Full-time Individual Contractor (11.5 months, home-based in Italy with field travel): Skills Building and Job Orientation Consultant - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO), Rome

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

Background

Italy remains one of the main entry points into Europe for refugees and migrants fleeing conflicts, situations of violence and deprivation. Between 2016 and 2021, more than 71,000 unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) arrived in Italy by sea, 90 per cent of whom were between 15 and 17 years old. The continued significant presence of UASC (around 15.595 in reception centres in June 2022) and the growing number of UASC who have turned 18 are a cause for concern.

A key challenge is that many have limited access to guidance on education, training paths, job orientation and skills-building opportunities that are available to them. A lack of self-motivation and self-esteem, relational difficulties upon arrival, made worse by the trauma experienced during the journey, can make the difference in the choices made to continue or abandon education and training paths, essential to enter the labour market. UASC and young refugees and migrants arrive in Italy with varying degrees of literacy and skills sets, and many have missed months, sometimes years, of school. Most are eager to enter the Italian labour market to make money and support their families back home. To find decent employment in Italy, they need to master the Italian language, obtain compulsory lower secondary school certification and acquire relevant technical skills needed to enter the labour market. However, due to their age upon arrival in Italy, UASC have a limited window of time to equip themselves with the necessary tools for their social inclusion and successful transition into adulthood.

UNICEF is operating in Italy based on formal agreements with national authorities aimed at providing technical support for the protection and social inclusion of refugee and migrant children, including those arriving as a consequence of the crisis in Ukraine.

A two-pronged approach combines humanitarian service delivery with capacity building, policy reform and technical assistance with partner organizations and governments. Skills building and job orientation is a key intervention for the early integration and social inclusion of adolescent refugees and migrants and those transitioning to adulthood for which UNICEF has developed, tested and rolled out a package of interventions in reception centres and catch-up schools. The interventions focus on ensuring access to information and job orientation, increasing knowledge on education/ training paths, and providing opportunities to develop skills and competencies.

The package combines life skills through roll out of the UNICEF Adolescent kit for expression and innovation and employability skills and job orientation through roll out of the UNICEF Handbook for Job orientation published in June 2022. The UNICEF Adolescent kit for expression and innovation helps UASC cope with stressful circumstances, develop their self-esteem and self-confidence and boost their motivation. The employability skills building & job orientation course aims at providing them with self-awareness and essential knowledge on skills needed to access the job market. For this purpose, the Job Orientation handbook provides a step-by-step guide to completion of language learning, education and training paths and to internship and job opportunities available, as well self-assessment tools, and guidance on CV completion and how to conduct a job interview.

Scope of Work

Key responsibilities include:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Support the management, oversight, and coordination of partnerships and related contracts with UNICEF Implementing Partners and service providers responsible for the implementation of XXI century skills building and job orientation interventions through formal and non-formal education within reception facilities and catch-up schools, and the provision of training for teachers, educators, and social workers;
• Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the comprehensive and innovative basic skills building & job orientation course (roll out of the UNICEF Adolescent Kit for Expression and Innovation; roll-out of the employability skills and job orientation package and the Handbook for Job orientation);
• Develop/adapt and translate workshop and handbook materials into e-learning modules and review of uploaded material on to an e-learning platform dedicated to the social workers, educators and teachers within reception facilities and catch-up schools.

MONITORING AND REPORTING

• Support the review of monthly reports of implementing partners and support to programmatic reviews and visits;
• Support to drafting of monthly and quarterly reports, annual planning, mid-year and annual reviews of the Migrant and Refugee Response.

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• Create, update a XXI century skills building folder in the internal shared drive containing documents, tools, creative assets and sharing both internally via the shared drive and externally with partners and stakeholders via email and other shared platforms;
• Attend weekly coordination calls and other meetings, conferences and webinars, trainings and assist in preparing background material and taking minutes, as needed.
• Synthesis of available evidence (reports, reviews etc.) and drafting of briefs, articles and other related documentation for internal use and external dissemination

Purpose of the Assignment

Under the direct supervision of the Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist, P4, in Rome, Italy, and technical supervision of the Skills Building Programme Consultant, the Skills Building and Job Orientation Consultant is primarily responsible for supporting the implementation of XXI century skills building and job orientation interventions for refugee and migrant adolescents and those transitioning to adulthood.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / DeadlineDevelopment/adaptation and translation of workshop and handbook materials into e-learning modules to be registered on a digital platformE-learning modules developed and registered on a digital platformBy 30 June 2023Quality assurance of project monitoring tools (surveys to participants, teachers, educators) and evaluation reportsReviewed versions of project monitoring tools and evaluation reportsEvery quarterQuality assurance of workshop materials for skills building activitiesReviewed versions of workshop materialsEvery quarterParticipation in coordination meetings with UNICEF Implementing Partners and service providersMeetings attended with UNICEF Implementing Partners and service providersWeeklySupport in the conduction of programmatic visits and partnership reviews with Implementing Partners and service providersProgrammatic visits and partnership reviewed with Implementing Partners and service providers3 programmatic visits by 30 June 2023;

1 partnership review by 30 July 2023

Participation in meetings with key-stakeholders for the promotion and roll-out of the skills building activities (e.g., network of reception facilities, institutional counterparts, etc.)Meetings attended with key-stakeholders for the promotion and roll-out of the skills building activitiesMonthlyDrafting of minutes of calls, webinars, conferences, trainings etc.Minutes of calls, webinars, conferences, trainings etc.End of each monthQuality assurance of monthly IP reports on the Skills Building and Job Orientation interventionsFinal reviewed versions of the monthly IP reports on the Skills Building and Job Orientation interventionsMonthly for IP reports (i.e. 11 reports)Drafting of quarterly reportQuarterly report on progress against targetsEvery quarterDrafting of monthly status report documenting progress, bottlenecks, challenges and actions taken in relation to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the basic skills building & job orientation packageBasic skills building & job orientation course monthly status reportMonthlyDrafting of briefs, articles1 Brief, 2 articlesEvery 6 months of UPSHIFT brief;

4 Articles for external dissemination (2 x year by end November)

Estimated Duration of the Contract

11.5 months (October 2022 - September 2023)

Individual Contractor's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based in Italy. The Individual Contractor is required on a full-time basis for the period of the contract.

The Individual Contractor will travel to field locations in Italy. The Individual Contractor will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount for travel overall will be EUR 5,000.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of a monthly invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate an all inclusive fixed monthly fee in EUR to undertake this assignment.

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

• Masters in social sciences, international development, education or related field;
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience of which 1 is in project management;
• Excellent planning & organizational skills;
• Strong communication skills - both oral and written;
• Fluency in Italian and English are required;
• Experience in working in support to migrants and refugees;
• Previous experience with UNICEF and or the UN desired;
• Experience in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of skills building programmes desired.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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:

Please include a full CV and Financial Proposal in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and monthly rate (in EUR) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a monthly rate will not be considered. 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.

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.