) Advisor is the technical lead for Save the Children International in Laos’ work in the CP sector, which includes protecting children without appropriate care, from violence, and from harmful child labor, and CP systems strengthening. The Advisor plays a lead role in setting the strategic direction for the sector, designing new programs and projects, and identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships. S/he is responsible for ensuring program quality and program learning for a range of projects and advises project staff. S/he plays a senior representational and advocacy role with the Government of Laos, donors, and key national and international stakeholders, and works on a regular basis with SCI members and internal stakeholders to maximize program delivery. The Advisor ensures that program learning, research, and evaluation findings are channelled towards advocacy, continuous improvements, and new program design.

The Advisor ensures that the CP staff get adequate opportunities and professional support for them to grow and be able to take increasingly complex and challenging roles within the scope of technical expertise in the CP sector as well as in gender.

KEY AREA OF ACCOUNTABILITY

Ensure they and their team fully understand the provisions of the Child Safeguarding Policy, the Code of Conduct and Local/Country Procedures.

Conduct themselves and ensure their team conduct themselves in accordance with the rules of the Child Safeguarding Policy, in their personal and professional lives – which includes reporting suspicions of child abuse.

That child safeguarding is integrated and given a “voice” in all management processes including recruitment, induction, performance management, team meetings, annual planning processes, field level monitoring, etc.

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN (30% LOE)

• Identify and pursue opportunities for synergistic, inter-sectoral programs to address the holistic needs of children, especially the most deprived.
• Work with Save the Children technical and awards staff to develop funding strategies and proposals to expand the CP portfolio in line with strategic priorities and technical best practices from a range of sources. This will involve continuously developing concepts and innovations and packaging them for a range of donors, both for proactive and reactive fundraising efforts.
• Ensure consistent design, methodology, and quality assurance across thematic programs
• Ensure multi-thematic approaches to program design and methodologies; ensure that cross-thematic objectives (gender equity and social inclusion, resilience, disability, child rights programming and child participation) are included in program design and monitoring.
• Ensure that all programs have effective Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) practices throughout the program c
• Introduce innovative ideas and approaches to support CP system strengthening and quality improvement in Laos;
• With Program Operations Department (POD) colleagues, continuously assess staffing patterns and competencies to ensure that right staff are in place to support realistic program design, sector needs, and development.

STRATEGIC DIRECTION (10%)

• Take lead role in formulating CO’s vision for long term programming in CP in Laos, including the development of its Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for CP se
• Participate actively in the Country Annual Planning and Country Annual Reporting, providing oversight and facilitating the compilation of the reports for the CP secto
• Identify needs and opportunities for potential programs, through situation analyses/feasibility studies, networking, and leveraging research and evaluation findings from both internal and external source
• Maintain oversight of program portfolio (at country and field level) and ensure alignment with
• Provide thought leadership and links with SCI’s global thematic initiatives

POLICY AND ADVOCACY (20% LOE)

• Lead in defining Save the Children’s advocacy agenda in the CP sector and Gender crosscutting theme, as informed by SC’s experience in Laos and global Lead in networking and articulating Save the Children’s position, policy and strategy in national forums and meetings. Engage in key debates related to national CP sector policies and programs, in coordination with other relevant staff.
• Lead in translating national messaging to provincial and district-level policy and action plans. Work with project and program teams to develop provincial and district-level policy and action pl
• Engage in policy development with central authorities; with POD, support field-based project staff to engage with local authorities as per the CSP, advocacy plans, and relevant policy concerns. Develop policy briefs and position papers, ensuring the inclusion of technical input from the relevant project managers.
• With POD, identify appropriate strategic partnerships for joint advocacy initiatives on CP issues at the national

REPRESENTATION AND NETWORKING (15% LOE)

• Maintain working relationships with relevant Ministries and Departments and their CP programs; connect Save the Children’s flagship programs with government and other non-government interventions
• Ensure that the country office has effective representation on national, regional and international networks and fora related to CP, and that we participate in conferences/meetings that will enhance our reputation and programming
• Actively participate in technical coordination meetings to ensure synergies with other agencies in our development work and emergency responses
• Maintain excellent relationships with donors, both in terms of strategic positioning and program delivery
• Develop and maintain partnerships with academics
• Represent CO at Regional and Global meetings on CP and Gender, both internal and external, as relevant.
• Participate in SMT as an invitee and ESMT meetings and attend other meetings both within and outside SC; represent SC whenever requested by the Supervisor

MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LEARNING (MEAL) (15% LOE)

• With REALM Unit and PoD, ensure that interventions are evaluated using appropriate methods, including process and impact evaluations, and that evidence is rigorously maintained, documented and disseminated internally and externally, to contribute to improvements in programme quality and advocacy efforts
• Ensure the incorporation of quality assurance systems at multiple levels (strategy, design, implementation, proposal, monitoring processes, evaluation and learning, reporting)
• Identify and pursue opportunities to disseminate technical materials, learning and best practices, such as workshops, targeted communications materials, etc.
• With the MEAL team, ensure Quality Benchmarks are appropriate and applied to all CP programming.
• Support field teams to identify and carry out operational research related to CP
• Ensure that Save the Children’s regional and global experience is reflected in our CP program
• Share CO’s experience and organizational learning with COs as well as with relevant organizations over the globe

CAPACITY BUILDING (10% LOE)

• Conduct regular thematic coordination meetings with program staff in the field and in Vientiane, including annual Program Learning Groups (PLGs)
• Build and nurture a community of practice to foster technical knowledge and growth within the CP theme
• In coordination with POD, provide on-going and one-off technical support and advice to programs and partners as needed
• Coordinate with POD to identify internal and external capacity building opportunities and resources to provide high quality technical assistance to CP projects, supporting technical staff, partner agencies and others to build knowledge and technical competence
• Ensure that core CP sector training modules and common approaches are rolled out effectively and with fidelity to CP theme staff and partners

OTHER

• Other tasks as requested by the Supervisor
• Support the Save the Children Humanitarian responses where appropriate, ensuring timely and quality responses in line with international standards and technical best pr

Qualifications And Experience

Essential:

• PhD in related field or Master’s degree in related field such as human rights, law, sociology, with demonstrable commensurate experience
• At least 10 years of working experience in relevant field, including at least 5 years in senior leadership position.
• Strong leadership abilities, leading and inspiring others
• Excellent understanding of key issues and strategies for CP sector programs
• Excellent skills on process facilitation and coordination with high stan
• Excellent inter-personal communication skills
• Strong analytical capacity and proficient understanding of both qualitative and quantitative research methods
• Good presentation skills including policy briefing
• Good supportive supervision skills, developing self and others
• Excellent English communication skills, specifically written
• Demonstrated ability to deliver results, engage in effective and collaborative problem solving and decision making, and foster program innovations and adaptations

Desirable:

• Advanced knowledge about the CP sector policies and context in Laos

Contract length: Fixed term

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

Application Information:

Interested candidates please submit a full application using a cover letter and up-to-date CV as a single document including contact details of three professional referees (current and last line managers and HR department). Please also include details of your salary expectations and a copy of your ID card. Please note that we will require a copy of your Criminal Records (ໃບແຈ້ງໂທດ) later.

Apply via this link: https://hcri.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/job/8597

Save the Children International is a child-rights based organization. Safe recruitment is central to the safeguarding of children and young people that we come into contact with, and support through our programmes.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Save the children is an equal opportunities employer, qualified females, persons with disability and candidates from diverse cultural backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.