Technical Advisor at Terre des hommes

Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH-NL) in East Africa is looking for a Technical Advisor Child Protection, full time, to be based in Nairobi (Kenya), with frequent travel within the region.

General Characteristics

The Technical Advisor is a position aimed at advising on child rights and child protection policy matters and providing evidence based input for programme development within the organisation. Our work focuses on the issue of child exploitation, with four key programme themes centered around: (1) the Worst Forms of Child Labour; (2) (Commercial) Sexual Exploitation of Children; (3) Child Trafficking and Migration; (4) Child Abuse / Child Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. TdH-NL also provides humanitarian aid, with a focus on protecting children and their families in emergency situations.

We address child exploitation through five strategies: prevention of the worst forms of child exploitation; provision of services to ensure safe reintegration of child victims; prosecution of those who perpetrate crimes against children; promotion of a safe and conducive social/economic/legal context for children; and partnership & participation to strengthen civil society in the promotion of children’s rights and to include meaningful participation of children.

Objective of the function

Terre des Hommes Netherlands has the ambition to become the Centre of Excellence Against Child Exploitation. The Technical Advisor will profile Terre des Hommes Netherlands as an expert organisation in the fight against it.

The Technical Advisor is responsible for advising on child rights and child protection policy matters. To this end, the position holder acts as an expert contact point for both internal and external bodies.

The Technical Advisor will work towards expanding the TdH-NL portfolio of child protection programming globally, with a special focus on child trafficking and migration, as well as TdH-NL’s other core themes , and will ensure all child protection programming is of excellent technical quality. He/she will ensure that all child protection programmes contribute significantly to Terre des Hommes Netherlands’ strategic objectives, national/global learning and advocacy. The post holder is expected to provide technical advice and support to programme staff and our partners to ensure programming objectives are successfully achieved, both in the region as well as at a global level

Position in the organisation

The Technical Advisor reports to the head of the department within which the function is positioned and has no direct reports of its own. The position is part of the Lobby and Expertise Unit, that supports the development of our organisational (strategic) focus, programme themes, country programmes, institutional fundraising and the relation between these. The unit also supports and coordinates lobby & advocacy activities as well as research.

Result areas

Co-develop policy

• Follows, signals and analyses bottlenecks, trends and developments within and outside the organisation for the assigned policy area/ focus area, both in the region and at a global level.
• Translates these into consequences, opportunities and/or solutions of the organisation's pursued policy.
• Contributes to the development and evaluation of (different parts of) the policy.
• Provides guidance and support in the decision-making process and contributes to the implementation of (policy) proposals.
• Evaluates the developed policy, signals possible bottlenecks/ deviations and makes proposals for improvement.

Result: Policy has been co-developed in such a way that developments have timely been signalled and analysed and a contribution has been made to the policy within a focus area.

Realising policy

• Supports the organisation in the translation of the approved policy into operational policy plans.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of projects and programmes by providing advice and support from the own focus area or by participating in project teams.
• Prepares documents, regulations, decisions and correspondence, and ensures follow-up.
• Ensures the necessary knowledge transfer in the context of policy implementation.
• Evaluates the implemented concrete policy actions and/or projects, signals possible bottlenecks/ deviations and undertakes the necessary actions.

Result: The realisation of policy has been contributed to in such a way that concrete plans have been prepared and internal and external stakeholders have timely received the right information.**

Advising and providing information

• Is the point of contact for substantive questions regarding child trafficking and migration, and the other core themes of TdH-NL.
• Supports and advises the organisation upon request in development processes and in preparing reports for which the substantive expertise is necessary.
• Provides solicited and unsolicited advice, information, and support regarding the conducted policy to management and involved parties within the organisation.
• Generates (management) information for annual plans, the budget, and budget monitoring.
• Supports and advises upon request from the Leadership Team regarding the policy-based validation of proposals from the organisation.

Result: Advice has been given and information has been provided such that management and other involved parties have been informed and advised on policy development in an expert manner.

Maintaining contacts

• Maintains internal and external contacts associated with the function.
• Builds and maintains a network with stakeholder organisations.
• Initiates and develops information and knowledge transfer in the relevant policy area and provides information and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Result: Contacts are maintained in such a way that the organisation is well represented in external circles.

Monitor research progress

• Coordinates and conducts the handling of research in accordance with established procedures and monitors its progress.
• Monitors the delivery of reports and research, especially progress and final reports, and deals with this in accordance with the procedures set out for this purpose.
• Periodically communicates the status/progress to the manager and signals bottlenecks.
• Maintains contacts with external parties (referees, grant recipients, researchers) for administrative and organisational support and answers questions.
• Coordinates and co-monitors the progress of research projects based on lead time, budget, and delivery criteria.
• Screens the assessment of the results of current and conducted studies/ projects especially for relevance to the target group of organisation, implementation opportunities and PR value and communicates about this with internal stakeholders.

Result: Research questions have been coordinated and progress has been monitored in such a way that involved parties have fully and accurately been informed in time, and that current research projects can be completed within scheduled lead time, budget, and delivery criteria.

Utilise publicity and media opportunities

• Signals publicity opportunities regarding general developments in the organisation's focus area and regarding research funded by the organisation, and coordinates these with the manager and internal parties involved.
• Advises managers and internal parties involved regarding communication statements about (results of) scientific research.

Result: Publicity and media opportunities have correctly and timely been utilised.

Knowledge and skills

• High level vocational or academic (university) education at bachelor level (NL: HBO/WO, Bachelor)
• High level applied or academic professional and intellectual ability.
• Extensive knowledge of child exploitation, specifically in relation to Child Trafficking and Child Migration at the regional and global level.
• Knowledge of and insight in the target group and developments in society.
• Knowledge of subject fields in which research is being conducted (​proven analytical and report writing skills is essential​).
• Skills in the development and implementation of policies.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience in children's rights issues.
• Proven experience in capacity building of civil society organisations.
• Experience with Child Rights based programming.
• Experience in preparing and presenting to national, regional and global fora.
• Five years of experience in a similar position in a similar organisation.
• Experience with Lobby & Advocacy, specifically within the policy area of Child Trafficking and Migration/global trends and developments.

Competence profile

Analytical capacity

Understanding the essence of complex issues by logical reasoning, investigation of potential causes, separation of key messages from the mass of detail and acknowledgment of their interdependence.

Level 3: Supports and involves others in the immediate vicinity in issue analysis while demonstrating exemplary behaviour.

Networking

Builds relationships and networks that are helpful when realising objectives and utilises informal networks to get things done.

Level 3: Knows how to build and to maintain relationships in support of the realisation of his or her personal objectives and those of the organisational entity. Is regarded as a specialist in the field of networking.

The power of persuasion

Expressing opinions convincingly, demonstrating interaction and debating effectively, thereby generating acceptance of viewpoints and ideas.

Level 2: Defends and argues points of view with tact and in a clear and convincing manner while taking another opinion into account.

Vision

The ability to see patterns and underlying relationships in information and be able to translate these to ideas and future situations.

Level 2: Recognises relevant information and developments and applies these on the job.

Job Level: D

Contract period: One year contract with a possibility of extension.