Child Protection in Emergencies (CPIE) Consultants

LonAdd HR Consultancy Plc (www.lonadd.com) is a Recruitment & Outsourcing Company based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with branch offices in Dukem and Hawassa. We are looking to recruit a qualified-on Child Protection in Emergencies (CPIE) Consultants Advisor behalf of our client.

Ethiopia is gripped in the midst of a mix of complex, enduring, and emerging emergencies, including the inter-communal, armed conflict and the drought in Oromia region, resulting in displacement which increases protection risks for women and children. The situation in Oromia remains highly unpredictable and dynamic, with severe impact on the population. The fighting in most parts of  western Oromia specifically in the four welegas, Eastern Borena,  western Guji  and most recently in west, north and East  showa zones affecting the  lives of civilanes including children and women.These armed conflicts exposed IDPs and host communities to a variety of protection risks and continues to be associated with a high number of displacements, civilian deaths, injuries, family separation, sexual harassment, gender-based violence, detention, and psychological trauma. IDPs are forced to use negative coping mechanisms such as begging, child labor, pick pocketing, and survival sex due to a lack of basic services and the inability to access the existing services. The protracted emergency situation in almost all parts of the region and in, the ongoing and active fighting in some zones of the region have resulted in large-scale displacements and suffering of people of which the majority are   women and children. Oromia has been affected by multiple emergencies (Conflict, drought, windstorm, cholera, Measles & flooding). As a result, over 2.6ML children are forced to be out of school and over 460 schools are still closed due to insecurity.

According to the Oromia DRMC, the number of individuals and households affected by internal armed conflict are increasing steadily covering 13 zones in the region. The region is also home to over 1,494,129 IDPs out of which about 438,326 are residing in the collective IDP sites as confirmed by Oromia DRMC.  Displacement is mainly triggered by conflict in various parts of the region where access to life saving services is negatively affected by deteriorating security.  The zones where security has impacted negatoively on communities. includes the four Wollegas, two Gujis, East Borena, East Hararghe, North, East  and West Shewa zones. 

Children and women are the most affected community members in all the conflict affected woredas in the region. Children are highly affected by sexual violence in conflict affected locations, while child labor, child rural-urban movements and associated trafficking and child marriage are concerns in affected areas. Report from the regional BOWCYA indicates that a total of 427,775 children are at risk of these CP/GBV concerns in the region.   Administrative data also shows an increasing trends of child marriage and VAC cases as the emergencies persist longer. 

The client is providing CP and Education response services covering over 30 most conflict affected woredas in the region through direct partnership with Government and partnership with  local and international partners through PCA in humanitarian settings. The interventions focuses on strengthening the child protection system (through capacity building support to partners , strengthening coordination and referral linkages) and delivering services like case management, supporting UASC, preventing and responding to VAC/GBV, MHPSS, providing Aclerated Learning Programme (BETE/MY HOME) for OOS and overaged children, support back to learning campaign and resumption of learning, provision of learning and play materilas ( full package schoolbags, recreational and ECD kits)   and provision of CP supplies mainly dignity kits. 

Lack of access and insecurity remain key challenges to identify major child protection and GBV concerns to identify and register UASC in IDP sites and to conduct regular field level risk monitoring. As we have significant number of children and women affected with GBV and associated distresses, specialized MHPSS services integrating with health and school system is required.  Children and Women survivors of Gender Based Violence are also denied access to services due to road blockages and security threats.  Lifesaving CP/GBV non-food items including dignity kits are also urgent needs in conflict affected areas.  Increasing number of children and women are forced to adopt negative coping mechanisms as an alternative for survival and to support and provide basic needs for their families. There is need for a multi sectoral and multi- agency response (including education in Emergency response) to promote resilience and durable strategies.  Social Cash Transfer initiatives are needed to meet the urgent needs of children and women. Limited humanitarian partners on the ground has made the situation much more complicated to provide adequate CPIE and GBV  and education responses for emergency affected locations. And above all these responses require a field level intensive technical support. 

As part of its  Integrated response to the emergency situation in the region, client seeks to provide and strengthen child protection and GBV and Education services to affected populations with special focus on the conflict which affects 13 zones and 151 woredas in the region. The quality of services being delivered at woreda level requires monitoring of the situation, technical assistance to implementing partners, and skillful and quality coordination mechanisms. 

As the nature of CP and GBV concerns has its own peculiarities, the service quality could be compromised under the current implementation arrangements. The deployment of Third-Party Child Protection in Emergency Consultants to affected weredas and zones will provide technical support to the implementation, monitoring and reporting of Client child protection and education programme response. The consultants will also play a convening role with child protection programme partners. 

The existing efforts to strengthen/establish zonal/woreda level coordination mechanisms requires further support and this will ensure continued monitoring of the child protection situation, children’s learning and on-going responses in highly dynamic emergency contexts. This technical support will be linked with strengthening the capacities of Government sectors and other Client PCA partners to provide CPIE and GBVIE and Education response services in line with Client Core Commitments for Children. . These dedicated Child Protection and Education in Emergencies Consultants are therefore required to provide the highly needed field level support to ensure a coordinated, quality assured responses in dynamic and complex emergency settings. 

Key function, accountabilities and related duties/tasks 

In line with the Core Commitments for Children for Child Protection and Education, the consultants are expected to  provide field level technical and programmatic support for the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of child protection and education in emergency response in partnership with BoWCYA,REB and NGOs. They are responsible to ensure that interventions included in the child protection and education priority focus areas are implemented, monitored, and managed in a timely and effective manner.