For every child, the right to Commitment.
Cameroon continues to face complex child protection challenges resulting from armed conflict, displacement, climate-related emergencies, disease outbreaks, poverty, and social inequalities. Children remain vulnerable to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, harmful practices, family separation, child labor, trafficking, psychosocial distress, and grave violations of children's rights in humanitarian settings.
UNICEF supports the Government of Cameroon and partners in strengthening child protection systems, promoting prevention and response services, addressing protection risks in both development and emergency contexts, and ensuring that vulnerable children access quality protection services. The Child Protection Specialist (P2) contributes to the effective planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of child protection programmes aligned with national priorities and UNICEF's Strategic Plan.
The vision of the current programme is to ensure that every child in Cameroon - girls and boys, including adolescents - survives, thrives, learns, is protected and develops their full potential, thereby contributing to the growth of human capital and social well-being.
UNICEF has the comparative advantage of being the coordinating agency and leading the Child Protection Area of Responsibility in the North-West and South-West regions, which will transition to a Thematic cell within the broader Area Based Coordination mechanism under the umbrella of the Protection sector. The coordination structure is replicated in the Far North and at national level in Yaounde with government leadership of the coordination as the Cluster Transition advances and the clusters are deactivated.
How can you make a difference?
Under the direct supervision of the Chief Child Protection, you, as the Child Protection Officer (NO-1) will provide technical and programmatic support for the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of child protection interventions in Cameroon. You will support UNICEF and government counterparts in strengthening child protection systems, ensuring quality service delivery, and enhancing evidence-based programming to improve protection outcomes for children.
Under the guidance of the Chief Child Protection, you will be responsible for Child Protection, providing professional technical assistance and support for programme design, planning and implementation, management and evaluation of programme/project activities. You will provide support for the development and implementation of integrated strategies and approaches for child protection programmes. The role includes, data analysis, progress reporting and ensuring that interventions are aligned with programmes Goals and objectives.
Key duties and responsibilities
- Programme development and planning
- Programme management, monitoring and reporting
- Technical and operational support
- Networking and partnerships
- Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
- Child Protection in Emergencies
Minimum requirements
Desirables
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
- Relevant professional work experience in emergency contexts and child protection case management is desirable.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.
Remarks
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.
The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.