Consultancy: Consultant, Support the capacity of UNICEF Country Offices in CRC reporting on article 4 and General Comment 19 - Social Policy, PD, NYHQ/Home based - Req

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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Support the capacity of UNICEF Country Offices in CRC reporting on article 4 and General Comment 19

Section/Division/Duty Station: Social Policy Section/ PD/ NYHQ (Home based consultancy- no travel to duty station required)

Duration: 20 working days (during the following time frame: September - November 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

Public Finance for Children articulates UNICEF’s efforts to have sustainable impact on the transparency, quality, and size of public investments in children; and thus, UNICEF can tackle equity gaps in public funding, which mainly disadvantage the poorest and most disadvantaged children. By focusing on Public Finance for Children, UNICEF aims to influence government decisions on key social sector spending focusing on children, reducing inequities of public spending among different geographic areas and wealth quintiles, and ensuring value-for-money so that children benefit optimally from public spending. As a programme stream, PF4C brings together sector-based and cross-cutting initiatives to influence budgetary frameworks and public financial management processes for the benefit of children. The importance of the PF4C approach is that it recognizes the need for countries to commit sufficient financial resources for social services for families and children to achieve child rights. The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 19 (2016) on public budgeting for the realization of children’s rights (art. 4) underpins all UNICEF’s PF4C work.

CRC General Comment No. 19 on Public Budgeting for the Realization of Children’s Rights is the first UN document to provide detailed guidance to States on their legal obligation to invest in children. GC 19 calls for inclusive, transparent, and accountable resource mobilization, budget allocation and spending. It clearly states that States must not discriminate against any child through resource mobilization, budgeting, and spending processes, and calls for providing the space for children to participate in budget decisions.

To ensure sustainable positive change on Governments’ budgets, it is critical that UNICEF provides clear guidance to countries on how to report on CRC article 4 and GC 19. Currently, there are notable efforts by UNICEF in supporting countries in CRC reporting. However, more granular information and guidance is yet to be developed on the article 4 reporting, which is the key focus of this consultancy.

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

Under the overall guidance of the Public Finance and Local Governance (PFLG) unit in the Social Protection and Social Policy Programme Team and in close collaboration with the Human Rights Unit, the selected consultant will be drafting and finalizing/ and undertaking the following tasks :

1. Inception Report - detailing the approach, workplan and methodology of the assignment, proposed by the consultant/institution (Deliverable: Inception Report)

2. Background Report- a brief document on the process and content related to CRC article 4/GC19: this will include examples on the process and content of a specific sample of years on the following: state reporting, alternative reporting, list of issues/state response, and concluding observations. It will also focus on how UNICEF’s alternative reporting influenced the concluding recommendation. (Deliverable: Background Report on CRC report)

3. Guidance Note on UNICEF Alternative CRC Reporting- Develop an easy to read guidance and a learning Module on how and what to report on article4/GC 19 (UNICEF alternative reporting): (Deliverable: Draft Guidance Note on UNICEF Alternative CRC Reporting)

3.1 Guidance Development: Develop a guidance note for UNICEF staff in country offices, which will equip country offices with the knowledge and information on the following:

a. What are the key components of CRC article 4 and GC19?

b. What are the key required indicators/questions to answer/report on?

c. What are the key sources of data to use in the reporting process?

d. What does the reporting process entail and who are the key partners and stakeholders to involve/consult?

3.2 Consultation: Share guidance with UNICEF (PFLG and Human Rights Unit), CRC committee, and UNICEF regional offices for feedback, and adjust the material accordingly

4. Final CRC Guidance note is submitted. The final material will be posted in the Human Rights Engagement Toolkit - HomePage (sharepoint.com), which will include key information that was developed in terms of the CRC Guidance Note, as well as the background document. (Deliverable: Final Guidance Note on UNICEF Alternative CRC Reporting)

5. Webinar on the CRC Guidance Note. (Deliverable: Webinar on CRC Guidance Note is conducted)

Qualifications

(1) Education

• An Advanced University degree in any of the following fields: Human Rights, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Social Policy, or any other related field.

2) Work experience

• A minimum of ten years of experience in working in the field of human rights, social policy or related fields
• Excellent knowledge of Child Rights and CRC reporting
• Excellent knowledge of Public Finance.

3) Competencies

• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Excellent experience in drafting guidance notes

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 (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference
• 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.