Home-based Consultancy: Social Mobilizer (132 Working days), ECARO, O/P Rome, 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, Development

Scope of Work:

Italy remains one of the main entry points into Europe for refugees and migrants fleeing conflicts, situations of violence and deprivation, including more recently many people from Ukraine. Between 2020 and 2022, more than 28,000 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 20,000 in reception centres in December 2022) and the growing number of UASC who have turned 18 are a cause for concern. In transit and at destination, UASC and young migrants and refugees continue to face many challenges and many gaps remain in the realization of their rights and in the achievement of full physical and mental well-being. One of the key issues of concern is that they do not feel heard and do not have anybody to talk to. Although they should be adequately informed about the decisions that affect them and their opinion taken into account, this does not seem to happen in practice. Building opportunities for them to engage in issues of concern to them in their local community not only supports their present and future civic engagement, but also contributes to their communities and societies.

To respond to these challenges, in 2016 UNICEF’s migrant and refugee response in Italy has modelled, piloted, and rolled out U-Report On The Move, an adapted version of U-Report for UASC and young migrants and refugees.

U-Report is a user-friendly, cost-effective, anonymous social messaging tool designed to empower youth, ensuring that those who have registered on U-Report, known as U-Reporters, have access to information, speak out on issues that affect them and their communities, encourage citizen-led development and create positive behaviour change. U-Report is available via numerous messaging, social media, and SMS channels, and even works on a basic mobile. The ultimate aim of the programme is to stimulate citizen-led and adolescent/youth-led development. Once the information is collected the data is instantly analysed. The information is subsequently utilized in communication and advocacy work across all media channels, many UNICEF programmes and through general partner engagement.

With almost than 9,500 U-Reporters registered by April 2023, U-Report On The Move Italy is considered a best practice model within the U-Report community and many of its features are replicated by other On the Move platforms globally. Alongside online promotions via Facebook, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram in 2022 scale up efforts are being boosted by a team of Social Mobilizers responsible for promoting the platform in reception centres hosting unaccompanied and separated children, young migrants and refugees and fostering their engagement and participation. The digital community relies on a pool of U-Ambassadors, young advocates from the migrant and refugee community who promote registration of U-Reporters and participate in national and international high-level fora.

Registration is open to anyone, however given their young age and language abilities, social mobilization is key to scaling up as it enables to engage with young migrants and refugees through workshops, games, interacting and explaining the scope of the digital platform and related tools. During 2022-24 UNICEF will further scale up social mobilization activities in reception centres hosting UASC and young migrants and refugees, including for Ukrainian refugee adolescents and young mothers, through expansion of the Social Mobilization team and outreach to multiple regions in Italy.

Key responsibilities include:

• Promoting U-Report On The Move platform and related digital tools in reception centres and alternative care (case famiglia, gruppi appartamento etc.) reaching unaccompanied and separated children, young migrants, and refugees.
• Strengthening and expanding the network of reception centres for promotion of U-Report On The Move and related tools.
• Facilitating mobilization sessions.
• Regularly tracking & reporting on mobilization sessions, registration & engagement of UASC and young migrants and refugees.

How can you make a difference?

Work assignment overview

Deliverables/ Outputs

Timeline/Deadline

Drafting letters to municipal authorities and reception centres’ managers for presentation of U-Report On The Move. Online presentations to reception centre staff and municipal authorities as relevant.

Liaising with reception centres and municipal authorities to organize presentation meetings.

Mapping of the reception centres system in Italy.

Timely and accurate calendar of meetings in reception centres.

23 days (approx. 2 days per month) / May 15, 2024

Facilitating mobilization sessions for U-Report registration, presentation of other digital tools, production of multi-media content and engagement in online and offline advocacy

80 mobilization sessions for registration on U-Report On The Move platform.

96 days (approx. 8 days per month) / May 15, 2024

Monthly report on the activities carried out highlighting bottlenecks, main challenges, and opportunities.

11 Monthly reports.

11 days for monthly report (1 x month) / End of each month

Final review report at the end of the contract period.

1 Final report.

2 days for final report / June, 2024

Social Mobilizer: 11 days per month for 12 months= 132 Working days

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

• Master’s degree in University Degree is desired in social or educational science, international affairs, intercultural communication and/or anthropology.
• Diploma or equivalent in cultural and linguistic mediation, social mobilizer or at least 2 years of experience in working with vulnerable groups of youth accompanied by professional certifications may replace the degree
• Relevant professional experience of at least 2 years in youth engagement is required.
• Experience in working with vulnerable groups of youth (e.g., children and adolescents with a migration background or with low socio-economic background, etc.) is required.
• Good computer skills (Office package) are required.
• Demonstrated social mobilization skills.
• Proven ability to present and communicate new projects to a varied audience, including children and adolescents.
• Strong communication skills.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
• Proven ability to work flexibly and independently and deliver quality results against tight deadlines.
• Have a solid understanding on the local context where the activity takes place.
• Fluency in Italian and English are required.
• Language skills in Arabic, Bengali, Pashtu, or Urdu (the U-Report languages) or any other UN languages, such as French would be an asset.

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.