REGIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR ESAF

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

REGIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR ESAF

(Job Ref: 12/13/22)

Position Title:                       Regional Youth Development Advisor

Working location:                Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Supervisor:                          Regional Programme Development Director

Region:                                 East and Southern Africa (ESAF)

Context of the Organization

SOS Children’s Villages International (SOS CVI) is non-governmental and non-denominational organization working with communities, partners and states to ensure that the rights of all children are fulfilled in every society. SOS CVI is a global federation working to protect and care for children who have lost parental care, or who stand at risk of losing the care. We respect all religions and cultures and work with trusted partners in places where we can contribute to social development. Everything we do is made possible through the generous support of sponsors and donors, institutional and corporate partners, and loyal friends worldwide.

Envisioning that every child belongs to a family and grows up with love, respect and security, we exist to build families for children in need, we help them shape their own futures, and we share in the development of their communities. Everything we do is guided by the firm belief that no child should grow up alone and that we need to improve care for children who are at risk, enabling them to overcome precarious conditions and to succeed in life. To achieve our mission, our strategy for the upcoming decade focuses on ensuring the best care of children, innovation, and effective collaboration with more partners. Our core values guiding who we are and what we do include courage to take action, commitment to keep our promises, trust to believe in each other, and accountability to be reliable Partners.

Job Summary

The purpose of this position is to support the development of youth care and development programmes in ESAF region. He/She provides support to MAs so that high-quality activities are implemented in a timely manner. He/She leads on developing proposals for youth care, empowerment and employability programming and projects. He/She also contributes to the development of standards and policies in his/her area of expertise & as required on regional level.

The position is also aims to lead and strengthen youth participation and leaving care processes across the region. The position holder will support member associations in the region in establishing sustainable youth participation as well as leaving care processes, using rights-based approaches, as described in global internal frameworks like SOS Care Promise, Youth development user guide and Youth participation user guide. These efforts will lead to increased programme quality and empowered SOS programme participants and care leavers.

The Mission of the Regional Youth Development Advisor is to help the MAs in the region in designing strategies mainly related to youth participation and leaving care processes in the context of rights based approaches and as described in the internal frameworks, e.g. SOS Care Promise, Youth Development user guide and You Participation user guide.

As a member of the Programme Development department, the Youth Care and Empowerment Advisor also provides technical leadership and advice for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of youth care and empowerment strategies, processes, projects and activities in ESAF region and Member Associations

Main Clients

• Regional PD director and PD team, especially Youth development focal point and Advocacy advisor
• Member associations in the region, especially with youth coordinators and, if applicable, national participation and leaving care focal points, as well as national advocacy advisors
• Team leaders and members of Youth & ICT4D team at the International Office (IO)
• Key external stakeholders (involved in projects)

Key Duties and Responsibilities**:**

1. Coordination and support services

• Strengthen youth participation / support the implementation of the Youth participation user guide across the region;
• Support member associations to establish robust and sustainable processes, methodologies and tools on how to work in partnership with young people in matters that affect them (e.g. programme design, implementation, evaluation and advocacy campaigns)
• Support member associations to create a national strategy/concept and/or action plan on youth participation

2. Capacity Building

• Build the capacity and strengthen the culture of youth participation in member associations by;

1. identifying, sharing and scaling best practices within the region,
2. Developing and running capacity building methodologies and activities for staff and young people on youth participation and youth-led initiatives in MAs, eg an annual regional training on youth participation,
3. Ensuring young people participate in the planning and execution of those trainings.

• Build capacities of youth workers on leaving care issues by;
  1. identifying, sharing and scaling best practices within the region,
  2. co-developing and running capacity-building methodologies, tools and activities in MAs, eg regionally adapting the ToT in the frame of the Prepare for Leaving Care project, or annual regional trainings on the transition to interdependent adulthood,
• Ensuring young people participate in the planning, execution and evaluation of those trainings.
• Working with M&E to generate and/or share evidence on leaving care and inform programming on the issue

3. Networking/collaboration/partnership

• Connect with other organizations and externally join forces on the issue of youth participation

• Closely cooperate with the International Youth Empowerment Advisor to:

1. build a global youth participation network,
2. co-develop tools and resources to mainstream youth participation across the federation and contextualize them for the region,

• Support on developing global funding proposals and explore regional opportunities on youth participation,

• Regionally co-lead or consult on global projects and processes regarding youth participation (e.g. Youth Power, International Youth Coalition, YouthCan! YAB, a digital platform to connect young people with participation opportunities)

• Regionally co-lead or consult on global projects and processes regarding youth participation (e.g. Youth Power, International Youth Coalition, YouthCan!, a digital platform to connect young people with participation opportunities)

4. Capacity Building/Responsibility

• Strengthening youth participation structures and youth-led initiatives in member associations by

1. 1. Supporting MAs to establish solid and sustainable youth-led structures and networks (eg Youth Councils) and facilitate discussions at regional level between them,
   2. supporting MAs to organize and host youth meetings/conferences and to prepare young people to join different government and key stakeholders’ meetings, in close coordination with the advocacy counterparts,

• Supporting MAs to design and implement consultation processes for key strategic planning process together with young people
• Strengthening the transition of young people to interdependent adulthood across the region
• Support MAs to establish robust and sustainable processes to support young people transitioning to interdependent adulthood (preparation, transition and aftercare). This includes a regional mapping of national leaving care processes and working in partnership with care leavers

5. Responsibility

• Jointly with young people, and in close cooperation with advocacy focal points, advocate for improved leaving care services in the region, by

1. Support building up/strengthening national and regional care leavers’ networks
2. Offering skill development opportunities and expert support on the creation / development of care leaver networks

• Working in partnership with care leavers to develop national policy recommendations to improve outcomes for care leavers.

1. Connecting with other organizations and externally join forces on the issue of leaving care

2. Cooperation/collaboration /Responsibility

• Closely cooperate with the leaving care focal point in the global Youth&ICT4D team to

1. Exchange and share on good practices,
2. support developing global funding proposals and explore regional opportunities

• Regionally co-create and co-lead global projects and processes around leaving care

1. co-develop tools and resources to mainstream strong leaving care practices across the federation and contextualize them for the region,

Knowledge, skills, qualifications, abilities and behavioral competences:

Requirement

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in psychology, social work, child protection, education, community/programme development, gender, child and youth development or related field

Essential:

• 5 years’ of experience in a similar position involving implementation of youth development and participation policies and practices in alternative child care and prevention projects, desirable related to the leaving care process

• Proven track record of project management and experience in leading roles or ownership of projects/processes

• Experience in conducting training, workshops and other capacity building activities of staff in the area of youth development, youth participation and leaving care

• Relevant work experience in INGOs or international organizations is a plus

• Excellent oral and written English

• Monitoring and Evaluation experience

• Negotiation skills/communication skills

• Project cycle management experience

• Capacity assessment experience

• Ability to influence change

Desirable

• Good knowledge of Ms office
• Relationship building skills
• Ability to influence
• Facilitation and consultancy

What we offer

• A diverse range of interesting tasks in a leading INGO multicultural working environment
• As a responsible employer we provide a range of training schemes and encourage educational enhancement
• Position is based in in  Addis Ababa

“SOS Children’s Villages International holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for conducts of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered.  Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, police clearance reference check processes”.

How to Apply

If you believe you are the right candidate for the above position, please send your application letter, detailed curriculum vitae (CV), and photocopies of academic certificates, and names and contact details of three referees.

Applications that are late, or do not have CV or certificates attached, will be disqualified. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Applications can be sent electronically through ICIIMS or HROD ESAF ESAF.HROD@sos-kd.org

Before December 28 2022.

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.