Consultancy based in Luxemburg: Child Rights Expert with UNICEF ECARO section Child Protection (130 working days from May 2023 to July 2024)

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Support UNICEF and Luxembourg in enhancing children's rights monitoring.

You have:

• Minimum Masters in international relations, political or social sciences, statistics, human rights, or another relevant field of studies.
• Proven experience and knowledge related to the ToRs areas.
• Proven experience in successful coordination of similar projects and project management.
• Experience in effective management of the EU-funded projects is an asset.
• Good knowledge/understanding of the local market/environment of different stakeholders and service providers.
• Proven networking skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (in French and English).
• Excellent written skills in English and French; Ability to communicate in Luxembourgish an asset.
• Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines.
• Excellent skills of using Microsoft Office applications.

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, Protection

Luxembourg has made significant progress in the area of child rights, child poverty and social exclusion recently by adopting two cornerstone policy documents. In May 2022, Luxembourg adopted its first National Strategy and Action Plan on the Rights of the Child 2022-2026 in response to the recommendation by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and building on the Council of Europe Strategy on the Rights of the Child (2022-2027) . The National Strategy and Action Plan on the Rights of the Child 2022-2026 marks the beginning of a concerted action and common commitment to the promotion of children's rights in Luxemburg by bringing together key relevant stakeholders to agree on a shared vision and set a common frame of reference with specific and time-bound goals, objectives and milestones. In line with the June 2021 European Union Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee , Luxembourg developed and adopted (August 2022) a national action plan aiming to guarantee every child in need effective access to key services such as free-of-charge access to early childhood education and care, education, healthcare, at least one healthy meal each school day, and access to healthy nutrition and adequate housing. Luxembourg is among many other countries in Europe that have gaps in data on children and that was unable to provide in its combined fifth and sixth periodic reports to the CRC Committee the requested data on children with relevant disaggregation. This issue has also been raised by the Commission Consultative des Droits de l’Homme of Luxembourg and by many child rights actors. More specifically, the Committee has recommended to Luxembourg to improve its data collection system in order to facilitate analysis on the situation of all children, particularly those in situations of vulnerability, and to formulate an effective policy response. To effectively manage the implementation of the country’s National Strategy and Action Plan on the Rights of the Child 2022-2026 and the European Child Guarantee National Action Plan and monitor progress made and results achieved for children, Luxembourg has requested technical support from the European Commission (EC) to develop for both plans sound monitoring and evaluation indicator frameworks and a plan to strengthen the existing information system and improve data availability, quality and disaggregation. Effective use of data can help Luxembourg authorities not just track results for children, but also shape those results with better insights about what’s working, what’s not, which children are thriving, and which are being left behind. For this, the Department of Children’s Rights (Service des Droits de l’Enfant - SDE) of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth of Luxembourg, has requested the EC to provide them with technical support in improving their monitoring and evaluation frameworks, methods and tools, based on a sound assessment, a review of EU and international good practice, stakeholder consultations and according to the agreed roadmap with the Government of Luxembourg. In response to this request, the EC and UNICEF formed a partnership to support Luxembourg in improving the monitoring and evaluation of their two national policies as well as participatory mechanisms related to child rights, child poverty and social exclusion. To successfully achieve the objective of the EU funded project (Action), UNICEF’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) intends to engage a national consultant to guide and advise the team of international experts and Luxembourg stakeholders during the implementation of the Action (as described in the scope of work below). The current terms of reference (ToRs) set out tasks, responsibilities and deliverables to be achieved by the national consultant.

Scope of Work:

There will be a core group to lead the implementation of the project (Action), formed of: a) UNICEF ECARO child protection specialist will serve as operational leader for Luxembourg; b) a UNICEF ECARO child protection monitoring, and evaluation (M&E) specialist who will oversee and guide the technical implementation of the M&E component of the project; c) a UNICEF ECARO senior child protection specialist will ensure the technical and management oversight and ensure that the project activities are in line with UNICEF requirement for quality and effectiveness. The Action will be further supported by two international consultants focused on provision of key expertise and broad-based but specific deliverables - one on monitoring and evaluation and the other on child participation.

In addition, UNICEF is looking for a national consultant (to be based in Luxembourg) to support the development and delivery of the key activities, and the implementation of the Action on the ground. The current ToRs cover the scope of work of the national consultant. Overall, the national consultant will serve as liaison between UNICEF ECARO and the team of the SDE in Luxembourg in the implementation of the Action by supporting the implementation of the Action’s activities on the ground, i.e. in Luxembourg. It is expected that the national consultant will provide technical expertise (in particular in the area of conducting national assessments including methods, such as a desk review, key informant interviews, secondary data analysis, among others, and as required for the specific activities as per the Action’s workplan) and provide implementation support directly to the Department of Children’s Rights (Service des Droits de l’Enfant - SDE) of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth of Luxembourg in line with the project’s activities and expected deliverables

The following are the specific tasks expected from the national consultant (details of all tasks and activities (as per the Description of the Action and the workplan) will be discussed in more detail with the selected candidate. All activities will be implemented in close collaboration with the SDE.

1. Support and advise on the implementation of the kick-off and closing meeting as well as other working meetings/workshops in Luxembourg related to the Action’s activities. This may include liaising with SDE and UNICEF towards logistical organization of the event, as necessary.
2. Acting as a rapporteur for SDE during the meetings/workshops when/if necessary and in agreement with the core team and the SDE, to enable consistent sharing of information and updates with UNICEF.
3. As per agreement with the Project Coordination Group, the consultant is expected to organize related activities such as translation, editing, designing and publishing for selected outputs to achieve key deliverables. Providing inputs into summary reports, and reports to the European Commission.
4. Support the assessment of the state-of-play of monitoring children’s rights and stakeholder/child participation practices in Luxembourg. This includes:
5. Support the M&E consultant with preparation for and during the assessment and the actual assessment: (i) mapping of relevant indicator sources and relevant documents during the desk review; (ii) organisation of key informant interviews and any other stakeholder meetings related to the assessment – depending on the expertise of the selected candidate, this may also include conducting some of the key informant interviews, helping with the secondary data analysis, etc., (iii) organisation of a stakeholders’ consultation on the first draft assessment report; (iv) compiling feedback and comments from the stakeholders for the preparation of the final assessment report.
6. Advise and support the project team with the preparation, organisation and documentation of the meetings of the 2 Technical Working Groups (TWiG). The Activity will be implemented in close collaboration with the SDE.
7. Support the consultative process for and the development of a proposal for a set of high-quality indicators and data collection methods. In particular, this will include:

• • Support and advise the international M&E consultant and the chair of the indicators TWiG in the preparation, organisation and documentation of a series of working meetings of the TWiG
  • Advise on the identification and contracting a pool of experts, to provide independent review and inputs, as part of the TWiG, in close collaboration with SDE and the international M&E consultant
  • Coordination of inputs from experts to the draft proposal

Guide and advise the project team on any other activities necessary to complete the proposal.

This activity will be implemented with the international M&E consultant under the supervision of the UNICEF ECARO child protection M&E specialist and in close collaboration with the SDE.

8. Support the development of a proposal for an organisational policy and governance mechanism for stakeholder/child participation. In particular, this will include:

• Advise and support the project team in the conceptualisation, development and implementation of a workplan for the activities of the stakeholder/child participation TWiG and in close cooperation with the international consultant, the TWiG chairperson.
• Coordinate inputs to the draft proposals,
• Support the preparation and implementation of child participation activities in a meaningful, effective and safe way, to ensure that the proposals for participatory mechanisms/policy reflect children’s perspectives, needs and expectations.

Advise and support the project team for the effective implementation of the capacity building workshop

This activity will be implemented in close collaboration with the international child participation consultant and the SDE.

9. Support the core team to develop the roadmap to monitor and evaluate children's rights and child poverty and social exclusion and for stakeholder/child participation in Luxembourg and the synthesis report. This will include:

• • Advise the project team on the planning and implementation of an effective and inclusive consultative process.
  • Providing inputs in the content and coordinating the process for collecting and reflecting inputs from various stakeholders.

This consultancy will be based in Luxembourg. As one of the key deliverables is to provide technical guidance and support to the Department of Children’s Rights (Service des Droits de l’Enfant - SDE) of the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth of Luxembourg, the consultant will be required to be present on a schedule agreed with SDE in their offices, and for the remainder of the time is expected to work from home. The consultant is expected to participate in the workshops and/or key meetings for SDE

The consultant will be responsible for providing logistical and administrative expertise to facilitate the Action in Luxembourg, in compliance with the rules and regulations of UNICEF. Hence, before a final commitment is made with a third party for delivery of specific service, the national consultant will have to get approval/clearance from UNICEF ECARO.

Finally, it is expected that regular calls with UNICEF ECARO will be held to review progress, challenges and next steps. Ad-hoc calls may take place as deemed necessary.

Work Assignments Overview Deliverables/Outputs Time Line As a technical expert supporting SDE, the consultant will deliver meeting reports from the meetings/workshops/events in Luxembourg related to the Action’s activities

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Acting as a rapporteur during the SDE meetings/workshops when/if necessary and in agreement with the core team and the SDE;

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Overseeing activities for SDE as related to translation, editing, designing and publishing selected outputs as per agreement with the Project Coordination Group.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Providing inputs into summary reports, and reports to the European Commission.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Provide guidance and support to the project team on the assessment of the state-of-play of monitoring children’s rights and stakeholder/child participation practices in Luxembourg.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Advise and support the project team on the consultative process and the development of a proposal for a set of high-quality indicators and data collection methods.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Guide and support the project team for the development of a proposal for an organisational policy and governance mechanism for stakeholder/child participation.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Guide and support the project team to develop the roadmap to monitor and evaluate children's rights and child poverty and social exclusion and for stakeholder/child participation in Luxembourg and the synthesis report.

Monthly report

May 2023- July 2024Estimated Duration of the Contract

130 working days

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

Based in Luxemburg

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate an all-inclusive lumpsum to undertake this TOR based on 130 working days.

Minimum requirements:

Minimum Masters in international relations, political or social sciences, statistics, human rights, or another relevant field of studies.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Proven experience and knowledge related to the ToRs areas;
• Proven experience in successful coordination of similar projects and project management;
• Experience in effective management of the EU-funded projects is an asset;
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in child rights/ child rights monitoring;
• Good knowledge/understanding of the local market/environment of different stakeholders and service providers (key ministries engaged in child rights, designers/publishers, catering/translators, etc.);
• Proven networking skills;
• Excellent communication and presentation skills (in French and English);
• Excellent written skills in English and French; Ability to communicate in Luxembourgish an asset.
• Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines;
• Excellent skills of using Microsoft Office applications

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and all-inclusive lumpsum (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without an all-inclusive lumpsum will not be considered. 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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

Apply now

Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org