About USAID Project:
TPO Uganda is part of a consortium of NGOs led by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) as the prime and ANPPCAN, ACODEV and Futures Group that have been awarded a grant by USAID to implement a 5 year project titled “Sustainable Outcomes for Children and Youth in Central and Western Uganda.” The project aims to improve the health, nutrition, education and psychosocial wellbeing of 625,000 vulnerable children consisting 101,500 households.
Job Summary: The Child Protection Systems Project Officer will support the Child Protection Systems Specialist in increasing the quality of the comprehensive protection Systems for OVC, youth and caregivers in the target districts of 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; and legal support. S/he will work closely with the Project District Coordinators, Child Protection Committees, and District Probation and Social Welfare Officers
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Capacity Development in Child Protection and Legal Support:
Actively contribute to the development of 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.
Take part in child protection capacity and skills gap assessments across all implementing partners to ascertain capacity needs, prepare and implement a Systematic capacity development plan.
Be responsible for directly overseeing the development of a functional community based child protection Systems in allocated districts that brings together the probation office, community based organizations and other informal structures in a coordinated manner.
Participate in building capacity 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.
2. Increasing Access to Child Protection Services:
Participate in putting together 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.
Technically support the CP Systems Strengthening Specialist to carry out regular support supervision, monitoring and support to staff and district duty bearers to ensure that policies and procedures in relation to child protection are well understood.
Work closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist and ensure that child protection data is, regularly updated and disaggregated in a meaningful manner that can improve the quality of child protection services delivered.
Work in liaison with the project team, map and identify other related child protection and legal support service providers, establishing referral pathways.
Together with the project 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.
Support CP Systems Strengthening Specialist to provide 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.
Support CP Systems Strengthening Specialist and the probation and social welfare officer, identify and agree on 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 should 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’ consistent experience in a child protection technical advisory/ support role with a large scale NGO.
· Must have in-depth 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.
· Strong 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 skills i.e. Knowledge of Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet) required.
· Desire to work effectively in a team oriented environment.
· Ability to travel within rural Western Uganda.
How to Apply:
All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their application letter, updated CVs with three professional referees and a table showing your salary history for the past three years to the Human Resources Manager, at info@tpoug.org or send a hard copy to: P. O. Box 21646, Kampala-Uganda.
NB: If you don’t hear from us by 29th May 2015, consider your application unsuccessful.
TPO Uganda is a gender sensitive organization and female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children, women and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
Deadline: Friday 8th May, 2015