SAVE THE CHILDREN
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMES

ROLE PROFILE
JOB TITLE: Safeguarding Officer
TEAM: Operations – Global Partnership in Education (GPE) Funded refugees and host communities’ education project
LOCATION: Mubi, Adamawa State with travels to other project locations
GRADE: 4 POST TYPE: National
CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months (renewable based on performance and funding)

CHILD SAFEGUARDING
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g., once a week or more) or intensively (e.g., four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff. The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.
ROLE PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION:
Save the Children International (SCI) is a leading independent international organization creating lasting change for children in need around the world. SCI works in over 120 countries globally, including Nigeria, helping children to survive, learn, and be protected. We are working with the government to improve children’s education, health, nutrition, protection and economic opportunities, and in times of acute crisis, mobilizing rapid life-saving assistance to help the children to recover from the effects of war, conflict and natural disasters.
Save the Children International Nigeria has been selected as Grant Agent for the GPE Accelerated funding to implement Refugee Education intervention over an 18-month period across states of Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Benue, Cross-River and Taraba. As Grant Agent, we are strengthening collaboration with the government at Federal and States/LGA level and SC’s localization strategy recognizing your relevance in the development of a joint refugee/host community education programme to be implemented across the five refugees hosting states.
The Safeguarding Officer will:
• Strategically lead and manage safeguarding inputs on the GPE funded refugees and host communities’ education project, which is to be implemented in Cross River, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Taraba and Adamawa States.
• Be accountable and responsible for the promotion and practice of safe programming and safeguarding on the project.
• Promote and build a ‘Safe Organisation’ and zero tolerance to sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) of children and adult beneficiaries through safeguarding awareness raising and prevention.
• Facilitate confidential reporting of abuse, harm, and danger caused by Save the Children’s activities, staff, and representatives through authorized channels.
Under the guidance of the Project Coordinator, National Safeguarding Coordinator and Programme manager, the Safeguarding Officer will ensure that the GPE funded project is implemented in a safe manner, free of abuse and harm towards beneficiaries.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
Reports to: Project Coordinator (Mubi) with matrix reporting to the Adamawa State Team Leand and GPE PM
Staff directly reporting to this post: None.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
• Develop the project safeguarding strategy and monitor the implementation of safeguarding standards.
• Identify and address training needs of staff and stakeholders in GPE project in relation to keeping children safe and protecting adults at risk.
• Coordinate safeguarding capacity building and mobilize project staff, partners, volunteers, and other stakeholders to undergo induction and annual training in Safeguarding, PSEAH and Safe Programming training through formal and informal training sessions, webinars, discussion of case studies, quizzes etc.
• Technical supervision and mainstreaming of core operational safeguarding activities (COSA) on the project.
• Stakeholder engagement with partner organizations and state government representatives supporting the project.
• Train and support the Safeguarding Focal Points from partner organizations, thematic leads and supporting functions in the fulfilment of their respective safeguarding responsibilities.
• Develop and prepare materials for all safeguarding and Safe Programming related trainings.
• Assist in organizing and facilitation of safeguarding induction for newly recruited staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, stakeholders, and partners in the field office.
• Develop safeguarding messages for various groups of stakeholders and facilitate publication.
• Conduct safeguarding risk assessment for all sectors and activities involving children on the project in collaboration with respective leads of such activities.
• Compile partners’ activity documents, analyses partners risk assessment result and support on identified gap.
• Develop safeguarding financial activity plan and manage safeguarding expenses on the project.
• Compile and develop monthly safeguarding training data/activity report with coordination of focal points and forward to the Country Office.
• Assist the MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) team during the evaluation processes for the compliance of indicators of safe programming and safeguarding on the project.
• Lead in all aspects of safeguarding investigations of reported child safeguarding, PSEAH and unsafe programming incidents/concerns and manage the online reporting system by ensuring that all updates on investigations are up to date.
• Organize learning forum on safeguarding best practices at different level – schools and CFS, TLS, BRG etc.
• Provide technical guidance on safeguarding to partners, volunteers, SCI representatives and other key stakeholders including consultants.
• Conduct supervision and monitoring visits to project and construction sites as required.
• Maintain clear records of number of staff, partners, volunteers, contractors, vendors, consultants and other parties trained in safeguarding.
• Support the capturing and sharing of lessons learnt on safeguarding, PSEAH and safe programming in the project.
• Carry out any other duties either in addition to or instead of those outlined above which may reasonably be required from time to time.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.
Ambition:
• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.
Collaboration:
• builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.
Creativity:
• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• willing to take disciplined risks.
Integrity:
honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
QUALIFICATION, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
Essential
• A bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Gender, Child Protection, Human Rights, Humanitarian Action, Anthropology, or another related field
• At least 3 - 4 years of accrued working experience in education programme implementation with a minimum of 2 years in a humanitarian organization, international NGO, or equivalent organization.
• Minimum of 2 years’ leading or supporting safeguarding, gender/GBV, inclusion, child protection or accountability functions.
• Commitment to SCI’s mission, values, and approach (includes gender equality, child safeguarding and equal opportunities)
• Demonstrated ability to assess priorities and handle multiple tasks simultaneously to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality.
• Substantial experience of child safeguarding, disability inclusion, child protection, PSEAH, SGBV or safe programming issues and practice, within humanitarian or insecure settings.
• Experience in leading or supporting in safeguarding investigations.
• Direct or indirect experience of child protection practice, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
• Knowledge of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Nigeria Child Rights Acts, VAPP Act, child protection and GBV policies and practice as well as current issues in relation to safeguarding of beneficiaries in the Nigeria context.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information as well as facilitate training to a wide and diverse audience.
• Excellent writing skills.
Desirable:
• Ability to foster and maintain strategic alliances across multiple stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel to and work in hard-to-reach areas; Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation, and coaching.
• Experience of assisting in the development of local procedures, SoPs, manuals, and guidance on safeguarding, PSEAH and Safe Programming.
• Experience on facilitation and coordination of training and workshop.
• An advanced degree
• Experience in conducting assessment, monitoring and report writing.
• Practical experience in the participation of children on the intervention of program activities.
• Fluency in written and spoken English, Hausa, and Pidgin.
Administrative & General Skills:
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, Outlook and Power Point)
JD developed by: Chinomso Okoro Date: 19/02/2024
JD agreed by: Chineze Domingo