Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager - Child Protection

The Evidence, Learning and Advocacy Manager - Child Protection leads evidence generation, learning capture, technical documentation, external reporting support, advocacy and policy engagement, and strategic government engagement for IRC Ukraine's Child Protection department. The role supports national-level positioning, government engagement, coordination mechanisms, donors, UN agencies, and other stakeholders, translating programme data and learning into high-quality external reports and advocacy outputs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a Child Protection evidence and learning agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine's Strategic Action Plan, CP strategy, donor requirements, government and sector priorities, and field-level needs.
• Work with MEAL and CP teams to identify priority learning questions, evidence gaps, emerging trends, and documentation opportunities across CP programming.
• Support practical evidence-generation processes, including after-action reviews, lessons learned exercises, outcome harvesting, case trend analysis, field learning visits, qualitative documentation, and synthesis of assessment findings.
• Synthesize CPIMS+, MEAL, partner, assessment, monitoring, and qualitative data into clear analysis for programme adaptation, quality improvement, external reporting, donor engagement, government dialogue, and advocacy.
• Track and analyse key child protection trends, system gaps, service-delivery challenges, and emerging issues in Ukraine, drawing on field evidence, coordination discussions, assessments, and available secondary data.
• Institutionalize regular learning loops within the CP department, including quarterly learning sessions, action tracking, and follow-up with central and field teams.
• Ensure evidence and learning products apply ethical, safe, and child-sensitive approaches, including informed consent, confidentiality, data protection, child safeguarding, and do-no-harm principles.
• Lead the development of high-quality CP technical documentation, including learning briefs, practice notes, case studies, technical notes, outcome summaries, programme snapshots, lessons learned products, and thematic analyses.
• Support and contribute to external reporting for donors, coordination bodies, government counterparts, and other external stakeholders by providing clear technical narrative, cross-location analysis, evidence of results, emerging needs, challenges, adaptations, and lessons learned, in coordination with Grants and MEAL.
• Prepare and quality assure briefing packs, presentations, evidence notes, speaking points, meeting briefs, key messages, and technical inputs for the CP Coordinator and other senior representatives for donor meetings, government engagement, coordination platforms, senior leadership discussions, and external events.
• Document IRC Ukraine's programme models and lessons learned in child-focused victim assistance, reintegration support, alternative care, justice for children, violence against children, and other priority CP areas.
• Create and maintain a structured CP knowledge management system, including programme models, SOPs, tools, training materials, good practice examples, finalized learning products, external reports, and key reference documents.
• Maintain practical trackers and calendars for CP external products, reporting deadlines, government and coordination requests, advocacy windows, stakeholder engagements, and follow-up actions.
• Ensure consistency and quality of technical language across CP documentation, including alignment with CPMS, IRC technical standards, donor terminology, and inter-agency guidance.
• Maintain an up-to-date understanding and stakeholder map of Ukraine's child protection system, including relevant national and sub-national government institutions, social service structures, coordination mechanisms, mandates, reform processes, and key decision-makers relevant to IRC's CP portfolio.
• Track policy, institutional, legislative, coordination, and reform developments relevant to child protection in Ukraine and provide concise updates and analysis to the CP Coordinator and relevant technical leads.
• Attend regular meetings with key government counterparts, national and sub-national authorities, technical working groups, and inter-agency coordination mechanisms when delegated by the CP Coordinator, ensuring consistent and professional IRC Child Protection representation.
• Prepare for external meetings by developing agendas, briefing notes, presentations, talking points, evidence summaries, and key messages; present IRC Child Protection evidence, programme experience, and technical positions when delegated.
• Document key decisions, commitments, requests, and action points from government and coordination meetings; provide timely read-outs to the CP Coordinator and relevant teams and proactively follow up agreed actions.
• Maintain a simple government and strategic stakeholder engagement tracker to support continuity of relationships, visibility of commitments, and timely follow-up across the CP central team.
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with government counterparts, UNICEF, UN agencies, CP AoR and relevant working groups, national and international NGOs, local partners, technical networks, and other strategic stakeholders.
• Support alignment between national-level discussions and field realities by bringing field evidence into policy and coordination discussions and communicating relevant national developments back to field teams.
• Support the CP Coordinator in developing and implementing a CP-specific advocacy and influence agenda aligned with IRC Ukraine priorities, programme evidence, client experience, and principled humanitarian action.
• Identify emerging policy, system, and service-delivery issues that may require technical positioning or advocacy and prepare evidence-based recommendations for the CP Coordinator and Advocacy team.
• Prepare policy briefs, issue notes, talking points, recommendations, position papers, meeting briefs, and key messages grounded in programme evidence and analysis.
• Ensure field evidence and client experience inform national-level technical discussions, standards, SOPs, coordination priorities, policy dialogue, and advocacy messages.
• Coordinate closely with Advocacy and Communications colleagues to ensure CP messages are accurate, evidence-based, sensitive, child-safe, and aligned with approved IRC positions.
• Support strategic positioning of IRC Child Protection by identifying relevant policy, coordination, research, donor, and public-facing opportunities where IRC evidence and technical experience can contribute to sector dialogue.
• Support donor reporting by contributing strategic narrative, cross-location analysis, outcome documentation, learning synthesis, and evidence-based explanations of results, challenges, adaptations, and emerging needs.
• Develop donor-facing CP products such as outcome briefs, technical updates, programme snapshots, success stories, learning notes, thematic briefs, and presentations for existing and prospective donors.
• Work closely with Grants, MEAL, and CP programme teams to ensure proposals and donor communications are informed by evidence, lessons learned, needs analysis, client feedback, partner learning, and field realities.
• Support concept note and proposal development through technical writing, problem analysis, evidence integration, intervention logic, lessons learned, and strategic positioning.
• Support the CP Coordinator in preparing for donor meetings and visits, including concise briefing materials, evidence summaries, programme updates, presentations, and follow-up points.
• Support the technical planning and delivery of high-level Child Protection events, government roundtables, technical launches, donor engagements, coordination events, learning events, and other strategic external engagements led or co-led by IRC.
• Develop or coordinate technical content for external events, including concept notes, agendas, presentations, speaking notes, moderator guides, briefing packs, key messages, and background materials, working with relevant technical leads.
• Present, facilitate, moderate, or support technical sessions when delegated, demonstrating clear communication and confidence with senior government, donor, UN, partner, and inter-agency audiences.
• Coordinate with Advocacy and Communications, Operations, and relevant programme teams on visibility, stakeholder engagement, and practical arrangements while retaining responsibility for the quality and consistency of CP technical content.
• Capture key outcomes, recommendations, commitments, and follow-up actions from strategic events and ensure they are communicated and tracked within the CP team.
• Facilitate cross-programme learning across CP, Health, WPE, PROL, ERD, Cash, MEAL, and Partnerships to identify integrated programming opportunities and shared evidence.
• Support documentation of integrated approaches, including CP-Cash, CP-Health, CP-PROL, CP-WPE, and MHPSS integration.
• Contribute to IRC Ukraine's broader learning, programme quality, accountability, and SAP implementation processes.
• Support identification and development of strategic relationships with research institutions, academic partners, technical networks, and peer NGOs where relevant.
• Provide coaching and technical support to CP staff and partners on documentation, learning capture, evidence use, ethical case documentation, external reporting, presentation of findings, and technical writing.
• Support CP teams to strengthen the quality and consistency of information shared externally, including presentations, programme summaries, assessment findings, and technical reports.
• Consistently and proactively monitor safety and security considerations related to field missions and external engagement, promptly reporting concerns to IRC management.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Child Protection Coordinator to enable and develop IRC programmes.

Requirements

• A degree desired in social work, child protection, social sciences, human rights, humanitarian studies, international development, public policy, law, research, or another relevant field; equivalent professional experience may be considered.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian or development programming, with substantial experience in child protection, protection, programme quality, learning, advocacy, policy, technical documentation, government engagement, or related functions.
• Strong and demonstrable knowledge of the child protection system in Ukraine is required, including understanding of relevant institutional structures and mandates, social service and child protection actors, national and sub-national coordination mechanisms, and major policy and reform processes affecting children and families.
• Strong technical understanding of child protection in emergencies and one or more of the following areas: child protection case management, MHPSS/PSS, child-focused victim assistance, reintegration, alternative care, violence against children, justice for children, or systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience engaging with government counterparts, UN agencies, coordination mechanisms, local partners, or technical working groups, including the ability to professionally represent an organization, maintain relationships, and follow up agreed actions.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex child protection issues clearly and confidently to senior government, donor, UN, partner, and internal audiences.
• Excellent analytical and writing skills, including the ability to produce high-quality external reports, briefs, technical notes, learning papers, talking points, meeting briefs, presentations, and proposal inputs under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience turning programme data, monitoring findings, assessment results, field experience, and qualitative evidence into clear written and visual products for donors, government stakeholders, coordination platforms, advocacy, or programme learning.
• Experience contributing to donor reports, concept notes, proposals, donor engagement materials, or technical positioning products. Experience with UNICEF, ECHO, SIDA, BMZ, UHF, CDCS, or similar donors is an asset.
• Experience with MEAL systems, learning agendas, needs assessments, qualitative documentation, data analysis, or knowledge management is highly desirable.
• Information management skills are an asset, including experience organizing and maintaining structured datasets, trackers, information repositories, dashboards or data visualizations, and presenting data in clear, decision-useful formats.
• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills, including diplomacy, professional judgement, negotiation, and the ability to build trusted working relationships with diverse external counterparts.
• Strong understanding of ethical documentation, child safeguarding, informed consent, confidentiality, data protection, and do-no-harm principles.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and functions, including CP, MEAL, Grants, Partnerships, Advocacy and Communications, and field teams.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple products simultaneously.

Skills

• Child Protection Systems Knowledge
• Child Protection Case Management
• MHPSS Work
• Child-Focused Victim Assistance
• Reintegration
• Alternative Care
• Violence against Children
• Justice for Children
• Systems Strengthening
• Humanitarian Programming
• Development Programs
• Programme Quality Assurance
• Advocacy
• Policy Engagement
• Technical Documentation Production
• Government Engagement
• Coordination Mechanisms
• Donor Reporting
• MEAL System Development
• Learning Agendas
• Needs Assessment
• Qualitative Documentation
• Data Analysis
• Knowledge Management
• Information Management
• Stakeholder Management
• Ethical Documentation
• Child Safeguarding
• Informed Consent
• Patient Confidentiality
• Data Protection
• Do-No-Harm
• Communications Skills
• Facilitation Skills
• Presentation Skills
• Analytical Writing
• Report Writing
• Proposal Development
• Diplomacy
• Negotiation
• Organizational Skills

Languages

English