Safeguarding Coordinator - Ethiopia

Job Description

Role Title: Safety & Security Coordinator - Ethiopia

Job/Role Purpose: To provide technical guidance and operational and programme support to project team, management and partners to ensure compliance with safeguarding policies in line with donor expectations and the VSO volunteering for development approach. To build understanding and capacity for safeguarding with partners, CSOs and networks.

Task Responsibilities

Technical support - Programme

• Mapping and Capacity assessment of community level structures and systems (e.g. DRR, Peace Committees)
• Develop and deliver safeguarding capacity building to community level CSOs as part of project implementation
• Accompany CSOs to strengthen their safeguarding policies and practices
• Link CSOs into existing crisis response and referral systems both within VSO and existing community referral systems

Technical support - Operational

• Map local service provision and existing referral systems in the programme delivery area to access and/or mobilise should a crisis occur.
• Develop agreements with key local service providers
• Update the risk register and mitigation measures (including relocation protocols) with detailed information and review and update risk register every 6 months
• Identifying additional PSS support to staff, volunteers and partners and refer within VSO
• Support project team to carry out mandatory due diligence assessments and provide partner support in building safeguarding capacities where necessary.
• Provide advice to project team on national laws and regulations relating to safeguarding
• Collate, analyze and disseminate security & safeguarding information to project staff, volunteers and ensuring the information remains accurate and neutral.
• Ensure ongoing development and regular review of project safeguarding and security protocols.

Incident & Crisis Management Response

• Ensure timely escalation and management of, and learning from security and safeguarding incidents in line with VSO global policy & procedures
• Engage with existing local and national organisations/networks on case management

Data, analysis & reporting

• Ensure effective auditing, accountability and report handling procedures related to the safeguarding system are in place and applied.

Capacity building

• Project team at VSO and partner’s project teams are inducted and provided with ongoing accompaniment and training on safeguarding & security.

Knowledge/qualifications:

• Demonstrable experience in safety and security in fragile, conflict affected areas.
• Undertaken safeguarding training

Experience:

• Significant of experience managing safety & security in the context of humanitarian, development and peacebuilding programmes in Ethiopia. Experience of cross border/multi country projects an advantage
• Experience of safeguarding incidences and responses at an organizational level
• Experience of strengthening local community capacity on safety & security
• Practical experience of designing and delivering training and ongoing capacity building in security. Similar experience in safeguarding an advantage.
• Experience of working in a cross-cultural context an advantage
• Experience of working with volunteers an advantage

Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent communication skills with good command of both spoken and written English, Amharic. Fluency in Oromo an advantage.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information with tact, discretion, and sensitivity.
• Ability to develop, manage and maintain efficient systems and work under pressure.
• Self-motivated, ability to use own initiative and flexibility.
• Able to travel across project implementation sites and spend time away from work- base location and home.

About the Organization

VSO is an international development charity that works through volunteers. Our vision is a world without poverty in which people work together to fulfil their potential. We bring people together to share skills, creativity and learning to build a fairer world. VSO welcomes volunteers from an ever increasing range of countries, backgrounds and ages. National agencies in Canada, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines recruit volunteers from many different countries worldwide and this international approach allows us to combine and learn from a rich variety of perspectives. Tackling Disadvantage at "Grass Roots" Level Ours is a very individual "people to people" approach to development. Instead of sending food or money, we send women and men from a wide range of professions who want the chance to make a real difference in the fight against poverty. These volunteers work in partnership with colleagues and communities to share skills and learning and jointly achieve change. But we have to be realistic in our expectations. We commit to long-term development goals and long-term partnerships and focus on sustainable development rather than the short-term relief of certain problems. VSO also works to address the structural inequalities and barriers that prevent people from exercising their rights. We use our experience and our supporter networks to work for changes in policy and practice - rich and poor countries - that reduce disadvantage. VSO is by far the largest independent volunteer-sending agency in the world. Since 1958, we have sent out more than 29,000 volunteers to work in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, the Pacific region and, more latterly, Eastern Europe in response to requests from our overseas partners. At the moment we have around 1,500 people working in placements in these regions. Shared Partnerships, Shared Benefits You only have to talk to VSO volunteers to realise that they gain from their experience, personally or professionally, as much as they contribute. Many will enthuse how fascinating it was to explore a different culture at first hand. Others will point to the friendships they have made. But many will also tell you how their professional talents have been stretched, and how they have learnt new skills that will significantly enhance their career prospects on their return home. If ever it was true that "you get out what you put in", VSO is proof positive. This experience makes volunteers passionate in challenging misconceptions about developing countries. In the current climate, it is more urgent than ever that we work to achieve a global community where people of all cultures are seen as equal, learn from each other and share a common sense of rights and responsibilities as global citizens. VSO builds on this experience and passion to support a range of global education activity. To find out more about volunteering with or supporting VSO visit our website at www.vso.org.uk