Terms of Reference: Child Protection Social Service Workforce Focal Points

Background:

Child Frontiers, a consulting company specializing in child protection and welfare, has been engaged by UNICEF Pakistan to lead an important initiative aimed at strengthening the social welfare service workforce across Pakistan's provinces and territories. This comprehensive project involves mapping the current workforce, conducting training needs assessments, and implementing a capacity-building plan to enhance the knowledge, skills, and competencies of the child protection social service workforce.

Given the decentralized nature of Pakistan's governmental structure and the complexity of this nationwide initiative, Child Frontiers is seeking to hire focal points based in Islamabad Capital Territory, (for ICT, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir), Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to effectively coordinate and implement the project. This will ensure that the project is tailored to the specific needs and contexts of each province and territory, while maintaining a cohesive and standardized approach across the country. The Focal Points will help overcome any potential challenges arising from Pakistan's complex governmental structure and enhance the overall effectiveness and sustainability of the social service workforce strengthening initiative.

Overview of Role:

The Child Protection Social Service Workforce Focal Points will support Child Frontiers work in strengthening the social welfare service workforce across Pakistan's provinces and territories. This role is crucial in coordinating efforts between Child Frontiers, UNICEF, provincial/territorial governments, and other stakeholders involved in this important initiative. The Focal Points will play a key role in supporting Child Frontiers' comprehensive approach to enhancing the capacity of the child protection social service workforce in Pakistan.

Responsibilities:

1. Serve as the primary liaison between Child Frontiers, UNICEF, the provincial/territorial government, and other stakeholders.
2. Coordinate the collection and sharing of relevant data and information on the current status of the social service workforce in your province/territory.
3. Facilitate and support in mapping exercises, training needs assessments, and capacity-building activities.
4. Identify key stakeholders and resources within your province/territory to support the implementation of the capacity-building plan.
5. Organize and facilitate meetings, workshops, and training sessions related to social service workforce strengthening.
6. Provide input on the adaptation of training materials to ensure they are contextually appropriate for your province/territory.
7. Monitor the progress of capacity-building activities and provide regular updates to Child Frontiers, UNICEF, and relevant government authorities.
8. Provide regular updates on progress, challenges, and achievements to the Child Frontiers national team coordinator.
9. Participate in team meetings and debriefing sessions as scheduled by the Child Frontiers national team coordinator.
10. Submit reports and other deliverables as required by the project timeline.
11. Seek guidance and support from the national team coordinator when faced with challenges or questions related to their role.
12. Collaborate with other team members and stakeholders as directed by the Child Frontiers national team coordinator.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Advanced degree in social work, child protection, public administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in child protection or social welfare sectors in the relevant province / territory.
• Strong understanding of the child protection system and social service workforce in their province/territory.
• Excellent communication and coordination skills.
• Proficiency in relevant local languages and English.

Skills and Knowledge:

• Knowledge of child protection and social welfare systems and legislation overall and specifically of the province / territory.
• Ability to coordinate multi-stakeholder initiatives.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills.
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and report writing on social service workforce/child protection issues.
• Knowledge of adult learning methodologies and participatory training approaches.
• Experience in training of trainers (TOT) approaches and mentoring.

Reporting:

The Focal Point/s will report to the Child Frontiers national team coordinator and maintain regular communication with the wider Child Frontiers team and UNICEF Pakistan Child Protection teams.

Duration:

The engagement is expected to last for the duration of the project (January 2025-December 2026), with involvement in all phases of the assignment, with the exception of the focal points based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and/or Balochistan who will only be involved in Phases 2 and 3.