Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer – SOS Children’s Villages

Job Description

Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer – Lusaka

SOS Children’s Villages Zambia is a child focused organization and an affiliate of the SOS Children Villages International. It is non-governmental, non-political, non-denominational, and non-racial. Its overall mission is to build families for children in need, help them shape their own futures and share in the development of their communities. To realise the mission of the organisation, SOS Children’s Villages is recruiting for the under listed position.
SOS Children’s Villages holds strict child and youth safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for conducts of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Recruitment decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks and police clearance reference check processes

Job Summary

The Child Protection and safeguarding Officer will play a vital role in supporting the implementation of comprehensive Child Protection and safeguarding programmes. This position is focused on developing and executing a robust case management system, and organizing awareness-raising activities related to child protection and safeguarding issues. The officer will also collaborate closely with project locations to ensure that all child protection and safeguarding teams are adequately trained and equipped to support programme participants effectively.
As a National Focal Point for Child, Adult and Asset safeguarding, the officer will coordinate all safeguarding concerns in line with the organization’s Safeguarding policy. The officer reports to the National Programme Manager and will receive additional Technical Support from the International Regional Office.

Objectives

The Child Protection and Safeguarding Officer is a critical function which will play the lead role in ensuring the design, implementation and monitoring of high-quality safeguarding and child protection programmes for the SOS Children’s Villages Zambia.
He/she will provide technical leadership to all our work in the Child Protection and Safeguarding sector, with responsibility for developing clear strategic and operational plans, identifying safeguarding risk and forging strong partnerships with Government and like-minded organisations in the area of safeguarding, and providing technical support and training to all programme teams across the four locations and to community structures such as Child Protection Committees.

Key Competencies

Strategic Planning

• Able to develop and communicate a comprehensive SOS Children’s Villages strategy based on an in-depth understanding of the Overall strategy and programming.

Planning and Coordination

• Able to provide strategic leadership within the child protection and safeguarding plan(s) and interventions.
• Able to provide inputs in strategic development of other departmental areas such as Programmes, Branding and Communications, Gender and Fund Development and assist managers in integrating child, adult and asset protection/safeguarding in the project plan(s).
• Ability to coordinate well with technical and operational staff, consultants, Government and donors
• Build and maintain extensive stakeholder networks across the location and likeminded sector players such as the Joining Forces Alliance (JFA).
• Ability to act in an advisory role to the SOS CV team in matters relating to the Child protection and Safeguarding.

Negotiation

• Ability to manage external stakeholder relationships
• Ability to resolve conflict
• Ability to negotiate effectively to deliver value for money
  Compliance
• Ability to follow SOS Children’s Villages implementing procedures and overall compliance
• Ability to understand and apply the principles of contracting/bidding, safeguarding, evaluation and selection, legal frameworks, deliverables, timeframes, payment and closing out

Writing and editing

• Ability to write detailed reports, intervention approval requests, and any other supporting documents required
• Attention to detail with high analytical skills
  Administration
• Ability to monitor and keep track of all Child Protection and Safeguarding matters and deadlines
• Ability to process thoughts and key data for effective input to decision making
• Ability to assist the National Office team in formulating child protection and safeguarding procedures and policies.
• Ability to manage all child safeguarding and child protection policies in a retrievable and effective data base.

Qualifications and Personal Attributes

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Law, Education, Child Development, Psychology, or a related field (Master’s degree added advantage).
• Five (5) Years Minimum Proven experience in safeguarding, child protection, social work, or related fields, preferably in a humanitarian or development context.
• Strong knowledge of child protection principles, safeguarding, frameworks, and legislation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport with children, families, and community members
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making in complex situations.
• Proficiency in data management and reporting tools.

The eligible candidate is required to possess the under listed skills in addition to role specific requirements:

• Understanding the NGO/INGO sector.
• Excellent understanding of children’s rights and child protection issues.
• Awareness and basic understanding of issues affecting orphans & vulnerable children, such as the causes of vulnerability (e.g. HIV & AIDS, gender discrimination, poverty, etc.), local and national responses, etc.
• Excellent command of written and spoken English – other languages, an asset.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, including ability to identify problems and possible solutions, and ability to clearly reflect these in a report.
• Good communication skills and People development skills, including facilitation, coaching and mentoring skills, to build the capacities of co-workers from partner organizations; as well as of children and their care-givers, and other community members.
• Collaboration skills, being driven to work with others and able to build strong working relationships community members and groups.
• Fluent in at least one of the local languages spoken in the Programme’s target communities.
• Ability and willingness to travel as required within and between project/programme locations.
• Ability to work successfully in a cross-cultural, team-based environment.
• Strong use of MS Office Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Office 365.

Key Responsibilities

Implementation of Child Protection Programmes:

• Support the planning, development, and execution of Child Protection programmes in accordance with organizational standards and best practices.
• Contribute to the design and formulation of strategies that address child protection concerns within the project scope.
• Annually develop a national action plan based on status quo analysis together with the National Programme Manager, including training strategy, to support child protection implementation in line with ‘Implementation Guide’ of SOS-Kinder Dorf International and appropriate to the needs of SOS Children’s Villages Zambia; ensure CP is part of the national and local planning
• Develop and implement a regular national monitoring system and document advances and challenges
• Support Human Resources (HR), to integrate child protection into existing policies, processes and procedures (i.e. Recruitment, screening and selection, induction, performance management, etc.)
• To monitor and review the implementation of the relevant policies and documentation and procedures to ensure they are adhered to, remain current and fit for purpose.

Case Management System:

• Design, implement, and maintain an efficient case management system tailored to the needs of child protection and safeguarding in project areas.
• Ensure that the case management process is child-centred, evidence-based, and compliant with legal and ethical standards.

Awareness and Education:

• Organize and coordinate awareness campaigns and training sessions on child protection and safeguarding issues for project participants, community members, and stakeholders.
• Develop Child Protection materials and resources to promote understanding and awareness of child protection rights and issues.
• Ensure clear process is in place for tracking and reporting on progress against the Safeguarding and Child Protection sector strategy.
• Provide Safeguarding technical input to the development of MA annual plans, sector strategies and other planning documents
• Participate in studies, analysis and formulation of objectives, policies and programmes related to the education, health, psychosocial and other growth sectors.
  Maintaining a strong child protection culture
• Conduct ongoing trainings and child protection activities in order to maintain awareness and meet specific training needs (e.g. child protection in various SOS locations)
• Work as resource on child protection and provide support, advice and guidance locally on matters related to child protection
• Provide support and guidance to core care co-workers and provide planned interventions as part of agreed plans for children.
• Provide overall coordination across the MA so that child protection initiatives are consistent, efficient and effective and that learning is shared
• Support communication on child protection via a range of means (newsletter, good practice sharing, etc.), to all key stakeholder groups, especially children including elaborating child friendly child protection material.
• Participate in external Child Rights and Child Protection events at national, regional and international levels.
• Liaise with the respective Regional/International Child Protection Advisors to improve technical competence and systems for Child Protection

Training and Capacity Building:

• Collaborate with project locations to assess training needs and develop training programmes for child protection teams.
• Provide training to staff and other stakeholders and develop a range of other activities that will support knowledge, practice and skills development. Strengthen the capacity of staff and volunteers involved in child protection activities.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Foster partnerships with local agencies, community organizations, and stakeholders to enhance the delivery of child protection and safeguarding initiatives.
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with all project teams to ensure alignment in child protection efforts.
• Provide support to the Senior Management Team to ensure there are quality assurance mechanisms in place to monitor, review and evaluate arrangements for the protection of children.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Collect and analyse relevant data to monitor the effectiveness of child protection and Safeguarding programmes and case management systems. Provide regular reports on programme progress, challenges, and solutions to management and stakeholders.
• Prepare Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to measure and monitor the effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of education services.
• Develop technical tools, guidance and documentation as required.
• Support the incorporation of the KPIs into the Plan Follow-up System of the Sector

Policy and Advocacy:

• Stay informed about national and international child protection laws, policies, and best practices.
• Advocate for child protection issues within communities and ensure that children’s rights are upheld.

Emergency Response:

• Assist in the development and implementation of child protection measures in emergency contexts if required.
• Ensure that emergency response plans consider the specific protection needs of children.

Data Confidentiality:

• Understanding data confidentiality principles is compulsory. Treat donor information gathered confidential and secure.
• Act as central point to collate reports, referrals, information on concerns and storing the documentations secure and confidential

Safeguarding Policy:

• Support in ensuring that all tasks are in compliance with the Safeguarding Policy (Child & Youth, Asset) implementation in the Organization.

Closing date for receipt of applications is 14 March 2025

You can email your application letter and CV only to jobs@sos-zambia.org. Please DO NOT email academic and professional certificates as they will only be required during the interviews to the applicants who will be responded to.

SOS Children`s Villages Zambia is an equal opportunity employer.