Child Protection Officer job at UNICEF: career opportunity in Uganda

Job Title: Child Protection Officer (3 Vacancies)
Organisation: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Location: Gulu, Moroto, Western & Central Region
Reports to: Chief of Zonal Office

About UNICEF:
UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Uganda, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government to realize children’s rights to remain SAFE, ALIVE and LEARNING.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Uganda is seeking qualified, professional services to support UNICEF and the Uganda Bureau of Registration Services (URSB) to fast track the rollout and implementation of Mobile Vital Records System (M-VRS) in 58 selected districts of Uganda.

Background:
The UDHS 2011 revealed that only 30% of children in Uganda of 5 years and below have had their births registered. UNICEF is providing technical and financial assistance to Uganda Bureau of Registration Services (URSB to improve delivery of birth and death registration services in Uganda. As part of this support, an electronic birth and death registration system also known as the mobile Vital Records System (MVRS) has been developed and is being used in Local Governments and Hospitals to provide real time services to the public.

Brief summary of the job
 The Child Protection Officers will be responsible for provision of timely technical backstopping and monitoring of planning, implementation and reporting on Birth Registration related activities in all hospitals and districts implementing the mobile VRS including districts where BR is mainstreamed through Family Health Days.

 Duties and Responsibilities:

    Ensure quality programme monitoring of all birth registration related activities with focus on realization of expected milestones in Keep Children Safe work plan on birth registration;
    Contribute to documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, and in consultation with the Child Protection Officer, advocate for the institutionalization and scaling up of identified positive district initiatives and provide regular information for national level advocacy and policy development with regard to birth registration.


Description of assignment: (provide detail and in quantitative terms, add pages if required)
Phase 1 Tasks: Ensure quality programme monitoring of all birth registration related activities with focus on realization of expected milestones in Keep Children Safe work plan on birth registration
End Product/deliverables:

    70% of districts implementing Mobile VRS through the hospitals and Family Health Days have entered 100% of birth records for all registered children into Mobile VRS; printed, signed and distributed birth certificates to respective beneficiaries. (40% certificates distributed by end of month 3 and 70% certificates distributed by end of month 5)
    1 monthly progress report completed with focus on printed, signed and distributed birth registration certificates. (1 monthly update for the duration of the contract Ongoing)
    Monitored at least 20 % of major birth registration activities implemented by none focused districts in consultation with Chief of Zonal Office and the Child Protection Officer/Birth Registration and trip reports are completed, shared and filed. (10% monitored by end of month 3, 20% monitored by end of month 5)
    Technical challenges with Mobile VRS are rectified. (Ongoing)

Task: Provide support to reporting and liquidation for BDR related activities in the non-focus districts.
End product/deliverable: Officials in non-focus districts are supported to ensure 100% of funds for birth registration disbursed to non-focus districts are liquidated within the UNICEF stipulated period. (Ongoing)
Task: Contribute to documentation and dissemination of lessons learned, and in consultation with the Child Protection Officer, advocate for the institutionalization and scaling up of identified positive district initiatives and provide regular information for national level advocacy and policy development with regard to birth registration.
End product/Deliverable: At least 1 human interest story shared with the zonal office and SAFE section bi monthly. (End of September, and November)

Qualifications and Skills
    The Applicant should hold a University degree (or equivalent experience) in Social Sciences, Monitoring and Evaluation, statistics or a related field,
    Three or more years experience working on Program monitoring and evaluations tasks with an emphasis on design and implementation of participatory communication strategies for behaviour change
    Knowledge of mobile Vital Records System (MVRS) in Uganda is an added advantage.
    Excellent communication, facilitation and coordination skills
    Fluency in written and spoken English
    Proven experience working with national Governments, UN and other partners
    Ability to work to tight deadlines
    Ability to track activities, schedules and budgets and to multi-task and respond to changing priorities
    Ability to prepare/present progress of scheduled work
    Experience and understanding of the Ugandan development environment
    Working knowledge of local languages at duty stations is an asset
    Good knowledge of computer management and applications

Application procedure
All candidates interested in working with UNICEF should send their applications with updated resumes / CVs to: Human Resource Specialist, UNICEF Kampala, Uganda, Plot 9, George Street, P. O. Box 7047, Kampala Uganda
Via email to: ugderecruit@unicef.org

Closing date: 16th August 2013