Home-based local individual contractor: Alternative Care Expert, Italy (11.5 months)

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, results

According to recent European statistics, around a quarter of all children in the European Union are at risk of poverty or of social exclusion. Despite the increasing European efforts to counter the cycle of poverty and its impact on children, the recent socio-economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 is expected to increase poverty rates, which remain too high if compared to the targets of the 2020 EU Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Starting in 2015, the European Union began the development of a Child Guarantee (https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1428&langId=en), meant to ensure that all children in Europe who are at risk of poverty, social exclusion, or are otherwise disadvantaged, have access to essential services of good quality in the areas of healthcare, education, childcare, housing and nutrition. In July 2020, the European Commission, through the Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, started the third phase of the Child Guarantee entrusting UNICEF’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia with the task of implementing pilot projects to counter inequalities and child poverty in four European countries, including Italy.

Around 10 million children and young people under the age of 18 live in Italy. More than 1.2 million boys and girls live in absolute poverty. 25.7% of youth aged 18 to 24 are currently not in education, employment, or training. Moreover, the disparity in the level and access to services between different areas of the country is alarming. Italian children and adolescents are also between those more at risk of poverty and social exclusion (30.6%) compared to the EU average (23.4%). Children with a migrant background are at particularly high risk of poverty, social exclusion and to the lack of access to basic services in all the five areas targeted by the Child Guarantee. In Italy, the Child Guarantee will be tested in different areas, with a main focus on housing. The foster care system in Italy is regulated by law 184/1983, later modified by law 149/2001, which defines it as a temporary measure to provide children with support, education and emotional bonds. According to the most recent official data, as of 2017, in Italy there were 32,185 children and young people in alternative care arrangements such as residential care facilities or foster care arrangements. Of these, more than 8% had already turned 18. With regards to housing for unaccompanied and separated children, Italian’s legal framework clearly states that “local authorities should promote awareness raising and training of foster carers to encourage primarily unaccompanied and separated children’s family foster care, as an alternative to the placement in a reception centre” (law 47/2017). Despite this provision, foster care measures are underused, due to the overutilized emergency approach and lack of a strong coordination between all key institutions (Social Services, Juvenile Courts, Prefectures, Guardians). According to data of Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, as of June 2020, only 5.7% of the total number of unaccompanied and separated children in the reception system are in foster care. The Italian alternative care system regulates residential and foster care for all children in Italy, in spite of their country of origin or their migratory status. Nevertheless, given the specificities of the profile of unaccompanied and separated children arriving in Italy, usually adolescents, and the differences regarding the return to their family of origin, practices are sometimes different for unaccompanied and separated children and their Italian peers.

How can you make a difference?

To support the implementation of the Child Guarantee in Italy, UNICEF is looking for an individual contractor to work on identifying the existing good practices and challenges of the alternative care in Italy, aimed at its strengthening and promoting a broader use of alternative care strategies for children, with a focus on unaccompanied and separated children as well as to analyze similarities and differences between the strategies and good practices applied to unaccompanied and separated children and/or their Italian peers. Key responsibilities include:

Technical support:

• Conduct a mapping of the already existing best practices on alternative care solutions for children in Italy, with a focus on vulnerable groups of children such as unaccompanied and separated children, young migrants and refugees, at national level and in selected locations (Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Apulia and/or others to be selected), to analyze the success factors, and evaluate their outcomes on the five Child Guarantee policy areas (healthcare, education, early childhood development and care, housing and nutrition) and to identify models which could be promoted for the scale-up in other localities or to other target groups.
• Develop a Handbook for the implementation of alternative care solutions for children in Italy, with a focus on vulnerable groups of children such as unaccompanied and separated children, young migrants and refugees. The methodological guidance will address both governmental and non-governmental organizations and will guide them through the process of delivering age, gender and culturally appropriate alternative care. This will include consulting with and convening stakeholders to generate substantive input, create a common vision and generate buy-in. The Child Guarantee Steering Committee (to be established) will be involved in all the steps of the process to ensure the endorsement from the institutions and promote their ownership.
• Support the organization and facilitation of an event (the modality, in person or remote, will depend on the COVID-19 restrictions) for the dissemination of the findings of the mapping and of the handbook to promote the sharing of best practices in the provision of alternative care to children and young people across the country.
• Develop the content of an online training module on the use of the handbook guidance for local authorities and service providers to promote the use of alternative care at sub-national level.

Coordination and engagement of stakeholders:

• Promote and support the engagement of key stakeholders in all technical activities involving the use of alternative care strategies, including those specific for unaccompanied and separated children, as well as for young migrants and Italian care-leavers.
• Liaise with and support the work of the Child Guarantee Steering Committee.
• Support the dissemination with key stakeholders of all materials and documentation produced on the use of alternative care strategies for children, including unaccompanied and separated children as well as for young migrants and Italian care-leavers.

Contractual arrangements:

• Duration: The contract duration will be 11.5 months from mid-January 2021. The individual contractor is expected to work full time.
• Supervisor: The individual contractor will report to the Child Protection Specialist.
• Payment: The individual contractor will be paid on a monthly basis upon timely and satisfactory completion of deliverables. Each request for payment must be supported by a monthly report. Final payment is made only upon certification of the satisfactory completion of the assignment as a whole, and completion by the supervisor of the evaluation.
• Nature of Penalty Clause in Contract: If the final reports and documents are not submitted according to the deliverables stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission: 20 days - 10%; 1 month -20%; 2 months -30%; more 2 months – payment withhold). All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.
• Duty station and travel: Home-based in Italy with travel to field locations or remote meetings depending on the COVID-19 restrictions. The individual contractor will be asked to travel in the selected locations (Lombardy, Veneto, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Apulia and/or others to be selected) for the mapping exercise, at least twice per month (for the months 1 to 4) and when needed for the completion of the assigned tasks. Approx. 10 trips, 2/3 days per trip, depending on the COVID-19 restrictions. The individual contractor will be responsible for organizing their travel. All travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount allocated for travel will be EUR 4,000.
• 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 contractor will travel via the most economic and direct route.
  • Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission, upon submission of invoices.
  • 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

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

Required:

• Advanced degree in social work, anthropology, political science or other relevant mental health background;
• A minimum of eight years of relevant professional work in child protection working in design, development, evaluation and implementation of alternative care solutions in humanitarian and/or migratory settings;
• Demonstrated knowledge of UN alternative care guideline and similar international tools;
• Excellent planning and organizational skills;
• Excellent analytical and written skills;
• Strong communication skills - both oral and written;
• Fluency in Italian and English;
• Good team player.

Desired:

• Demonstrated experience in developing M&E frameworks related to the field of residential care/alternative care;
• Demonstrated capacity of engagement of Authorities and relevant stakeholders;
• Experience in working through local and national systems;
• Experience working with UN/international organizations.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) 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 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.

To apply:

Applicants are invited to:

1. complete their UNICEF profile;
2. attach P11, CV and Motivation Letter (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.htm)
3. Submit a financial proposal with a monthly fee in EUR, bearing in mind that the maximum allowed for this consultancy is 4,000 EUR/month – travel not included. Applications without fees will not be considered.

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.