Website Plan International
JOB OPPORTUNITY
Safeguarding and HR Specialist
Number of Vacant Position: 1
Functional Area: HR & OD
Reports to: HR&OD Director
Location: Country Office – Kathmandu
Grade: D1
Type: Fixed-Term Employment of 2 years from date of employment based in Country Office
ABOUT PLAN INTERNATIONAL
Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners in over 75 countries. Our programs are underpinned by a core of defined values, including transparency and accountability, team collaboration, inclusion and integration, as well as the overall ambition to empower girls and young women as legacy.
Plan International has been working in Nepal since 1978 and developed a strong reputation as a respected development and humanitarian actor helping marginalised children, their families and communities to access their rights to health, education, economic security and protection. Through the support of local partners, Plan International works in 12 districts in Nepal.
Plan International Nepal has a vision for 2030 as “an inclusive, just and safe society where all girls and young women enjoy their rights and live in freedom”. This is coupled with the ambition of taking action so that 100 million girls learn, lead, decide and thrive as “Girls and young women in all of their diversity reach their full potential as equal and active citizens” by 2023. The country strategy is put into action through the implementation of three interrelated program areas defined as follows:
LEARN: the “Education and Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (SOYEE)” program aims to assist vulnerable and excluded girls and young women in adapting and thriving in a changing climate;
LEAD AND DECIDE: the “Youth as Active Drivers of Change and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR)” program aims to empower girls and young women in leading change, having control over their bodies and making informed decisions; and
THRIVE: the “Early Childhood Development (ECD), Child Protection and Child Poverty” program enhances vulnerable and excluded children, especially girls, to be valued and cared for without discrimination, fear and any forms of violence.
Plan international Nepal seeks candidates who practice feminist leadership, promote diversity, actively seek innovative solutions for problems, courageously and respectfully share their opinions and ideas, break down barriers and engender cross-department collaboration, practice active listening, maintain confidentiality, build trust and are passionate about children’s rights and equality for girls.
ROLE PURPOSE
The Safeguarding and HR Specialist will be responsible for leading the implementation of the policy on Safeguarding; Preventing Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA); Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination (HBD) and other HR Policies and ensuring these Policies, Standards and Procedures are complied with by staff, partners and all programs/projects design. S/he will work closely and under the supervision of HR&OD Director to effectively and efficiently manage the Safeguarding and HR in the organization. S/he will provide technical support and training to Plan’s staff and associates to understand and effectively implement Safeguarding and its procedures.
Description
DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
- Budget accountability: N/A
- Reporting to: HR & OD Director
- Internal and External interfaces:
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Policy and Strategy
- Ensure Plan International Nepal is in full compliance with Global Safeguarding Policy, Policy against Sexual Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse (PSHEA), Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination (HBD) Policy, Grievance Policy, Disciplinary Policy, Country HR Policy etc.
- Lead in rolling out policies related to Safeguarding and employee relations in country to staff and partners.
- Influence the development of strategy, and supporting and delivering operational implementation, including leading the development of the Country Safeguarding Plan.
- Provide professional advice to Country Director and Country Management Team in the country, as well as the Regional Managers in the area of Safeguarding and Employee Relations.
- Research and develop innovative approaches to countering sexual exploitation and abuse.
Capacity Building
- Lead the development and deliver of safeguarding capacity building plan for staff and associates.
- Develop and conduct orientation, training, briefings and workshops to staff as needed on Safeguarding and Employee Relations based on In-country and Global guideline.
- Build capacity of Safeguarding focal persons in-country and provide them ongoing training, coaching and technical support ensuring s/he has knowledge to perform their roles effectively.
- Provide orientation and trainings to partners and associates on a regular basis on Safeguarding and Employee Relations.
- Review partners’ safeguarding and HR policies and provide inputs.
- Conduct Partnership assessment ensuring all compliance are established and monitored the progress.
Safeguarding and legal risk assessment
- Support management in the Safeguarding and legal risks identification, inform country management on associate risks and support development of risk mitigation plans.
- Ensure that all Plan projects are conducting regular safeguarding risk assessment and mitigation plan in place for all the activities having direct participation of children and young people.
- Review the risk assessment shared by project team and share the inputs for final endorsement.
- Review events risk assessment at all levels includes international, national and communities that involving children and program participants.
- Ensure timely update and safeguarding action plan implementation in risk management portal of Plan (Magique).
- Lead Safeguarding and Legal self-assessment under Global Management Standards and Self-assessment (MSSA).
- Prepare action plan based on self-assessment and regularly update on status of safeguarding action plan implementation to CMT.
Reporting and Responding
- Act as Safeguarding focal point at Country Office (CO) and work with Safeguarding focal point at Program Units (PUs) to file the reports on Safeguarding and Employee Relations including the case management, follow up the cases, providing reports on outcomes and trends to the country management team.
- Lead and provide advice in dealing with alleged safeguarding issues involving Plan staff and associates such as partners, consultants, office volunteers and sponsors and taking part in the any necessary investigations base on the guidelines.
- Lead and provide advice in dealing with alleged employee relations issues involving Plan staff and partners and taking part in the any necessary investigations base on the guidelines.
- Develop and update local reporting and response mechanism including investigation procedures in line with mapping of local child protection external environment and global guidelines in consultation with children/young people, communities and relevant staff.
- Act as focal person for Global online incident management system, orient staff on the system, follow up with concerned department on the cases and action points.
Legal framework
- Act as Legal focal point to ensure Plan is in full compliance with local legal framework in relations to Safeguarding and HR.
- Map out local laws and regulations related to Safeguarding and Employee Relations.
- Communicate and coordinate with legal counsels in GH and external legal counsels.
Coordination
- Engage in national level safeguarding and HR network.
- Communicate and coordinate with Plan International Global, APAC and Safeguarding & HR group.
- Develop and provide reports as per requirement of Global or APAC.
- Liaise with concerned Global team on managing the online incident management system.
Others
- Perform any other duties as assigned by respective supervisor and Plan International.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.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge and Experience
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Social Science or any relevant field
- At least 5 years’ of professional experience in the field of Safeguarding and Human Resources Management.
- Good understanding of safeguarding and employee relations policies and national legal framework on safeguarding and HR.
- Experience of working with and building capacity of partner organizations.
- Commitment to upholding and modelling Plan’s values and feminist principles.
- Experience of working in development sector preferred.
- Additional degree in law will be an added advantage.
Skills Required
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent facilitation and presentation skills.
- Ability to work professionally and with a high degree of confidentiality at all times.
- Managing work relationships (internal/external), coordination and networking.
- Ability to prioritise and multitask work when dealing with competing deadlines, sometimes with limited resources.
- Proven IT skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint etc.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Nepali.
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
- We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential
- We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge equality in our programs and our workplace
- We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
- Based in Country Office in Lalitpur with frequent travels to the field
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN
- Mid contact: Occasional contact with children.
Say Yes ! To Keeping Children and Young people safe and Protected
Application Deadline: Friday, 24th Feb 2023.
Source: Kantipur Dainik, 11 February, 2023