Consultancy - Disability & Inclusion, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), Remote (131 working days), 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, education...

ECW is the first global fund dedicated to education in emergencies and protracted crises. It was launched by international humanitarian and development aid actors, along with public and private donors, to address the urgent education needs of 75 million children and adolescents in conflict and crisis settings. ECW’s investment modalities are designed to usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground, ensuring relief and development organizations join forces to achieve education outcomes. Education Cannot Wait is hosted by UNICEF. The Fund is administered under UNICEF’s financial, human resources, and administrative rules and regulations, while operations are run by the Fund’s own independent governance structure.

How can you make a difference?

ECW aims to fund programmes that help realize the right to inclusive quality education among the most marginalized children such as children with disabilities. Education inequalities that children with disabilities experience are even more severe in countries affected by emergencies and protracted crises, which are most likely low- and middle-income countries. As it is estimated that 80% of children with disabilities live in these contexts, designing and implementing programmes on EiE and Protracted Crises (EiEPC) that meet the requirements of these children is necessary to fulfill ECW’s mission.

To ensure that ECW can deliver inclusive quality education for all children in emergencies and protracted crises, particularly children with disabilities, the Fund is seeking a programme specialist on inclusion to follow up ongoing work on disability inclusion and inclusive education.

ECW has been stepping up its efforts to reach children with disabilities with inclusive quality education during 2021. To realize this vision, ECW developed its policy and accountability framework on disability inclusion, which informed ECW engagement in the Global Disability Summit, as well as its programming approach in new MYRPs and FERs. The operationalization of this policy document thus requires technical backstopping to country teams along with support to ECW Secretariat, which is responsible for its implementation.

Under the guidance of the ECW Chief of Education, the consultant will be responsible for providing such technical backstopping support as outlined below. S/he will work closely with the ECW Field Investment Workstream and Country Focal Points providing technical support throughout the programme cycle and carry out quality assurance.

S/he will also support the ECW Secretariat and Sections in developing their workplans to implement ECW Policy on Disability Inclusion while also taking the lead on the engagement with technical networks on inclusive education and disability inclusion.

Scope of Work

The consultant will be expected to:

1. Guide the operationalization Policy and accountability framework on disability inclusion in coordination with ECW Sections making sure commitments are reflected in the ECW annual work plan.
2. Represent ECW in multi-stakeholder platforms and inter-agency networks on inclusion related matters such as the GLAD Network and Disability Reference Group.
3. Oversee the implementation of ongoing AFs on inclusive education and data on children with disabilities;
4. Liaise with the Global Education Cluster on how to embed disability inclusion in its AF; inform and guide the development of the new AF Plan and proposals on inclusion.
5. Lead the finalization of the new AF on disability inclusion and inclusive EiE that aims to pilot in selected MYRPs (2023) new strategies and actions, in line with the ECW Policy and Accountability Framework on Disability Inclusion;
6. Reviews FER and MYRP proposals and provides technical backstopping, as needed, to country clusters and coordination mechanism during programme development of FERs and MYRPs.

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

• Advanced degree in education, statistics, economics, social sciences, or related fields.
• At least 5 years of experience on inclusion and inequalities, in both development and humanitarian settings.
• Experience in the engagement of civil society, particularly organizations led by young people and organizations of persons with disabilities is required.
• Experience in working with multi-stakeholder platforms and inter-agency networks, as well as in facilitating consultations with large and small groups is required.
• Experience in providing technical advice to National Governments, development and humanitarian actors on inclusion is required.
• Knowledge of and experience in education and inclusive EiE is required.
• Knowledge of international frameworks on disability inclusion, including in humanitarian settings, is required.
• Experience in programme/project development and results-based management is required.
• Experience in policy analysis and development is a strong asset.
• Experience with Education Cannot Wait operational model is desirable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Duty Station

Remote Based (NY time)

Duration:

131 working days

Travel

This consultancy will be remote/home-based and does not require any travel.

Insurance:

UNICEF will not be responsible for costs arising from accidents and/or illness incurred during the consultant’s service. Therefore, the selected candidate must provide proof of enrollment in a health/accident plan prior to starting his/her work.

How to apply:

Please complete your profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system. Please provide (attach) a Personal History Form (P-11) highlighting previous engagements which meet the qualification criteria described above. Personal History Form (P11) can be downloaded from:https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html

Please indicate your ability, availability and financial proposal (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above.

Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 to become a part of the organization.

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.