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Advocacy & Policy Advisor, ChildFund Alliance

Employer
ChildFund Alliance
Location
New York, United States
Salary
Salary Not specified
Closing date
Aug 25, 2021

Title: Advocacy & Policy Advisor
Location: New York City
Reports to: ChildFund Alliance Secretary General


The Role
The Advocacy & Policy Advisor will advance our mission to advocate for children throughout the world, with a particular focus on ending violence against children (EVAC). This accomplished professional will play a key leadership role in developing and executing global EVAC Campaigns, based on their proven expertise in the sector.

About the Organization
ChildFund Alliance is a global network of 12 child-focused development organizations working in 70 countries, with an annual expenditure of more than US $580 million. We help nearly 23 million children and their families overcome poverty and the underlying conditions that prevent children from achieving their full potential.

The Alliance supports long-term community development, promotes children’s rights and child protection, prepares for disasters and responds to humanitarian emergencies. Our work is carried out within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and in support of the Sustainable Development Goals, which are laid out in Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  We work in partnership with children and their communities to create lasting change, and the participation of children themselves is a key component of our approach.

The day-to-day operations of the Alliance are managed by the Office of the Secretariat, headquartered in New York. The Secretariat develops and works with members to implement Alliance-wide strategy, standards and policies, and represents members at international forums including the United Nations and the European Union. The Secretariat is located in New York City in close proximity to the United Nations, and our European Office is located in Brussels.

Background on Ending Violence against Children
We believe every child has an inherent, universal right to survive and develop, in a life free from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect. Yet today, more than one billion children — more than half of the world’s children — are exposed to violence each year.

In September 2015, the United Nations unanimously adopted Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a set of universal goals, targets and indicators to frame the global development agenda for the next 15 years. The Agenda includes a stand-alone target (16.2) on violence against children: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children. ChildFund Alliance worked assiduously for the inclusion of SDG 16.2 in the global agenda through its Free from Violence and Exploitation Campaign and in partnership with others.

For the past several years, the Alliance has focused its activities on ending violence against children through the implementation of three strategic priorities identified in Toward a Safe World for Children: Five Year Strategic Plan 2016-2021, approved by the ChildFund Alliance Board of Directors in May 2016.

Effective 1 July 2021, the Alliance will embark on a new four year strategic plan (FY 2022-25) also focused on Ending Violence against Children (EVAC). Building on the foundation of Toward a Safe World for Children, the new plan will focus on the development and implementation of two EVAC campaigns, the first of which is on the On-line Safety of children.

 

Advocacy & Policy Advisor: Purpose

As the Alliance embarks on its new strategic plan for fiscal years 2022–2025, the Advisor will have a unique opportunity to shape the future direction of the Alliance’s campaign strategy. S/he will work closely with the Alliance’s Secretariat team, and with the Alliance’s Advocacy Task Force, which includes representation across the Alliance’s 12-member organizations. S/he will help to conceptualize and implement the advocacy and policy components of the strategic plan’s EVAC campaigns. This will include developing the policy advocacy framework for the campaigns, working with in-country teams to build the capacity of staff to influence national and global policy, monitoring research trends to inform the campaign direction, and collaborating with the United Nations Representative (based in the Office of the Secretariat) to identify opportunities for influence at the global level. S/he will have a demonstrated commitment to child rights with a focus on child protection and participation. S/he will remain alert to opportunities for engaging children in the global campaigns, with a focus on listening to their concerns and proposed solutions.

Advocacy Coordination and Support Responsibilities

  • Provide leadership and collaborates with the Secretariat team on all advocacy and programming related activities.
    • Oversee the development of an advocacy monitoring, evaluation and learning framework.
    • Develop, in consultation with the Secretariat team, resources to support advocacy efforts at the national, regional, and global levels.
    • Develop, in consultation with Member offices, a framework to obtain timely information from the field that can inform our advocacy. Support flow of relevant information from member offices to the UNHQ level through the Secretariat and from the Secretariat to member offices.
    • Regularly inform the Secretary General of key developments and opportunities that relate to the role as Chief Advocate for the Alliance.
    • Support the Secretary General in assessing emerging opportunities to participate in joint initiatives and provide support for initiatives, meetings, and events.
    • Coordinate and support the development of global position statements to advocate for children in crisis and to advance child rights and child protection.
  • Support engagement with other child-focused coalitions such as Child Rights Connect and Joining Forces, which are relevant to ChildFund’s mandate.
  • Lead the Advocacy Task Force (ATF) on the development and implementation of all Alliance wide advocacy efforts
    • Guide and coordinate advocacy and research for the EVAC campaigns across the membership.
    • Conceptualize and implement the advocacy and policy components of the strategic plan’s EVAC campaigns.
    • Provide assistance to co-chairs in leading bi-weekly ATF meetings.
    • Work with the co-chairs and ATF members to set clear and realistic goals and timelines for Alliance member support and participation.
    • Develop and implement tools to advance national and regional advocacy.
    • Assist with preparation of ATF policy briefs related to EVAC and other pressing global issues.
  • Representation and engagement in UN processes, global coalitions and key partnerships.
    • Support members to participate in official SDG review processes including the High-level Political Forum, Regional Forums for Sustainable Development, and the Voluntary National Reviews.
    • Collaborate closely with the Secretariat’s UN Permanent Representative to represent the Alliance as needed at the United Nations and its related agencies, including UNICEF.
    • Monitor UN sessions that are relevant for ChildFund’s advocacy, in consultation with the UN Permanent Representative. In consultation with the Secretariat, facilitate engagement of representatives of member offices (as appropriate) in relevant UN sessions and processes.
    • Identify and participate in meetings, briefings and events that contribute to ChildFund Advocacy objectives and prepare timely updates on meetings and events for members. These may include monthly meetings of the Child-Focused Agencies, the Civil Society Organization (CSO) Forum to End Violence against Children, and the NGO Committee on UNICEF.
  • In consultation with the Alliance’s Strategic Communications Advisor, produce or contribute to varied collaterals, including but not limited to:
    • Collateral associated with the FY22-25 Strategic Campaign
    • Messaging on advocacy initiatives
    • Free from Violence newsletter (issued quarterly)
    • Content for relevant sections of the Alliance website
    • Q & A documents

Summary of Role

The Secretariat seeks a dynamic and experienced Advocacy & Policy Advisor to join our team in New York City. The Advocacy & Policy Advisor will report to the Secretary General to advance the Alliance’s mission to advocate for children, with a particular focus on ending violence against children. S/he will work to develop and implement our EVAC campaigns, the first of which is On-line Safety and to strengthen advocacy capacity across the Alliance, with a focus on the national level. S/he will lead policy research related to identified campaign topics and will monitor progress toward our policy goals. S/he will represent and engage in UN processes, global coalitions and key partnerships. S/he will identify opportunities or initiatives to advance the EVAC campaigns and/or the profile of ChildFund.

Qualifications

  • Demonstrated commitment to the Alliance vision, mission and strategic priorities.
  • Highly motivated, energetic and determined.
  • Optimistic and resilient and maintains a positive attitude in all settings. Is able to manage change and setbacks well.
  • Five to ten years’ consistent experience in government relations or advocacy, particularly in an international NGO. Experience in child protection is a plus.
  • Solid campaign development skills.
  • Proven expertise in country level advocacy with strong knowledge of global development issues and human rights and child rights in particular.
  • Understanding of influence. Strong networking and partnership management skills. Possesses asophisticated understanding of global advocacy, understands the UN System and points of intervention for influence and change.
  • Coalition building skills.Experience working with coalitions to advocate for global policy change and resource mobilization.
  • Excellent communication and organizational skills with a meticulous attention to detail.
  • Excellent research and writing skills.Experience in preparing briefs on complex issues and the ability to deliver technical presentations in public settings.  Demonstrated ability to write policy briefs, research papers, opinion pieces, etc.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills. Listens and respects the views and expertise of others, is empathetic.
  • Team player.Works well with others and appreciates the impact of teamwork. Willingness to work well within the Alliance leadership structure, respectful of the global decision-making process, and adept at taking initiative to achieve concrete outcomes.
  • Effective at managing multiple tasks concurrently. Can think and position strategically, handle ambiguity and work well in a multicultural environment.
  • Fluency in oral and written English. Basic knowledge of Spanish and/or French is a plus.
  • Legal and personal ability to work in the USA.
  • Ability to travel abroad.
  • Understands the need for flexibility to accommodate needs of members in multiple time zones.

The employee will perform all tasks in line with the ChildFund Alliance’s Child Safeguarding Policy Guidelines: https://childfundalliance.org/resources/publications/tools-guidelines/1469-keeping-children-safe.

Educational Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree required and a Master’s in Advocacy and Social Justice; Social Sciences; Gender Studies; International Relations; Human Rights; or Social Work is preferred.

Employment with ChildFund Alliance will be subject to pre-employment checks prior to start date:

  • Satisfactory police record check to include a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and/or an International Criminal Record Check (if applicable);
  • Receipt of satisfactory references;
  • Proof of eligibility to work in the United States;
  • Range of pre-employment checks in conformity with ChildFund Alliance’s child safeguarding policy.

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