Child Protection & Gender Based Violence Officer Full-Time

Our organization

Plan International is an independent child rights and humanitarian organisation committed to children living a life free of poverty, violence and injustice.
We actively unite children, communities and other people who share our mission to make positive lasting changes in children’s and young people’s lives. We support children to gain the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to claim their rights to a fulfilling life, today and in the future. We place a specific focus on girls and women, who are most often left behind.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
In Mozambique, we are working to eradicate early marriage and early pregnancy through projects that focus on adolescent girls in Inhambane, Sofala and Nampula. These projects are programmed along our three strategic pillars: Girl Education, SRHR, and YEE. Our work is gender transformative and includes influencing work at national and sub-regional level.

Role purpose

The Child Protection & Gender Based Violence Officer will be expected to support on child protection sectoral assessment, project planning and coordination with other actors of GBV clusters. In most circumstances, the post holder will be expected to mentor and/or build capacity of community-based organizations, governmental institutions and other relevant stakeholders to address the protection needs of the Internally Displaced girls and boys in Meconta District.
The Project aims to reach out the adolescent girls and young women among internally displaced families accommodated in the host communities of Meconta district, who are disproportionately affected by the conflict in Cabo Delgado, contributing to Plan’s agenda of placing the needs and rights of girls and young women at the centre as the crisis unfolds.

Dimension of the role

The Child Protection/GBV Officer will be accountable for the formulation, design, planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluation of the Project, with a focus on Child Protection and GBV. This work will be undertaken within the context of the Plan International response to the Internally Displaced People. The Child Protection/GBV Officer will also support the coordination of the Project’s collaboration with the local authorities and relevant stakeholders, including children.

Accountabilities (But not limited to)

• Support the District Directorate of Gender and Social Welfare to conduct child protection and GBV assessments using Plan International’s assessment processes and tools;
• Coordinate with other Plan International thematic areas, the national/district Child Protection Working Group and/or other external sector agencies of GBV, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific, disaggregated data analysis of the IDPs needs;
• Compiling and analysing data, and related information on overall IDP in the District, with a specific focus on child protection/GBV, and prepare written inputs accordingly to inform effective program planning, development and management;
• Undertakes regular protection service delivery for vulnerable women, girls and children to recover from the traumatized experiences caused by conflict and forced displacement, in close collaboration with the District CP Reference Group;
• Facilitate training for various community groups on relevant topics of child protection and gender-based violence sector in partnership with civil society and government actors;
• Monitor, analyses and evaluate project results to ensure achievement of objectives and take corrective action when necessary;
• Ensure application of standards, guidelines and good practices for children and women protection in emergency related activities;
• Take lead in Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and gender-based violence (GBV) in IDPs host communities;
• Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labour and child trafficking;
• Support the integration of GBV cases into other CP case managements process, as per the Plan International protocols and National Legislation;
• Work with the M&E Officer and CO MERL Specialist to ensure links to reporting requirements where possible, refer the M&E framework to build an evidence-base for Child Protection programming interventions including GBV issues;
• With support from the CO Senior Child Protection Manager and the District Reference Group, put in place accountability activities for the project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families is considered in Project Planning and Delivery;
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and the Sphere standard;
• Ensure survivors of gender-based violence are timely identified and provided counselling and other appropriate response services by relevant District Government institutions;
• Support establishment of Child Protection and GBV child-friendly and culturally appropriate referral and complains mechanisms;
• Coordinate monthly meetings with District CP Reference Group;
• Coordinate with district authorities to ensure provision of essential psychosocial support to children, adolescent girls and boys victims of violence and abuse;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) 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 relationaships

To maximize overall project impact and optimize contribution of others, the post holder will be required to initiate, develop and maintain a range of working relationships externally with government counterparts, local relevant clusters, implementing partners and other development organizations and internally with Program Area Manager, Child Protection and Safeguarding Senior Manager, Gender and Influencing Specialist and MERL Specialist.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Essential

• University degree or equivalent in Social work, Social Science, development studies or equivalent combination of relevant training and experience;
• Minimum 3 years work experience in GBV and Child Protection work, supervision, community mobilisation and distributions and solid understanding of the actual Cabo Delgado conflict context;
• Proven ability to implement CP and GBV activities with holistic approach and integrated to child protection right;
•  Computer literate.

Desirable

• High level of personal integrity, commitment and professional responsibility with CP and GBV exigencies;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Team player with strong leadership skills;
• Mature personality with life experience is an advantage;
• Able to be a self-started and work in challenging contexts and fragile environment.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

• Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors;
• Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity;
• Consistent and fair in the treatment of people;
• Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them;
• Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
  We strive for lasting impact;
• Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations;
• Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas;
• Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises;
• Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate;
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals;
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities;
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

• Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate;
• Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals;
• Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities;
• Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

The position is based at Namialo. Hot weather is prevalent throughout the year with limited basic amenities. The incumbent will be required to travel to Nampula PA office and perform official responsibilities as required.
The incumbent shall reside in Namialo while executing official duties.

Level of contact with children

High interaction with adolescent children