Home based in Catania or Palermo, Sicilia: Guardianship expert Consultant - 250 working days between 15 October 2023 and 15 November 2024 - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

Consultant Programme & Policy

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, an advocate

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

Strengthening the capacity of the guardianship system for unaccompanied children, through sensitization for the identification of potential guardians, direct training, including on the job training and support to volunteer guardians, in close cooperation with the Local Juvenile Court, relevant Municipalities in Sicily, the Regional Ombudsperson for Childhood and Adolescence and civil society organizations currently active in the local context.

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 to 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 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.

Scope of work

During an initial assessment conducted in February 2022 and additional exchanges in July 2022, the local authorities in Sicily expressed the need for an increased support to the local guardianship system which, despite the progressive strengthening, remains in need of additional efforts for its consolidation and its expansion to be able to respond to the increasing need. The influx of unaccompanied and separated children consequent to the war in Ukraine also contributes to putting additional pressure on the guardianship system. This happens both due to the higher demand for trained guardians but also for the roles and functions they are expected to play. The majority of Ukrainian unaccompanied and separated children travel together with adults – such as the directors of the institutions they were hosted in Ukraine – who are sometimes recognized as guardians by the Italian Juvenile Courts. The continuous evolution of migration flows as well as the differences in the profiles and potential vulnerabilities of unaccompanied and separated children, including age and gender related, requires Juvenile Courts to always have a wide range of well-trained guardians ready to be appointed, with the final goal of ensuring to all unaccompanied and separated children the level of representation and support. This applies to the greatest extent to geographical contexts with peculiar bordering positions or importance in terms of number of unaccompanied and separated children hosted, such as those targeted by UNICEF’s envisaged action. As recently reported by the periodic monitoring of the National Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents (2022), all regions involved are faced with an increasing need of sensitizing potential guardians-to-be and strengthening competencies and sustainable support to those who have already started their duties. Under the guidance of the Guardianship Coordinator and in close coordination with the Local Juvenile Court, the Guardianship Expert will contribute to the effective and efficient implementation of the Law n. 47/2017, providing direct support to the volunteer guardians in performing their duties, through training, technical advice and facilitation of the interaction with the public administration, services and local opportunities for social inclusion. The consultant will work in close coordination with the Local Juvenile Court, the local Municipalities of Sicily, the Regional Ombudsperson for Childhood and Adolescence and the civil society organizations currently active in the local context.

Considering all the above and to continue in the process of development and expansion of the model of support to volunteer guardians, the consultant will work in close collaboration with the local Juvenile Court, Municipalities and Regional Ombudsperson to:

• Promote guardianship through media contents and sensitization events open to the public, in cooperation with relevant institutional stakeholders and guardian associations where present;
• Support volunteer guardians in performing their legally mandated duties, through technical advice and guidance, including with particular regards to best interest determination.
• Provide guardians with ad hoc training and support, both through direct roll-out of UNICEF trainings and participating to trainings organized by the Regional Ombudsperson.
• Present and promote the platform U-Report on the Move among the volunteer guardians to reach the unaccompanied children under their supervision.
• Facilitate the cooperation between guardians, reception facilities and all the relevant public actors (Social Services, Prefectures, Courts), through the joint identification of challenges and bottlenecks and the elaboration of shared solutions.
• Support the guardians’ efforts to ensure and facilitate the access of unaccompanied and separated children to services as appropriate, including through the development and continuous update of referral pathways.
• Support the establishment (or strengthening where already existing) of peer-support mechanisms between volunteer guardians operating in the same areas, including a digital space to allow them to share information on rights, available services and opportunities for social inclusion for unaccompanied and separated children.
• Collect feedback on guardians’ mandate through focus groups with guarded children.
• Collect information from the guardians and the children to inform the improvement of the model of support to volunteer guardians and local and national advocacy efforts.

Work Assignment Overview

Task 1: Support to volunteer guardians/ Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******DeadlinePromote information and interest in the guardianship system within the local communityTwo local sensitization events aimed at promoting the voluntary guardianship among the local community

10 working days;

First event by 15 November 2023

Second event by 15 April 2024

Promote information and interest in the guardianship system within the local communityTwo reports on sensitization activities conducted5 working days;

First report by 15 January 2024

Second report by 15 May 2024

Support the dissemination and promotion of guardianship at the local level through mediaFive media contents to be advertised on local stakeholders’ websites or social media for promotion of voluntary guardianship5 working days;

From October 2023 to 15 April 2024

Technical advice and guidance for volunteer guardians on child protection issues related to their role and procedures concerning children guardedIndividual case files on child protection issues raised by guardians130 working days;

From October 2023 to 15 September 2024

Support to the creation of an informative tool on guardianshipFAQ addressing the most recurrent issues raised by the guardians and related coping strategies for dissemination through Regional Ombudspersons’ websites5 working days;

By 15 August 2024

Engagement of relevant actors within the local child protection system aimed at volunteer guardians’ professionalizationTwo meetings with institutional stakeholders to identify guardians’ knowledge gaps and training needs8 working days;

First meeting by 15 December 2023

Second meeting by 15 January 2024

Engagement of volunteer guardians in discussing training needs and participating in relevant trainings delivered by UNICEF partnersTwo meetings with volunteer guardians to identify training needs and establish peer-to-peer support mechanisms, including a digital space where to share information8 working days;

First meeting by 15 December 2023

Second meeting by 15 January 2024

Engagement of volunteer guardians in discussing training needs and participating in relevant trainings delivered by UNICEF partnersReport on capacity building activities related to volunteer guardians and recommendations for further training activities based on feedback gathered5 working days;

By 15 September 2024

Task 2: Monitoring of local child protection system and advocacy for the improvement of the conditions of unaccompanied and separated children / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Deadline

Information provision on the state of the art concerning quality and functioning of the child protection system at the local levelReport on the challenges, bottlenecks and opportunities related to child protection at local level collected through the support provided to volunteer guardians and coordination with other stakeholders and presentation of findings to relevant stakeholders when needed5 working days;

First report by 15 December 2023

Second meeting by 15 July 2024

Engage UASC in identifying good practices and shortcomings in the guardianship systemTwo discussion guides designed6 working days;

First discussion by 15 January 2024

Second discussion by 15 June 2024

Engage UASC in identifying good practices and shortcomings in the guardianship systemTwo focus groups with the guarded children15 working days;

First discussion by 15 April 2024

Second discussion by 15 July 2024

Promotion of U-Report on the Move among the volunteer guardians to support the monitoring of the local child protection systemTwo coordination meetings with U-report team, to design a dissemination strategy among guardians’ community2 working days;

First meeting by 15 April 2024

Second meeting by 15 July 2024

Promotion of U-Report on the Move among the volunteer guardians to support the monitoring of the local child protection systemTwo meetings (including organization) with guardians to present U-report4 working days;

First meeting by 15 April 2024

Second meeting by 15 July 2024

Task 3:Coordination with institutional counterparts, other UN agencies and civil society organizations / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Deadline

Enhance cooperation mechanisms for institutional actors, intergovernmental agencies, civil society organizations and guardians aimed at the best functioning of guardianship system Three local roundtables with volunteer guardians and relevant local stakeholders (e.g. social services, Juvenile Courts and NGOs working in the reception system)21 working days;

First meeting by 15 April 2024

Second meeting by 15 July 2024

Third meeting by 15 October 2024

Task 4:Coordination with institutional counterparts, other UN agencies and civil society organizations / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******DeadlineFacilitation of peer-to-peer discussions among guardiansTwo focus groups with volunteer guardians11 working days;

First by 15 February 2024

Second by 15 October 2024

Dissemination of achievements, lessons learnt and recommendations for guardianship system strengtheningFinal report on activities conducted, including specific recommendations for the strengthening of the model of support to volunteer guardians at local level10 working days;

By 15 November 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

250 working days (between 15 October 2023 and 15 September 2024)

Consultant’s Workplace and Official Travel

This is a home-based consultancy contract with travels for trainings and local missions to field locations in Sicily. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoices.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Please propose a lumpsum professional fee based on 250 working days. Please do not include travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required

• First university degree (Bachelor) in Psychology, Pedagogical sciences, Social Sciences, Law, Political Sciences or other related disciplines
• At least 3 years of professional experience with refugees and migrants or vulnerable children along with extensive experience in the field of protection is required.
• Proven experience of work with local authorities.
• Proven knowledge of the national context with regards to reception, protection and inclusion of migrant and refugee children, including guardianship system.
• Ability to work through networking and partnership.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.
• Fluency in Italian and proficiency in English are required.

Desiderable:

• At least 1 year work experience in Catania territorial district
• At least 1 year work experience with local authorities operating in Catania territorial district

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.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV, and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and a lumpsum based on 250 working days 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.

Apply now

Added 8 months ago - Updated 8 months ago - Source: unicef.org