Child Rights & Protection Program Manager at Plan International Rwanda | Kigali: Deadline: 06-08-2023

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 85 years, and are now active in more than 80 countries.

PROFILE

ROLE PURPOSE 

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organisation working for better lives for all children. We strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We engage people and partners to:

• Empower children, young people and communities to make vital changes that tackle the root causes of discrimination against girls, exclusion and vulnerability.
• Drive change in practice and policy at local, national and global levels through our reach, experience and knowledge of the realities children face.
• Work with children and communities to prepare for and respond to crises and to overcome adversity.
• Support the safe and successful progression of children from birth to adulthood.
  
  
  

Plan International Rwanda Strategy statement.

To fulfil the promise of the 2030 Global Goals, our 5-year Global Strategy is designed to deliver significant change for girls and boys, putting a special emphasis on gender equality. We see clear links between fulfilling children’s rights, achieving gender equality and ending child poverty. Every girl and boy has the right to be healthy, educated, protected, valued and respected in their own community and beyond.

We recognize the immense potential of girls to shape the world, and our ultimate ambition is to stand alongside them. Together, we will take action to empower 100 million girls, enabling them to learn, lead, make decisions, and thrive in their lives.

In this context, the role being offered entails providing specialized leadership, guidance, and support for country-specific child rights, protection, and safeguarding programs, all in alignment with the Country Strategy.

As the Child Rights and Protection Program Manager, you will play a critical role in contributing to the implementation of child rights, protection, and safeguarding initiatives in Rwanda. Your responsibilities will span across various domains, including strategic planning, program development, program implementation, program quality, partnerships, monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning (MERL), fundraising, influencing, advocacy, reporting, financial management, risk management, and capacity building.

management scope, reporting lines, key relationships

Direct reports – The post holder will report to the Head of Programs and will directly manage the Project Managers under this thematic area  

Key relationships

Internal

• Country Leadership/Management Team members
• Internal technical networks as relevant
• Global and Regional functional and thematic leads
• Functional departments Heads at PIR
• Plan Inc. National Organizations
• Plan Inc. Liaison Offices

External

• National and Local authorities
• Other INGOs
• Local Implementing Partners

Level of contact with children

High contact: Regular interaction with children

Physical Environment

• Typical Office environment with 60% travel in PIR’s programming areas.
  
  
  

ACCOUNTABILITIES AND MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Strategic Planning and Program Development (%)

• Formulate country-specific policies, strategies, and goals on child rights, protection, and safeguarding for quality programming with a gender-transformative approach.
• Support the development and review of country strategy and thematic programme plans, ensuring a rights-based approach and child participation principles.
• Contribute to child rights program strategies, incorporating children’s contributions and issues into Plan programs.
• Model value-based leadership underpinned by feminist leadership principles.
• Oversee the development and implementation of country-level SCYPP (Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy) action plans to ensure compliance and competence.
• Assist the Head of Programs (HoPs) and Business Development Manager (BDM) in analyzing donor priorities and developing proposals for new child rights programming.
• Provide technical coaching to partners, offering relevant publications, tools, and training opportunities.

Programme Implementation

• Provide oversight for program interventions to ensure effective implementation (direct and through local implementing partners).
• Take overall responsibility for achieving annual plans and targets.
• Review and authorize project modifications and PCRs within financial limits and operational guidelines.
• Encourage organizational learning by sharing lessons, good practices, and program models within the country and across Plan International.
  
  
  

Programme Quality

• Support the mainstreaming of child right programming across Plan programming, ensuring collaboration with other technical sectors
• Promote and scale up child rights and protection activities in all Plan program areas thus at the district and national levels.
• Provide technical advice and support to field staff in managing child rights, protection and safeguarding projects and program.
• Ensure effective participation of children and other key stakeholders in program implementation
• Work with Programme Unit Managers (PUMs) to understand and develop strategies that address Child Protection issues.
• Integration of child safeguarding policies and standards within sponsorship processes and projects to proactively manage related risks.
• Participate effectively in child rights and protection forums within Plan and at the national level ensuring meaningful contributions and timely strategic positioning.

Partnerships

• Provide technical management support to the assigned local implementing partners, including designing programmes and monitoring quality implementation.
• Strengthen SCYPP systems within partner and donor agencies, ensuring commitment to Plan’s SCYPP requirements.
• Foster collaborative relationships with organizations, networks, decision-makers, and stakeholders in child rights, protection, and safeguarding.
• Support and participate in children and youth-related partnership activities and networks.
• Lead advocacy and influencing efforts on child rights issues at national and regional levels.
• Identify best practices in child rights programming and share experiences and lessons with partners.

• Support civil society strengthening to hold duty bearers’ accountability to policies, including through participation in relevant national level working groups, forums and coordination meetings.
• Strengthen capacities of existing local groups in Plan Rwanda’s operational areas to ensure sustainable children rights, protection and safeguarding activities

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL)

• Working closely with the MERL Manager, develop and implement a MERL framework that measures the effectiveness of Plan’s CR programming.
• In collaboration with the MERL Manager and Influencing Manager, ensure active dissemination of programme findings and lessons learned through the production of high technical quality lessons learned documents and their effective dissemination to key stakeholders inside and outside the organization.
• Ensure strong linkages with Monitoring, Evaluations, Research and Learning (MERL) so that Child Rights, Protection and Safeguarding advocacy and policy approaches are based in evidence.
• Ensure that learnings are captured and shared with CR stakeholders in Rwanda, as well as with internal CR colleagues.
• Ensure early and rigorous implementation of quality and accountability mechanisms, as well as feedback from the relevant stakeholders is considered throughout all phases of Plan’s CR project design and implementation activities
• Regularly review and monitor programmes for child safeguarding issues.  Take corrective action in modifying programme activities and/or report incidents.
• Act as focal point within the Rwanda CO on national, regional and global CR research initiatives, ensuring coordination of the various stakeholders.
• Support in the development of a monitoring and evaluation framework and key indicators (with M&E team) for CR that helps each project improve quality of reporting, clearly articulate progress and impact of projects, identify issues for advocacy and input for new programmes/projects in the future.

• Support in the design of baseline, mid-term and end of project evaluations for CR programmes, including working with M&E staff on Terms of Reference and consultant selection.  Monitor the evaluation process and provide input and clarification as needed.  Review evaluation findings and ensure that lessons and recommendations are captured in the Lessons Learned database
  
  
  

Fundraising

• Contribute to thematic capacity statements on child rights.
• Represent Plan International Rwanda to donor agencies, track funding opportunities, and explore local funding and partnership opportunities.
• Support proposal development in line with the country strategy, ensuring sound budgeting and cost recovery.

Influencing and Advocacy

• Build strategic partnerships and engage with key stakeholders to advance Plan Rwanda’s influencing agenda in child rights, protection, and safeguarding.
• Develop key influencing messages and strategies to mobilize support for change.
• Roll out the Child Rights, Protection, and Safeguarding Influencing plan to achieve specific influencing goals.
• Contribute to policy and legislative changes on child rights and protection at the national level.
• Represent and advocate for Plan with various agencies and stakeholders.

Reporting % Financial Management

• Coordinate the annual SCYPP implementation standards self-assessment and incident reporting exercises, providing reports on outcomes and trends to the country management team.
• Review relevant monitoring reports to donors to ensure that technical issues are well articulated and reports are of acceptable quality before submission.
• Coordinate compilation of quarterly reports on child related offences from Plan’s areas of operation and provide guidance and support to mitigate such abuses.
• Oversee and manage both internal and external reporting for the child rights programming
• Ensure that Plan International Rwanda is providing quality and timely child rights status reports to donors, National Offices and the Global/Regional Hub.

• Manage the overall budget for Rwanda CR sector programming, ensuring that budgets are accurate, spending is as per agreed budgets and both internal and donor financial reports for the sector are accurate.      
  
  
  

 Capacity building and People Management

• Provide technical training for project staff and partners on child rights programming and other relevant topics.
• Coordinate SCYP briefings, workshops, and refresher training for staff, managers, and associates.
• Provide vision and direction to the programme team, fostering teamwork and high performance.
• Support staff in understanding and complying with organizational vision, mission, and policies.
• Foster a positive working environment and ensure compliance with core policies and guidelines, including Gender and Child Safeguarding.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Qualifications/ experience essential:

Knowledge

• A Degree in Social Sciences, child psychology, sociology, social work or equivalent qualification.
• A minimum of 5 years’ relevant work experience at a similar level in child rights and protection
• Proven experience in strategic planning, program development, fundraising, and advocacy efforts related to child rights.
• Strong knowledge of child rights policies, laws, and safeguarding frameworks.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in monitoring, evaluation, research, and learning methodologies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and manage teams effectively.
• Fluency in English and local languages.
• Commitment to Plan International’s values and principles, including gender equality and child rights.
  
  
  

Specific skills of this position:

• Proven ability to develop project proposals and concepts
• Excellent networking and partnership building skills
• Ability to
• Research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Good communication, facilitation and report writing skills
• Strong team-building and motivational skills
• Strong negotiating, strategic thinking and influencing skills
• MS office skills

Desired

• A relevant Master’s degree is a distinct advantage

Leadership Competencies

• Setting high standards for self and others’ behaviour, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out.
• Holding self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively.
• Creating a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, to reflect and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of what we do.
• Collaborating with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Motivating and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them develop their potential.
• Positive about change and supporting others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES 

• Understands relevant sectoral context including how the SCYPP operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan’s purpose, values, and global strategy.

• Manages legal and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with risk-related standards, including in areas such as Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security
• Managing activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organising, financial planning and monitoring, negotiation and programme and project management
• Managing people and information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills

TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

• Understanding issues: Causes of violence (including inter-generational and gender based), both social and arising from the presence or absence of national systems. The impact of violence on childhood and youth health, psychological and emotional development.  Similarities and overlaps of the fields of child protection and gender-based violence and implications for policy and practice.

• Understanding Strategies to: prevent all forms of violence and provide support to survivors of violence under 25 years of age ie children, adolescents and young people. Strengthen protection systems, family-relations and the resilience of children, adolescents and youth.

• Driving Quality by using strategies for: preventing violence based on an analysis of causal factors, including social norms. Working on protection mechanisms at family level, community level, service level. Responding to incidences of violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect; and ensure access to support services.

• Adapting to Context: The effect of humanitarian events including disaster, food insecurity crisis, conflict and displacement on the protection of children, adolescents and youth. How violence and power are manifest in the particular culture and culturally specific features of family relations; the state services present eg. legal, educational and what response is likely to be socially and culturally accepted. Setting and communicating ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International’s purpose.
  
  
  
  

Behaviours:

• Demonstrates clear respect to all and especially children without discrimination
• Ability to develop, motivate and coach and mentor others
• Promotes high quality child rights programs
• Having initiative and able to work independently
• Promotes innovation and learning within the child rights realm
• Communicates clearly and effectively on child protection issues
• Confident in taking initiative and exploring new opportunities
• Assertiveness and shows cultural sensitiveness

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

Location: Country Office

Type of Role: Child Protection

Reports to: Head of Programs

Grade: D2

Closing Date: 6/08/2023

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

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. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.