Child Protection Manager - Readvertised

Background/IRC Summary:  

The Syria crisis is often described as the worst humanitarian catastrophe since the end of the Cold War. Today, 13.4 million people in Syria - more than half of the country's population - are in need of humanitarian assistance with needs increasingly being exacerbated by economic decline. Of these, 6.8 million are refugees and asylum-seekers who have fled the country. This is no short-term humanitarian episode. The devastating human consequences to huge numbers of people will endure for decades. The destruction of relationships, communities, livelihoods, homes and infrastructure will take years to repair.

IRC is offering a robust humanitarian response to the Syria crisis a rapidly expanding portfolio, supported by more than 1000+ staff in Syria Country Program. IRC is undertaking programs in Syria and the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan in the fields of health, child protection, early childhood development, education, women’s protection and empowerment, non-food items and food distribution, cash assistance, water and sanitation, protection and rule of law, and livelihood programming. Our work in these challenging settings gives rise to some of the most pressing issues facing contemporary humanitarian action, including questions of access, security, funding and coordination.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Child Protection Manager will lead the IRC's efforts to meet conflict-affected children’s safety and protection needs, reducing risk and responding to cases of violence, exploitation and coercion in Ar-Raqqa governorate. This includes child protection case management, PSS support delivered in the community and in child safe spaces, developing family tracing and reunification programming, including scoping for establishing alternative care arrangements and early childhood development activities. The Child Protection Manager will manage existing Child Protection Programming in Ar-Raqqa governorate and will support in leading the expansion of child protection programming in Raqqa city. The CP manager with have effective management and oversight of Ar-Raqqa based programming to best meet the needs and aspirations of local communities and accountability to stakeholders.

Position objectives:

• Overseeing case management services, providing managerial and technical oversight to case management officers.
• Close out case management services in Raqqa and Deir Azzor governorates.
• Ensure the appropriate capacity building and ongoing support to the IRC child protection team
• Coordinate and collaborate with other managers – particularly with integrated protection - regularly reporting trends and advocating for vulnerable children and promote best-practices within case management
• Deliver child protection programming that is responsive to the community’s needs and to protection concerns
• Support in the rollout of the IRC’s PSS projects for Children, adolescents and their caregivers, ensuring teams are properly trained in implementing PSS content and integrate with existing programming.
• Engaging the communities in CP programming through identifying Child Protection Committees and caregivers’ committees.

Responsibilities:

Technical Quality

• Support the roll out of CP Case management SOPs, vulnerability criteria, referral pathways and procedures for child protection case management
• Ensure that each case management team is effectively implementing case management programming according to Standard Operating Procedures through formal trainings and regular meetings with CM Officers. Monitor timescales for response, services follow-up and review of cases, as reported by Officers
• Develop and lead the implementation a capacity building plan for the case management teams, the community-based protection team, and childcare workers in Women Centers and ERD childcare spaces.
• Provide ongoing technical support and capacity building to Officers through formal trainings and on-the-job training (i.e.: shadowing, observations, coaching sessions, etc.)
• Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation systems and tools that are in line with safe and ethical case management programming. Support in the roll out of the CPIMS+, assisting case management officer in providing support to their team on using the system
• Gather trends regarding vulnerable children as well as quality and impact of case management services. Analyse trends regularly and report to donor and key stakeholders, as needed.
• Support the identification of new partners and building their capacities to expand the child program portfolio in Northeast Syria.

Grant Planning & Implementation

• Support with grant spending and keeping on track with targets
• Support implementation by creating grant work plans, Item forecasts, spending plans and monitoring and evaluation plans, ensuring the team’s adherence to these through on-going support and monitoring
• Work closely and coordinate with IRC logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely and compliant program activities and expenditures, including active participation in grant opening/closing and review meetings
• Support in writing high-quality IRC and donor reports on activities, indicators and achievements

Data Protection and Monitoring

• Regularly review CP documentation practices to ensure children’s information is gathered, stored and shared safely. Ensure confidentiality and that data protection and information-sharing protocols are respected.
• Monitor and analyze child protection data collected by the Case Management teams and analyze data in order to adjust programming, inform capacity building, advocate for vulnerable children and promote best-practices within case management
• Develop and maintain effective and efficient oversight, support, quality control and reporting systems and processes.
• Support in the rollout of the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS+), including during the set-up phase and in implementation with caseworkers.
• Develop, maintain and update COMMCARE system in order to track activity progress and quality with MEAL team.

Coordination & Representation

• Lead case management meetings at least every two weeks with the CM officers 
• Participate in weekly integrated protection meetings to ensure deliver of CP programming that is in line with other protection streams
• Directly communicate effectively with other managers and key stakeholders in order to regularly report trends and advocate for the best interests of children, mainstreaming child protection through all interventions  
• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors, attending the Protection Working Group

Staff Management and Development

Other

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of field teams; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Provide briefings on child safeguarding and appropriate behaviour with children to all staff.  Ensure any concerns are reported and addressed immediately.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and project management competencies, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing professional development guidance
• Assist with the recruitment of Child Protection Staff, in coordination with the Senior Child Protection Manager.
• Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths the teams in Syria.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, minimally on a monthly basis.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths.
• As required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.