Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Coordinator

Eligibility criteria

Minimum age: 25 years old. Nationals of the country of assignment are not eligible, except the assignments in Headquarters duty stations.

Description of task

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Resident Coordinator, the PSEA Coordinator is responsible for overseeing and supporting the collective PSEA activities of organizations in Niger, the PSEA Coordinator will undertake the following:

Establish the PSEA in-country program

• Support senior leadership in developing and implementing an in-country PSEA strategy
• Support senior leadership to establish an inter-agency PSEA Network for technical coordination on PSEA, consisting of membership from UN agencies; international, national, and local organizations; UN mission; and/or government bodies operating in Niger
• Support the Network to carry out a joint PSEA risk assessment in Niger to inform senior leadership on strategic decision-making
• Support senior leadership in developing and implementing PSEA Network TORs and a Work Plan, based upon the risk assessment

Oversee the PSEA Network

• Oversee and support the inter-agency PSEA Network in coordination with the Network co-chairs in the fulfillment of its responsibilities under its PSEA Network TORs and Work Plan
• Represent the PSEA Network in relevant coordination bodies and leadership forums in Niger
• When the PSEA Coordinator is unavailable the Network will be overseen, supported, and represented by co-chair organization

Strengthen PSEA within organizations

The presence of the PSEA Coordinator does not lessen the responsibility of individual organizations to develop and/or strengthen their own PSEA programs. The PSEA Coordinator supports organizations to follow good practices in PSEA implementation toward collective achievements, while final responsibility for institutional and collective PSEA lies in Heads of Organizations and the Resident Cordinator respectively.

Support Network members and other relevant entities operating in the context to strengthen their internal PSEA programs (where requested) to:

• Establish a Code of Conduct and Whistleblowing Policy that clearly prohibits SEA, obliges reporting of such acts, enforces these clauses when breached, provides meaningful protection to whistleblowers, and encourages safe reporting
• Implement SEA prevention, risk mitigation, and response measures during planning, policy and project development, and programming in each department and in each technical sector
• Train staff on PSEA and the Code of Conduct, including appropriate conduct for aid workers and how to submit and receive complaints under internal and inter-agency reporting systems
• Ensure that internal HR practices are in place in human resource departments that guard against hiring persons who have a (pending) allegation of misconduct against them, and include PSEA content in staff induction, contracts and subcontracting, and job evaluation criteria
• Insert and enforce PSEA clauses in partnership contracts that clarify reporting and investigation responsibilities
• Establish and/or strengthen internal investigation protocols, including clear case handling responsibilities in-country, capacitated investigations staff, and ability to enact disciplinary measures where SEA is substantiated. Where Network members have a dedicated investigation body in Headquarters, strengthen referrals to the dedicated investigation unit.
• Establish and/or strengthen safe SEA-specific procedures for internal complaint and feedback mechanisms (CFMs) and referrals to survivor assistance, informed by good practice and community consultations

Engage Stakeholders

Community engagement

All activities to engage with the affected population should be planned and implemented in close coordination with Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and/or Communicating with Communities (CwC) groups/actors in Niger

• As part of broader community engagement activities, support the Network to learn of community perspectives on behavior of aid workers, and preferences in dispute resolution, discussing sexual matters, and receiving and sharing sensitive information to inform the Network’s outreach and activities
• Support the Network to develop a collective communication strategy to raise awareness on key PSEA messages, including the rights of affected populations, the fact that assistance and services are never conditioned on sexual favors, and how to submit sensitive complaints
• Ensure that the implementation of the PSEA Network Work Plan is informed by community participation, contextually and culturally appropriate, and based on the community’s needs

Cluster Coordination

• Engage and coordinate with Clusters in Niger to ensure PSEA mainstreaming during planning, policy development and programming
• Represent the PSEA Network and update on relevant PSEA activities during Cluster and inter-Cluster meetings
• Report back to the PSEA Network on Cluster developments and updates that may impact the PSEA Work Plan implementation

GBV sub-Cluster

• Collaborate with the GBV sub-Cluster Coordinator to ensure a harmonized approach to prevention activities and support of survivors, and that PSEA Network activities take a survivor-centered approach supporting the rights of survivors
• Coordinate with GBV Coordinator to ensure consistency of the UN-wide approach to SEA prevention and survivor support

Government Actors

• Support senior leadership to develop an engagement strategy with the host government, including identified entry points in relevant ministries and stakeholders for outreach

UN Mission:

• Collaborate at the strategic and technical level to ensure harmonization of messages, avoid duplication of activities, and sharing of trends and developments

Establish/Strengthen an Inter-agency Complaints Mechanism

The PSEA Coordinator supports the PSEA Network members to establish and maintain an inter-agency community-based complaints mechanism (CBCM) by linking the CFMs of Network members through agreed referral pathways, establishing new complaint channels where reporting gaps are identified, and capacity-building all persons that operate complaint channels on the inter-agency referral protocols. The Coordinator will advocate for the above understanding of a joint CBCM within the Network membership and beyond so that participation in the CBCM has the broadest scope possible.

Ensure Stakeholder Engagement in the Design of the CBCM

• Assist Network members to consult and engage with all relevant stakeholders during the design of the CBCM in order to ensure support, high-level commitment, sustainability, and community trust and ownership in the CBCM

SOPs on Complaint Referral

• Support the Network to draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on inter-agency complaint referral following the Global Standard Operating Procedures on Inter-Agency Cooperation in CBCMs, and appropriate for the local context
• Support and advocate with senior leadership to finalize and endorse the [Context] SOPs
• Coordinate with Heads of Organizations and Cluster leads to ensure the referral pathways are incorporated in PSEA trainings and understood by all actors in Niger.

Assistance Referral Pathways

In coordination with the GBV and Child Protection sub-Clusters:

• Mobilize the PSEA Network to assist in a mapping exercise of available services and gaps for health, legal, psychosocial, and material support
• Ensure that the SOPs incorporate assistance referral pathways to provide immediate aid for complainants and survivors
• Assist the Network to train service providers on PSEA-specific components in services

Entry Points for Reporting

• Work with the PSEA Network, and other relevant actors to understand community preferences in reporting sensitive allegations
• Support the PSEA and others Networks to map existing complaint and feedback mechanisms (CFMs) in Niger to identify where there are gaps in community access for reporting sensitive complaints
• Based on CFM mapping and community preferences, support Network members to strengthen existing and/or establish new entry points to fill the gaps in reporting access so that there are safe, accessible, and contextually appropriate channels for any member of the community to report complaints of SEA
• Where major gaps exist, in coordination with the PSEA Networks and on the endorsement of senior leadership, establish a collective channel for complaints with clear protocols on complaint intake and referral in line with the SOPs.

Train Staff at Entry Points

• Support the PSEA Network to hold inter-agency trainings on good practices in SEA complaint intake and referral for PSEA Focal Points, GBV and Child Protection actors, and all actors staffing CFM channels, so that all actors who may receive SEA complaints know how to recognize SEA and where to send allegations in the joint CBCM
• Support the Network to disseminate contact information of PSEA Focal Points amongst staff and the affected population, so that the entire aid community is aware of and can reach out to the formal reporting mechanism for each Network member

Complaint Review and Referral

• Carry out independent complaint review and referral to the concerned organization and provide appropriate follow-up after referral, in accordance with the SOPs

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Keep anonymized records of allegations received directly by Network members and other actors in-country in order to capture SEA trends and support stakeholders to adjust programs

Promote Information sharing:

Proactive Outreach to External Partners

• Proactively reach out to relevant entities that are not participating in the PSEA Network or the joint CBCM to ensure that they are aware of PSEA activities, and to foster linkages and information-sharing

Recommendations to Senior Leadership and Support Bodies

• Regularly report to senior leadership on developments and challenges in PSEA in-country to ensure continued engagement and address gaps in PSEA implementation
• Collect and analyze inputs of PSEA Focal Points and other relevant colleagues, identify recurring issues and trends, and share recommendations with senior leadership with the aim of enhancing strategic and operational decision-making related to PSEA
• Regularly update regional and global bodies to ensure up-to-date understanding of PSEA activities in Niger

Qualifications/Requirements Required degree level: Master degree or equivalent Education - Additional Comments:

Master degree or equivalent :

Required experience: 36 Months Experience remark:

• Minimum of 3 years of work experience and advanced University Degree; strong preference

• Field experience in humanitarian or development settings

• Understanding of the international development and humanitarian architecture

• Familiarity with the UN system and global coordination structures

• Proven ability to implement an Action Plan

• Experience in developing and facilitating training and capacity-building activities is an advantage

Familiarity with data protection and confidentiality measures is an advantage

Language skills:

• French(Mandatory), Level - Fluent
• English(Mandatory), Level - Working Knowledge

Area of expertise: Human rights, Development programme/project administration, Gender equality and the advancement of women Area of expertise details:

Technical expertise in at least one of the following areas:

• Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

• Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

• Protection

• Human rights

• Child Protection

• Gender-based violence/Victim assistance

• Staff misconduct and discipline

• Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

Driving license: No Competencies values:

Accountability, Adaptability and Flexibility, Commitment and Motivation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Planning and Organizing, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity, Working in Teams

Application procedure:

* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink. Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to apply.

Application deadline: 22-07-2020