Consultancy: UNICEF Regional Coordinator, Spotlight Caribbean Programme

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Application deadline 3 years ago: Monday 30 Nov 2020 at 04:55 UTC

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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, equality

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all girls, boys 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. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and in line with the 2030 Agenda, UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged boys, girls and adolescents 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.

Gender equality is a priority for UNICEF, as manifested in its Gender Action Plan 2018–2021 (GAP). The GAP sets out an ambitious road map to promote gender equality and empowerment of girls and women in all areas of our programme and management work. The GAP establishes UNICEF’s intention to transform into a more gender-responsive organization with enhanced ambitions for gender equality across results areas, including humanitarian action. Programme priorities included in the GAP include child marriage and early unions, gender-based violence, girls’ secondary school education, menstrual health and hygiene, adolescent health, girls’ empowerment and transforming harmful gender norms from early childhood through adolescence.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices. Five of those offices support child rights goals in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States, with offices in Belize, Jamaica and Haiti. Multi-country offices are in Guyana (covering Guyana and Suriname) and Barbados (covering 12 countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean Area). All UNICEF offices operating in English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean are aligned with the United Nations Multi country Sustainable Development Framework (UN MSDF) for the period January 2017 to December 2021. The UN MSDF includes 4 priorities, with a total of 8 outcomes. The priorities include: a) an inclusive, equitable and prosperous Caribbean; b) a healthy Caribbean; c) a safe and just Caribbean, and d) a sustainable and resilient Caribbean. While these priorities are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, an explicit definition of strategies to ensure gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is vaguely defined; UNICEF has since invested in strengthening its gender response by conducting Gender Programmatic Reviews in two of the five Caribbean country offices and conducting a light gender analysis in an internal mid-term review exercise. These, and other, planning exercises have revealed the need for stronger investment in addressing harmful gender norms, stronger coordination among gender and child rights actors and multi-sectoral approaches across Caribbean institutions to address the high levels of violence Caribbean girls and boys experience. These conclusions are supported by three main regional efforts in the Caribbean to address family violence: contributions to the CARICOM Violence Against Children Prevention Strategy; engagement in the CARICOM New School Model and participation in all six Spotlight national programmes to ensure linkages between violence against children and gender inequality – with a special focus on the intergenerational transfer of violence and the particular case of adolescent girls.

For more information about UNICEF and its work: unicef.org/lac/en/gender-equality

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Gender Advisor, based in Panama City, with a dotted reporting line to the UNICEF Jamaica Representative, the UNICEF Regional Coordinator will ensure the implementation and monitoring of UNICEF commitments within the Spotlight Caribbean regional programme, and in close collaboration with UNICEF Regional Office staff in the areas of Education, ECD, C4D, Child Protection and Communications.

Description of responsibilities:

In consultation with regional partners, UNICEF put forth areas such as child marriage, VAW-VAC intersections, girls’ empowerment and gender socialization within three pillars of the Caribbean Spotlight Regional Programme, towards strengthening regional priorities set out in the CARICOM Gender Equality Policy, CARICOM VAC Strategy and CARICOM New School Model. Collaboration with OECS and a range of other Caribbean institutions will be required, including the CXC, UWI, IGDS, CariMan, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and CIWIL. Below is a summary of the main areas under UNICEF responsibility in the Spotlight Regional Programme.

Pillar 2: Coherence around VAW-VAC policies and standards; education standards for violence against women and girls (VAWG), and gender competencies for front-line workers.

Pillar 3: (UNICEF co-lead with UNFPA): Pillar co-coordination with all partners; education system strengthening; parenting practices for early childhood and adolescents; girls’ empowerment index; gender norms change.

Pillar 5: Evidence gaps around gender and family violence; child marriage manifestations and measurements.

The UNICEF Regional Coordinator will ensure the implementation and monitoring of UNICEF commitments within the Spotlight Caribbean regional programme. Under the supervision of the Regional Gender Advisor, and in close collaboration with UNICEF Regional Office staff in the areas of Education, ECD, C4D, Child Protection and Communications, the Coordinator will:

• Develop a workplan and calendar for Phase 1 activities, by pillar in coordination with UNICEF sector leads, Regional Institutions and Partners;

• Coordinate with UNFPA the development of a Pillar 3 workplan, including a timeline for engaging with relevant partners;

• Liaise with RCO Barbados as per Spotlight governance procedures;

• Establish and maintain cooperation agreements with regional institutions/partners;

• Develop an adolescent engagement plan in collaboration with CSO and the CARICOM youth ambassadors for the duration of the programme;

• Develop terms of reference and support hiring processes for temporary staff/individual contractors across pillars;

• Develop a contact list for regional partners pertinent for UNICEF activities, updating as needed;

• Liaise with UNICEF RO and HQ on Spotlight monitoring and reporting, including participation in Spotlight discussions with Country Offices in Latin America and the Caribbean;

• Ensure Caribbean lessons are communicated to broader LAC approaches around VAW-VAC, gender competencies and child marriage and early unions;

• Ensure strict budget analysis and adjustments to meet with EU deadlines and commitments, and

• Develop periodic reports for different stakeholders.

The individual contractor will be responsible for at least 3 reports for the EU (schedule to be determined).


[1] Pillar 2 - Institution Strengthening; Pillar 3 - Prevention; Pillar 5 - Data.

Expected outputs:

• Implementation of pillars 2 and 5 activities in 2020 and 2021 as per agreed work plan with the support and buy-in of regional partners and in coordination with the Regional Spotlight team;

• Implementation of pillar 3 in coordination with UNFPA in 2020 and 2021 and as per agreed work plan with the support and buy-in of regional partners and in coordination with the Regional Spotlight team;

• Mandatory reports of 2020 and 2021 work plan activities prepared and submitted in a timely manner and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, and

• Synthesizing lessons learned, life stories and accomplishments for inclusion in regional and global UNICEF campaigns around gender equality and girls’ empowerment.

• Preparation of at least 3 reports for the EU (schedule to be determined).

Deliverables

The Individual contractor is expected to submit the following electronic deliverables in accordance with the time frame listed.

#

Deliverables

Due Date

1

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

2

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

3

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

4

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

5

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

6

Monthly progress report with updates on agreed work plan

Every month

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

Education:

  • Advanced higher degree (Master´s or equivalent) in gender and development, human rights, public health, sociology, child and adolescent development, or other field directly related to gender, family violence and child rights.

Work Experience:

  • At least 5 years of professional work experience at the national, of which at least 2 years at international, level in gender equality and girls’ empowerment, family violence, gender-based violence, girls’ education or relevant social and behaviour change communication other relevant programmes in the Caribbean.
  • At least 2-3 years of experience in project management, multi-sectoral partnerships and coordination in the Caribbean.

Languages:

  • Excellent oral and written skills in English required. French and Dutch language skills considered desirable. Spanish language skills considered an asset.

Technical Knowledge:

• Experience in providing technical assistance in the design and/or implementation of programmes in gender and at least one of the following areas: a) girls’ empowerment; b) masculinities; c) violence prevention; d) policy dialogue; e) child marriage; f) gender and education protocols; g) early childhood education and/or parenting protocols; h) communication for development; i) advocacy; j) evidence generation; k) violence against children, and l) violence against women;

• Experience working with girls and boys under the age of 18, in particular in the development and implementation of adolescent participation programmes is highly desirable;

• Knowledge of, and familiarity with, Caribbean women’s movement and gender equality architecture and activitism desired.

• Demonstrated partnership skills, political astuteness and experience working with governmental and non-governmental actors;

Other skills and attributes:

• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels;

• Promote gender equality, diversity and adolescent empowerment within internal and external teams and processes;

Nationals from CARICOM countries are preferred.

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.

UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Supervision:

The individual contractor will report directly to Regional Gender Advisor, based in Panama City, with a dotted reporting line to the UNICEF Jamaica Representative.

Given the architecture of UNICEF presence in the Region, the individual contractor will be technically supervised by the Regional Gender Advisor, supported by the Child Protection Specialist, in the UNICEF Regional Office, and hosted in the UNICEF Jamaica Country Office. Regular communications will be established within a set out workplan; when possible, on-site coordination meetings will be held either in Kingston or Panama City at least once every 6 months.

The individual contractor will work within a team of regional and country office colleagues working to implement Spotlight programmes in the Caribbean, within UNICEF (in the areas of ECD, Education, C4D, Communications and Public Partnerships) and with other UN Agencies. As co-leads of Pillar 3, the individual contractor will work in close collaboration with UNFPA; with UNDP and UN Women on UNICEF activities within Pillars 2 and 5. In light with Spotlight governance, the individual contractor will liaise with the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Barbados.

Workplace:

The individual contractor will be based in Kingston, Jamaica with a matrix management arrangement. The individual contractor will have access to a working space and equipment in the UNICEF Jamaica Country Office.

Duration:

Estimated start date of this individual contract is 2nd December 2020, initially 6 months with extension to 11.5 months depending on funds availability (15th November 2021)

How to apply?

Application should be submitted online and should include CV, cover letter and financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Travel will be covered by UNICEF and calculated per the United Nations standards.

Travel (if applicable):

Any travel to regional meetings/workshops and related costs will be funded by UNICEF and can include travel outside of the Caribbean to liaise with the Regional Office in Panama City, Panama. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF will monitor travel restrictions and safety protocols before any travel is determined during the contractual period.

Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.

• Travel: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/AI/2013/3 Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)

• Accommodation (Daily Subsistence Allowance, DSA): http://icsc.un.org/ (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map)

Remarks:

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

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.

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.

Added 3 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org