Child Protection System Strengthening Advisor (only PNG nationals to apply)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child,

In order to protect all children PNG from violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect support every child’s access to justice and quality care-based services, a strong child protection system is essential. PNG Government’s commitment to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), ratified in March 1993 — recognizes every child’s right to protection. and upholds his or her access to justice. For the Government of PNG to fulfil its obligations under the CRC, including preventing and responding to child protection risks and violence against children, an effective and well-functioning child protection system must be built up and maintained over time. The LPA 2015 established the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) as a dedicated Government institution the existing bottlenecks in the child protection system in PNG, with a combined upstream policy support, training and capacity building and targeted program interventions. Since its establishment in 2018 the OCFS has made tremendous efforts to address the advance child rights and build a solid child protection system. UNICEF has supported these efforts, including with provisions of technical and financial assistance. Some of the results achieved by OCFs include: i) the establishment of the National Council for Child and Family Services; ii) the development of a case management data base (Primero/CPIMs+) soon to be launched and rolled out; iii) the gazettal of twenty eight child protection officers; iii) the development of case management standards and of a new handbook for practitioners; iv) the development of a case management curriculum in collaboration with the Pacific Institute for Leadership and Governance (PILAG), which is to be piloted in early 2021. In addition, in 2020 the OCFS began a high level political and institutional dialogue with the provinces on the implementation of the LPA at provincial level. This dialogue includes the transfer of the social welfare functions from the national to the provincial level to ensure that social services such as prevention and response to abuse, violence and neglect are brought closer to beneficiaries. This process is expected to be accelerated in 2021 to engage more provinces in PNG and to lead to the implementation of the provisions of the LPA and of the Organic Law, which spells out the roles of the provinces in the social welfare sector vis-à-vis the role of the national institutions.

How can you make a difference?

The overall purpose this assignment is to provide technical assistance (TA) to the Government of PNG (GoPNG) and specifically to the Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) to strengthen the child protection system in the country. By supporting the implementation and monitoring of the provisions of the Lukautim Pikinini Act (LPA) 2015, and the Child Protection Policy 2017-2020, the consultant will contribute to accelerate the achievements of the results of the 2018-2022 GoPNG and UNICEF Country Programme - outcome four on child protection system strengthening to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. Particularly, the consultant will advise the Director and the Management of the OCFS on the implementation of the above law and policy at national and provincial levels and will ensure close coordination with the UNICEF child protection team to support the child protection system strengthening agenda in the country.

UNICEF is seeking the service of a highly qualified national consultant to continue supporting the OCFS to accelerate the implementation of the LPA and Child Policy key results areas, starting in early 2021 for a period of eleven (11) months.

Under the supervision of the Chief of Child Protection, the consultant will:

1. Provide high-level technical and advisory support to OCFS Director on Ministerial engagements, as well as on including sector annual planning and budget formulation to ensure that child protection key priorities are reflected and funded;
2. Coordinate regular meetings between OCFS and UNICEF and follow up on action points;
3. Lead, coordinate and document the on-going provincial engagement on the LPA and ensure establishment of at least two CFS provincial councils by the end of the assignment.
4. Support the finalization of the provincial engagement framework;
5. Support the transition of the child protection sub-cluster into a permanent coordination structure for child protection, led by the OCFS;
6. Participate in the regular meetings of the National Council for CFS and report to UNICEF on action points;
7. Support the review and validation of the credentials for child protection officers for gazettal by the National Child & Family Services Council;
8. Support the pilot and roll out of the new case management curriculum and the roll out of the case management database in selected provinces;
9. Contribute to planning as well as mid and end of the year reporting process of the child protection section;

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• Master’s degree (or higher qualification) in social welfare, social development, laws, gender, or similar field;
• At least 15 years of experience at national level in child protection and/or gender of which at least five acquitted in Government institutions;
• Experience in capacity building;
• Experience in planning, budgeting and monitoring and evaluation, as well as report writing;
• Demonstrated experience in policy development;
• Very good negotiation and networking skills;
• Proven expertise and work record in working with national level government structures and coordinating different stakeholders.
• Excellent knowledge of English language;
• Knowledge of any other local langue will be considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The functional competencies required for this post are...

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.