Home-based Consultancy: Education in Emergencies Consultant (138 Working days), ECARO, O/P Italy

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:

In the context of migration and asylum, Italy continues to be a frontline country for arrivals both by sea from the Mediterranean and by land from the so-called Balkan route. The country is at times considered a destination country while many other times as a transit one for all those migrants and refugees who are trying to reach Northern European countries. Refugees and migrants, and in particular children and women travelling alone, continue to undertake dangerous journeys to reach Europe. Additionally, the recent eruption of hostilities in Ukraine generated a new influx of people towards EU countries, including Italy. In 2023, the number of people crossing the Mediterranean Sea and entering Italy doubled compared to 2022; in the reception system, more than 20,000 UASC are registered, being a significant increase compared to 2022. Consistent and increasing land arrivals through the Italy-Slovenia border have also been recorded. The reception capacity in Italy is overstretched; the system is now struggling to accommodate refugees and migrants, particularly unaccompanied and separated children. Despite efforts from the Italian Government and a solid legal protection framework, critical gaps remain in terms of alignment with international minimum standards, especially when unpredictable and massive flows happen.

The vision of UNICEF operation in Italy in 2023 is to technically support Authorities to ensure compliance with minimum international standards and to provide humanitarian assistance, protection and social inclusion of migrant and refugee children and women on the move by strengthening the child protection, GBV and education and integration systems. By enhancing the capacity of the Italian reception system from arrival to all phases of reception to protect and care for the most vulnerable refugee and migrant children, those transitioning to adulthood, and women, UNICEF aims at 1) strengthening the protective environment at disembarkation and transit points by improving access to child protection, GBV and MHPSS services as well as strengthening child-safeguarding and GBV risk mitigation measures within the reception system; 2) promoting and ensuring immediate family and community-based care solutions for unaccompanied and separated children; 3) ensuring that UASC, refugee and migrant adolescents, and women have access to life-saving and life-protecting information; 4) ensuring that UASC, refugee and migrant adolescents and youth have access to skills building and job orientation opportunities that promote early integration 5) Scaling up actions to counter racism and discrimination.

A core pillar of UNICEF’s National response in Italy is education and skills building of children and youth, which focuses on:

• Monitoring the trends and emerging evidence of the education needs of refugee and migrant children and youth and the response by the Government and partners;
• Provision of information on education paths and orientation on the transition to the job market;
• Access to inclusive and quality learning opportunities through roll-out of 21st century skills building and language learning in both formal and informal education settings;
• Provision of learning materials to refugee and migrant children and adolescents to support digital skills and language learning;
• Capacity building of teachers and educators through training and online support.

Trends monitoring and evidence generation on education needs is carried out through analysis of field data, rapid assessments and regular online polls. Information on education paths is provided online and offline. Online, the primary channel is U Report on the Move – available in 7 different languages and accessible via WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram and TikTok.

To respond to the language needs of refugee and migrant children, UNICEF and the Akelius Foundation have established a partnership to roll out the Akelius e-learning platform in schools and out of school. Following an initial pilot phase during 2021-22, in 2022, the Akelius platform was scaled up in and out of schools in partnership with the ISMU Foundation. Currently, 75 schools, including 5 accredited Ukranian schools, for a total of students, are using the platform in a hybrid modality. Teachers and educators have access to training and support through the online helpdesk.

With regards to 21st-century skills building, through a partnership with the CSO AVSI, recreational/sports/creative arts activities are being implemented for Ukranian refugee children and adolescents in extracurricular modality with a focus on social and emotional skills in collaboration with youth centres, summer camps, sports centres and school networks. Training is provided to partners, teachers and/or CSO educators to promote an active and participatory teaching approach by providing specific knowledge and skills on soft skills (Social-Emotional Skills – SES, Art Therapy) course. AVSI is also supporting ISMU in disseminating the Akelius E-learning platform through the procurement of digital devices.

Scope of Work:

• Monitor the trends and gather evidence of refugee education needs and the response by the Government, partners, and the school system;
• Update information on education paths for Ukranian refugee children and ensure dissemination via UNICEF and partner online and offline channels;
• Support UNICEF staff in the development and revision of pedagogical material;
• Quality assure and oversee UNICEF partnerships with CSOs implementing education interventions, including evidence generation component;
• Contribute to raising awareness on education needs and concerns of refugee and migrant children and youth and UNICEF’s response.

How can you make a difference?

- Work location: Home-based in Italy with travels within Italy. The consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. All travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount for travel overall will be EUR 4,000.

To apply:

Applicants are invited to:

1. Complete their UNICEF profile;
2. Submit a financial proposal with a daily fee in EUR. Applications without fees will not be considered.

- Payment schedule: The consultant will be paid based on satisfactory and timely submission of deliverables.

- Duration: 138 days between January 2024 and December 2024

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

• Advanced university degree in education, social science, international relations, law, child psychology, or relevant field.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience with education in emergency programming in natural disaster and/or armed conflict contexts – preference for education specialists with experience in middle and high-income countries, and in Europe if at all possible.
• Previous experience with UNICEF or other UN agency
• Fluency in English and Italian

Desired:

• Previous experience in education responses for refugee and migrant children

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/individual contractors 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.