Ubangari Bitkwoet

I hold a BSc in Political Science, and 6 years of experience in humanitarian programs.

I am the Child Protection in Emergencies Program Coordinator for Save the Children International. I am based in Borno and provide technical support to the Adamawa and Yobe field offices to implement various humanitarian projects for the conflict-affected populations in North East Nigeria.

I currently coordinate the implementation of Safe Schools projects for the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs NMFA, Protection, Nutrition, Protection, and Food Security Integrated project for USAID, and Nutrition and Protection projects for Cuppy Foundation.

I have previously implemented projects for the US Office for Foreign Disaster Assistance OFDA- Integrated Emergency Response for Vulnerable Conflict-Affected Households from 2016 - 2019, and UK Department for International Development DFID ProSPINE 2018 - 2019.

I also lead systems-strengthening engagements with stakeholders such as government ministries, State Emergency Management Agencies SEMA, established community-based structures, Corporate Social Organizations CSOs, and other international and national organizations to promote referral pathways, capacity building, and access to information and services.

I have in these roles employed innovative approaches in leadership, mentoring, coaching, and supervision to provide technical support in program delivery for both entry, mid-level, and senior staff including partners and volunteers.

Additionally, I perform budget management, and review of project performance tracking tables, and related deliverables to ensure a balance of the project's triple constraints of budget, scope, and time.

1. Organization: Save the Children International SCI 

   Position: Acting Child Protection Sector Lead

   Awards: NMFA/BHA/IHA/OTEDOLA

   Duration: June 2022 till date

   Key areas of Accountability

   • In close collaboration with the CPiE Coordinators, manage project field activities, ensuring project objectives are being achieved and ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of our field work.
   • Promote a Child Protection Systems Strengthening approach as the overarching framework, that supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments and local partners and working towards impact, scale and sustainability.
   • Working closely with the Project Manager, and Technical Advisors, ensure that the project implementation strategy is clearly understood by the implementing partners, teams, and ensure that project plans and strategies are adhered to during implementation,
   • Establishment/strengthening of child protection referral pathways
   • Work with government child protection services, community and LGA-level actors and other service providers to strengthen referral and response mechanisms for child protection concerns as well as data collection and reporting platforms.
   • Lead CP project planning, including development of work plans (Annual and Monthly) with the project team
   • Ensure quality timely reporting on progress as per SC and donor required quality standards.
   • Provide technical support, capacity building and on the job supervision to build the capacity of the respective Save the Children’s field staff and partner staff to effectively deliver the project
   • Monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of child protection programmes at the community level.
   • Train key CP team members and resource people within the state and community on CP concerns
   • Working closely with Save the Children’s CP team, contribute lessons learnt and best practice experiences from the project inform SC’s strategic planning and the design of future programming strategy and direction, including funding proposals
   • Participate in regular meetings with government, local authorities, partners and other stakeholders to draw lessons, share experiences and monitor progress of the project.
   • Ensure effective coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders and partners at field level – NGOs, civil society organizations, Government and other FCDO projects.
   • Organization: Save the Children International SCI 

   Position: Child Protection in Emergencies Officer

   Awards: NMFA

   Duration: June 2019 – March 2022

   Key areas of Accountability

   • Support the Manager to conduct child protection assessments using SC assessment processes and tools and the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Resource Toolkit. Adapt the Assessment Tool as necessary. Coordinate with other SC thematic areas, the national/district Child Protection Working Group and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific, disaggregated analysis of children’s needs.
   • With support from the lead Child Protection Manager and/or other senior program staff, develop monthly and quarterly plans and costed plans, contributing towards an overall thematic program plan. From the strategy initiate programming in the following areas as appropriate:

   o Support to the psychosocial (physical, social, emotional) wellbeing of children and their families.

   o Emergency family tracing interventions and alternative care options for unaccompanied and separated children, utilize tools within the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System o Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and gender-based violence (GBV) in project communities o Prevention and response to the main risks for children’s exposure to physical harm o Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labor and child trafficking o Support the integration of case management into CFS and PSS o Support the integration of child protection in to other SC emergencies core sectors on the field

   • With support from the Child Protection Manager, supervise project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against individual performance management work plans).
   • With support from the lead Child Protection Manager and/or other senior program staff, prepare and review timely monthly reports submitted by partners
   • With support from the lead Child Protection Manager, identify project supplies specific to the program needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
   • Work with the MEAL plan to ensure links to reporting requirements where possible, refer the MEAL framework to build an evidence-base for child protection programming interventions.
   • With support from the CRM/Accountability Officer put in place accountability activities for your project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families are considered in project design.
   • Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and the Sphere standard
   • Ensure appropriate child friendly spaces time schedules are tailored to the physical and mental needs of the children based on age group and gender
   • Coordinate monthly meetings including, foster parent’s forum, CRC meetings and child protection committee
   • Provide essential psychosocial first aid support to children and adults when needed.
   • Ensure partner staff are supervised regularly to ensure activities are carried out in line with minimum standard guidelines.
   • Consistently maintain referral pathway of project locations

Organization: Save the Children International SCI 

Position: Child Protection in Emergencies Officer

Awards: NMFA

Duration: June 2019 – March 2022

Key areas of Accountability

• Support the Manager to conduct child protection assessments using SC assessment processes and tools and the Inter-agency Child Protection Assessment Resource Toolkit. Adapt the Assessment Tool as necessary. Coordinate with other SC thematic areas, the national/district Child Protection Working Group and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific, disaggregated analysis of children’s needs.
• With support from the lead Child Protection Manager and/or other senior program staff, develop monthly and quarterly plans and costed plans, contributing towards an overall thematic program plan. From the strategy initiate programming in the following areas as appropriate:

o Support to the psychosocial (physical, social, emotional) wellbeing of children and their families.

o Emergency family tracing interventions and alternative care options for unaccompanied and separated children, utilize tools within the Inter-Agency Child Protection Information Management System o Prevention and response to sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) and gender-based violence (GBV) in project communities o Prevention and response to the main risks for children’s exposure to physical harm o Prevention and response to all forms of exploitation including harmful child labor and child trafficking o Support the integration of case management into CFS and PSS o Support the integration of child protection in to other SC emergencies core sectors on the field

• With support from the Child Protection Manager, supervise project implementation to ensure timely delivery of project activities (for example, monitoring against individual performance management work plans).
• With support from the lead Child Protection Manager and/or other senior program staff, prepare and review timely monthly reports submitted by partners
• With support from the lead Child Protection Manager, identify project supplies specific to the program needs and coordinate with the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
• Work with the MEAL plan to ensure links to reporting requirements where possible, refer the MEAL framework to build an evidence-base for child protection programming interventions.
• With support from the CRM/Accountability Officer put in place accountability activities for your project, ensuring that feedback from children and their families are considered in project design.
• Ensure that the minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Settings and the Sphere standard
• Ensure appropriate child friendly spaces time schedules are tailored to the physical and mental needs of the children based on age group and gender

 B.Sc. (Hons) Political Science (Second Class Upper Division)

o Plateau State University, Bokkos (2012 – 2016.)

 Diploma in Computer Application (in view).

o Nassara computer Academy, Maiduguri.

 NECO.

o Government Senior Secondary School Kafel. 2006 – 2012.

 First School Living Certificate.

o FGGC Staff School Langtang, Plateau State 1999-2005