Role PURPOSE and Background
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 childrenโs and young peopleโs 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.
The position contributes to this goal by supporting the finance and accounts function in the Ukraine Response Emergency area by ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and value for money transactions.
Dimensions of the Role
The Child Protection (CP) and MHPSS Specialist is responsible for leading the overall development and technical quality of Plan Internationalโs Poland child protection response, including Disability Inclusion and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). This includes providing technical leadership on assessment, response analysis, design, coordination, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of Planโs CP & MHPSS, SGBV, and MHPSS programming.
The CP & MHPSS Specialist will report to the Head of Mission and be expected to work closely with Planโs partner civil society organizations and other Plan International team members, including technical experts, Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) and Information Management, Business Development Manager, and Programme Managers, to ensure a rapid, proportionate, and effective response.
The role will also have a dotted line reporting to the CP & MHPSS Specialist in Plan Internationalโs Ukraine Hub to ensure there is coordination and oversight with Planโs wider emergency response.
Accountabilities
- Ensure that PLANโs CP & MHPSS assessment activities are coordinated with other Planโs programmatic areas, protection actors, stakeholders, and Governmental and non-Governmental agencies.
- Ensure that Planโ programs are disability inclusive, meet the needs of children with special needs and in line with Planโ Diversity Inclusion Policy.
- Identify potential partnerships to implement recommendations, assess potential partners where available or make recommendations on how to fill gaps.
- In collaboration with national and international CP & MHPSS actors, map current institutional response capacities and long-term programming.
- Design most appropriate CP & MHPSS interventions based on the outcomes of assessments and the context.
- Development of concept notes and proposals, independently and with local partners.
- Ensure PLANโs guidelines, strategy and the Inter-agency Minimum Standards are considered, and any deviation documented.
- Work closely with the relevant implementation manager(s) to ensure that the implementation of relevant activities is planned and implemented in a phased and prioritised manner in full consultation and co-ordination with all relevant agencies both governmental and non-governmental.
- Provide technical guidance and direction to PLAN for effective planning, implementation, and monitoring of agreed CP & MHPSS and Disability Inclusion plans, including reviewing of reports for Donors.
- Develop capacity building plans and provide training, support, and mentorship to Plan staff and partners.
- Make frequent field visits to all affected areas to monitor the implementation of activities, identify opportunities and constraints and any adjustments needed including additional staffing or staff training or other.
- Represent PLAN to governmental and non-governmental groups as needed and agreed with the Team Leader.
- Support the implementation of, and represent PLAN in, CP & MHPSS coordination mechanisms including any relevant cluster/sub - cluster.
- Provide brief updates and reports on sectoral activities/strategies to donors and other stakeholders.
- Work closely with the response management in resource mobilization, including development of quality concept notes and proposals and donor engagement
Key relationships
Head of Mission, Program Team, technical Specialists, and support staff (Finance and logistics); Local project partners; Ukraine Hub and Global Hub relevant teams.
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
Essential Experience
- University degree in one of the disciplines areas relevant to international development assistance or humanitarian work.
- Experience in child protection and MHPSS. Experience in refugee contexts is a plus.
- Experience successfully developing CP & MHPSS, Disability Inclusion concept notes and reports for donors.
- Knowledge and experience working in Disability-inclusive settings is required.
- Deep understanding of the Polish Context, including Refugees Humanitarian Response.
- Experience of training on child protection interventions, such as alternative care, case management, community-level child protection, psychosocial support, and child survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, with a variety of audiences.
- Experience designing and implementing programs which consider gender and inclusion and utilize cash and voucher assistance.
- Experience of conducting rapid and in-depth child protection needs assessments in emergency contexts using inter-agency tools and guidance.
- Experience in capacity-strengthening of program team and partners.
- Excellent knowledge of the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and inter-agency guidance and tools related to unaccompanied children, alternative care, case management, family strengthening, community-level child protection, MHPSS, and cash and vouchers assistance for child protection. Additional knowledge of Sphere and the Red Cross/ NGO Code of Conduct.
Essential Skills
- Excellent communication skills and ability to develop well-argued plans for response that can be justified and delivered, persuasive of others.
- Excellent ability to build collaborative and respectful relationships with local organizations and government authorities.
- Excellent project design, participatory learning and monitoring and evaluation skills