Consultant - expert on strengthening alternative care social service system at national and local levels, Odessa, 4 months (Remote/Work from home)

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, hope

UNICEF Ukraine

Background:

The new Program for Odesa and Mykolaiv regions will support safe and nurturing families for all Ukrainian children. This includes ensuring that every child at risk of or experiencing loss of care undergoes a thorough assessment and planning process that helps them access material support and other services that meet their needs. This Program will support the local Government to advance the following three objectives: (1) strengthen families and keep them together by investing in social services; (2) support family-based alternative care (e.g. foster care, guardianship, and adoption) for children without adequate parental care; and (3) ensuring the development of and access to a minimum package of social services and resilience services.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of assignment:

The consultant will work closely with UNICEF’s implementing partners, provide technical support to the Child Protection Section, and work under the direct management of the Odesa Field Office Program Specialist to deliver the following products:

The Consultant’s scope of the work will include:

Development of detailed Action Plans within Hromadas: One of the key goals of the Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblast program is to ensure the availability of a “Minimal Package of Services and Benefits” within Hromadas and strengthen of the alternative care system. The consultant will work closely with pilot Hromadas, Oblast-level administration (through an established Taskforce), and UNICEF team to develop and gradually update Hromada-level Action Plans, which will aim to create/improve human and institutional capabilities locally.

Support in creation and strengthening the Oblast-level Care Taskforce: The purpose of the Oblast Task Force is to bring together all major stakeholders, including people with lived experiences (at least one caregiver and one care leaver). The Taskforce is expected to meet monthly while it develops its agenda, and then on a quarterly basis. The role of a consultant is to work with the Secretary and members of the Taskforce and continuously sensitize them on the best practices and models (as it evolves) and help them with collecting and analyzing data, which would then be translated into Better Care enabling policies. The consultant should also support the Taskforce in developing draft decisions; standard procedures; concepts; and briefs for taking administrative decisions.

Coordination of implementing partners at regional level: The consultant will keep regular communication with partners in the field and update UNICEF team and direct supervisor on the overall progress of programme implementation, achievements, and constraints.

Monitoring and reporting: Consultant will provide regular updates on programme progress in Odesa and Mykolaiv Oblasts and will be in charge for collecting data and regular reporting, including inputs in donor reports; briefing notes of different types.

Gradual integration of new Hromadas: The number of participating Hromadas can and should increase overtime in the process of project implementation. Onboarding of new Hromadas should be made with due consideration of the following factors, such as point in annual project cycle which ensures proper planning of integration; readiness and motivation of Hromada; and ability of the project to accommodate such an integration. The Consultant should advise UNICEF about a strategy to gradually integrate more/new Hromadas.

The consultant will work closely with and under the supervision of the UNICEF Team.

Work assignment overview:

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

1. Inception Report.

Approved Inception Report including a Methodology and Workplan, an approved Outline, as well as lists of Key Graphs, Tables, Indicators and Sources of Information.

By 5, May, 2024

3

2. Development of detailed Action Plans within Hromadas

A total of 8 Action Plans to be developed based on pre-approved format

By 28 July, 2023

12

3. Support in creation and strengthening the Oblast-level Care Taskforce

А working group at the regional level has been established and is functioning

By 15, June, 2024

10

4. Coordination of implementing partners at hromadas level, monitoring and reporting

A Report (a) suggested plan (themes, format and timing) of experience-sharing thematic meetings across Hromadas; and (b) highlighting implementation of at least two meetings (minutes and insights).

By 23, Aug 2024

10

5. Gradual integration of new Hromadas

A Strategy Note on the scale-up of programme in Odesa and Mykolaiv regions, highlighting suggested criteria for integrating additional Hromadas and possible interventions (same or different from Action Plans in the first wave of the pilot).

By 20, Aug 2024

4

6. Final Report

By 24, Aug 2024

1

Total # of working days

40

Travel plan (24 days):

It is prognosed that the Consultant will joint to some of CP field visits and Human rights Ombudsman’s monitoring missions. Total number of trip days per contact – 24 days. The trip plan will be developed jointly with Ombudsman’s representatives and the Consultant.

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

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

Education: Master's degree or higher in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international law, international development, human rights, psychology, sociology or other related disciplines.

Professional experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in social protection / child protection at national and/or subnational level.
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian system of child protection, system of social protection, system of alternative care for children (residential and family-based).
• Experience in strengthening social workforce and system of social services.
• Experience in development of wide strategies and plan of actions in area of child protection.
• Experience in building a dialog with national and local governments and CSOs.
• Experience providing consultancy services to UNICEF and other UN agencies is welcome.

Languages:

• Ukrainian: Advanced [C1];
• English: is an advantage.

Skills and competencies:

• Good analytical skills.
• Good coordination skills
• Good communication skills

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.