The Organisation
Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination and it’s girls who are most affected.
Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.
We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.
We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
The Opportunity
Plan International seeks an outstanding Safeguarding Expert [Position ****Contingent upon the pending and full ToR being published by the donor and *Contingent upon successful securing of the funding by Plan International*] to provide overall technical support (in thematic area of safeguarding and protection) to the design and implementation of the anticipated UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s (FCDO) funded programme in Sierra Leone which will aim to improve access to education, learning, and sexual and reproductive health information for over 800,000 adolescent girls and children with disability in Sierra Leone. The programme will be delivered over 5 years (TBC). Further details including budget and geographical scope are yet to be confirmed.
Responsibilities
- Provide safeguarding advice across the consortium during programme design/co-creation phase and implementation to support the successful integration of safeguarding into operations.
- Develop and regularly adapt/evolve a programme safeguarding action plan based on Plan safeguarding minimum standards and monitor its timely implementation.
- Ensure the well-functioning and alignment of the project’s safeguarding reporting and response mechanism, across all partners, with Plan’s safeguarding reporting mechanisms.
- Contribute to the development of safeguarding tools, guidelines, training modules and awareness raising material in collaboration with the Country Office and local implementing partners.
- Review and strengthen safeguarding systems and processes within the team and partners and conduct safeguarding supervision visits in intervention areas.
- Provide safeguarding training to staff and safeguarding focal points across partner organisations to ensure that partners are strengthening their safeguarding structures in line with minimum standards they have gaps in
- Where needed, provide support and advice in dealing with alleged cases of safeguarding abuses and concerns
- Collaborate with and provide advice to key expert team to ensure that safeguarding risk identification and management strategies are developed for all activities, including sensitive ones
- Review on a regular basis the programme-level safeguarding risk register to make sure that new risks are identified, and mitigation measures planned and implemented
- Support M&E colleagues in formulating relevant safeguarding indicators and in mainstreaming safeguarding in all research and M&E activities
- Support process of adapting programming to ensure that interventions maintain a positive impact and do no harm through proper risk assessments and mitigation measure plans
- Support and contribute to the writing of the inception report to the donor and other regular reports to be produced throughout the programme
- Present to various audiences on the safeguarding aspects of the programme design and implementation and support the process of dissemination of safeguarding M&E, research and learning.
- Support the development of safeguarding costed annual workplans, as needed
GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Ensure staff understand Plan International’s commitment to driving a feminist agenda within the organisation, and the ambition for gender equality and gender transformative leadership is embedded in our value- based leadership framework.
The Person
In order to succeed in the challenging and varied role, you will have extensive experience in the following areas:
- Extensive technical knowledge in thematic area of Safeguarding and protection, including knowledge of current trends and policies
- Experience of developing and implementing safeguarding action plans, including for large complex projects, at country and/or regional level
- Expertise in mainstreaming safeguarding in a range of thematic areas
- Experience in implementing education/ girls learning/ gender equality programmes and/ or acting as a technical safeguarding advisor to such programmes would be desirable
- Extensive practical knowledge of gender equality and justice issues and how they intersect with safeguarding
- Extensive practical knowledge of diversity inclusion (especially in relation to disability) and how it intersects with safeguarding.
Strong knowledge in case management would be an advantage
Experience of working with/ through partners, including building technical capacity of implementing partner organisations
Strong understanding of the contextual challenges faced by communities in Sierra Leone as well as solid working experience in the country
Strong public presentation skills and ability to represent the programme to a variety of audiences ranging from government representatives, donor, academic institutions, civil society, community representatives, and other as required.
Advanced report writing skills
Degree in a relevant field, for example, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or Sociology
Fluency in English
Knowledge of languages spoken in Sierra Leone would be an advantage
Type of Role: Fixed term contract (number of years TBC). Contract will be renewable on annual basis depending on performance, funding etc.; Unaccompanied position
Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone. Travel to programme field locations required (frequency TBC)
Salary: Competitive salary available
Reports to: Project Team Leader; Plan Sierra Leone Country Director (TBC)
Closing Date: 21st Dec 2021
How to apply:
Qualified candidates should send their CV and cover letter to programmeresourcing@plan-uk.org. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and only short-listed candidates will be contacted.**
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
Please note that only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.
A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Child Protection Policy.
As an international child centred community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realisation of children's rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the international community.