Jobs at UNICEF in Uganda- Child Protection Specialist

Job Title: Child Protection Specialist, Kampala, Uganda
Closing Date: Thursday, 24 January 2013

George Street, Kampala

Level of Position: L3 Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Duration and Type of Appointment: One Year, Temporary Appointment

Background

The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) continues to pose a regional threat for civilians, children and women, particularly in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. While no longer present in Uganda, the Ugandan Armed Forces (UPDF) are actively pursuing the LRA within the sub-region, as part of a regional African Union military force. This forms part of a broader Regional Strategy on the LRA of the African Union and the United Nations (led by the UN Office for Central Africa (UNOCA)) developed in the Spring, 2012. In addition, some Ugandan children and women remain associated with the LRA, who are at times able to escape, are captured or otherwise left behind; these survivors are in need of support to return to Uganda and reintegrate within Ugandan society.

In light of the cross-border dimensions of the LRA's impact on children, UNICEF initiated a UN Child Protection focal points system in 2009 to strengthen collaboration and coordination amongst child protection actors operating across the sub-region, and at the regional and global levels. The focus of this work has been on monitoring, reporting and responding to cross-border violations committed by the LRA. In this regard, the Uganda Country Task Force for monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children by the LRA, co-chaired by UNICEF and OHCHR, is responsible for collating and preparing combined cross-border inputs for bi-monthly and annual reporting required for the Security Council on the impact of the LRA on children.

UNICEF Uganda supports the secretarial functioning and preparation of these inputs by the Uganda Task Force to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (SRSG-CAAC). UNICEF Uganda also supports the capacity building of and coordination with the UPDF on protecting children associated with the LRA with whom they may come in contact, and the referral of child survivors to appropriate support services. UNICEF seeks to hire an international consultant to support with these specialized and time-bound tasks.

Purpose of Assignment:

I. Serve as a primary point of contact within Uganda on grave child rights violations committed by the LRA and for coordination with relevant military and non-military stakeholders for care and potential cross-border repatriation and family reunification of Ugandan children escaped, released or rescued from the LRA in line with the Operational Plan for Cross Border Repatriation, Care and Reunification of Children escaped or rescued from the LRA in CAR, DRC, Sudan and Uganda, and related Guiding Principles (October 2009)

II. Prepare written inputs on cross-border impact of the LRA on children, including the related report of the UN Secretary-General to the UN Security Council, the annual report to the UN Security Council on Children and Armed Conflict, and the bi-monthly Global Horizontal Notes for the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

    Develop bi-monthly cross border GHN on the impact of the LRA on children based on the inputs received from the CAR, DRC and South Sudan MRM task force, and transmit it to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict (OSRSG-CAAC);

    Provide input to the Secretary-General's report on Cross-border Child Protection Concerns, building information gathered by and shared amongst the UN CP Focal Points with additional emphasis on cross-border analysis and recommendations.

    Conduct teleconferences amongst the UN CP Focal Points from CAR, DRC and South Sudan for gathering up-to-date information on LRA in preparation for the GHN;

    Contribution of inputs to the annual report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict.

    Support and strengthen the existing coordination mechanisms within Uganda for the repatriation, reception and reintegration of children formerly associated with the LRA.

    Contribute to the dissemination of the UPDF Standard Operating Procedures for Reception and handover of children separated from the LRA and to the training of the UPDF troops on SOPs.

    Serve as the primary point of contact with the UPDF and CMI military hierarchy in Uganda and advocate for the full implementation of the SOPs by both UPDF and CMI

    Provide technical advice and support for the programing of appropriate services to child victims of the LRA and their care givers in LRA affected areas in Uganda.

Qualifications:

Education:

Must have a Master's degree in social work, social sciences, law, internal relations or a related field.

Work Experience: - 5 years of professional work experience in Child Protection, including monitoring and reporting of grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict - Thorough understanding of the issues and complexities of the LRA's impact on children - Ability to analyse, synthesise information and communicate outcomes clearly to different stakeholders - Experience coordinating with other organizations in the collation of information, analysis and development of recommendations - Knowledge of the institutions of the UN system - Ability to work in an international or multicultural environment. - Capacity to manage various tasks simultaneously in planning, implementing, and monitoring a complex project over an extended period. - Experience in a country affected by armed conflict.

Language:

Fluency in oral and written English is essential; knowledge of French language is an advantage.

Other skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills, ability to work independently, high-level report-writing skills



How to apply:

To apply, send a letter of interest accompanied by P11, CV and two of your most recent performance evaluations to ugderecruit@unicef.org , by 24 January 2013.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.



Deadline: 24th January 2013