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 its 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 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
ROLE PROFILE
ROLE PURPOSE
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 its 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 75 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.
The Child Rights (CR) Advisor will play a critical role in ensuring that the Plan and other civil society partners supports the promotion and realization of child rights in the country besides delivering a high quality CR programme strategy.
Dimensions of the Role
Under the general direction and guidance of the Director of Programme Strategy, Quality and Development s/he will ensure all CR programming is well coordinated and contributes to Plan Kenya’s strategic areas of distinctiveness and contributing to the Global goal and ambition of impacting lives of 100 Million girls by 2022. The CR advisor is expected to provide technical support to project staff to ensure programming objectives are successfully achieved, with frequent visits to the field to support high quality programme implementation.
She/he shall also provide leadership in the implementation of the Kenya Country Programme CR strategy and monitor its effective roll-out. The CR Advisor must be willing to embrace a child rights programming approach and represent Plan in national forums and working groups, including collaboration with and participation in Plan CR global networks. She/he will support the overall country strategic intent to focus on ensuring that the most marginalised children achieve their rights to learn, lead decide and thrive.
Accountabilities
Strategic Planning and Programme Development
- Support the development and review of country strategy and thematic programme plans to reflect rights based approach to programming for children and especially girls.
- Support the mainstreaming of child right programming across Plan programming, ensuring collaboration with other technical sectors. Clearly reflect gender issues in our programming to ensure equity of services.
- Ensure all new programmes support the achievement of Plan Global and National strategic and thematic objectives and Government of Kenya policies and legal frameworks.
- Support the PSQD Director and Business Development Manager (BDM) in analysing donor priorities and – building on technical knowledge, personal understanding of the child rights issues and priorities in Kenya, and current/previous programming – develop proposals for new programming in CR.
- Ensure that the country programme strategy supports and demonstrates good practice in child participation and child safeguarding.
- Using a child rights programming lens to ensure that our CR programming is built around the Theory of Change and aligns with Plan’s CR Global Initiatives and areas of distinctiveness.
Programme Coordination and Advocacy and Policy Development
- Be fully aware of national policies, strategies and other initiatives and developments by the Government of Kenya and other stakeholders relating to child rights, and support civil society strengthening to hold duty bearers accountability to policies, including through participation in relevant national level working groups, forums and coordination meetings.
- Help to clearly articulate the CR advocacy messages for the Kenya country programme. Support in Advocacy and Influencing Advisor to develop and implement advocacy plans at national, county and community level.
- Represent and advocate for Plan with regional and international agencies, donors, Kenyan Government, NGOs and others as required.
- Act as focal point within the Country Office on national, regional and global CR research initiatives, ensuring coordination of the various stakeholders.
- In collaboration with the M&E Manager, Learning and Innovation Advisor and Communications 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.
Programme Quality
- Liaise with program department colleagues and support in providing timely, relevant, accurate input on overall technical aspects of Plan programme work in Kenya. The position will be required to travel regularly to field locations.
- Assist in the development of tools for project staff and partners to improve the quality of CR work. Where necessary provide technical training for project staff and partners as required (child rights programming and the role of duty bearers, investment in children, etc.)
- Review relevant monitoring reports to donors to ensure that technical issues are well articulated and reports are of acceptable quality before submission. Provide support where necessary to improve report writing skills.
- Provide input on partner selection, and provide technical coaching of partners in CR, including sharing of relevant publications, tools and training opportunities.
- Analyse and provide feedback on programme implementation to ensure gender equity for both the girl and boy child.
Monitoring and Evaluation
- 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.
- Regularly review and monitor programmes for child safeguarding issues. Take corrective action in modifying programme activities and/or report incidents.
Other
- Participate actively in programme meetings, planning and review activities, providing enhanced insight into child rights programming.
- Actively participate in key relevant internal meetings such as Programme Review Meetings, Advocacy and Communications or area-based meetings as required. Participate in any donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio, as required.
- Live Plan Values.
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
Key relationships
Key staff engaging directly: Technical Specialists for Health, Education, Child Protection, Advocacy & Influencing Advisor; Nairobi Programmes Coordinator; Head of M&E Manager; Communications Manager; Global Working Group on CR, Programme/Project Managers and Area Programme Managers.
Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
- A Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Law, Development Studies or related field.
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience in girls and child rights programming.
- A clear understanding of the legislative/budget making processes at both national and county levels.
- A good understanding of treaty reporting processes and how to mobilize CSOs/children to meaningfully participate in the processes.
- Knowledge and experience in child rights programming and rights based approach.
- Experience working with civil society and community based organisations, particularly in Kenya.
- Experience developing partnership strategies, and proven ability to provide enhanced capacity building of local partners.
- Strong analysis of Child Rights Governance data and ability to summarise and communicate this to a range of audiences.
- Experience in designing Child Rights Governance strategies and proposals.
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching.
- Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
- Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets.
- Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
- Ability to present complex information in a succinct and compelling manner.
- Fluency in English, both verbal and written, required, Swahili preferred.
- Commitment to Plan values and willingness to abide by Child and Young people Safeguarding Policy and hold others accountable.
Plan International’s Values in Practice
We are open and accountable
- Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
- Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
- Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
- Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
- Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
- Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
- Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
- Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
- Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
We are inclusive and empowering
- Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
- Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
- Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
- Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.
Physical Environment
Frequent travel to Plan programme areas sometimes to remote areas, approximately 40% of time and occasional travel outside the country.
Level of contact with children
Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children.
Please note that only applications and CVs written in English will be accepted.
References will be taken and background and Anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plan International’s Child Protection Policy and Code of Conduct. Plan International operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all persons meeting the skills and experience required. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi, Kenya
