Consultant to conduct a review of good practices on adoption and care, Beijing, China (home based)

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

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), in its preamble, stresses the importance of the role of a nurturing and loving family environment in the upbringing of a child and urges State Parties to take all measures to provide alternative community and family-based care for children that are deprived of parental care (article 20).

The UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children1 provide orientation to the implementation of the CRC on this matter, emphasizing the principles of necessity and suitability of alternative care, ensuring that an alternative care measure is implemented only when the family of origin is not able to take care of the child and that the most appropriate or suitable measure be implemented in the best interests of the child.

Based on the policy and legal framework, children without parental care are usually taken care of by the next a kins or the extended family. In instances where children are abandoned, he or she will be provided long-term care by the state through child welfare institutions (CWI). Under the administration of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the CWI makes decisions of care placement for children, that includes adoption, foster care, residential care and other services to meet the needs of the children in their care.

In the last five years, the number of children who are taken care of in the CWI system has declined dramatically, however, the population in child welfare institutions mainly consists of children who are abandoned, and 98% are with disabilities6. While the international trend of minimizing the use of institutional care is pursued, children in CWIs are less likely to be adopted, therefore often remain in an institution.

With the objective of supporting UNICEF’s advocacy on the promotion of family-based care for children without parental care and reforming care systems in China, UNICEF China seeks a consultant to undertake a desk review of international good practices on care reform and adoption, with a focus on children with disabilities, distilling insights that can be used for policy advocacy in the context of China.

How can you make a difference?

To develop a review of good practices on care reform and adoption in select countries, with a focus on children with disability, to provide analytical insights for policy making in the China context.

The document will be based on a desk review and if needed, online interviews with UNICEF staff in China Country Office may be conducted. This assignment is home-based.

The report will be produced in English. The report should include a minimum of 6 and maximum of 9 country profiles, in which there should be a balance between low-income, mid-income and high-income countries, particularly countries engaged in large proportion of children placed in care because of disability and poverty. Each country’s profile should include the following topics:

• Child protection and welfare system (including social security and financial support initiatives for families)

• Profiles of children in state care

• Data of children with disabilities

• Child care reform (efforts related to prevention of family separation, gatekeeping, establishment of alternative care, transition from care) with emphasis on children with disability.

• Promotion of domestic adoption with a focus on children with disabilities, and what formal and informal services are in place to support adoptive family and the child;

• Service guidelines of social workers in supporting a long-term/permanent placement;

Methodology & Expected Output:

This consultancy mainly involves desk review and analysis of materials, and developing content as required above. The consultant will be home-based with some required time for online meetings and discussions.

Start Date: 15 November 2023

End Date: 29 February 2024

Total Working Days: 50 days

for more details, please refer to Consultant to conduct a review of good practices on adoption and care.pdf

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

- Minimum Academic Qualifications required and disciplines:

Post graduate degree in social sciences, social work, social policy or other relevant discipline.

• Knowledge/Experience/Expertise/Skills required:

1. A minimum of eight years of relevant work experience in child protection.

2. Desired experience of research or work in alternative care and adoption.

3. Track record of developing child protection materials including research, desk reviews, or policy documents in child welfare and protection services and related fields backed up by a sample.

4. Strong analytical and editing skills.

5. Excellent English language skills

6. Strong Chinese language skills would be an added advantage.

7. Ability to work under tight deadlines and independently

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 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.