The Education and Child Protection Officer will be based in Kousseri. He must be flexible to mobility in other areas of intervention depending on the needs of the project and will report to the Education and Child Protection Manager. Its role is to ensure quality in the implementation of activities through the supervision of assistants and the training of teams.
The Education and Child Protection Officer will be in charge of the implementation of the Education project in the formal and informal environment in accordance with the vision, strategy, design, implementation and management of the education program in Cameroon. He/she will work directly with educational authorities and beneficiaries. He/she will be responsible for ensuring that education activities are delivered to children and young people in informal schools and/or centers in accordance with IRC principles and procedures, project objectives and international standards. He/she has direct responsibility for the implementation of activities at the school and community level. The planned project concerns tutoring activities and includes close links with Mother and Child Associations (AME) and School Management Committees. The officer will ensure the implementation of the Education program including the planning and execution of activities on the ground. He/she will be responsible for coordinating with key stakeholders, other IRC projects, external agencies and local staff in the surrounding area regarding education while ensuring that Education program activities are proportional to the needs of children.
The Education and Child Protection Officer will receive coaching from the Education and Child Protection Manager in the exercise of his duties in order to increase his knowledge and skills in the field of child protection. he must have an understanding of the complexity of working with children, as well as a significant degree of energy and initiative. He must be able to identify and respond to the needs of children, maintain a high degree of confidentiality in all circumstances andadhere to the case management protocol in place and if necessary establish new case management measures for children vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence. He/she will supervise and support psychosocial interventions, including the positive parenting program, the support program for adolescents and their families in emergency situations, Socio-Emotional Learning and group psychosocial activities.
Position objectives
The Education and Child Protection Officer will be responsible for :
Technical quality
Provide daily guidance on case management activities to social workers in accordance with standard tools and procedures.
Ensure activities are carried out in an effective and efficient manner
Ensure regular communication with the Education and Child Protection Manager for updating achievements and challenges
Participate in project activities related to support for formal schools. Including, but not limited to: observing needs in schools, supporting the training of school principals and teachers in the IRC “Healing Classrooms” approach. , and engagement with school structures such as APEEs or school management committees, and traditional leaders.
Support the implementation of the academic program for children enrolled in the Accelerated Education Program (PEA)
Support the training of teachers in target schools in the IRC “Healing Classrooms”/Well-Being Class approach
Ensure the existence of regular forums for interaction with the community and that project interventions are socially acceptable.
Provide daily advice regarding project implementation in accordance with standards and procedures
Ensure that records of the presence of children/youth and teachers/facilitators are regular and included in monthly reports
Support the creation and strengthening of school management committees, children’s hygiene and sanitation clubs and parent and teacher associations based on existing structures and needs within communities
Support target schools by implementing school improvement plans that reflect and respond to the safety concerns of girls and parents.
Ensure compliance with education standards and maintain collaboration with school principals and teachers
Organize regular meetings with stakeholders and clients to collect reactions/feedback from the project
Be in regular communication with the Education and Chidl Protection Manager to update them on the progress of the implementation of project activities
Administrative responsibilities
Indirectly, supervise and support school directors/teachers, APEEs and management committees in the schools under his responsibility.
Support the execution of work related to the grant, expenditure plans, procurement plans for goods and services and monitoring and evaluation plans.
Support regular field monitoring and recommend modifications if necessary.
Prepare monthly reports and those of staff activities
Staff supervision and development
Support Community Mobilizers in the development of pre-selected and prioritized themes relating to education and child protection with community leaders, representatives and members of community structures
Ensure supervision of Csae Management Child Protection Assistants and Education and Child Protection Assistants to enable them to implement psychosocial support activities for children and parents
Ensure the supervision of Education and Child Protection Assistants in individual and appropriate monitoring of children in schools exposed to or victims of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
· Ensure the supervision of Education and Child Protection Assistants in the identification and monitoring of children who are dropping out of school, at risk of dropping out of school characterized by regular absences
Ensure support and technical capacity building for Case Management Child Protection Assistants, Education and Child Protection Assistants, community mobilizers and community volunteers
Provide daily/regular support to managers to ensure the proper management of activities and psychosocial support
Supervise and coach social workers in case management, actively taking part in strengthening their capacity and ensuring the correct application and protocols of case management tools
Maintain open and professional relationships with team members: promote strong team spirit and provide supervision and guidance to enable staff to successfully fulfill their responsibilities
Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly reports
Grant planning and implementation
In collaboration with the Education and Child Protection Manager, plan project activities monthly
Ensure the implementation and monitoring of plans: expenses, work (including weekly and monthly planning of assistants)
Coordination and representation
Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with child protection actors on the ground, including government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs and other relevant actors
Ensure a presence on project sites and ensure excellent collaboration with the community and volunteers
Participate in program meetings and represent the program externally at the request of the Manager
In collaboration with case managers, ensure the implementation of the referral system and monthly meetings with service providers
Regularly participate in cluster meetings related to education and child protection in the field .
Program development
Contribute to the strategic direction of the strategic direction of the Education and Child Protection components to meet the needs of abused children and at risk of abuse
Contribute to the development of future project activities
Coordinate with staff from other IRC sectors (health, economic recovery and development) in the field.
Monitoring Responsibilities
Ensure regular monitoring of activities in the field and propose changes if necessary
Ensure the sharing of the different databases of activities by the Education and Child Protection Assistants and the Case Management Child Protection Assistants
· Provide monthly activity reports
Specific tasks:
Based in Kousseri with travel to the districts of Logone Birni, Makary and Fotokol depending on the needs of the program, the Education and Child Protection Officer will have to ensure all aspects of his mission under the supervision of the Education and Child Protection Manager.
General
Comply with IRC Cameroon safety and security procedures
Transmit any security information to his Supervisor or his Supervisor’s Supervisor;
Notify supervisor of any problems, complaints or useful information regarding all aspects of the program.
All IRC staff are required to comply with IRC’s Standards of Professional Conduct ( The IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct) as well as IRC Cameroon’s employment policies.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- · Technical diploma or diploma in social work, educational sciences, rights and human sciences or related diploma desired
- · At least 2 years of experience in implementing integrated education and child protection, psychosocial support and case management project activities
- · Experience working in humanitarian or development contexts desirable
- · Demonstrated understanding of working with children and particularly vulnerable children
- · Fluency in French essential, working knowledge of English and local languages of Cameroon are an asset
- · Prior experience supervising and coordinating a team in an intercultural context
- · Previous experience in emergency preparedness and response preferred
- · Previous experience in capacity building and mentoring of staff desired
Required qualities
· Creativity
· Flexibility
· Demonstrate great autonomy and organizational skills
· Stress and pressure management
· Quality in interpersonal relationships
· Communication skills
· Team spirit
· Attentive and curious
· Open to new ideas
NB: Deadline for admissibility of applications: Monday October 16, 2023.
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