Consultancy, Design a Guideline to Address Pregnancy in Adolescents Girls, Prevention Needs and its Relation to Gender-Based Violence and Child Protection Mechanisms in the LAC Region, Panam

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Develop guidelines for adolescent pregnancy prevention across LAC region

You have:

• Advanced University degree in social sciences (sociology, medicine, psychology, anthropology).
• A master’s in public health, sexual reproductive health or human rights is desired.
• At least 6 years of experience working on Adolescent health, Sexual Reproductive Health and/or adolescent pregnancy programmes and policies implementation and evaluation.
• Previous experience working in LACRO and knowledge of the regional context in relation to Adolescent pregnancy interventions and policy frameworks.
• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.
• Ability to plan effectively and multitask under tight deadlines.
• Excellent listening skills and ability to work 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 fulfil 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.

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For information of the work of our organization in the LAC Region, please visit our website: UNICEF LAC Region

For every child, health Adolescent pregnancy profoundly affects girls’ life trajectories. It hampers their psychosocial development, contributes to poor health outcomes for the girls and their offspring, negatively affects their educational and employment opportunities, and contributes to the perpetuation of intergenerational cycles of poor health and poverty.

Despite recent socioeconomic growth in the region (LAC), adolescent fertility rates in Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be the second highest in the world, estimated at 60.7 (20015-2020) births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years, second only to Sub-Saharan Africa, as per the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2020 Document ST/ESA/SER.A/44. —with major inequities between and within countries. Girls from families in the lower wealth quintile, with lower levels of education, and from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities are disproportionately affected by adolescent pregnancy. The rising trend in pregnancies in girls younger than 15 years is also highly concerning.

Global and regional data on pregnancies in girls younger than 15 years is limited. Around 2% of women of reproductive age in LAC reported having their first delivery before the age of 15, and LAC is noted as the only region in the world with an upward trend in births among girls younger than 15 years.

Pregnancy in adolescents under 15 years of age constitutes a particular health risk and a violation of girls’ rights according to the legislation in most countries of the region, having greater biological, psychological and social risks and consequences compared to older pregnant adolescents. Early pregnancies are often unwanted, and very early pregnancies are linked to situations of sexual violence, early marriages or forced unions. Early motherhood has often reproduced the intergenerational cycle of poverty, low socioeconomic status and gender inequality.

Addressing adolescent pregnancy in LAC is aligned with UNICEF's global priorities and LACRO's regional Office Management Plan (2022 - 2025) which specifically refers to developing regional guidelines enable country office to implement cross sectorial approaches for the prevention, care and management of pregnancies in girls and adolescent in the region.

This consultancy aims to develop a regional guideline with useful tools to enable CO to better design and implement programmes to address adolescent pregnancy prevention and with the involvement of all relevant sectors, and in coordination with other UN agencies and other partners.

Purpose of the Assignment Under the overall guidance of the Adolescent health specialist and in coordination with the education, gender and child protection specialists, the consultant will prepare a concise and user-friendly guideline document with tools for country offices, on how to design and implement prevention programmes to address adolescent pregnancy with the involvement of all relevant sectors, and in coordination with other UN agencies and other partners. The guideline is also expected to provide recommendations for good practices, tools and services. The document will pay special attention to girls under 15 years of age. This guidance is envisaged to be utilized by COs in their Country Programme Planning and annual work planning.

How can you make a difference? Specific Tasks - Prepare stakeholders mapping and identify sources of information to compile of a desk review document on prevention of adolescent pregnancy. - Liase with stakeholders and coordinate conference calls to gather information on good and promising practices, initiatives and programmes on adolescent pregnancy prevention across de LAC region. - In close coordination with the supervisor and with the support of the child protection, education and gender specialists, communicate with UNICEF LAC Country Offices [CO] and collect information country level programmes implementation and good practices around adolescent pregnancy prevention. - Participate in the Adolescent pregnancy prevention week commemoration events that are related to lessons learned and practices from the region. - Coordinate regular update meetings with the supervisor and include the participation of the child protection, education and gender specialists when necessary. - Lead the preparation of a regional webinar for UNICEF COs to present the final guideline, tools and recommendations. - A final version including comments and feedback from the regional office technical specialists' team.

Expected Results - Desk review of key documents and key informant interviews focused on prevention of adolescent pregnancy produced by UNICEF, other UN agencies and stakeholders. - Mapping of adolescent pregnancy prevention initiatives and good/promising practices across countries in the LAC region. - A user-friendly guideline to enable UNICEF country offices to design and implement programmes to promote and support adolescent pregnancy prevention disaggregated by age groups, recognizing the diversity of region, and considering a multi sectorial and integrated approach. - Under the sector-wide approach and taking into consideration group ages (10-14 yrs. and 15-19 yrs.), provide recommendations on tools on adolescent pregnant and girls by each sector (Health, Child Protection, Education) and with a crosscutting gender perspective.

Deliverables 1- Inception report including Conceptual framework, methodology and updated workplan. Expected delivery date: 30 August 2022.

2- Desk review document considering internal and external sources (UNICEF, other UN agencies and stakeholders Expected delivery date: 30 September 2022.

3- Mapping of adolescent pregnancy prevention tools, programmes, initiatives, and good/promising practices across countries in the LAC region. Expected delivery date: 30 October 2022.

4- Draft report of the regional guideline document. Expected delivery date: 1 December 2022.

5- Power Point presentation (English and Spanish) and organize a webinar to share the guideline tools and recommendations of services that should be offered to pregnant adolescent and girls by each sector (Health, Child Protection, Education) and with a crosscutting gender perspective. Expected delivery date: 1 February 2023.

6- Recommendations document on tools and services to be offered to the target population based on the sector wide approach Monthly report of activities. Expected delivery date: 28 February 2023.

7- Regional user-friendly guideline with tools to enable CO to better design and implement prevention programmes to address adolescent pregnancy prevention and with the involvement of all relevant sectors, and in coordination with other UN agencies and other partners. Expected delivery date: 28 February 2023.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… Education: - Advanced University degree in is social sciences including sociology, medicine, psychology, anthropology. - A master’s in public health, sexual reproductive health or human rights is desired.

Experience: - At least 6 years of experience working on Adolescent health, Sexual Reproductive Health and/or adolescent pregnancy programmes and policies implementation and evaluation. - Previous experience working in LACRO and knowledge of the regional context in relation to Adolescent pregnancy interventions and policy frameworks.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Spanish is required.

Other skills and attributes: - Excellent listening skills. - Demonstrated ability to plan. - Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines and multitask. - Ability to define objectives, plan activities and work independently. - Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment. - Sets high levels of quality and productivity for self. - Excellent communication skills in English and Spanish.

Supervision: The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNICEF LAC Health Specialist [Adolescents], and in close coordination with the Education, Child Protection and Gender Specialists.

Workplace: This is a home-based remote consultancy. The consultant will need to provide his/her own premises, equipment, materials, tools and resources for this consultancy. The consultant will be required to have access to Teams/Skype/Zoom to facilitate the communication required during this assignment.

Duration: This consultancy has an estimated duration of 7 months, and the expected start date is 15 August 2022.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) and the following core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies.

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.

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.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

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 4 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org