EXTENDED!! Individual Contractor - Spotlight Caribbean Programme Support (Part-time), LACRO, Panama City

Contract

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Background

UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all girls, boys, 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. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and in line with the 2030 Agenda, UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged boys, girls and adolescents 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.

Gender equality is a priority for UNICEF, as manifested in its Gender Action Plan 2018–2021 (GAP). The GAP establishes UNICEF’s intention to transform into a more gender-responsive organization with enhanced ambitions for gender equality across results areas. Programme priorities included in the GAP include child marriage and early unions, gender-based violence, girls’ secondary school education, menstrual health and hygiene, adolescent health, girls’ empowerment and transforming harmful gender norms from early childhood through adolescence.

In September 2017, the EU and the UN launched a joint partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls worldwide. The Spotlight Initiative (SI) aims at mobilizing commitment of political leaders and contributing to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Initiative aims at ending all forms of violence against women and girls, targeting those that are most prevalent and contribute to gender inequality across the world. The Spotlight Initiative will deploy targeted, large-scale investments in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Pacific and the Caribbean, aimed at achieving significant improvements in the lives of women and girls. The Spotlight Initiative thematic focus in the Caribbean is the reduction in prevalence and incidence of family violence. Family violence includes physical, social, sexual, economic and psychological/emotional abuse and acts of aggression within relationships that are considered as family connections or akin to family. The definition is guided by the domestic violence legislation across the region and the Initiative will take a non-discriminatory approach in advancing a comprehensive approach for all regardless of social status, location, identity or sexual orientation.

The initiative recognizes that family violence is a form of gender-based violence in which women and girls are disproportionately the victims. The initiative is concerned to address the root causes of this violence, that is, patriarchal and unequal gender norms and relations between women and men. Family violence negatively affects a range of human rights including women’s and girls’ enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights. While the focus of Spotlight is on women and girls, the improved capacities of regional and national institutions to implement laws and policies, collect and analyse data and engage in prevention programming will benefit men and boys some who also experience family violence and all of whom are affected by harmful stereotypes around masculinity.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices. Five of those offices support child rights goals in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States, with offices in Belize, Jamaica and Haiti. Multi-country offices are located in Guyana (covering Guyana and Suriname) and Barbados (covering 12 countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean Area). All UNICEF offices operating in English and Dutch-speaking Caribbean are aligned with the United Nations Multi country Sustainable Development Framework (UN MSDF) for the period January 2017 to December 2021.

The UN MSDF includes 4 priorities, with a total of 8 outcomes. The priorities include: a) an inclusive, equitable and prosperous Caribbean; b) a healthy Caribbean; c) a safe and just Caribbean, and d) a sustainable and resilient Caribbean. While these priorities are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, an explicit definition of strategies to ensure gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls is vaguely defined; UNICEF has since invested in strengthening its gender response by conducting Gender Programmatic Reviews in two of the five Caribbean country offices and conducting a light gender analysis in an internal mid-term review exercise. These, and other, planning exercises have revealed the need for stronger investment in addressing harmful gender norms, stronger coordination among gender and child rights actors and multi-sectoral approaches across Caribbean institutions to address the high levels of violence Caribbean girls and boys experience. These conclusions are supported by three main regional efforts in the Caribbean to address family violence: contributions to the CARICOM Violence Against Children Prevention Strategy; engagement in the CARICOM New School Model and participation in all six Spotlight national programmes to ensure linkages between violence against children and gender inequality – with a special focus on the intergenerational transfer of violence and the particular case of adolescent girls.

For more information about UNICEF and its work: www.unicef.org/lac/en/gender-equality

Purpose of the Assignment

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Adviser Gender, based in Panama City, and in collaboration with the Regional Coordinator, Spotlight Caribbean Programme, the purpose of the assignment is to support UNICEF’s work to accelerate programme implementation and monitoring commitments within the Spotlight Caribbean regional programme.

In consultation with regional partners, UNICEF put forth areas such as child marriage, VAW-VAC intersections, girls’ empowerment and gender socialization within three pillars of the Caribbean Spotlight Regional Programme, towards strengthening regional priorities set out in the CARICOM Gender Equality Policy, CARICOM VAC Strategy and CARICOM New School Model. Collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, OECS and a range of other Caribbean institutions will be required, including the CXC, UWI, IGDS, CariMan, CARICOM Youth Ambassadors and CIWIL. Below is a summary of the main areas under UNICEF responsibility in the Spotlight Regional Programme.

Pillar 2: Coherence around VAW-VAC policies and standards; education standards for violence against women and girls (VAWG), and gender competencies for front-line workers.

Pillar 3: (UNICEF co-lead with UNFPA): Pillar co-coordination with all partners; education system strengthening; parenting practices for early childhood and adolescents; girls’ empowerment index; gender norms change.

Pillar 5: Evidence gaps around gender and family violence; child marriage manifestations and measurements.

Specific Tasks:

• Support to accelerate programme implementation of the workplan and calendar for Phase 1 activities, by pillar in coordination with UNICEF Regional Coordinator, sector leads, Regional Institutions and Partners.

• Ensure the development of an adolescent engagement plan in collaboration with CSOs and the CARICOM youth ambassadors for the duration of the programme.

• Liaise and support with UNICEF RO Focal Points on Spotlight monitoring and reporting, Communications, including participation in Spotlight discussions with Country Offices in Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Ensure Caribbean lessons are communicated to broader LAC approaches around VAW-VAC, gender competencies and child marriage and early unions; synthesizing lessons learned, life stories and accomplishments for inclusion in regional and global UNICEF campaigns around gender equality and girls’ empowerment.

• Update as needed a contact list for regional partners pertinent for UNICEF SI activities.

• Perform any other task that may be necessary (within the limits of his/her competence and responsibilities) to achieve the objective of this assignment.

Expected Results:

The Individual contractor is expected to submit the following electronic deliverables in accordance with the time frame listed.

Deliverables:

Description

Duration

[in days]

Expected deadline

Deliverable 1: Monthly progress report with updates

on agreed work plan

11

30 September 2021

Deliverable 2: Monthly progress report with updates

on agreed work plan

11

30 October 2021

Deliverable 3: Monthly progress report with updates

on agreed work plan

11

30 November 2021

Deliverable 4: Monthly progress report with updates

on agreed work plan

11

30 December 2021

Deliverable 5: Monthly progress report with updates

on agreed work plan

11

30 January 2022

Minimum Requirements:

Education: An Advanced University Degree in gender and development, human rights, public health, sociology, child and adolescent development, or other field directly related to gender, family violence and child rights.

Work Experience: A minimum of two years of relevant professional work experiences in the Caribbean at the regional, national and/or international levels, the UN or civil society organizations on related areas a strong asset. Strong substantive, technical, programmatic and research skills in gender equality and VAWG, along with sectoral skills in Education. Substantive knowledge and experience in gender mainstreaming, institution strengthening and inter-sectoral collaboration. Wide knowledge and understanding of regional/global gender equality, family violence and education trends; previous experience on child and adolescent rights an asset.

Languages: Fluency in English is required; French or Dutch is an asset.

Technical knowledge (if applicable): Strong substantive, technical, programmatic and research skills in gender equality, VAWG and Education. Experience working with girls and boys under the age of 18, in the development and implementation of adolescent participation programmes is highly desirable. Demonstrated partnership skills, political astuteness and experience working with governmental and non-governmental actors. Knowledge of, and familiarity with, Caribbean women’s movement and gender equality architecture and activism desired. Familiarity with CARICOM and UN roles and functions in the Caribbean Region an asset.

Other skills and attributes (optional): Excellent written and oral communication skills, including an ability to write succinctly and clearly and speak in public forums compellingly and with confidence. High level of initiative and independence in ability to undertake complex tasks while proactively seeking relevant input, cooperation, and guidance from key constituents. Experience and demonstrated ability to motivate others and create and encourage a climate of teamwork and collaboration across sectors and in a multi-cultural environment. Ability to think outside the box, generate new ideas, approaches, or insights and develop innovative ways to undertake projects and initiatives, shape solutions to problems. Proven ability to build rapport with individuals and groups and maintain an effective network of individuals across organizational departments as well externally Preference will be given to Caribbean nationals.

For every Child, you demonstrate… UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. UNICEF...Core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, and accountability. UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Administrative details

Supervision: The individual contractor will report directly to Regional Adviser Gender, based in Panama City, in collaboration with the Regional Coordinator, Spotlight Caribbean Programme, based in the Jamaica Country Office. Regular communications will be established within a set out workplan; when possible, coordination meetings will be held virtually at least once every 2 months.

The individual contractor will work closely with the Regional Coordinator within a team of regional and country office colleagues working to implement Spotlight programmes in the Caribbean, within UNICEF (in the areas of ECD, Education, C4D, Communications and Public Partnerships) and with other UN Agencies. As co-leads of Pillar 3, the individual contractor will play a supporting role in joint programme collaboration with UNFPA; with UNDP and UN Women on UNICEF activities within Pillars 2 and 5.

Workplace: Home based

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter, University diplomas and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

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.

Duration of contract: Estimated start date of this consultancy is the first week of September for a period of 5 months.

Vacancy Announcement Remarks

Please note only short-listed candidates will be contacted. UNICEF reserves the right to make additional assessment of the pre-selected candidates, if needed 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

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.