Purpose of Assignment & Justification:

CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION                                

Birth registration is often referred to as the “first right” of a child in order to access to a legal identity and benefit from other rights (access to education and health services, right to vote…). However, in Cameroon, available data demonstrates birth registration rate has been declining since 2000, except slight increase in 2014, leaving out about 33% of children under 5 without birth certificate (MICS 2014). Of greater concern are the disparities between regions. In the Far North, only 48% children possess birth certificate (MICS 2014) followed by South-West and the East region.  

To improve the civil registration system, the Cameroonian government committed to The Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) in the Second Conference in 2012. Since then, the government engaged, with UNICEF support, in realizing some of key recommendations of the programme in order to align the civil registration system with the international standards. Some of key achievements so far include the comprehensive assessment of the CRVS system (2016) and a five-year costed CRVS action plan.

UNICEF is a key partners in Cameroon who has been supporting the CRVS reform from the beginning. Cameroon is also part of the regional project “Towards Universal Birth Registration” (2016-2019) wich is funded by EU and UNICEF. The objective of this project is contribute to an increase registration of children at births in two targeted districts in the East and the Far North.  The project will strengthen structures and capacities of local administration (civil registrar, medical personnel, and justice actors) to improve service performance as well as facilitate household’s access to birth registration services. Outreach services will be carried out to engage the vulnerable communities, many of whom give birth outside health facilities.  

As part of the CRVS strategy UNICEF Cameroon has been advocating for and technically supporting the interoperability between CRVS, health and justice sectors as a key strategy to increase the registration of children at birth. Equally having in place a functioning mechanism between local administrations and community actors (traditional chiefs, community health volunteers) is instrumental to register children who are born outside health facilities.

Birth registration has been identified as a child protection sector priority in the humanitarian response plan. Conflict-affected IDP children without birth certificate are on the rise in the mist of insecurity and ongoing conflict in the Far North as well as in the post-emergency context in the East. 

1. Major duties and responsibilities: Fill in here key responsibilities

Under the overall supervision of the Chief Child Protection, in collaboration with the Health, Innovation and Knowledge, and IT teams, the incumbent will support the development, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Birth Registration component of the Child Protection programme. More specifically, the Birth registration Officer will support the management and coordination of the project “Towards Universal Birth Registration in Africa” (EU funded) including providing technical expertise, formulating strategies and guidance, budget allocation and planning, reporting to donor, as well as networking with other donors in the sector of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics. The BR Officer will support the implementation of the birth registration strategy in the humanitarian context of the far Northern region in collaboration with the CP and Health team in the Maroua flied-office as well as in the refugee’s affected eastern region.

Percentage : 60 %

EU-UNICEF birth registration project

Under the guidance of Chief Child Protection:

· Support the National Office of Civil Registration, the Ministry of Local Administration, the National Institute of Statistic and other key ministries (MINSANTE, and MINJUSTICE) in developing interoperable and coherent birth registration strategy to be implemented under the EU-UNICEF joint project

· Support local administrations/government at field level by ensuring the actors are informed and trained on the new interoperable (health and civil registration) strategy and the new process is being implemented through frequent field supervisions.

· In collaboration with the Innovation/M&E and IT team develop an innovative ICT strategy to ensure data transmission between local administration, communities and ministries.

· Ensure information management aspect of the project in liaison with the government, local administration and regional office: obtain necessary administrative and health data and ensure its update

· Support the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in its implementation, monitoring of its sensitization campaigns including field supervision

· Support the government in development of C4D strategy for birth registration in two targeted zones in consultation with consultants, PAC, C4D and ensure its implementation

· Develop, review supply plan and monitor the delivery of procured items to the government and local administration including the regular update of order/supply plan

· Monitor financial implementation and ensure expenditures are in line with the budget

· Develop a mid-term and final report (including budget/expenditure report)

· support communication/visibility aspects including development of press release, advocacy materials/kits and

%

40 %

Birth Registration in Emergency

Under the guidance of Chief Child Protection:

· Support the government and CSOs in developing a birth registration strategy and action plan in humanitarian context and ensure its implementation.

· Support the delivery of birth certificates to conflict-affected children in the Far North in the framework of KOICA project including regular field supervision

· Participate in protection coordination meetings to ensure harmonized and coherent approach to BR in humanitarian context

· Develop BR funding proposals in humanitarian context and maintain dialogue with donors and potential donors as well as ensuring timely and high quality reporting.

· Study, analyze and contribute to the review of documents and processes of country program milestones (situation analysis and report, strategy papers, mid-term reviews, Recommendations, etc.