Consultancy: Consultant for the development of case studies on UNICEF programming to address discrimination against children, including multiple intersecting forms of discrimination - Human

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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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Consultancy for the development of case studies on UNICEF programming to address discrimination against children, including multiple intersecting forms of discrimination

Section/Division/Duty Station: Human Rights Unit/Programme Division/UNICEF NYHQ

Duration: 70 Days from 03 August- 31 December 2021

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

The right for all children to equality and non-discrimination is at the core of UNICEF mandate, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Article 2 which sets out the right to, and the principle of, non-discrimination. Many of the barriers children face in accessing services, resources and equal opportunities are indeed not simply accidents of fate or a lack of availability of resources, but rather the result of discriminatory laws, policies and social practices that leave particular groups of children further and further behind either based on gender identity, race, ethnicity, disability, language, religion, sexual orientation, minority status, Indigenous status, migration status, HIV status, or sometimes because of a combination of these factors related to their identity or the identity of their parents or family members. And due to their age and status, children will often have fewer opportunities for challenging discrimination with no access to courts and complaints mechanisms the same way adults do.

The UN Secretary General in his Call to Action for Human Rights issued in 2020 urges the UN system to work on rectifying all forms of discrimination and inequality, including related to “age, gender or diversity, because of what people look like, where they live, or how they worship, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity”. The Call to Action is a reminder that human rights principles, norms and standards need to frame our thinking around these issues. The Call also makes clear the link between human rights and the 2030 Agenda and Member States commitment to ‘leave no one behind’ [1]which has created a momentum in favor of equality, non-discrimination and social justice.

In UNICEF, together with our partners, we work to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching and empowering, the most vulnerable and excluded children, everywhere, with programming targeted at addressing exclusion, inequalities, and discrimination, be it in laws, institutions, policy, programmes, attitudes or practices.

In that context, UNICEF is proposing to recruit a consultant to develop 12-15 case studies grounded on UNICEF country experiences to highlight UNICEF programming which specifically looks to address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination that affect children online and offline (e.g. racial discrimination compounded by discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, disability etc.), using a human rights-based approach.

The case studies will be drawing on experiences from a diverse range of contexts, and from all, and across the 7 regions in which UNICEF operates, as well as in select high income countries/NATCOM countries to illustrate possible models and approaches to UNICEF’s work in this area. Particular attention will be paid to ensure case studies that reflect a balance geographically, of country income-levels, religious and legal contexts, humanitarian contexts, migration contexts etc.

The case studies will bring the perspectives of UNICEF Country Offices, National Committees, and partners (including CSOs, Independent Human Rights Institutions, governments, international human rights mechanisms, etc.) as well as children themselves. They will focus on programming undertaken to address root causes of legal, institutional, interpersonal and structural discrimination faced by children, often deeply embedded in power structures, economic and political systems and societal and social norms, and not solely to tackle their manifestations.

Ultimately, the case studies will:

• Support peer to peer learning and knowledge sharing and bring valuable lessons learned on UNICEF and partners’ interventions to address discrimination against children and therefore contribute to UNICEF and partners’ efforts to reach children who are the most left behind;
• Raise awareness and visibility on multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination often faced by children including on the occasion of relevant international days such as the International Day for Zero Discrimination, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples as well as on the occasion of other international days to highlight particular concerns affecting children who are facing multiple forms of discrimination;
• Help target and amplify UNICEF’s advocacy with key partners, including Member States and donors at global, regional and country level;
• Contribute to inter-agency efforts to address discrimination, such as the Task team on the development of a UN Strategy, Guidance and Framework to counter violence and discrimination against LGBTIQ+ populations, the UN Network on racial discrimination and the protection of minorities, the UN Migration Network, the Inter-Agency Support Group on Indigenous Issues; and support the implementation of the SG’s Call to Action for Human Rights and the Agenda 2030 and its pledge of LNOB;
• Support the implementation of UNICEF Action Plan on Anti-Racism and Discrimination which recommends the ‘documentation of good practice examples to help guide offices on how to make UNICEF-supported programmes more actively anti-racist and to promote anti-discrimination’;
• Support the implementation of the 2022-2025 UNICEF Strategic Plan which references the Agenda 2030 pledge to ‘leave no one behind and states in particular that ‘Non-discrimination is a guiding principle of all UNICEF work. The organization actively seeks out and support children from the poorest, most marginalized and excluded groups, including living in extreme poverty; children with disabilities; Indigenous children; children belonging to racial, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups and migrant communities who experience discrimination; and children who are discriminated against for any other reason.’

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

The consultant will be expected, inter alia and with the support of UNICEF Human Rights Unit, to:

• Prepare a methodology note and develop a template for the case studies
• Conduct an initial desk review to start identifying possible countries and issues to focus the case studies on.
• Conduct consultations across sectors in UNICEF regional offices to explore the issues suggested and possible countries to focus the case studies on.
• Conduct interviews with UNICEF Country Offices, National Committees, UNICEF partners and with children themselves as well as with members of the Task team on anti-racism and discrimination and the Programme Cone Working Group on addressing racial discrimination.
• Draft case studies (including text, relevant illustrations/images, possibly videos/audios), and review with the contributors.
• Review the editing/design of the case studies.

Qualifications

(1) Education

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, communications, psychology, social work, law, sociology, anthropology, public policy or another relevant social science field.

2) Work experience

• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible professional experience in development is required.
• Human rights expertise and experience including on the use of a human rights-based approach in programming, preferably with the UN and or/international NGOs.
• Familiarity with programming to advance children’s rights. Experience engaging directly with children, with proven knowledge and understanding of safeguarding principles, and children’s perspectives.
• Experience in developing online interactive communication tools.

3) Competencies

• Excellent writing skills and analysis skills
• Excellent communications skills (including experience in conducting interviews with adults and children).
• Fluency in English is required; knowledge of another UN language is desirable

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

[1] See also ‘Leaving no one behind: a UNSDG operational guide for UN Country Teams’. Interim Draft. March 2019