Consultant – Business Engagement Strategy on Child Rights in Digital Environment, East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO), Bangkok, Thailand

Consultant Communications & PR Programme & Policy IT & Telecom

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 fulfilling 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, a better future

UNICEF works to ensure the rights of all children in the East Asia and Pacific Region. This means the rights of every child living in this country, irrespective of their nationality, gender, religion or ethnicity, to:

• survival – to basic healthcare, peace and security;
• development – to a good education, a loving home and adequate nutrition;
• protection – from abuse, neglect, trafficking, child labour and other forms of exploitation; and
• participation – to express opinions, be listened to and take part in making any decisions that affect them

How can you make a difference?

The Regional Support Center, PFP Section, UNICEF East Asia Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) is seeking a consultant in support of the business engagement strategy on child rights in the digital environment. This consultancy will play a leading role in engaging a wide range of stakeholders – from industry to policymakers and academics – to champion the integration of child well-being in the design of digital experiences for children in the East Asia and Pacific Region. It will capitalize on the momentum created by the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action in relation to industry engagement and the ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection 2022 and apply the findings of the RITEC well-being framework to the East Asia and Pacific region.

In particular, this role aims to

• seek business and business stakeholders to actively engage in regional and national engagement initiatives on children’s digital rights and wellbeing, such as the ASEAN-ICT Forum, national spin-off events and industry working groups;

• support UNICEF country offices in the region in developing strategic approaches for business engagement on child online protection and well-being, contextualising the RITEC framework and other international and regional guidance

Work Assignments:

Support to the Industry Working Group

The ASEAN-ICT Forum 2022 provided a platform for positive engagement and exchange between and amongst businesses and business institutions (national, regional and global), relevant Government Ministries and justice actors, as well as ASEAN sectoral bodies, UN and INGOs/NGOs, to share information, perspectives and challenges in order to accelerate action on the implementation of Pillar 7 RPA. It initiated collaboration between ASEAN member states, business and non-government actors on child online protection. The consultant will support the establishment of an industry working group following the ASEAN ICT Forum based on an analysis of what will be most effective in the ASEAN context. The industry working group will contextualise global guidance on digital child rights and well-being, through regular industry-internal discussions, development of guidance documents and other supportive materials. The consultant will support the conceptualisation of the industry working group, prepare the industry working group meetings and develop context-specific guidance documents for industry in ASEAN.

Support UNICEF in developing strategic approaches to child online protection and well-being at the country level

UNICEF country offices (COs) in the region play a key role in implementing a multi-sectoral, whole-of-system approach to child (online) protection. Working with traditional partners such as the social welfare, justice, health and education sectors, business engagement is a new area for many child protection teams in the UNICEF COs, especially in the context of businesses operating in the digital environment. Considering the important role of UNICEF in supporting a multi-sectoral approach in-country, it is key for UNICEF to strategically engage private sector companies to harvest their full potential in creating a digital environment that respects their rights and supports their well-being. Against this background, the consultant will develop a model strategy for meaningful engagement of business actors in the context of child online protection and well-being, leveraging RITEC and other international and regional frameworks, guidance, and best practice. The consultant will further support two UNICEF COs with developing a country-specific strategy, based on the model strategy.

Scope out opportunities to engage businesses in the region in the testing of the RITEC well-being framework in both product and policy development

The RITEC well-being framework is a first step towards helping tech developers and policymakers develop a common understanding of how digital experiences can positively influence aspects of child well-being. This can then be used to inform the design of digital products and services used by children, as well as the laws, policies and systems that govern them. The consultant will conduct a feasibility scoping for the implementation of such a framework in the region and participate in the global conceptualisation of the implementation phase through the UNICEF channels.

Tasks to be performed:

a) Draft inception report, including action plan and recommendations for the format of the industry working group

b) Support the Industry working group established following the ASEAN-ICT Forum in their quarterly meetings and assist them in the regional contextualisation of international guidance on industry engagement, including on RITEC, to ASEAN (this does not include secretarial functions or convening of such meetings).

c) Develop UNICEF internal model strategy for meaningful engagement of private sector actors in the context of child online protection and well-being, leveraging the RITEC well-being framework and other relevant global and regional guidance documents

d) Support two UNICEF country offices in the region with the development of country specific strategies for industry engagement on child online protection and well-being. Document country level strategies and results achieved.

e) Conduct RITEC feasibility scoping and participate in global conceptualisation of the implementation phase

f) Submit monthly progress reports to UNICEF

Work Schedule:

Deliverables – EVALUATION FRAMEWORK

Estimated working days

/ timeline

1. Draft inception report, including action plan, detailing:
   • Develop and present an inception report, including action plan (key actions, targets, accountabilities and the timeline)
   • Outline strategic approach to business engagement on RITEC (including mapping of business and stakeholders with existing interventions on child online protection and child well-being, according to sector and company size)
   • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies
   • PSEA and child safeguarding considerations

5 working days

(January 2023)

2. Support industry working group established following the ASEAN-ICT Forum 2022:
   • Assist in the setting up of a post-forum industry working group with a specific focus on ensuring diverse business representation
   • Assist in the conceptualisation of the industry working group meetings, including agenda items and guest speakers (this does not include secretarial functions or convening of such meetings)
   • Develop context-specific guidance documents for industry in ASEAN (as appropriate)
   • Develop knowledge management products on lessons learnt from the industry working group (formats may include blogs, videos, podcasts, and others as appropriate).

25 working days

(January – October 2023)

3. Develop UNICEF internal model strategy for meaningful and strategic business engagement in the context of child online protection and well- being, leveraging the RITEC well-being framework and other relevant global and regional guidance documents
   • Develop outline of draft UNICEF internal model strategy for meaningful and strategic business engagement in the context of child online protection and well-being (hereafter UNICEF strategy), aimed primarily at child protection and child rights and business staff, building on existing frameworks, guidelines and best practices including RITEC (format: easily-accessible language, step-by-step guidance, practical examples)
   • Present outline to UNICEF EAPRO and other relevant stakeholders for review and input
   • Based on the input received on the outline, develop draft UNICEF strategy and share with UNICEF EAPRO and other relevant stakeholders for review and input
   • Based on input received on the first draft, conduct a field-testing with two UNICEF country offices from the region on the UNICEF strategy
   • Based on the results of the field testing, submit final UNICEF internal model strategy (fully formatted, edited and finalised to a professional printable standard)
   • Document country level strategies and results achieved

25 working days

(February - May 2023)

4. Support two UNICEF country offices in the region with the development of country specific strategies for industry engagement on child online protection and well-being
   • Based on the UNICEF internal model strategy for meaningful and strategic business engagement in the context of child online protection developed under Deliverable 3, hold introductory workshop with two selected UNICEF COs on the development of a country-specific strategy
   • Based on the input received during the introductory workshop, develop country-specific UNICEF strategy for industry engagement on child online protection and well-being
   • Hold consultative workshops (one per country) with UNICEF and other relevant partners on the draft strategy
   • Based on the input received during consultative workshop, submit two final context-specific strategies (fully formatted, edited and finalised to a professional printable standard)
   • Document progress achieved, lessons learned and next steps at the country level

30 working days

(15 days per country strategy, including field trip)

(May – August 2023)

5. Conduct RITEC feasibility scoping and participate in global conceptualisation of the implementation phase
   • Conduct an internal feasibility scoping of implementing the RITEC well- being framework for product and service design processes within the East Asia and Pacific Region
   • Incoporate input into the RITEC feasibilty scoping from regional and global teams and present the document to relevant partners
   • Identify opportunities to scale up uptake of RITEC approach within company policies and product/service design processes and windows of opportunity for raising awareness and understanding of RITEC approach among government stakeholders and civil society actors in the region
   • Develop knowledge management products on RITEC feasibility scoping from the industry working group (formats may include blogs, videos, podcasts, and others as appropriate).

15 working days

(August – October 2023)

6. Support to RITEC global project
   • Support global efforts to create and disseminate a RITEC Guide for Business by leveraging industry networks within EAP
   • Participate in global conceptualisation of the implementation phase through appropriate UNICEF channels
   • Provide updates and progress reports to the global RITEC team as appropriate and provide technical review of relevant documents as appropriate

10 working days

(January – October 2023)

TOTAL # working days

110 working days

End Product(s):

a. Industry working group established following the ASEAN-ICT Forum 2022 technically supported and at least two meetings held with clear action points documented

b. UNICEF internal model strategy for meaningful business engagement in the context of child online protection and well-being developed

c. Two country specific strategies for industry engagement on child online protection and well- being developed and lessons learned documented

d. Internal feasibility scoping of implanting the RITEC well-being framework for product and service design processes within the East Asia and Pacific Region

e. Technical support to RITEC global project provided

Duration of Contract: 110 working days within January 2023 – October 2023

Official Travel: Official travel required for field-testing of model strategy to two UNICEF COs in the region.

Work Location: This is a remote consultancy. Depending on the time zone the consultant is based in, it is expected that the consultant will be available for meetings during core working hours (GMT+7). Time zones differences will be accommodated as much as possible.

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

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Business, Business Administration, Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Science, or another relevant technical field is required. A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s), in combination with 2 additional qualifying experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience and knowledge:

• Minimum 8 years of work experience with one of the following is required: business and human rights, children’s rights in the digital environment, child online protection, or related area.

• Experience working on children’s rights in the digital environment or child online protection is required;

• Experience working in the ICT sector, particularly within the video games industry, is highly desirable;

• Experience on strategic engagement of private sector in child online protection and well-being interventions is highly desirable;

• Experience working in an international environment on topics related to ICT companies and human rights or children’s rights and well-being in the digital environment is highly desirable;

• Knowledge of current developments in private sector regulation in the context of protecting children’s rights online desirable;

• Knowledge of the private sector players in the context of digital technologies and their impact on children’s rights online in the region desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. In addition, applicants must have a proven record of excellent writing and analytical skills in English;

• Knowledge of any of the national languages spoken in the East Asia and Pacific region considered an added advantage.

Interested candidates are requested to submit CV, full contact information of minimum 3 references, availability, and proposed daily professional fee in USD by 3 January 2023****.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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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.

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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children.

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Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org