Disability Consultant-Home based International Consultancy with UNICEF Iraq

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IQ Home-based; Baghdad (Iraq)

Application deadline 1 year ago: Monday 23 Jan 2023 at 20:55 UTC

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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, inclusion

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Scope of Work:

Persons with disabilities in Iraq have been disproportionately impacted by the decades of war, armed conflict, terrorism, violence, and economic hardship. Currently, there are no accurate statistics on the number of persons with disabilities, including children, living in the country. Government statistics vary between 0.9 per cent and 8.4 per cent. However, Iraqi disability advocates and disability-specific international organizations have reservations about these figures, suggesting that the actual numbers are higher. Given that the rate of disability is likely higher in humanitarian settings, it is probable that Iraq’s estimate exceeds the global average of 15 per cent. Similarly, in 2019, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities stated that Iraq has one of the largest populations of persons with disabilities in the world.

The Government of Iraq adopted the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016, while the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted in September 2015 under the pledge to ‘Leave no one behind’ including several references to persons with disabilities, notably in connection with: education; employment; social, economic and political participation; the building of inclusive, safe and sustainable cities; and accountability, with a focus on improving the availability of disaggregated data to make the situation of persons with disabilities more transparent and apparent to planners and Government decision makers. Therefore, to ensure inclusion and accessibility in basic services and participation in public life of persons with disabilities, with a focus towards the rights-based model of disability, UNICEF Iraq is looking for an international consultant to provide technical support and assistance in social policy programming and advocacy related to disability inclusion, from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete, sustainable and inclusive results.

Under the general guidance and direction of the Chief Social Policy, the consultant will work to improve a) evidence and data generation for persons with disabilities, b) social inclusion and participation as per UNCRPD’s rights-based model, c) build the capacity of UNICEF staff on disability inclusion. This encompasses both direct programme work with government at federal and local levels and development partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, humanitarian response, nutrition, water and sanitation.

The consultant will be expected to:

Deliverables:

  1. Improve evidence and data generation on children with disabilities for policy and programme action
  • Provide technical support and support coordination and play a quality control roll in the Development of a rights-based and equity-focused Situation Analysis on Children with Disabilities in Iraq, in collaboration with other key partners/duty bearers, to gain a deeper understanding of the situation of children with disabilities in the country and lay a foundation for country-level advocacy and programming.

2. Develop coordination mechanisms for sharing of knowledge and resources related to children with disabilities for internal and UNCT level programming

  • Facilitate integration of Disability Inclusion Task Force (DITF) and Focal Points (FPs) on disabilities in all sections and field offices and develop their capacities and skills on disability inclusion initiatives and programmes.
  • Facilitate integration of a Working Group on Disabilities within UNCT to promote better coordination, support, knowledge management and experience sharing, building capacities and forging partnerships with disability organisations to promote, advocate and ensure disability inclusion in development and humanitarian programming.
  • Ensure effective coordination with sections to respond to MENA and NYHQ’s led work and initiatives.

3. Contribution towards the development of national strategy on disabilities

  • Provide technical support and support coordination and play a quality control roll in the formation of a formal group on disabilities at national level and coordinate effectively with them to form a National Strategy on Disabilities that is also resilient with regards to climate change and become part of the Cooperation Framework for the country.

4. Capacity Building

  • Provide technical support and support coordination and play a quality control roll in the coordination and facilitation of trainings of social programme administrators and social workers, including community-based CSOs and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs).
  • Support arranging capacity-building sessions of the UNICEF staff and governments in disability inclusion programming and actions.

5. Strengthening Programme Management

  • Develop concept notes for project(s) implementation, including partner coordination around disability inclusion related projects.
  • Work with sector colleagues to manage and coordinate technical support around disability-related concerns and initiatives.
  • Support Section's coordination according to the supervisor’s request and in line to donor requirements

Recruitment qualifications:

  • An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Social Sciences, Policy, Environment and Climate Change, International Development, or any other related technical field.
  • A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional work experience is required with experience in a UN agency as an asset.
  • Proven exposure to disabilities work in the context of development.
  • Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with humanitarian response and emergency is considered as an asset.
  • Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset, as it would be having worked for UNICEF or any UN Agency

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant

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.

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