Project Officer- Youth Engagement

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

SUMMARY OF THE POSITION

The YCAA Project Officer/Youth Engagement Officer will lead the implementation and monitoring of the Youth Climate Action Acceleration (YCAA) project, while also supporting broader youth engagement initiatives in Plan International Sierra Leone. The purpose of this role is to bridge youth engagement gaps, promote innovation, and ensure meaningful youth participation in program design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation

DIMENSIONS OF ROLE

Program Support Manager-DRM, Youth Engagement & Innovation -YCAA Project Implementation and Monitoring:

• Lead the implementation and monitoring of the YCAA project, including grant management, capacity building, and technical support for the participating youth-led organizations (YLOs).

• Manage the grant application and selection process, including eligibility screening, peer-to-peer review, and final selection of grantees.

• Provide support to YLOs in developing detailed and realistic budgets, and monitor grant activities and expenditures to ensure compliance with program guidelines and donor requirements.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of grant management processes and tools.

Youth Engagement Initiatives:

• Support the development and implementation of the country's youth engagement strategy, including the restructuring and effectiveness of the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) across the country.

• Lead the production and distribution of the YAP magazine, and support the development of tools for monitoring and evaluating the national youth engagement work.

• Contribute to the effective implementation of the country strategy by designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating quality integrated technical programs with a strong focus on youth and child participation.

• Provide support to media initiatives like the MOJO program and the YAP magazine.

• Support the community feedback mechanism, including mobilization and training activities.

Capacity Building and Knowledge Management

• Identify key resources to build capability in youth engagement, and gather learning to provide capacity development for personnel (training, workshops, research, etc.).

• Conduct training for YAP and Plan International's youth network on decision-making, advocacy, and safeguarding.

• Develop and coordinate the gathering of human-interest stories on youth engagement, innovation, and community feedback mechanisms.

• Link with advocacy and communication to promote communication, the youth internship scheme, and a quarterly youth engagement and SOYEE newsletter

Networking and Stakeholder Management

• Establish linkages and networks with relevant stakeholders, such as Freetown City Council, SDI, UN-Habitat, and government ministries/departments and agencies.

• Collaborate with these stakeholders to strengthen youth-led organizations and promote their participation in climate action and environmental initiatives.

• Link  to the - See full details of the Job Description 10-01-25.docx

Location:            Country Office – with minimal travel to the PIIAs

Type of Role:      YCAA Project Officer/Youth Engagement Officer

Reports to:          Program Support Manager-DRM, Youth Engagement & Innovation

Grade:                  Level 12

Closing Date:      23rd January 2025

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.