Safeguarding Youth and Child Protection Program Lead

The Organization

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination, and girls are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

Title:    Safeguarding Youth and Child Protection Programme Lead
Functional Area:    Programme
Reports to:    Head of Programme
Location:    Country Office       Travel required:    Frequent
Effective Date:    July 2023    Grade:    D2

ROLE PURPOSE
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child.
We recognize that the abuse and exploitation of children and young people occurs throughout the world and in all societies and includes physical, sexual, emotional abuse and neglect. Furthermore, children and young people may be vulnerable and at risk due to, for example, reasons of gender, sexual orientation, disability and age, or illness.   All children and young people have equal rights to protection.

Value of Position
The purpose of this position is:
1.    to ensure Plan Cameroon is fully committed to providing a safe, protective, and supportive environment for all children and young people and intend that their welfare will at all times be the paramount consideration.  Furthermore, to seriously promote safe and protective practices for children and young people and, to protect them from all forms of harm.

2.    The incumbent will lead Plan’s country programs on CP in development and shall oversee all portfolios handled by project managers on child rights and CP. Ensuring that all projects are aligned to the Country Strategy according to Government policies and strategies. S/He will be expected to develop tools and guidance proactively to have a consistent way of implementing Plan’s approaches and strategies in the country. This position serves as focal point for child and youth safeguarding. The post holder is member of Extended CLT.

Dimensions of the Role

A. Safeguarding

1.    Provides technical and professional advice and support to Child and Youth Safeguarding Focal Points within Plan International Cameroon, empowering them to take full ownership of their role and strengthen the implementation of the policy and procedures within their departments and Programs.
2.    Provides technical support, input and/or implementation of safeguarding for specific Country/ regional level tasks as delegated by the Regional Child and Youth Safeguarding Technical Advisor (Country/Regional level tasks may be Safeguarding in – Emergency Response, Engagement, Case Management, Programming, and Sponsorship for example).
3.    Carries out investigations into concerns or reported incidents or provides distance or onsite support on case management and case review.
4.    Proactively works with members of National and Local level Child and Youth Safeguarding networks to ensure the safe and meaningful engagement of children and young people.
5.    Leads and promotes a culture commitment to attain the Plan International Standards on keeping children and young people safe, ensuring it remains alive, current and reflects emerging risks in the sector.
6.    Assist in the preparation of grant proposals and reports and participate in the follow-up and evaluation of grant-funded projects.
7.    Each month meet PO staff to discuss progress, identify and find solutions to problems and share program pattern, new directions and submit report to Head of Programmes.  
8.    Do at least 10 working days field visit per month in the POs and submit report to Head of Programmes and POM/PAM.

B. Child Protection Programming

1.    Responsible for developing and implementing a detailed operational plan for Plan International in Cameroon which will support the delivery of the Country Strategy and reflects the Global Strategy as well as Areas of Global Distinctiveness.
2.    To ensure that we have adequate programmes to address child rights & child protection issues that arise in communities where we work. S/He will work closely with Business Development team on proposal writing to increase Plan’s portfolio in Cameroon.
3.    S/He works closely with head of influencing unit to address Plan’s advocacy and influencing initiatives as planned in the CS on one hand; documents Plan’s best practices and draw lessons on gender transformative program activities with communities (challenging norms, power dynamics and socio-cultural beliefs) and high-level influencing at national level working on policies and legal frameworks.

Accountabilities

Safeguarding in Programme development & Quality Management

1.    Strengthen keeping children and young people safe and protected to contribute to the current global strategy and country strategy.
2.    Ensure accountable and engaged leadership in keeping children, young people, girls and boys safe and protected.
3.    In collaboration with the Field Team, Head of Programmes and Business Development, team leads and sector Specialists, the Child and Youth Safeguarding Technical Advisor will:
4.    Strengthen the mainstreaming of and embedding protective measures of keeping children and young people safe across our programming and influencing activities and interventions.
5.    Ensure our partnerships embed and embrace principles of keeping children and young people safe and protected.
6.    Ensure that where children and young people, girls and boys participate in activities or engage with us this is done in a manner that is safe and meaningful for them and Plan International.
7.    Design, develop, implement, and maintain advice on Child and Youth Safeguarding Policy implementation procedures and practices which ensures the strengthening of keeping children safe and protected and the attainment associated standards in Cameroon. This should consider the safeguarding implications of different individual identities (e.g. gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic origin, race, color and or any other aspect of their background or identity).
8.    Support Child and Youth Safeguarding focal points to identify, manage and monitor risks to keeping children and young people safe and protected.
9.    Provide technical support to Youth Engagement Focal Points on safe and meaningful engagements
10.    Provide high quality technical support and advice on the implementation of the policy, implementation of associated procedures including those related to safe and meaningful engagement, attaining the CYSP implementation standards and dealing with concerns and policy breaches.
11.    Initiate/support/contribute to the design, development and/or delivering of training on keeping children and Young People safe and protected for various modalities (self-directed, online, face to face) and for various audiences (staff, managers, partners, children) to ensure high levels of understanding and awareness on the organization’s commitment to and framework for keeping children and young people safe, including reporting and responding to concerns.
12.    Ensure partners’ capacity building and support them to have their own CP policies.
13.    Support/contribute to/ or initiate the design, develop and/or delivering CYSP briefing information to make sure staff and particularly CYSP focal points have quick access to clear information on keeping children safe.
14.    Ensuring that the Country Director is made aware of potential and emerging risks/issues that could impact on the organizations commitment to keeping children and young people safe and protected and particularly as they pertain to focus areas outlined above.
15.    Responding to and providing high quality technical advice on and support for CYSP issues reported, supporting country management risk assessment and decision making on actions to address the issue and determining the level of escalation required and maintaining a high level of confidentiality and sensitivity.
16.    Responding to CYSP cases may require post holder to carry out:
17.    An administrative investigation
18.    A case management review
19.    A Country office or Partner review – a review of the safeguarding environment and policy implementation of the country office or partner

Child Protection in Programming

Programmes Development and Design:

1.    A clear and updated strategic paper is designed to detail how the CS’ program objective on Safeguarding children and youths, protecting girls well as community-based CP mechanisms will be implemented in development and emergency.
2.    Support Project Managers in developing tools and guidance to harmonize the way we do program work and implement program quality procedures in a consistent way
3.    Expand Plan’s gender transformative work on social norms & policies and CBCPN across Plan’s geographic areas and contribute to influence other stakeholders beyond.
4.    Thorough understanding of global developments on children issues and girls’ vulnerability in particular and follows trends and updates from Ministry of Social Affairs, UNICEF and UNHCR; and ensure alignment of the project with both international and national instruments.

Monitoring and Evaluation of CP activities:
1.    Support in monitoring project implementation milestones and reporting requirements in collaboration with MERKM units.
2.    Oversees all outputs and budgets related to gender transformative CP in projects and monitors resource mobilization towards the annual and CS targets.
3.    Budget management responsibility at country level according to annual plan; consolidating and analysing all protection related project budgets outputs and advise project managers of achievements and issues on quarterly basis.
4.    Document lessons learnt, best practice and case studies to inform in-country strategies and program approaches, as well as contribute to broader sector learning.
5.    Technical review of all project reports in the sectors
6.    Prepares corporate reports (Monthly, Quarterly and Annual) that demonstrates clear picture/footprint of Plan’s work in the field.
7.    Production of regular and high-quality project narrative & financial reports as required by the donor and internally within Plan International network

Proposal Development and Resource Mobilization:

1.    Develop high quality proposals in collaboration with BD, project managers and other heads of technical units according to sound child rights situation analysis, Plan’s CS objectives and Government of Cameroon priorities.
2.    Monitors CS program objective achievements and provide guidance to CMT, BD and PU on programmatic gaps as well as RM strategies or funding opportunities to achieve the goal.

Networking, Advocacy and Influencing
1.    Be proactive in identifying advocacy opportunities, case studies and research opportunities which link to wider organizational strategic objectives, and turn these into action.
2.    Ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed (disabilities, exclusion…etc) in core strategies and plans.
3.    Position Plan CMR as lead organization for child rights and child protection programs This may involve taking on a co-chairing role where needs demand.
4.    Collaborate with the Country influencing focal persons and gender specialist to design a Country advocacy strategy to influence policy and practice in the bid to promoting child rights and ending CM&FGM);
5.     Enhance documenting, disseminating and ensuring that lessons learnt are included in the amelioration and strengthening of Plan’s child centred program and projects;
6.    Execute other tasks at the request of the Supervisor or the CD within the domain of his/her competence.

Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures

Key relationships

1. Country Leadership Team (including PO Managers)
2. Other Plan Cameroon Technical Leads and Specialists
3. Project Coordinators/Managers
4. Maintains high contact with Child and Youth Safeguarding Focal Points and frontline staff
5. Maintains high contact with Child and Youth Safeguarding Advisors/leads in other COs, RH and GH
6. Maintains medium contact with the Government Ministries in charge of Children and Youth welfare and Social Affairs

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
 
Essential Qualifications and Experience:

1. Bachelors’ degree and not less than 5 years of work experience in Human Rights or equivalent in a large multi-year development programs, with a robust Child and Youth Safeguarding component.
2. Significant experience working on Child Rights and Child Protection Programmes at field or influential levels.
3. Master’s degree is preferred.

Essential Skills & Knowledge:

1. Expertise and substantial experience of safeguarding and child rights in an international development setting.
2. Knowledge & understanding of safe and meaningful participation and engagement of children & young people and a deep understanding of safeguarding and protection issues that may arise.
3. Expertise, technical knowledge and substantial experience in responding to issues, breaches, investigation and case management.
4. Experience at providing advice and developing and delivering training on keeping children and young people safe on a diverse range of issues and to a diverse audience.
5. Understanding of safeguarding standards within the sector (e.g. Keeping Children Safe Coalition standards).
6. Excellent conceptual understanding of the organizational risks associated with keeping children and young people safe and protected.
7. Knowledge of human rights, child rights, inclusion and gender equality.
8. Knowledge and/or experience of child and Youth Safeguarding programming and/or child protection in emergency interventions a significant bonus.
9. Knowledge and use of different learning modalities to design and deliver blended learning techniques.
10. Knowledge of risk assessment approaches.
11. Demonstrated knowledge of Programs and Project Management (PMP or PMD Pro preferred).

Desirable Skills & Knowledge:

1. Excellent ability to influence, build strong relationships and inspire people at all levels.
2. Highly effective at using skills and or creativity to identify and develop procedural, briefing materials and training programs that are user friendly, fit for purpose, robust and cost effective.
3. Strong analytical and report writing skills with excellent attention to detail.
4. Training, facilitation and clear communication skills.
5. Ability to think and work under pressure.
6. Ability to challenge behavior/attitudes in a non-confrontational evidence-based manner.
7. Self-motivated and efficient with the ability to prioritize tasks.
8. Advanced Excel and computer skills.

Behaviours:

1. Creates strong sense of purpose and commitment within own part of the team and with stakeholders.
2. Holds self and others to account to deliver on agreed goals and standards of behaviour.
3. Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism/integrity.
4. Strategic thinking and effective contribution to own work and Organizational development.
5. Sound judgement and decision-making in complex situations.
6. Strong emotional intelligence including self-awareness.
7. Leads by example to motivate high performance of others.
8. Very strong commitment to continuous learning.

Plan International’s Values in Practice:

1. We are open and accountable:

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

2. We strive for lasting impact:
We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

3. We work well together:
We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

4. We are inclusive and empowering:
We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

Physical Environment:

Typical office environment with 50% extensive travel in program areas and abroad.

Level of contact with children:

High contact- the job responsibilities of this position require the post holder to have high contact with children. It is expected that children shall be protected at all times.

Closing Date: May 09th, 2023

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organization, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk. 

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for. Our organization is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We will provide equality of opportunity and will not tolerate discrimination on any grounds. We foster an organizational culture that embraces and exemplifies our commitment to gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion while supporting staff to adopt good practice, positive attitudes and principles of gender equality and inclusion.