Chief Field Office

Overview

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children's rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life - its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions - her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society's most disadvantaged citizens - addressing inequity - not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Job organizational context

Reporting to the Chief of Planning, Monitoring and Field Coordination, the CFO Kibondo Field Office leads UNICEF response to a current caseload of almost 300,000 refugees from nearby DRC and Burundi, oversees UNICEF support to district development plans in the refugee hosting districts of Kigoma Region, and leads UNICEF efforts in child protection. The Kibondo Field office consists of a chief of field office (with child protection oversight), three programme staff covering WASH, Health/Nutrition, and Education as well as an operation assistant and two drivers.

Purpose for the job

Under the guidance of the Chief of Planning, Monitoring and Field Coordination the Chief Field Office (CFO) is accountable for managing and leading the total programme commitment of a field office within a country programme. The CFO represents UNICEF in Kibondo Field Office, oversees the various program sectors and operational service teams ensuring the delivery of quality results in accordance with UNICEF's programme of cooperation, country programme management plan and overall vision set forward by the Representative. The CFO is also responsible for the child protection portfolio in the field office. Programming context spans a range from emergency response in refugee camps to long term development in refugee hosting districts.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES and DUTIES & TASKS

Within the delegated authority and the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be responsible for all or most of the following areas of major duties and key end results.

1. Effective management of UNICEF presence, staff and assets

• Represent UNICEF in the region, by participating ensure sector staff attend relevant meetings and coordination fora as well as representing UNICEF and broader coordination foras and events, moving forward the agenda for children. This includes representation and participation at child protection meetings in the region.
• Facilitate, take and implement measures to ensure safety and security of UNICEF staff and assets.
  
  Effectively lead the Field Office team and manage the performance and conduct of the staff members to deliver results for children.
• Coordinate and manage the child protection portfolio where it links across sectors covered by the team.
  
  

2. Knowledge Management for Programmes

• Ensure that area/country programmes are supported by knowledge management through data collection and analysis, complete and accurate reporting across sectors as well as participation in the Programme Knowledge Network system of "lessons learned" and other corporate-level databases.
• Provide technical input related to child protection into the knowledge management processes and participate in CP knowledge networks.  Responsible for technical oversight of specific data, analysis and reporting for the child protection programme.
• Participate in information exchange through donor and media visits.
  
  

3. Programme Development and Management

• Identify critical intervention points and measures by administering a consistent and transparent monitoring system; analyse regional level socio-political-economic trends and their implications for ongoing programmes and projects including specific approaches to respond to humanitarian shifts in the region due to refugees and epidemics. 
• Ensure the child protection portfolio has a technically strong monitoring system that is based on the regional context in both districts and the camps. Document lessons learned and bottlenecks in the implementation of the regional roll out of the National Plan of Action to prevent Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and feed into the wider sector fora.
• Prepare programme work plans as required ensuring all sector officer inputs are well linked and consistent Prepare program recommendations for inclusion in formal programme documentation, and new approaches, methods and practices. This includes coordinating and ensuring UNICEF inputs into UN response plans and plans within the UN Joint programme in Kigoma. Responsible for the technical content of child protection workplans and inputs to other child protection program documents.
• Establishes programme workplans, monitors compliance and provides training, support and guidance to the programme team to meet objectives. Identifies human resources requirements and on-going staff development needs. 
• Support the emergency planning officer in Dar Es Salaam with inputs to relevant programme reports required for management, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, annual reports, etc. This includes coordinating KFO inputs to periodic situation reports, weekly reports and input to annual reports. Responsible to ensure the technical quality of all input and reports related to child protection.

4. Programme Monitoring and Evaluationsajira

• Undertakes field visits and ensures that his/her staff conduct field visits to monitor and assess programme implementation and decides on required corrective action.
• Leads technical field visits to specifically monitor and assess child protection programme implementation and adjust accordingly.
• Carry out a rigorous and transparent approach to evaluate and participate in the major programme evaluation exercises in consultation with the Representative, Chief of Field Coordination, the Operations Officer, the Evaluation Officer and others to improve efficiency and quality of programme delivery. Participate in annual sector review meetings with government counterparts as well as review of UNICEF support to humanitarian partners.
• Provide technical leadership in evaluations related to child protection and lead child protection sector reviews with partners.
  
  

5.Local Capacity Building/Sustainability

• Provide authorities and service providers with technical support and guidance to plan and organize training programmes for the purpose of capacity building and programme sustainability.
• Ensure the building and reinforcing of the commitment and institutional capacities of the local partners starting with taking a strategic approach to the identification of these partners and partnerships.
• Lead the capacity building effort for child protection partners.
  
  

6. Rights Perspective and Advocacy at the Regional, Community and Family Levels

Conduct policy analysis from a children's and women's rights perspective and advocacy at the government, community and family levels for elevating credibility in local/regional debates ensuring inputs from all sector officers. Promote the organization goals of UNICEF through active advocacy and communication in line with UNICEF national advocacy guidelines and strategy. Provide specific technical input on child protection for advocacy efforts.

7. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration

• Develop partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, including those of the UN and national partners, to improve the ability to collect and disseminate development data and information, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies. Linkage to the Regional Programme Knowledge Network to ensure the availability of current and accurate programme data. 
• Collaborate with the Operations Section to establish and maintain sound internal controls supportive of programming endeavours and to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and accountability.
• Maintain close collaboration with heads of sectoral programmes in the CO, Regional and HQ advisers for effective overall coordination on programmes. Work closely with child protection section in the CO level to ensure partnerships are well linked to overall CO child protection objectives seeking technical advice and support as needed.
• Plans, develops and implements sectoral programme(s) by collaborating with the government and other partners. Provide leadership, with a specific focus on child protection, to provide technical advice, negotiation, advocacy and promotion of area/country level goals, leading to agreement on practicable and priority actions to be supported by UNICEF programme and country level cooperation.
• Making decisions on project management across sectors within the framework of objectives, supply and case needs, to ensure project delivery meets targeted goals and objectives. This includes technical decision-making on child protection issues to ensure delivery of results.
  
  
• Making recommendations of a technical nature on adjustments and changes on project implementation, to improve efficiency and effectiveness. This includes technical recommendations for adjustments to child protection programmes.

• To enhance better understanding of the local conditions, government planning and budgeting processes to facilitate correct programme approach which would lead to effectiveness of activities, and proper use of financial resources. Ensuring that there is strong relations with local government counterparts and other partners so as to make solid implementation and UNICEF credibility. Ensure understanding of the local child protection context and foster strong relations with local government and other partners in child protection.
• The incumbent interprets and applies the guidelines across programmes as well as applying technical knowledge on child protection guidance. The incumbent is expected to make recommendations when deviation from the guidelines is necessary, to ensure project efficiency and effectiveness.

• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programs/projects and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of program management. Provide technical support to monitoring and evaluation of child protections programs with counterparts and report to child protection section at country office level.
  
  
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocation/goals, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on critical issues/findings to ensure timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
  
  
• Draft regular/mandated sectoral program/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of program progress.

Core Values

• Commitment
• Diversity and inclusion
• Integrity

Core competencies

• Communication [ II ]
• Working with People[ II ]
• Drive for Result  [ II ]

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising [II]
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts [ II ]
• Analyzing [ II ]
• Applying Technical Expertise  [ II ]
• Planning and Organizing [ III ] 

Education:

Advanced Degree in Social Science or other social science field is required with a focus on child protection.

Experience:

Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme management, monitoring, and evaluation, with specific experience, skills and competencies in child protection. Experience in managing humanitarian response is beneficial.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and another UN language.