Consultancy to develop a Probation Service, Guidance and Training for St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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?

Location: Home-based with travel to St. Vincent & The Grenadines

Duration: 63 days over 5 months

Start Date: 01/11/202 (Estimated)

End Date: 31/03/2023 (Estimated)

Supervisor: UNICEF ECA Child Protection Specialist

Full Terms of Reference available https://unicef.dc7.pageuppeople.com/v5.3/provider/document/transferDocument.ashx?sData=UFUtVjMteeJ9j9LzQrT10I%2Bd7Sp4%2BXEvPeriMf73w81XYH6331r964ECdAdIuTnP47IYBZJu%2Bk4udgEklKEn26WpzDGNmw5NQ6jElzA4MZRY6GrUXl0%3D

Background

The Office for the United Nations Children’s Fund in the Eastern Caribbean Area (UNICEF/ECA) covers a multi-country programme with an office based in Barbados with an outpost in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. UNICEF helps governments fulfil their commitments to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) so that every child can grow and develop to reach his or her full potential.

Over the past few years, the Government of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines has given a commitment to make children and young people’s well-being a priority; and has taken concrete steps to improve their responses to child protection, both for children in need of care and protection and those who have come in conflict with the law. St. Vincent and the Grenadines has passed several laws, developed policies, programmes and plans of action to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, violence and exploitation of children and improve access to justice for children. Significant steps for the strengthening of the Child Protection system have been the development of a National Child Protection Policy Framework and National Strategy for Juvenile Justice. While these efforts are positive and demonstrate a genuine and ongoing commitment to improving the safety of children, there still remains a significant gap in the systemic responses to children in conflict with the law.

The OECS Commission and USAID had a formal programming agreement aimed to strengthen the existing Juvenile Justice Systems of six (6) independent Member States including St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The OECS/USAID designed the Juvenile Justice Reform Project (JJRP) to help accelerate the national juvenile justice reform movement to improve the life circumstances of juveniles in conflict with the law, enhance public safety and advance a rehabilitative approach while ensuring that young offenders are held accountable for their action. However, a recent OECS/ UNICEF Assessment of the Child Justice in St. Vincent and the Grenadines revealed that while most of the OECS and other Caribbean countries have formally established a Probation Department that handles both adult and juvenile court matters, St. Vincent and the Grenadines does not have a Probation Unit, even though it has a Probation of Offenders Act. In lieu of a fully functioning Probation Department, the Ministry of National Mobilisation, et al. has created a Diversion Unit which operates within the ambit of the Child Development Division. The officers assigned to this Unit perform some functions typical of a Probation Unit, including Social Inquiry Reports for adult offenders and other work which does not involve dealing with juvenile offenders.

In 2019, a National Child Justice Policy passed which established a formal framework for dealing with children in conflict with the law throughout the criminal justice process, ensuring that the detention or institutionalization of children would be a measure of last resort in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The implementation of the Act now requires a more coordinated approach which includes proper monitoring, supervision and support of children in conflict with the law. The next step is the statutory establishment of a Probation Unit as a national service, with the requisite legal powers to assist the judiciary and the public prosecutors in the implementation of the judicial supervision of offenders; and to provide a more effective and efficient delivery to children in conflict with the law.

In this regard, UNICEF will support the Child Development Division within the Ministry of National Mobilisation to engage the services of a suitably qualified Consultant, who will provide technical services to i) design a culturally appropriate Probation Service; ii) develop the comprehensive guidance for the structuring and operationalization of a Probation Unit; iii) develop an operational manual and training plan for the Probation Unit, and iv) conduct staff training based on the operational manual. The programme design needs to take into account key international standards, best practices as well as the legal, institutional and cultural factors of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

PURPOSE/SCOPE OF ACTIVITY/ASSIGNMENT:

Goal and Objective:

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, the Consultant will 1) design a culturally appropriate Probation Service; ii) develop the comprehensive guidance for the structuring and operationalization of a Probation Unit; iii) develop an operational manual and training plan for the Probation Unit, and iv) conduct staff training based on the operational manual.

Activities and Tasks:

1. In close collaboration with the Child Development Division and UNICEF, the Consultant will undertake the following activities:
   1. Prepare a detailed inception report articulating the understanding of TOR, proposed methodology and work plan for undertaking the assignment.
   2. Review all current legislation, strategies, policies, frameworks and programmes that are executed at the institutional level; and other relevant documents including international Conventions and instruments.
   3. Undertake national consultations/meetings in St. Vincent and the Grenadines with critical stakeholders to ascertain stakeholder perceptions detailing the issues to be addressed through policy and strategic actions. This process should also involve interviews with selected Magistrates, Family Courts and observation visits to selected departments that provide probation services. Conduct a brief feasibility assessment to help determine the most suitable Ministry for assuming responsibility for the delivery of Probation Services (Ministry of National Mobilization vs. Ministry of Legal Affairs).
   4. Develop the design Probation Services to guide the Criminal Justice System on the organizational structure, approaches, programmes, roles and responsibilities and resources needed for the Probation Unit. This should be visible by the development of an implementation plan outlining activities, time and budgetary allocations, indicators and agencies responsible.
   5. Develop a Probation Operational and Procedural Manual in line with international standards. The manual should entail forms needed to undertake required investigation, case management and submission to the courts. It should also help establish reporting and feedback mechanisms and allow for monitoring and evaluation of services.
   6. Conduct a training needs assessment, develop a training manual and organize and facilitate training for stakeholder in a national (3) day training workshop and conduct a ‘training of trainers’ for the Diversion Unit, etc.
   7. Prepare and present the draft workshop report on the validation exercise to UNICEF Child Protection Specialist and the Ministry of National Mobilisation, etc. for review and approval within seven (7) days of the completion of the local workshop.
   8. Finalize and submit the design of the Probation Services, Manual and detailed report on the associated training.

Work Relationships

The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the Ministry of National Mobilization’s Child Development Division. In addition, the Consultant will need to interact with other relevant actors such as the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Magistrates, Family courts and existing probation services.

Outputs/Deliverables (Reference full Term of Reference)

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables which receive satisfactory quality review. In general, individual contracts shall not allow for fee advances. However, a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value may be authorized by the Approving Authority in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including bearing the costs visas and travel insurance. Accommodation, meals and incidentals costs must not exceed the UN daily subsistence allowance rates. The costs for approved travels will be reimbursed by the UNICEF ECA upon submission of receipts and based on applicable UN DSA rates. All approved travels to be conducted in accordance with UNICEF travel rules and regulations. If the candidate is not based in St. Vincent, It is anticipated that two trips will be required:- i) one trip of three weeks duration to conduct the key interviews and consultations; ii) one trip of one week duration to facilitate the validation and finalization discussions.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Master’s Degree in Social Work, Law, Criminal Justice, Public Administration or any other Social Sciences from a recognized institution.
• A Minimum of five (5) years’ experience with focus on Social Welfare Services, Probation work or other related fields.
• Excellent understanding and experience in child protection and justice for children, including juvenile justice and probation services.
• Excellent understanding of and experience in the application of International Conventions and instruments, protocols and guidelines with regards to juvenile justice and protection of children and knowledge of Juvenile Justice and Child Protection issues in the OECS Region.
• Excellent process planning, organizing and facilitation skills including in relation to development of strategy, manuals and capacity building.
• Practical experience in convening workshops and undertaking training programmes.
• Extensive experience in developing strategies, manuals, analysis and report writing.
• Strong communication and team work competencies.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills and excellent command of the English language.

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.

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:

The Consultant is expected to work remotely from his/her home base and provide his/her own laptop, printer and telephone service. When in country for the consultation process of 3 weeks and delivery of face-to face training for 1 week, the government will provide appropriate work space as available and will be expected to accompany the Consultant to consultation sites.

A UNICEF email account will be provided for the duration of the assignment and official exchanges are expected to be conducted using this email address.

There will be monthly progress meetings with UNICEF and where necessary the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will provide all background documentation via email with a copy to UNICEF and will provide a detailed list of focal points and their contacts. UNICEF’s Programme Coordinator in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will provide back up support as necessary.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:

Before commencing work, a consultant or individual contractor shall submit a statement of good health and take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement, including confirmation that he or she has been informed of the inoculations required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized. Consultants and individual contractors shall assume all costs that may occur in relation to the statement of good health. Consultants and individual contractors are required to certify that they are covered by medical/health insurance.

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.

RECOURSE:

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. Performance indicators against which the satisfactory conclusion of this contract will be assessed include: timeliness/quality of submission and responsiveness to UNICEF and counterpart feedback.

TITLE RIGHTS:

All materials created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract and any intellectual property rights thereof, including but not limited to patents, copyright and trademarks, shall be jointly owned by UNICEF and the Contractor. At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights. Any third party usage shall require written permission from both parties.

TRAININGS:

Consultants and Individual contractors, even those working from home, must complete the following online courses prior to signature of contract. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract:

• Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF
• Prevention of Sexual Harassment & Abuse of Authority
• Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)

Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete the following course before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF.

• BSAFE Security Training

Any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract.

• General Information Security Awareness Course
• Fraud Awareness

HOW TO APPLY:

Prospective consultants should apply through UNICEF jobs website using the following link Insert link (HR) no later than Tuesday 25th October 2022. The application package should include the following:

1. A cover letter;
2. Detailed curriculum vitae
3. A proposal stipulating all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

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 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.

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.

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.

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