Advocacy Officer/ Advocacy Consultant in Save the Children

Save the Children International is a humanitarian organization with a 100-year history. Save the Children organization was founded in 1919 in London. SCI practice in Ukraine since 2014. His work was repaired on the territory of Donetsk region. At this time, SCI is expanding its activities to the entire city of Ukraine. In the direction of education, child protection, child protection, child protection, health care, as well as advocacy activities, protection of children's rights. 

ROLE OBJECTIVE:

The number of children living in conflict-affected areas and the number of displaced children remain at an all-time high, and the economic impact of the pandemic Covid threatens to push millions of children into acute food shortages and other deprivations, including limited access to education and reduced gender equality. Since February 2022, the level of child poverty in Ukraine has increased rapidly, exceeding the 65% mark, which has a long-term multiplier effect on the lives of children both now and throughout their future lives.

Save the Children Ukraine strives implement the country's Strategic Plan for the protection of children's rights in the process of restoration and accession to the European Union. This plan includes areas of work to end child poverty, ensuring children's right to development, safety and protection, education, and their participation in these processes.

The Advocacy Specialist (Recovery and Integration) will support the work process of key research and advocacy initiatives related to the work of Save the Children in Ukraine, in close coordination with the Senior Advisor for Policy and Advocacy (Recovery and Integration), the Director of ACCM and other members of the PAC teams in the national and regional offices of Save the Children in Ukraine. The Advocacy Specialist (Recovery and Integration) will also support the development of various advocacy products where and when required.

ROLES BREAKDOWN: 

Reports to the Senior Adviser of Policy and Advocacy (Recovery and Integration)

Financial Responsibility: N/A (although expected to participate in relevant budget issues)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES< /strong>:

Implementation of the advocacy strategy

• Support the implementation process of the Save the Children Advocacy Strategy in Ukraine, offering substantial contributions and coordination support for planned research and advocacy products.
• Support engagement with key stakeholders, including national and local governments, UN agencies and other organizations working in Ukraine, to ensure Save the Children International (SCI) with up-to-date information on the development of the situation and response to it, with an emphasis on the rights of the child in the processes of recovery and integration, child poverty and other issues affecting children and the civilian population.
• Support the development of advocacy and political products for Ukraine, ensuring that SCI's global policy on these issues is reflected in research products where possible through proactive and targeted research and engagement with key contacts. 
• Psupport the development and preparation of advocacy products, including briefings, theses and reports on relevant issues, ensuring their scientific validity, regular updating and high quality for use at the national, regional and international levels.
• Support the collection of information for initiatives, related to development of recovery policy, child poverty, including monitoring of legislative changes, adoption of relevant strategies and plans and other important topics. 
• Uphold Save the Children's research ethical standards in all research activities, prioritizing the safety and well-being of all research participants, and ensuring these standards are met by Save the Children's partners.

Conduct analytical research

• Conduct extensive analytical research and participate in the development of qualitative and quantitative surveys and questionnaires.
• Follow the schedule of advocacy projects, track progress and inform relevant colleagues and stakeholders as necessary.
• In collaboration with the Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor, conduct detailed mapping of stakeholders and research target groups.
• Conduct preliminary data analysis and identification gaps in information.
• Compilation of descriptive reports based on research findings and supporting the development of research reports and related advocacy products.

Situation analysis and information management >

• Conduct regular sectoral and contextual studies and, upon request, a written analysis of the impact of the conflict in Ukraine on children, in particular, their participation in decision-making processes related to the recovery of Ukraine and its path to integration into EU.
• Proactively identify and take responsibility for key advocacy points and create products in close coordination with relevant teams.
• Collect and process information related to recovery needs and processes (and related political processes) in Ukraine, as well as prepare high-quality briefings and contextual updates as needed.

Additional duties

The duties and responsibilities set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to perform additional duties commensurate with their level of skills and experience. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the employee holding this position will be expected to work outside of their normal job profile and be able to vary their working hours accordingly.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND PERSONAL QUALITIES

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Required

• Higher education in social sciences, journalism, law, human rights or proven work experience in a relevant position< /li>
• Confirmed experience of participating in the advocacy of children's rights, human rights, IHL, humanitarian or development issues; 
• Strong written communication skills;
• Good attention to detail
• Excellent IT skills, especially Microsoft Word
• Cultural awareness and the ability to quickly build relationshipswith a wide range of people
• Patience, adaptability, flexibility, ability to improvise and remain responsive, and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure
• Excellent planning skills with the ability to organize a significant workload, consisting of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
• High level of command of English and Ukrainian languages ​​(written and spoken), as well as interpersonal communication skills, experience of working in a multicultural team.

Desirable 

• Skills in research and advocacy work;
• Experience in influencing and advocacy work on issues affecting children; 
• Experience of working in a humanitarian context and knowledge of key trends in the humanitarian sector;

Personalqualities

• Understanding humanitarian contexts and applying humanitarian principles
• Achieving results effectively
• Ensures consideration of feedback from beneficiaries and partners when designing, implementing and training research projects
• Demonstrates flexibility to adapt plans and make decisions in a fast-paced environment
• Proactively manages risks and takes action to mitigate them
• Makes changes to improve performance based on information received
• Documents lessons learned and applies them to future projects
• Maintains and develops collaborative relationships
• Develops strategies for teams to work across traditional boundaries while working in diverse environments< /li>
• Establishes clear goals with teams and individuals and monitors work progress and results
• Facilitates collaborative, transparent and accountable relationships through partners
• Uses negotiation and resolution skills conflicts to support positive outcomes
• Operates safely and reliably
• Performs effective risk assessments and develops contingency plans
• Takes appropriate, coordinated and consistent action to resolve situations involving personal risk and risk to others.
• Ability to manage oneself under pressure and a changing environment:
• Helps team members practice stress management by prioritizing workload and modeling appropriate self-help
• Remains focused on goals and objectives in a rapidly changing environment
• Remains effective and maintains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations
• Leadership: Action; Thinking; Independence; Inspiration; Developing others:
• Develops own awareness of the bigger global picture, using a wide range of sources to gather data
• Looks for solutions in complex situations and demonstrates a willingness to champion ideas
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their input, and helps others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings.
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development and actively seeking feedback to better understand their own strengthsand weaknesses
• Is open about wanting to do things differently, pushing boundaries and ways of working
• Works to ensure that the workplace is inclusive and that people's talents are used to achievement of organizational success.

We offer:< /p>

• Official employment
• International working conditions
• Working day from 9 am to 5 pm
• Medical insurance from the first working day< /li>
• Foreign language courses at the expense of the organization
• Office in the center
• Pet friendly office
• Coffee and treats in the office

Child Protection Policy:

We have to ensure the safety of children, so our selection process involves thorough background checks and reflects our commitment to protecting children from abuse.

Health and Safety:

All employees are expected to comply with our global anti-harassment policy.

If you are interested in the vacancy, we are waiting for your feedback. A resume in English will be an advantage during consideration. Also , we will be grateful if you indicate the expected salary level and the level of English language proficiency.

Save the Children International is the humanitarian organization with more than 100 years of history. Save the Children was founded in May 1919 in London.

SCI has been working in Ukraine since 2014. The Organization started its work in the territory of the Donetsk region. Currently, SCI is expanding its activities to eight cities of Ukraine.

We work in the directions of education, child protection, overcoming child poverty, health care, and also we have advocacy activities related to the protection of children's rights

ROLE PURPOSE:

The numbers of children living in areas affected by conflict and the numbers of displaced children remain at historic highs, the economic impacts of the Covid pandemic threaten to push millions of children into acute food insecurity and other deprivations, including reduced access to education and diminishing gender equality. Levels of child poverty in Ukraine have skyrocketed since February 2022 beyond 65% child poverty, which have long-term multiplying effects on the livesof children now and into the rest of their lives.

Save the Children Ukraine is committed to delivering against the Country Strategic Plan around child rights in the processes of recovery and EU accession. This agenda includes tracks of work on addressing child poverty, children’s right to development, safety and protection, education, as well as their participation in these processes.

The Advocacy Officer (Recovery and Integration) will support the workflow of key research and advocacy initiatives related to Save the Children’s work in Ukraine, in close coordination with the Save the Children Ukraine Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor (Recovery and Integration), ACCM Director, and other members of the country office and regional office PAC teams. The Advocacy Officer (Recovery and Integration) will also support the development of various advocacy products, where and as needed.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to:  Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor (Recovery and Integration)

Budget responsibility:  N/A (although be expected to input into relevant budgetary issues)

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Advocacy Strategy Implementation

• Support the process of implementation of Save the Children’s Advocacy Strategy for Ukraine, offering substantive contributions and coordination support to planned research and advocacy products.
• Support the engagement with key stakeholders, including national and local government, UN agencies and other interlocutors based in Ukraine, to ensure Save the Children International (SCI) has up to date information on the developing situation and response, with a focus on child rights in the recovery and integration processes, child poverty, and other issues impacting children and civilians.
• Support the development of advocacy and policy products for Ukraine, ensuring SCI’s global policy on these issues is reflected wherever possible in research products through proactive and targeted research and engagement with key contacts. 
• Support the drafting and otherwise the production of advocacy products including briefings, talking points and reports on relevant issues, ensuring they are evidence-based, regularly updated and of a high quality, for use at country, regional and international levels.
• Support the information gathering for initiatives in relation to reconstruction policy development, child poverty, including monitoring the legislative developments, adoption of the relevant strategies and plans, and other important themes. 
• Abide by Save the Children’s ethical research standards in all research activities, prioritising the safety and well-being of all research participants, and ensuring that Save the Children partners’ compliance with these standards.

Desk research

• Conduct extensive desk research and contributing to the design of qualitative and quantitative research surveys and questionnaires.
• Observe advocacy projects timeline, track progress, and update relevant colleagues and stakeholders as necessary.
• Conduct extensive mappings of advocacy stakeholders and research target groups in collaboration with the Senior Policy and Advocacy Advisor.
• Conduct preliminary data analyses and identify gaps in information.
• Draft narrative reports based on research findings and support the development of research reports and corresponding advocacy products.

Situation Analysis and Information Management 

• Conduct regular sectoral and contextual research and, when requested, written analysis of how children have been affected by the conflict in Ukraine, and specifically their participation in the decision making processes as they relate to the reconstruction of Ukraine and country’s path towards the EU integration.
• Proactively identify and take ownership of key advocacy moments and produce products in close coordination with the relevant teams.
• Gather and process information related to the needs and processes of reconstruction (and related political processes) in Ukraine and produce high quality briefings and context updates as and when needed.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience. In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND ATTRIBUTES

Essential

• Degree in social sciences, journalism, law, human rights, or proven experience working in a relevant role
• Proven experience of engagement in advocacy on child rights, human rights, IHL, humanitarian or development issues; 
• Strong written communication skills;
• Good attention to detail
• Excellent IT skills, especially in Microsoft Word
• Cultural awareness and ability to build relationships quickly with a wide variety of people
• Patient, adaptable, flexible, able to improvise and remain responsive and communicate clearly and effectively under pressure
• Excellent planning skills with the ability to organise a substantial workload comprised of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities
• Strong communication English and Ukrainian (written and spoken), and interpersonal skills, with experience in working in multicultural teams.

Desirable 

• Skills in research and advocacy work;
• Experience of influencing and advocacy work on children’s issues; 
• Experience of working in humanitarian contexts and knowledge of key trends in the humanitarian sector;

Attributes

• Understanding humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles
• Achieving results effectively
• Ensures beneficiary and partner feedback is incorporated into research project design, implementation and learning
• Demonstrates flexibility to adapt plans and make decisions in rapidly changing environments
• Actively manages risk and takes action to reduce risk
• Makes changes to improve performance as a result of information received
• Documents lessons learned and applies them to future projects
• Maintaining and developing collaborative relationships
• Develops strategies for teams to work across traditional boundaries, working in diverse environments
• Establishes clear objectives with teams and individuals and monitors progress and performance
• Fosters collaborative, transparent and accountable relationships through partners
• Uses negotiation and conflict resolution skills to support positive outcomes
• Operates safely and securely
• Undertakes effective risk assessments and develops contingency plans
• Takes appropriate, coordinated and consistent action to handle situations of personal risk and risk for others
• Managing yourself in a pressured and changing environment:
• Helps team members to practise stress management through prioritisation of workloads and modelling of appropriate self-care
• Remains focused on the objectives and goals in a rapidly changing environment
• Remains effective and retains perspective in the face of difficult or demanding situations
• Leadership: Action; Thinking; Self; Inspiring; Developing Others:
• Builds own awareness of the bigger global picture by using a broad range of sources to gather data
• Seeks solutions to challenging situations and states willingness to champion ideas
• Demonstrates approachability and trust by listening carefully to others and valuing their contribution, and making others feel comfortable by being open and honest about their thoughts and feelings
• Demonstrates self-development and management by taking responsibility for own development, and actively seeking out feedback to better understand their own strengths and weaknesses
• Openly talks about doing things differently, pushing the boundaries and ways of working
• Works to ensure that the workplace is inclusive and the talents of individuals are harnessed to achieve business success.

WE OFFER:

• Employment in accordance with Ukrainian legislation
• Working hours from 09.00 till 17.00
• Medical and Life insurance starting the first working day
• English courses paid by organization
• Office in the central part of the city
• Coffee and cookies in the office

Child Safeguarding: 

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. 

Health and Safety:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures. 

If you are interested in the vacancy, we are looking forward for your application. A СV in English will be an advantage. Also, we will be grateful if you indicate the expected salary level and the level of English language proficiency.