Education and Child Protection Officer
Qualifications of Education and Child Protection Officer:
- Location: Kousseri, Far North, Cameroon
- Vacancy No: 59046
- Salary: N/A
- Organization: IRC International Rescue Committee
- Deadline: 2025,8,1
Brief details about Education and Child Protection Officer:
About
Information about the organization that has offered the job:
General Job Description
The Education and Child Protection Officer will be based in Kousseri. He/she must be flexible to move to other intervention areas according to the needs of the project and will report to the Education and Child Protection Manager. His/her role is to ensure quality in the implementation of activities through the supervision of assistants and team training.
The Education and Child Protection Officer will be responsible for implementing the Education project in the formal and informal settings in accordance with the vision, strategy, design, implementation and management of the education program in Cameroon. He/she will work directly with education authorities and beneficiaries. He/she will ensure that education activities are delivered to children and youth in schools and/or informal centers in accordance with IRC principles and procedures, project objectives and international standards. He/she has direct responsibility for the implementation of activities at the school and community levels. The officer will ensure the implementation of the Education/Child Protection program including the planning and execution of field activities. He/she will be responsible for coordinating with key stakeholders, other IRC projects, external agencies and local staff in the surrounding area on education while ensuring that the activities of the Education program are proportional to the needs of the children.
The Education and Child Protection Officer will receive coaching from the Education and Child Protection Manager in the performance of their duties to increase their knowledge and skills in the field of child protection. They must have an understanding of the complexity of working with children, as well as a significant degree of energy and initiative. They must be able to identify and respond to children’s needs, maintain a high degree of confidentiality at all times, and enforce the existing case management protocol and, if necessary, establish new case management measures for children vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, neglect, and violence. They will supervise and support psychosocial interventions, including the Positive Parenting Program, the Adolescent and Family Crisis Support Program, Social Emotional Learning, and group psychosocial activities.
Job Objectives
The Education and Child Protection Officer will be responsible for:
Technical quality
•Provide daily guidance on case management activities to social workers, in accordance with standard tools and procedures.
•Ensure that activities are carried out in an effective and efficient manner.
•Support the implementation of activities in the formal system and for children enrolled in the Accelerated Education Program (PEA)
•Support the training of teachers in target schools in the IRC’s “Healing Classrooms”/Well-Being Class approach
•Support the creation and strengthening of school management committees, children’s hygiene and sanitation clubs and parent-teacher associations based on existing structures and needs within communities
•Support target schools by implementing school improvement plans that reflect and address the safety concerns of girls and parents.
•Ensure compliance with educational standards and maintain collaboration with school principals and teachers
•Organize regular meetings with stakeholders and clients to gather project reactions/feedback
•Communicate regularly with the Education and Child Protection Manager to update him/her on the progress of the implementation of project activities
•Good understanding of gender and inequality issues in relation to education, protection and development.
•Good understanding of policies and strategies to address resilience issues
Administrative responsibilities
•Write relevant sections of reports (required for donors, management, annual reports, etc.).
•Support the execution of grant-related work, expenditure plans, goods and services acquisition plans and monitoring and evaluation plans.
•Support regular field monitoring and recommend changes where necessary.
Staff supervision and development
•Ensure the supervision of Casae Management Child Protection Assistants and Education and Child Protection Assistants to enable them to implement psychosocial support activities for children and parents
•Ensure the supervision of Education and Child Protection Assistants in the individual and appropriate monitoring of children in schools exposed to or victims of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation
•Ensure the supervision of Education and Child Protection Assistants in the identification and monitoring of children who are dropping out of school, at risk of dropping out characterized by regular absences
•Provide support and technical capacity building for Case Management Child Protection Assistants, Education and Child Protection Assistants, community mobilizers and community volunteers
•Provide daily/regular support to managers to ensure proper management of activities and psychosocial support
•Maintain open and professional relationships with team members: promote a strong team spirit and provide supervision and guidance to enable staff to successfully fulfill their responsibilities
•Ensure timely completion and submission of monthly reports
•In collaboration with the Education and Child Protection Manager, make monthly plans for project activities
•Ensure the implementation and monitoring of plans: expenses, work (including weekly and monthly planning of assistants)
Coordination and representation
•Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with child protection actors on the ground, including government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs and other relevant actors
•Ensure a presence on project sites and ensure excellent collaboration with the community and volunteers
•Participate in program meetings and represent the program externally at the request of the Manager
•In collaboration with case managers, ensure the implementation of the referral system and monthly meetings of service providers • Regularly participate in cluster meetings related to education and child protection in the field.
Program development
•Contribute to the strategic direction of the Education and Child Protection components to meet the needs of abused children and those at risk of being abused
•Contribute to the development of future project activities
Follow-up responsibilities
•Ensure regular monitoring of field activities and propose changes as needed
•Ensure the sharing of the various activity databases by the Education and Child Protection Assistant and the Case Management Child Protection Assistant • Provide monthly activity reports.
Specific tasks:
Based in Kousseri with travel to the districts of Logone Birni, Makary and Fotokol depending on the needs of the program, the Education and Child Protection Officer will ensure all aspects of his mission under the supervision of the Education and Child Protection Manager.
General
•Comply with IRC Cameroon safety and security procedures
•Transmit any security information to his/her Supervisor or his/her Supervisor’s Supervisor;
•Notify the supervisor of any problems, complaints or useful information regarding any aspect of the program.
•All IRC staff are required to comply with IRC’s Standards for Professional Conduct (The IRC Way) and IRC Cameroon’s employment policies.
Minimum Qualifications:
Required profile: Qualifications and skills
Minimum qualifications
•Technical diploma or degree in social work, education sciences, law and humanities or related diploma desired
•At least 2 years of experience in implementing integrated education and child protection project activities, psychosocial support and case management
•Experience working in humanitarian or development contexts desirable
•Proven understanding of working with children and particularly vulnerable children
• Fluency in French is essential, working knowledge of English and local languages of the Far North are an asset
•Prior experience in supervising and coordinating a team in an intercultural context
•Previous experience in capacity building and mentoring staff preferred
Required qualities
•Créativité
•Flexibilité
•Demonstrate a high degree of autonomy and organizational skills
•Stress and pressure management
•Quality in interpersonal relationships
•Communication skills
•Team spirit
•Attentive and curious
•Open to new ideas