UNICEF CHAD
TERMS OF REFERENCE
Child Protection Specialist– Monitoring and Reporting under the Action Plan for Release of Children from the Chadian Armed Forces
Level: P4 level
Report to: Deputy Representative of UNICEF Chad
Timeframe: 12 months, with possible extension
1. Background and Context
In June 2011, the Chadian Government signed an Action Plan with the United Nations to end the recruitment and use of children in the ANT (Armée nationale tchadienne), following the listing of the ANT in the annexes of the Secretary-General’s report on CAAC in 2009.
Progress in the implementation of the Action Plan has been delayed. In the course of 2012, although the ANT did not recruit children as a matter of policy, a total of 34 cases of recruitment of children into the ANT were verified. The 34 children were apparently recruited during a recruitment drive in February-March 2012, during which 8,000 newly recruited persons joined the national army. The identification, reunification and reintegration of the children signals the will and ability of Chadian forces to end violations, however preventive measures have not been adopted, which points to the need to strengthen and systematize procedures to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place to end violations and prevent child recruitment, in particular.
UNICEF on the ground has been the technical partner of the Government in the implementation of the Action Plan. In March 2013, a number of priority measures were identified to expedite compliance with the Action Plan, and these have been further elaborated in a 10 Point Matrix. At the national level, an inter-ministerial workshop was organized in N’Djamena in May 2013, together with a joint mission of the SRSG CAAC and UNICEF, to ensure national ownership across line ministries and identify clear criteria and outline steps for compliance.
2. Justification
The position of Child Protection Specialist assigned to the implementation of the Chadian MRM Action Plan is critical in ensuring UNICEF’s role and continued technical leadership in the implementation of the Action Plan to end the recruitment and use of children by national armed and security forces. Support for the implementation of the Action Plan will include a significant expansion of capacity within the UNICEF Child Protection section, to support i) establishment of procedures for screening of Chadian armed forces, ii) establishment of an age verification mechanism to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by national forces, and iii) identification and release of children, and support for family reunification and community reintegration, in accordance with international standards and guidelines.
3. Purpose and Objective
Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative of UNICEF Chad, the Child Protection Specialist (MRM) will take the lead in the implementation of the priority measures of the Action Plan, including overall management and technical support for the 10 points to accelerate and achieve compliance. The Child Protection Specialist will provide support to all elements of the Action Plan such as the joint UN/ANT screening process of Chadian troops, the development of age verification procedures, the training of UN/NGO staff in monitoring/verification, the development of awareness raising, the identification, verification, release, reunification and reintegration of children and other points elaborated in the 10 Point Action Plan Matrix.
4. Methodology and Technical Approach
The Child Protection Specialist will be based in the UNICEF Child Protection Section in N’djamena, with extensive travel to the field. S/he is expected to be flexible and able to meet challenges under difficult working circumstances, work closely with Government partners and Ministries, relevant UN focal points, child protection agencies, and the Chadian Armed Forces (ANT in particular).
5. Activities and Tasks
The Child Protection Specialist will:
a. Take the lead in the management of UNICEF support, in coordination with Government, UN agency and NGO partners, in the implementation of key priorities as specified in the roadmap signed on the 14th of May 2013 and as elaborated in the 10 Point Action Plan Matrix.
b. Undertake screening of ANT troops in the six (6) ANT training centers and eight (8) military regions and other areas as appropriate:
- Joint UN/ANT screening of Chadian troops at the six (6) ANT training centres;
- Spot check of troops/battalion within each of the eight (8) military regions, with particular emphasis on recruitment centers, and prioritization of troops to be deployed in peacekeeping operations.
c. In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs and implementing partners:
- Facilitate the identification, registration, release, reunification, care and reintegration of children from the National Armed Forces (ANT).
- Provide all necessary assistance for implementing partners on: activities of verification and release of children (boys and girls) associated to Chadian armed forces (ANT) – including documentation-, interim care (families or centres), family tracing and reunification system and community based reintegration.
d. In collaboration with the Ministry of Defence:
- Support the establishment of an age verification mechanism in recruitment processes as a standard operating procedure to prevent the recruitment and use of children by Chadian armed forces.
- Support the dissemination of command orders (Presidential Directive) to all troops to stop and prevent the recruitment and use of children.
- Support the development of a mechanism for disciplinary measures to address cases of violation of military instructions for preventing the recruitment and use of children, and to address cases of grave violations against children.
- Ensure systematic delivery of pre-deployment training to all troops on child rights and child protection.
- Supervise the capacity building on child rights and child protection for the eight military regions, including the six military training centres, with consultancy technical support.
- Supervise training of child protection units in the ANT and ensure conformity with national and international obligations.
e. Assume responsibility for verification of information gathered on grave child rights in Chad, and prepare the Global Horizontal Note (GHN) every 3 months.
f. In collaboration with the CP team and other UNICEF sectors, as well as Ministries concerned:
- Support the establishment of a free and accessible national birth registration to systematize verification of age of children within a comprehensive civil registration system.
- Support legal reform in line with the Action Plan, specifically the adoption of the Child Protection Code and the Civil Registration Law, which constitutes a legal ban on the recruitment or use of children (under 18) in the ANT and related violations.
g. Provide additional support to the Child Protection Specialist to:
- Operationalise a strengthened system of information gathering and alerts on the grave violations against children, with a particular emphasis on recruitment and use.
- Conduct necessary follow-up and monitoring of reintegration programming.
- Monitor quality and provide inputs to improve awareness raising programmes on underage recruitment in the community.
6. Post provides supervision to other temporary assigned staff
3 CP Specialists (NOB) recruited to support monitoring and verification under the Action Plan;
1 military trainer (SSA);
1 interim care, tracing and reintegration support (SSA).
7. Qualifications and Specialized Knowledge
Education: University degree in international relations, social sciences, social work, law, child psychology, or other relevant field.
Language: Spoken and written fluency in French.
Technical Competencies:
- Background and familiarity with international human rights and humanitarian law, emergency response and international guidelines relating to child protection;
- Ability to work independently in accordance to the Roadmap deadlines ;
- Ability to work in a complex environment with a variety of senior stakeholders, including from Government, Armed Forces, UN and civil society;
- Ability to provide technical supervision to staff;
- Ability to manage logistics of humanitarian operations;
- Ability to organise and facilitate capacity-building initiatives, including trainings for colleagues and partners;
- Knowledge of latest developments in the field of prevention of child recruitment, release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces/groups, and the Security Council mechanism for monitoring and reporting of grave violations of children’s rights in situations of armed conflict.
- Familiarity with community-based reintegration models and ability to incorporate lessons learned from similar experiences.
Work Experience:
- Experience in managing complex operations in challenging environments, including design of substantive response as well as systematic operational modalities;
- Experience in managing and/or developing programmes for the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces or armed groups;
- Experience in humanitarian negotiation and coordination;
- Experience in monitoring, verification and reporting of humanitarian and human rights violations;
- Experience in the Monitoring and Reporting Mechanism for Grave Violations against children, as per Security Council Resolutions 1612, 1882 and 1998, is desirable.
8. How to Apply
Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV, and signed P11 form (which can be retrieved at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) by email to: and copy to with subject line “Child Protection Specialist - Monitoring and Reporting under the Action Plan” by 7 June. Please indicate your ability, availability and daily rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily (or monthly) rate will not be considered.
A physician’s certificate of good health and proof of health insurance coverage must be provided by the selected candidate prior to commencement of work.
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