Consultancy - Case Studies Related to Children Participating in Peaceful Assemblies in LACR - LACRO, Panama City (4 Months)

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Prepare case studies on UNICEF's response to children's peaceful assemblies.

You have:

• Advanced university degree in law, social sciences or international development is required.
• A minimum of five years working in international development or social sectors with children rights experience.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
• Knowledge on children rights, particularly participation rights.
• Good understanding of the social and political situation of Latin America.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with examples of previously developed reports.
• Ability to synthesize complex information and present it clearly.
• Ability to work virtually and establish relationships with partners.
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment.

Contract

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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

How can you make a difference?

Background

Globally, children are exercising their right to peaceful assembly, including to demand social justice and climate action. In some contexts, they do so at great risk to their safety, and even lives. While the phenomenon is not new, it has reached unprecedented scales in the past years, prompting UNICEF to clarify its role in both supporting the exercise of this right and protecting children in this exercise.1

UNICEF developed a global paper, Children’s Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, which responds to UNICEF COs requests for guidance on how to engage in this issue.

In Latin America and the Caribbean children in countries across the region are participating in peaceful assemblies. Responding to political and social situations, children, and adolescents alone or with their parents or other caregivers, have taken to the streets demanding change or voicing concerns. This is seen in the recent years in countries such as Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, and Venezuela in the past few years. Children are also sometimes affected as the peaceful protest happens around them, as when they are in a place when their parents and caregivers are engaged in protests.

The response from authorities, UNICEF’s involvement and collaboration with other counterparts differs from country to country and by situation. There is request globally and regionally for examples of UNICEF engagement, that would help to delineate the areas to consider and risks when responding to peaceful assemblies where children engage. The document will be used to inform options for engagement and to identify next steps in UNICEF’s approaches in this area.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices. The UNICEF offices in the region have prioritised the ending of violence against children, recognising this as critical for the fulfilment of all child rights.

1 Children’s Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, Programme Group Human Rights Unit, UNICEF, 2022

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to prepare a compendium of case studies on the response of UNICEF to the participation of children in peaceful assemblies in Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador and Venezuela.

Each case study will include:

- Background and context description (situation, chronology, needs identified for UNICEF response) - Cultural, social or political implications - The UNICEF response implemented (including how this fit with the responses of other actors including other partners, NGOs, Government, etc.) - Results achieved - Discussion, in particular its coherence to the global guidance - Conclusions - Lessons learned

The document will reflect on risks around UNICEF’s engagement and how these were managed or influenced the type of engagement and reflection on any comparative advantage for UNICEF’s engagement.

The overall document will conclude with overall reflections on UNICEF’s engagement with peaceful assembly, lessons learned and potential next steps.

All deliverables must be in Spanish. The compendium is for a wide sharing with technical and nontechnical audiences and should be written in a style accessible by this audience.

Specific Tasks

The assignment will include:

1. A methodology that includes the proposed outline of the compendium, and the proposed methodology to collect information. The methodology should consider key informant interviews including with UNICEF staff and other actors such as CSO or governmental counterparts and beneficiaries, as well as documents to be reviewed. 2. A draft report, that includes all of the above elements 3. A final report which incorporates the comments from the reference group. 4. A powerpoint and webinar to share the findings. This space will be coordinated in its design and implementation with the regional UNICEF office.

Expected Results

• A written final report which includes 5 case studies on children participating in peaceful assemblies in the countries selected in Spanish • A PPT and an online webinar to share the cases systematized

Deliverables

Description

Duration [in days]

Expected deadline

Methodology proposal

8 days

19 May 2023

Draft case studies

30 days

30 July 2023

Final report reviewed

10 days

15 August 2023

Virtual presentation with PPT

3 days

1 Oct 2023

TOTAL

51 days

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

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

• Advanced university degree in law, social sciences or international development or directly related technical experience in combination with an academic background/ research experience in children rights is required. Work Experience • A minimum of five years working in the social sectors of international development cooperation or research with work in children rights • Proven experience in documenting good practices • Practical work experience in Latin America

Languages

Fluency in Spanish and English is required.

Technical knowledge

• Knowledge on children rights and specifically on participation rights. • A good understanding of the social and political situation of Latin America Other skills and attributes (optional) • Demonstrated excellent skills in verbal and specially on written communication with examples of reports, guidelines or similar products previously elaborated • Ability to synthesis complex information and present in a clear manner • Demonstrated ability to work virtually and establish virtual working relationships with many partners • Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment • Ability to clearly define objectives and plan activities • Fluency with ICT tools such as email, Teams, Skype, Zoom.

Administrative details

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Child Protection Specialist in coordination with the Child Protection Regional Advisor. A reference group will be defined by UNICEF to support the review of the reports and progress in this consultancy.

Workplace

The consultant will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials, and equipment’s. The consultant will be required to have access to Skype/Zoom/Teams to facilitate the communication required during this assignment.

Duration

This consultancy will have a duration of approximately four (4) months, starting in May 2023.

How to Apply

Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily fees in their financial proposal.

Is travel involved

No travel is foreseen for this consultancy. However, if the situation permits, the consultant may be required to travel to some countries in the region for this assignment

Travel [when applicable]

Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. 1. Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations. 2. For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts. 3. Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling. 4. UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e) 5. For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

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:

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.

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Potential interview questions

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