Consultant – Ad-hoc capacity building on UNICEF humanitarian action, LACRO, Panama

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, learning

How can you make a difference?

Background

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 more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

UNICEF LACRO has recently developed its Humanitarian Learning and Development (L&D) Strategy, aimed at strengthening capacities of UNICEF staff in the LAC region on all humanitarian related tasks (emergency preparedness and response) and this strategy is going to be operationalized starting in the coming months.

Purpose of the Assignment

UNICEF Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) Regional Office in Panama is looking for a consultant with expertise in Humanitarian training, capacity development and development of guidelines and tools. Under the overall guidance of the Emergency Manager, the consultant will support the Emergency Unit in coordination with HQ (HELS/EMOPS team) and with LACRO’s HR section in implementing specific L&D activities, including, but not limited to the attached Planned Activities from the LAC Region Humanitarian Learning & Development Strategy 2023-2025 (see Annex).

The contract will have a long-term arrangement modality (LTAs for individuals); it will include a maximum of 50 working days, to be called upon when service is required, and at the agreed fees.

The consultant will be on stand-by to make use of his/her professional services based on upcoming needs of the Emergency Unit for different kind of capacity building activities.

Specific Tasks

Main tasks will include producing/adapting training and simulation packages; developing guidelines and tools; facilitating webinars, simulations and training events; supporting staff coaching and mentoring, including, but not limited to the attached Planned Activities from the LAC Region Humanitarian Learning & Development Strategy 2023-2025 (see Annex).

Activities will be directed to specific audiences including but not limited to County Offices’ (CO) Representatives and Deputy Representatives; LAC regional response roster (RRR) members; COS’ Emergency Specialists and Focal Points; Humanitarian Champions; LACRO Emergency Specialists; and First Response Team (FRT) members.

Tasks and deliverables will have to be agreed prior to start any activity through a Work Order. The Work Order issued by supervisor will describe in detail:

• Activities to be implemented
• Schedule (taking into account the availability of the consultant),
• Results expected
• Deliverables to be produced
• Payment schedule specifying the amount to be paid for each deliverable or group of deliverables, which will be calculated based on the consultant’s daily fee and the estimated number of working days needed for the development of each product
• Travel costs (if any)

Expected Results [measurable]

Each Work Order issued by the supervisor will describe the activity’s expected results.

The consultant is expected to achieve the following general result: Technical support provided to LACRO Emergency Unit and EMOPS/HELS team in the development and/or update of global and regional humanitarian training packages, and their roll-out in LAC.

Deliverables

For all activities, deliverables will include at least: a work plan, the resource package produced by the consultant and a report. Additional specific deliverables for each activity will be detailed in the Work Order.

All deliverables are expected to be contextualized to the LAC region and adapted to the target groups, considering the diversity of learners and groups of learners.

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

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

Education

Master’s degree in humanitarian issues, international affairs, relations, disaster management, human rights, economics, business, political science, Learning & Development or other relevant fields.

Work Experience

• At least 10 years of experience in humanitarian action in international context and in Learning & Development.
• Strong facilitation skills and track record in learning needs assessment and in the design and implementation of learning and development sessions, including learning impact assessment is required
• Good understanding of the humanitarian action and development context in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
• Familiarity with UNICEF humanitarian action and internal procedures.
• Knowledge and technical expertise in one or more of UNICEF areas of global sectoral responsibility is an asset.

Languages

Fluency in English and Spanish (written and oral) is required.

Technical knowledge

• Professional technical knowledge and expertise in emergency preparedness and humanitarian learning. • Knowledge of UNICEF programme work in the LAC Region in the areas of emergency programmes and humanitarian action, is an asset.

Other skills and attributes

• Capacity to work autonomously and with minimum supervision.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
• Ability to work well with other.
• Flexibility and adaptability to shifting conditions and work demands.
• Capacity to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with RO and CO colleagues.
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment.
• High level of Integrity and commitment to UNICEF’s mission and professional values.

Administrative details

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Emergency Manager.

Workplace

This consultancy is home-based.

Duration

The estimated duration of this consultancy is 50 work-days (maximum) over 9 months.

How to Apply

Application should be submitted online and include Resume, Cover Letter, Technical Proposal (including proposed timeline) and daily fee.

Consultancy Contracts are only issued to one individual. Should an applicant work with a team of consultants, he or she is responsible for his/her team.

Travel

No travel is foreseen foreseen for this consultancy, unless otherwise agreed if needed.

Travel [if applicable]

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.
• UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
• For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

*****

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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.