Individual Consultant to Strengthen Technical and Operational Capacities of CSOs through Collaborative Mechanisms and Partnerships (Open to Nationals of Guyana only)

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, safety

The Spotlight Initiative is a global partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in support of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development. It was launched in September 2017 by the UN Secretary-General and the EU High Representative and Vice President (HRVP). This Initiative provides a model for partnerships with donors, civil society, and the UN to deliver on the SDGs in a comprehensive manner leveraging comparative expertise. SDG 5 and the achievement of gender equality are placed at the centre of efforts (alongside Goal 16) with the aim to provide an enabling environment for the implementation of all goals. Within the UN, the Initiative will operationalize the UN development system reforms and model a new way of delivering on the SDGs in an integrated way, leveraging collaborative advantages.

In Guyana, the Spotlight Initiative aims to address the root causes of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) with an emphasis on the prevention of family violence which includes sexual and gender-based violence, intimate partner violence and school-based violence. Therefore, under the pillar related to “institutional strengthening”, it is recognised that longer-term plans of action (and “visioning”) are needed for documented sector plans which are actionable and monitored. These actions will help address, among other things, the power imbalance and gender equality as a foundation for the work on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG), siloed approaches, and matters of accountability within and between sectors. It will provide institutions with key tools to allow for increased “decentralized” responses in the sectors and in the local governance system to strengthen access to prevention and response services (including access to justice and social support). The products of this consultancy will become a critical reference point(s) for the work related to the gender-responsive budgeting into government programmes and mechanisms for the systematic analysis of the impact of policies on EVAWG. It is also expected that the products of this consultancy will assist in ensuring task forces and reporting mechanisms are strengthened to support the coordination, monitoring, accountability, and oversight of work on family violence.

The following task were also conducted as a part of initial work:

• Mapping of the registered and unregistered CSOs all targeted regions for Spotlight Initiative • Assessment and building the capacity of CSOs in basic technical and organizational skills • Meeting with the identified CSOs to gain insight into their operations and undertakings to begin to address the root causes of violence against women and girls (VAWG) with an emphasis of prevention. The mapping, assessment, and basic introductory training with the CSOs revealed the following: • The community groups are not equipped technically nor organisationally to respond to basic GBV interventions in their communities. • There are little to no organisational systems in place for the groups to be engaged in GBV response. • The assessment of the community groups acknowledged that they did not have sufficient knowledge about the concept of GBV and requested more awareness sessions about GBV and its many facets. • The community groups requested further support in the following areas: proposal writing, monitoring of projects and accountability. It is therefore imperative, and in the interest of the Spotlight Initiative Programme, that there should be continued building of the CSOs, and a period devoted to the nurturing of CSOs especially in the Spotlight Initiative targeted areas.

FUNCTIONS/DUTIES TO BE PERFORMED BY THE CONSULTANT

Under the direct supervision of the UNICEF and in coordination with UN Women and MoHSSS, the consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks: • Design training plan and develop materials (manual on identified issues, videos) targeting various CSOs aimed at enhancing NGO/CSO Management, knowledge, sensitivity, and responsiveness to gender issues in general and gender-based violence in particular • Training and Capacity Building of at least 20 CSOs in NGO/CSO Management, Gender Based Violence and Human Rights for women and girls affected by violence. • Conduct proposal writing sessions and help to some good proposal for small scale funding on GBV. • Engagement with CSOs to implement their capacity building activities. • Provision of tools and techniques to ensure that CSOs are well equipped to lead and implement the activities. • Monitor and evaluate their acquired skills and use of resources

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE SUCCESSFUL INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Mandatory:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, and governance and or the humanities. • Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience with expertise in working with CSOs and/or community-based organizations. • Clear understanding of local CSOs and non-governmental landscape in Guyana. • Knowledge of gender-based violence and family violence issues. • Excellent writing skills; Good inter-personal, networking, partnership building, team building, presentation, and communication skills. • Demonstrate understanding and appreciation for different types of learning styles • Fluency in written and spoken English. Competencies:

Ability to think strategically, develop initiatives as well as provide innovative solutions and advice through learning.

Please access the complete ToR: TOR CSO capacity -Pillar 6- Spotlight.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 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.