Project Coordinator - Climate Change and Child Protection

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title

Climate Change and Child Protection Coordinator

Location

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea (with regular travel to project locations)

Reports To

Program Manager – Gender and Protection

Employment Type

Full-Time – Fixed Term

ABOUT CHILDFUND PNG

ChildFund Papua New Guinea (CFPNG) works alongside children, families, communities, government, and development partners to create lasting change that enables children to thrive. Through its child-focused development and humanitarian Programs, CFPNG strengthens child protection systems, promotes resilience, supports climate adaptation, and helps communities prepare for and respond to disasters and climate-related risks.

As climate change increasingly affects the safety, wellbeing, education, health, and protection of children, ChildFund PNG is committed to ensuring that children's rights and protection needs are central to climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and resilience-building efforts.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Climate Change and Child Protection Coordinator will lead the integration of child protection into climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction (DRR), resilience building, and emergency preparedness and response Programs.

The position will support communities, government partners, schools, and local organisations to identify and address climate-related risks affecting children and vulnerable populations. The role will strengthen child-centred climate resilience approaches, promote climate-informed child protection systems, and support Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and Education in Emergencies (EiE) initiatives.

The Coordinator will work closely with Program teams, government stakeholders, and communities to ensure climate change programming is responsive to the unique vulnerabilities and needs of children.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Program Coordination and Management

• Coordinate the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of climate change and child protection initiatives.
• Ensure Program activities are delivered on time, within budget, and in accordance with donor requirements and ChildFund policies.
• Support the development of annual work plans, budgets, implementation schedules, and Program reports.
• Monitor Program progress and support adaptive management to achieve Program outcomes.
• Ensure safeguarding, child protection, and GEDSI principles are integrated across all activities.

1. Technical Leadership on Climate Change and Child Protection

• Provide technical leadership on climate change and child protection programming.
• Support the development and implementation of child-centred climate adaptation and resilience approaches.
• Identify and analyse climate-related risks affecting children, including displacement, violence, exploitation, school disruption, psychosocial distress, health risks, and loss of livelihoods.
• Support communities to develop climate-resilient child protection mechanisms and action plans.
• Promote integration of child protection considerations into community resilience and climate adaptation initiatives.
• Strengthen understanding of climate-related child protection risks among stakeholders and partners.

1. Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE)

• Lead and support Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) activities within disaster preparedness, response, and recovery Programs.
• Support establishing Child Friendly Spaces in schools and communities
• Facilitate child-friendly and psychosocial support activities where appropriate.
• Support preparedness planning to ensure child protection and education considerations are integrated into emergency response mechanisms.
• Contribute to emergency assessments and response activities during climate-related disasters.

1. Community Engagement and Capacity Strengthening

• Strengthen community awareness of climate change impacts on children and child protection risks.
• Facilitate community consultations, risk assessments, and resilience planning processes.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of community-based child protection and resilience mechanisms.
• Deliver training and capacity strengthening for communities, government officers, schools, and local partners.
• Promote meaningful participation of children and young people in climate resilience initiatives.

1. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with government agencies, schools, Provincial and District Disaster Offices, child protection actors, civil society organisations, and development partners.
• Support the development and implementation of climate-responsive social work and child protection models in partnership with government agencies, communities, and service providers to address emerging protection risks affecting children and vulnerable populations
• Represent ChildFund PNG in relevant child protection, climate change, DRR, and humanitarian coordination forums.
• Support collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders.
• Contribute to advocacy efforts promoting child-centred climate action and resilience.

1. Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Reporting

• Work closely with the MEAL team to monitor Program performance and outcomes.
• Support development of indicators and tools that measure climate and child protection outcomes.
• Document lessons learned, case studies, innovations, and good practices.
• Prepare high-quality donor reports, management reports, and Program updates.
• Support evaluations, assessments, research, and learning activities.

1. Safeguarding and Risk Management

• Ensure ChildFund's Child Safeguarding Policy is implemented across all Program activities.
• Promote safe programming approaches and identify safeguarding risks.
• Support risk assessments and mitigation planning related to climate and protection programming.
• Ensure all staff, partners, and community stakeholders understand and uphold safeguarding standards.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Child Protection, Development Studies, Climate Change, Environmental Management, Disaster Risk Management, Humanitarian Studies, or a related field.
• Postgraduate qualification in Child Protection, Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, Humanitarian Action, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years' experience in child protection, climate change adaptation, DRR, resilience, humanitarian programming, or community development.
• Experience working with government agencies, communities, and development partners.
• Experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Experience in Program planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Experience facilitating training and capacity strengthening activities.

Essential Skills and Competencies

• Strong understanding of child protection systems and approaches.
• Good understanding of climate change adaptation, DRR, and resilience programming.
• Knowledge of Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and Education in Emergencies (EiE).
• Strong stakeholder engagement and partnership-building skills.
• Excellent facilitation, communication, and report-writing skills.
• Strong project management and coordination skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Child-focused and safeguarding-oriented.
• Strategic thinking and problem solving.
• Collaboration and partnership building.
• Accountability and professionalism.
• Respect for diversity and inclusion.
• Innovation and continuous improvement.
• Results orientation.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING LEVEL

This position involves direct engagement with children, communities, schools, and vulnerable populations. The successful candidate must comply with ChildFund's Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and all safeguarding requirements.