MSI Reproductive Choices Afghanistan (MSIA) is a branch of MSI, a global, non-profit, and non-governmental organisation headquartered in London, UK, and was established in August 2002 after registration with the Government of Afghanistan. MSIA follows the local mission statement of MSI: Improve Afghan women’s health and well-being so that they can, in turn, build strong, healthy families. Our vision is to be the organisation that Afghan women seek out for high-quality, client-centred health care provided by women, for women.
We focus on reducing maternal mortality by providing quality and sustainable maternal-child health (MCH) and reproductive health (RH) services and information in 17 provinces of Afghanistan, namely Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Jawzjan Faryab, Nangarhar, Helmand, Kandahar, Baghlan, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Takhar, Samangan, Kapisa, Khost, Paktia, and Daikundi, in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) of Afghanistan. MSIA  aims to improve women’s health outcomes by providing essential reproductive and child health services through various channels, such as centres, outreaches, social marketing, and MS Ladies (midwife entrepreneurs) in the above-mentioned provinces. 

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• Approving and endorsing the Safeguarding Policies, and ensuring it remains relevant, effective and in line with local and international standards (which includes ensuring it is adequately resourced, conducting bi-annual reviews and approving adjustments and up-dates).
• Promoting and championing the Safeguarding Policies across all Programmes, which includes engaging in regular and meaningful dialogue with Directors and Senior Management Teams and ensuring safeguarding is adequately resourced and incorporated into business planning, organisational strategies, fundraising, board meetings and annual meetings.
• Developing a clear strategy to support Programmes to effectively adopt, implement and monitor the safeguarding policies, including a mechanism to hold Programmes accountable for compliance (for example, formally including safeguarding responsibilities in the job descriptions of Directors and other relevant in-country team members, against which they are regularly and formally appraised).
• Integrating safeguarding risk assessments in business planning and other organisational and programmes risk assessments and conducting regular reviews and adjustments.
• Convening on an urgent basis in the event of a major safeguarding case or issue.
• Receiving and reviewing complaints (including complex safeguarding cases and in collaboration with MSI Global Decision Committee, ensuring that all complaints are investigated, and appropriate actions (including disciplinary action) are taken in relation to the severity of the individual case. It is important to ensure that an investigation plan is put into place where those carrying out the investigation make recommendations to the Safeguarding committee but are not involved in the decision making regarding specific cases.
• Reviewing lessons learnt from each case and implementing actions, in line with guidance provided by MSI’s Global Decision Committee, to try and prevent similar instances happening again.
• Meeting on a regular basis to monitor progress in the implementation of the Safeguarding Policies across the Country Programme (developing relevant strategies to address the challenges).
• Liaising with Channel Leads to develop an understanding of the safeguarding complexities which present themselves throughout each channel and supporting them with the practical implementation of safeguarding practices throughout the channel, sharing channel specific initiatives, best practices, and challenges back to Global Channel Managers and the Global Safeguarding Department
• Providing direct and practical guidance relevant to each operating channel and support to all Programmes in understanding, implementing, and monitoring the Safeguarding Policies (by working closely with safeguarding champions within the programmes)
• Monitoring compliance of Country Programme and jointly developing plans to address compliance challenges, raising more complex cases or instances of limited commitment with the Global Safeguarding Director
• Rolling out Safeguarding Training to all staff, including bi-annual refresher training
• Providing quarterly updates on training compliance of all staff to the Global Safeguarding Department, and requesting support where necessary
• Under the guidance of the Safeguarding Committee and Global Safeguarding Director, reviewing and updating safeguarding policies in line with local context adaptations and international developments in the field, whilst ensuring that they remain relevant to MSI’s operations
• Serving as focal points and mentors for regional level Safeguarding Champions, ensuring they maintain a good knowledge of safeguarding (through regular training, information sharing; and by connecting them with other Safeguarding Champions across the Country Programme
• Being available to provide practical guidance and support to Safeguarding Champions and participating in any relevant networks or working groups.
• Participating in the Global Safeguarding Community of Practice. Attending and contributing to webinars, trainings, making use of new tools and resources; providing insights and best practices on safeguarding initiatives that have worked well, and support for Safeguarding Leads from other Country Programmes.
• Being available for all staff to discuss any safeguarding issues or concerns. They should ensure that all staff are aware of the contact details of safeguarding lead.
• Ensuring that all staff are fully trained in safeguarding and know how to spot and raise concerns. They will also help to maintain an effective staff supervision programme.
• Undergoing regular refresher training themselves to ensure their safeguarding knowledge is as up to date as possible and in line with new guidance.
• Being aware of any individuals who may require specific safeguarding needs and have specific vulnerabilities
• Any other tasks given by organization.
   

Additional responsibilities of Safeguarding Leads and/or Champions

• Serving as focal points for the requests of Country Director for assistance/guidance in dealing with complex in-country child safeguarding or adult safeguarding incidents or cases and presenting them to the Global CS Committee for consideration/action.
• Addressing any internal safeguarding queries from team members; reviewing any queries from the public (to be then presented to the Global CS Committee);
• Raising more complex cases or instances of limited commitment by team members with the Country Director.

Skills and characteristics of Safeguarding Leads and Champions:

• Strong empathy and listening skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and an understanding of the importance of it
• Ability to build trust of colleagues
• Acts with integrity, transparency, and accountability. Dedicated to treating everyone with dignity and respect, upholding equality, and human rights at all time
• Understanding of traditional gender dynamics including ascribed power
• Ability and confidence to challenge existing community norms around stereotype behaviour and ascribed power structures
• Ability to build relationships and maintain with colleagues and community members, so that they respect what Leads/Champions have to say
• Ability and confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour particularly of senior individuals within the organization (managers or board members) in an appropriate and sensitive manor.
   

Skills (Special Training or Competence):

• Fluent in English (essential)
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate, train, negotiate and influence a variety of audiences face to face and at a distance.
• Willingness to challenge current approaches and propose improvements.
• Able to identify and analyse available information to build a strong case for change across key stakeholder groups and influence integration of effective safeguarding.
• Confident user of Microsoft Office packages - Word, PowerPoint Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to travel in country and internationally multiple times per year

 Key Core Behaviours:

• Communicating & Influencing
• Designing & facilitating
• Team Working
• Planning & Organising
• Change & Improvement
• Decision Making
• Fostering good working relationships
• Appropriate conduct with confidential information

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s degree in Law or Social science or any other related field.

Experience and Skills

• Two to Three years of experience in the area of Safeguarding/protection.
• Experience doing project monitoring and investigation.
• Multi-disciplinary experience of working successfully with senior managers to deliver major operational change with a track record of delivering results to high standards.
• Experience of building personal network with provincial staff and partners.
• Experience of planning and undertaking training programmes/workshops in safeguarding at a range of levels (e.g. field workers, community based staff, project staff).
• Good verbal communication and report writing skills in English and Dari/Pashto languages.
• Good presentation skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to Children and Women Rights.
• Ability to deliver results against demanding timetables and in the face of competing demands.
• Ability to travel and work within challenging environments.
• Awareness of own strengths and weaknesses and evidence of commitment to self-managed personal development.

Interested and qualified candidates are requested to fill out the MSI-A application form by clicking the link below and send a copy of their updated CV (no educational or job certifications) by the closing date.

Please note that MSI-A does not charge applicants any recruitment fees. MSI-A is an equal-opportunity employer with a strong commitment to diversity at all levels. MSI-A has a strict non-discriminatory policy in its hiring and selection processes. All applicants will receive equal consideration, and applicants from all ethnic, racial, and economic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Please be aware that only those candidates who have been shortlisted will be contacted