Atieno Odenyo

Atieno has 20+ years of extensive experience in international development both at country and regional levels. She has worked with direct social work service delivery focusing on gender-based violence against women and children, people with disabilities, the elderly, asylum seekers and integration. She is passionate about the social service workforce, and with a focus on system strengthening, supports a wide range of partners in countries, regionally and globally in the institutionalization and professionalization of the social service workforce and social services system; strengthening of child protection systems, care reforms and social services within decentralized systems. She has provided technical assistance on child protection and social services policy analysis, capacity development of national and sub-national partners in the areas of social services, social work and child protection, sexual and gender based violence, gender and human rights, strategic planning for national and sub-national level ministries on issues around HIV, care and support for children and adolescents in the context of HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights. She has experience in social policy, social sector strategic and sectoral analysis, results based strategic and operational planning, human rights-based approaches, partnership development, organizational strengthening, coaching, programme and project design and management.

Atieno was the team lead for the review and development of standardized social work curriculum for Sierra Leone, jointly with the Ministry, Universities and UNICEF, the development of an online training to train lecturers to deliver the curriculum; and social work supportive supervision training for field placement agencies to support student social workers; and developing a supervision training module. She has worked on  assessments, capacity development and planning for social service workforce strengthening  in Ghana, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Greece, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe. She has assessed, developed SOPs, guidance and provided training on case management, case conferencing and supportive supervision in various countries. These included developing in-service training for social workers and para professionals; SOPs and guidelines in the areas of alternative care, reintegration, vulnerable asylum-seeking children; children on the move. She has developed a supportive supervision framework for Changing the Way We Care (CTWWC) Kenya and trained staff on social work supervision.

Atieno has supported development of costed national and regional action plans to end child marriage and FGM/C in Ethiopia; the development of SGBV prevention strategy for Liberia which includes child marriage, HP and FGM/C and following a rapid assessment of violence against children in homes in Sierra Leone. She has also engaged with development of positive parenting programs, curriculum and training. She has worked on strengthening OVC programming in various countries in Eastern and Southern Africa, has been the Maestral Team Lead and Technical Advisor for System Strengthening for the Kenya OVC program MWENDO (USAID/CRS), as well as TA advisor for case management and systems strengthening for the Pathways OVC program Zimbabwe (USAID/CRS) and has worked as technical lead on 4Children Mozambique (USAID/CRS).

Atieno was part of developing guidance, support, review of work processes and training on the impact of COVID-19 on children, and  the social service workforce. She has engaged with assessment, planning and training n online child exploitation and abuse.

Atieno is familiar with Global fund on AIDS, Malaria and TB (GFATM) processes and has provided technical support to countries (CCMS, NACs, Civil society) on GFATM proposal development and implementation of national and sub-national programmes, including   on human rights, gender and access to SRH, GBV, HIV services for AGYW and key populations. She has also provided coaching support for action learning project with UNICEF national staff in all UNICEF regions (ESAR, ECAR, EAPRO, WCAR, LAC, CPH, NYHQ).

She has worked with a range of clients including: various Ministries of social welfare/gender/children, National AIDS Councils and Ministries of Health in above countries; UN agencies: UNICEF (HQ, ROs, COs), UNAIDS (HQ, Ros, COs), UNFPA (ROs, COs), UN-Habitat, UN Women, WFP, WHO, UNESCO, UN-Plus; RECs: EAC SADC, AU; Intergovernmental organizations: EALA, SADC PF; Council of Baltic Sea States, GFATM; USAID, SDC, SIDA; NGOs: EANNASO, KELIN, REPSSI, CRS, TdH NL, Care US, Save the Children, Help Age, CTWWC, Better Care Network, Stop TB, various national and regional level NGOs working on HIV, human rights, child protection, SGBV in ESA.

Atieno has a Masters in Social Policy and Planning in Developing Countries, LSE and she is based in Nairobi, Kenya.