Officer, PGI: Child Protection and Education

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The National Society Development Services Department (NSDS) is part of the National Society Development and Operations Coordination Division. This position is based in the NSDS Department, in Geneva, and reports directly to the Lead, Protection, Gender, and Inclusion (PGI) unit.

This position works with PGI and other regional and field teams as part of the technical line function from the Protection, gender and inclusion team. It also has a remit to work with other department and teams of the IFRC or National Societies.

Job Purpose

The PGI Child Protection and Education Officer has the primary responsibility to ensure that child protection and education matters are included within IFRC anticipatory action, disaster preparedness, operations, and related programming, and that related technical support is provided to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies through integration with Education and Protection, gender and inclusion approaches. An additional responsibility is to support PGI and education integration into the IFRC Pilot Programmatic Project (PPP) around disaster preparedness, migration, and community-engagement and accountability (CEA) project areas such as through engagement in the planning, reporting, and technical support.

The work will be carried out in line with the IFRC and Movement policies, strategies and frameworks on issues related to protection, gender, inclusion and education, especially the IFRC PGI Policy and Operational Framework, as well as the IFRC Strategic Framework on Education 2020-2030 and RED Education Programme 2025-2030.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

In close collaboration with all other members of the PGI and Education teams:

• Provide technical support to IFRC Regions and, and where required directly to National Societies, on child protection, participation, and education within disaster preparedness and anticipatory action programming.
• Develop an IFRC-led inter-agency Support Package on Gender-sensitive Child Protection and Education within Anticipatory Action for Climate Disasters.
• Lead coordination with external agencies and with various IFRC technical teams, Regions, Reference Centres, and with National Societies; develop relevant background papers; support a series of National Societies to conduct child-led consultations on anticipatory actions; organize an international meeting; develop learning documents and processes; and support the piloting of the toolkit.
• Co-lead the external and inter-agency Anticipation Hub working group on PGI in Anticipatory Action and participate in related IFRC and external working groups with a focus on child protection or education within Anticipatory Action or Climate change.
• Create and update existing tools on child protection, participation, and education for integration within IFRC and National Society disaster preparedness and anticipatory action programming. Train staff in IFRC and National Societies on their use and ensure systems for monitoring and evaluation of these tools and their outcomes.
• Collect and draft case studies on child protection, participation, and education within disaster preparedness, anticipatory action and response programming.
• Support child protection approaches in Restoring Family Links work of National Societies, and document practices related to children in disaster settings, including in liaison with ICRC where needed.
• Coordinate PGI inclusion into the IFRC Pilot Programmatic Project (PPP) in year 3 including with support from PGI in field
  • Represent PGI and education in PPP planning meetings;
  • Lead monitoring and analysis on PGI and education inclusion;
  • Support IFRC regional PGI and education teams with technical issues;
  • Develop tools and learning documents.
• Participate in other Protection, gender and inclusion team priority work areas, such

Education

Required

• Bachelor degree in social sciences, Disaster Management, international relations or development or similar area
• Protection, Gender and Inclusion training(s), Education trainings, or equivalents.

Experience

Required

• At least 5 years of work experience in a relevant role – e.g. mainstreaming a topic like child protection, gender and diversity, education into either anticipatory action, disaster preparedness or humanitarian approaches.
• Experience in end-to-end developing, finalising and implementing tools and processes on complex issues at a global level through inter-agency level or within coordination structures, working groups, etc.
• Experience in developing monitoring and reporting systems.
• Experience with anticipatory action including field experience, tool development, and integration of PGI or education themes.
• Experience in facilitating trainings on PGI and education related topics and in developing training materials.

Preferred

• Demonstrated professional experience in an organization within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• Experience in training and capacity-building initiatives for staff, partners, and communities on child protection in humanitarian settings.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required

• Excellent analytical skills and ability to identify problems and propose solutions.
• Conscientious and efficient in time management, project management, and in meeting deadlines and achieving results and communicating results.
• Strong inter-personal skills to represent an organisation externally and also appropriately across organisational hierarchies.
• Ability to build trust, develop, and maintain effective working relationships with sensitivity and respect for diversity and inclusive participation.
• Proficiency in writing reports, proposals, and technical documents related to child protection programming and anticipatory actions in English.
• Ability to conduct assessments to identify risks to children and vulnerabilities within communities. Awareness of gender-sensitive and inclusive practices in child protection programming, ensuring the needs of all children are addressed.
• Demonstrated expertise of applied knowledge on child safeguarding policies, procedures, and protocols to ensure that all activities and interactions with children adhere to strict safeguarding standards. This includes knowledge of reporting mechanisms for child protection concerns and the ability to ensure compliance with safeguarding policies across all aspects of anticipatory actions and emergency response efforts.
• Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

• Working relationships with networks of practitioners in child protection networks and in anticipatory action networks.
• Proficiency in writing reports, proposals, and technical documents related to child protection programming and anticipatory actions in French, Spanish or Arabic.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

VALUES: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

CORE COMPETENCIES: Communication; Collaboration and Teamwork; Judgement and Decision Making; National Societies and Customer Relations; Creativity and Innovation; Building Trust