Home-based Consultancy: Child Protection Consultant (120 working days; with travel as needed) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

Consultant Programme & Policy

Contract

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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

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

This consultancy is part of UNICEF’s response to the Ukraine refugee crisis and broader child protection in humanitarian action issues, including children affected by migration and children affected by armed conflict.

Background

As of 26 May 2023, 8.2 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe, with a majority being women, children and vulnerable persons. Women and children are most at risk of violence, exploitation and abuse. Women and girls, particularly those travelling alone are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence. Unaccompanied and separated children remain often unidentified and outside of the protection system. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the many Ukrainian children who have crossed the border and are travelling with adults who are not their parents. Without adequate border registration systems, it is difficult to identify these children as being separated from their primary caregivers and to mitigate risks, including risks of trafficking. These children constitute the majority of children arriving without parental care and many of them have become unaccompanied soon after entering the country with an adult who had no legal / parental responsibility for him/her. Even for those arriving with notarized arrangements put in place by a parent(s) for the child to travel with another adult, which may have been envisaged to be temporary or limited in their scope, such arrangement may also become unsustainable or inappropriate or even put children at risk.

Children evacuated from institutional care in Ukraine remain outside of the child protection system. In some countries, according to their national legislation, these children are not considered neither unaccompanied nor separated, because they come with some guardianship arrangement arranged from the institutions before departure. Moreover, hasty returns of evacuated children from institutions, initiated by the heads/staff of institutions or district authorities where they are located without best interest of the child assessment and determination, including consultation with children. Best interest of child assessment and determination most often does not take place in the case of separated and evacuated from institutions children.

As a result of the above, these children risk becoming invisible, they go unregistered, their risks and needs are not assessed and met, their rights not monitored, and they cannot be traced within countries and when they move on to other countries. It is unclear where and how many separated or evacuated from institutions are in the European countries and on the safety and adequateness of the care and guardianship arrangements made for these children.

The influx of Ukrainian refugees into surrounding countries has also exposed fragilities and gaps in oftentimes already overstretched child protection structures. Refugee and migrant children from countries other than Ukraine are vulnerable to these gaps and oftentimes do not receive the required protection and support. Children stuck in irregular migration tracks are particularly exposed to protection risks. Throughout Central Asia, UNICEF continues to work with countries to ensure human rights based, age and gender-sensitive responses to children and caregivers being repatriated and reintegrated from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Given the vulnerability of this group and additional repatriation operations expected, continued support in this workstream is critical.

Scope of Work

The consultancy supports the ECARO Child Protection team in the following areas:

1. Support the finalization of the legal research and analysis on the legal issues facing children without parental care displaced from Ukraine in coordination with the technical partner at regional level, and with selected countries at national level. Support the finalization of recommendations deriving from the analysis in line with the regional research, including programmatic interventions and policy guidelines.
2. Develop workplan, content repository and implementation/monitoring framework to reach populations affected by the Ukraine crisis under the META partnership, in close collaboration with ECARO Communication and Child Protection teams.
3. Develop the implementation and dissemination plans of the GBV e-learning adaption and Virtual Safe Spaces Initiative, as well as edit the Blue Dot Transition paper to contribute to the capacity building and coordination of Ukraine response countries, in close collaboration with ECARO Child Protection.
4. Support the finalization of workplans and updated messaging with regard to the ECARO Child Protection team’s work around irregular migration in the Western Balkans and the EU pact on migration and asylum, in close collaboration with the ECARO Child Protection team and with key partners, including IOM and UNHCR.
5. Develop progress documentation reports on fundraising efforts and the implementation, follow-up and monitoring of donor funded projects related to the Ukraine refugee response and other child protection in humanitarian action issues.
6. Other research and analysis as required and agreed, including the backstopping of child protection response in Ukraine upon request and in close coordination with senior technical leads.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / DeadlineDeliverable 1: Legal research & analysisFinal draft regional report and recommendations5 working days;

By July 2023

Legal ResearchFinal regional report and recommendations10 working days;

By September 2023

Legal Compendium5 working days;

By September 2023

Agenda, invitation, minutes of monthly coordination meetings for countries involved in the national-level research1 working day/month;

From July until December 2023

Deliverable 2: Key messages and awarenessMETA Partnership work plan5 working days;

By July 2023

Mapping and compilation of key messages developed under the META Partnership7 working days;

By October 2023

Campaign strategy developed under the META Partnership7 working days;

By November 2023

Interim analysis report on the number and type of populations reached and impact of messaging through the META partnership.10 working days;

By November 2023

Deliverable 3: Capacity Building and product supportEdited Blue Dot transitions paper3 working days;

By July 2023

Implementation plan of Virtual Safe Spaces regional platform5 working days;

By July 2023

Finalization of GBV e-learning adaptation8 working days,

By August 2023

Dissemination and ad content for Virtual Safe Spaces initiative10 working days;

By October 2023

Dissemination and ad content for Launch of GBV e-learning5 working days;

By September 2023

Deliverable 4: Knowledge ManagementSharePoint mapping and structure5 working days;

By August 2023

SharePoint implementation4 working days;

By September 2023

Deliverable 5: Documentation of donor funding projectsDocumentation of Progress - Phase II FP5 working days;

By December 2023

Documentation of Progress - US Government Bureau of CT10 working days;

By December 2023

Documentation of Progress - German fund5 working days;

By December 2023

Deliverable 6: Migration and AsylumWorkplan to monitor and support vulnerable populations affected by irregular migration patterns in the Western Balkans, in partnership with IOM and UNHCR3 working days;

By August 2023

Updated advocacy messages regarding the EU Migration and Asylum Pact2 working days;

By October 2023

Estimated Duration of the Contract

120 working days (between July and December 2023)

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The assignment will be home-based.

As part of this assignment, two (2) trips are expected. Travel costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• 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 an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. Please indicate a professional fee (in EUR) based on 120 working days to undertake this assignment.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• Master's degree in Law, Social Sciences, or related field.
• At least one year proven experience and knowledge in the areas related to the ToRs.
• Contextual knowledge of international legal framework on child protection, with a focus on the European legal framework as it relates to legal responsibility, international protection, access to child protection systems, and identification of comprehensive, secure and sustainable solutions.
• Contextual knowledge of child protection programming in the Ukrainian crisis.
• Contextual knowledge of GBV programming in emergencies.
• Experience developing and implementing digital communication and engagement workstreams, including online information and service platforms.
• Demonstrated experience in knowledge management and documentation.
• Experience developing and implementing work, implementation and dissemination plans related to child protection programming.
• Experience supporting the design, implementation and follow-up of donor-supported projects and grants.
• Previous international experience with UNICEF or another UN Organization is considered an asset.
• Ability to adjust and work under quickly changing context.
• Fluent in English (verbal and written).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), 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 professional fee (in EUR) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee 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.

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Added 11 months ago - Updated 10 months ago - Source: unicef.org