Alternative Family Care Advisor (Ref.2018/052) 115 views1 applications

Department: Kenya Programs

Band: 9

Reports To: Project Director – Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC)

Country/Location: Kenya/Nairobi

About Catholic Relief Services:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.

CRS has worked in Kenya since 1965. Over the years, CRS’ focus shifted from direct relief and food distributions to a comprehensive development program that works with partners and enhances local capacity. CRS Kenya programs now support children affected by HIV, and community-based efforts to increase household incomes, improve family health and sanitation, and enhance agriculture livelihoods.

Background:

CRS, with partners Lumos and Maestral International, will work closely with Department of Children Services (DCS) and other care reform actors to implement interventions to support care reform in Kenya. Kenya has been selected as one of three countries, together with the Republic of Moldova and Guatemala, to implement the initial phase of Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) initiative for five years. CTWWC is an initiative that aims to leverage existing strengths and efforts of key stakeholders as well as address identified gaps in an effort to move Kenya away from over reliance on residential care facilities and towards stronger family-based care.

Job summary:

Reporting to the Project Director, Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC)and working closely with the Department of Children Services, you will be responsible for ensuring the recommendations of guidelines for alternative family care are implemented. You will provide technical leadership and assistance to care reform programming with emphasis on the Guidelines for Alternative Family-based Care in Kenya. As a member of Senior leadership technical team, you will ensure technical excellence through contributions made to implementation, delivery of interventions, monitoring and evaluation. You will support the development and preparation of CTWWC alternative family care strategy and be responsible for managing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and reporting on progress of CTWWC support to Kenya’s care reform broadly, and the alternative care agenda (which includes kinship care, foster care, and independent living) more specifically.

Job responsibilities:

· Provide technical leadership to CTWWC and other key partners on implementation of key contents of the Kenyan Guidelines for the Alternative, Family-based Care of Children, including developing standard operating procedures, training curricula and other relevant content to support roll out of different forms of alternative family-based care.

· Support the preparation and acceleration of CTWWC assistance to Kenya’s care reform effort with specific focus on helping to design, strengthen and/or expand alternative family-based options for children.

· Build and sustain effective and coordinated working partnerships with relevant government counterparts, national stakeholders and global partners/allies/donors/academia through active networking, advocacy and effective communication to build capacity, exchange knowledge/expertise and to reinforce cooperation to achieve sustainable and broad results in care reform.

· Work with key partners such as the Kenyan Society of Care leavers to strengthen linkages between alternative care and care leavers including SOPs, training curricula and program interventions.

· Participate in strategic program discussions with partners and stakeholders on the planning of Kenya’s care reform interventions. Work closely and collaboratively with internal and external colleagues and local implementing partners to discuss strategies and approaches to determine national and targeted county-level priorities to ensure the achievement of concrete and sustainable results in alternative care

· Actively monitor initiatives under the CTTWC initiative, specifically activities related to alternative family-based care, through field visits, and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues.

Provide technical guidance and operational support to government counterparts, key stakeholders and LIPs on interpretation, application and understanding of care reform policies, strategies, processes and best practices and approaches on alternative care, and related issues to support program management, implementation and delivery of results.

Agency-Wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Serves with integrity

• Models stewardship

• Cultivates constructive relationships

• Promotes learning

MEAL Competencies:

• Track portfolio and project MEAL requirements – both CRS MEAL Policies and Procedures (MPP) and donor requirements.
• Work with MEAL staff and partner staff to implement the MPP and donor MEAL requirements applicable to your projects.
• Complete the annual MEAL procedure self-assessment for your project and develop action plan to advance MEAL practice.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in Sociology, Social Work, Public Health, International Development or a related field.

· Seven years of experience in programs focused on child protection, family strengthening, case management and reintegration; experience with social welfare systems strengthening, orphan and vulnerable children programming and/or social welfare workforce capacity development strongly preferred.

· Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity in child protection and care reform programming, including an understanding of the issues facing separated children and families in vulnerable contexts.

· Experience with capacity building, particularly of local implementing partners, as well as working in partnership or consortia.

· Knowledge of national government bodies engaged in child care and protection and policies related to child protection and alternative care.

· Demonstrated ability to maintain positive relationships and work in a participatory and empowering manner with diverse actors at all levels including government officials, local implementing partners and community members

· Demonstrated ability to motivate and inspire teamwork among diverse partners.

Personal Skills

• Critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills with ability to make sound judgment.
• Strong writing skills in professional English, level of proficiency should allow the candidate to serve as primary author of high-quality written reports to donors with minimal revision.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and service-oriented.
• Attention to details, accuracy and timeliness in executing assigned responsibilities with minimal supervision.

Required Travel:

The Alternative Family Care Advisor will be expected to travel within the CTWWC project areas of operation.

Key Working Relationships:

Supervisory: None

Internal: CTWWC Director, CTWWC team, Health, Education and Social Services Unit, Management Quality unit, CRS Kenya MEAL Unit,

External: GOK, IPs, faith-based actors, other stakeholders, and the community.

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.