Individual Consultant to support the Process of Legislative Reform on Domestic Violence Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (For Belize Nationals Only)

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, hope.

Since 2019, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN) have embarked on a joint global, multiyear initiative focused on eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) - the Spotlight Initiative. The Initiative is so named as it brings focused attention to this issue, moving it into the spotlight and placing it at the center of efforts to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs), specifically SDG 5 on Gender Equality.

In Belize, the Spotlight Initiative has been contributing to ending family violence by strengthening policy and legislation that will guarantee increased protection of women and girls, building capacity of state and non-state actors to respond to family violence, expanding the range of services available and addressing social norms and behaviours that promote violence against women and girls. The Initiative seeks to achieve 6 main outcomes. Outcome 1 addresses critical gaps in the legislative and policy framework will be addressed to ensure Belize’s legal and policy frameworks are responsive and offers the greatest level of justice and protection to women and girls. Outcome 2 is facilitating the strengthening of the capacities of key coordinating and implementing agencies to better respond to family violence. Outcome 3 actions seek to address critical social norms and other root causes of violence family violence. Outcome 4 ensuring the scale up and delivery of critical services to women and girls. Outcome 5 will strengthen Monitoring and Evaluation system and support strong evidence base for the design and delivery of interventions. And finally, under Outcome 6, actions to strengthened network of CSOs as well as capacities to advocate and design, implement, monitor and evaluate programs on family violence.

Under Outcome 1, Spotlight Initiative has been working closely with key stakeholders in government and civil society to strengthen the Domestic Violence Act with a view to increase protection and strengthen access to justice for survivors of domestic violence. In 2021, a series of consultations were held with stakeholders, including survivors of domestic violence as well as a series of forums to increase awareness of the Domestic Violence Act among women and girls in Belize. The forums and consultations identified multiple gaps and challenges with accessing justice under the Domestic Violence Act. Consequently, the Spotlight Initiative, under the leadership of the United Nations Children Fund, is engaging in a consultancy to document concrete recommendations for strengthening the Domestic Violence Act to increase protection and access to justice for all survivors of domestic violence, including vulnerable and marginalized groups.

How can you make a difference?

The Consultant will:

1. Conduct a literature review, inclusive of reports from consultation on the Domestic Violence Act and reports from Domestic Violence Forums with women and girls held in 2021, to identify strengths, weakness ad challenges to effective protection and access to justice under the Domestic Violence Act.

2. Consult with a wide cross section of state and non-state actors including civil society organization representing vulnerable groups to generate and document key challenges to effective protection and access to justice under the Domestic Violence Act.

3. Consult with a wide cross section of community leaders, women and girls, men, including survivors of Domestic Violence to generate and document key challenges to effective protection and access to justice under the Domestic Violence Act.

4. Document recommendations from consultations and develop and submit a report on the recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the DV Act to be utilized as a tool to inform decision making on reform of the DV act by government and other stakeholders.

5. Develop and advocacy brief for DV Legislative Reform based on the findings of the report.

Key Expected Results:

1. Recommendations for strengthening the Domestic Violence Act

2. An Advocacy Brief for Domestic Violence Legislative Reform

Key Activities/Responsibilities/TasksDeliverables/Outputs (*):Deliverable 1: Inception Report including methodology and approach for consultations and template/outline for report on recommendationsInception report inclusive of workplanDeliverable 2: A minimum of 15 consultations (individual and group) with a representative cross section of policy and decision makers, programme planners and implementers, CSOs, women, men and survivors of DV ensuring inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized populationsConsultations ReportDeliverable 3: Report on key recommendations for strengthening the implementation of the Domestic Violence ActAdvocacy brief for Domestic Violence Legislative Reform

Travel Requirements

This assignment will require travel outside Belize City. The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel,. Accommodation, meals and incidentals costs must not exceed the UN daily subsistence allowance rates. Travel should be included in the financial proposal.

Payment Schedule

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables which receive satisfactory quality review. In general, individual contracts shall not allow for fee advances.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Development, Social Work, International Development, Human Rights, Social Policy or other relevant disciplines *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in Social Work, Communication for Development, Social Policy, including hands-on experience in stakeholder engagement.
• At least 3 years of professional experience working on gender equality and human rights, especially in the area of EVAWG.
• Experience in working with marginalized and vulnerable groups including survivors of GBV.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Administrative Matters

The work will be performed on a hybrid modality (presential and remotely). The consultant will provide own materials, and ICT equipment.

Conditions of Service

Before commencing work, a consultant or individual contractor shall submit a statement of good health and take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement, including confirmation that he or she has been informed of the inoculations required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized. Consultants and individual contractors shall assume all costs that may occur in relation to the statement of good health. Consultants and individual contractors are required to certify that they are covered by medical/health insurance.

Recourse

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Performance indicators against which the satisfactory conclusion of this contract will be assessed include: timeliness/quality of submission and responsiveness to UNICEF and counterpart feedback.

Title Rights

All materials created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract and any intellectual property rights thereof, including but not limited to patents, copyright and trademarks, shall be jointly owned by UNICEF and the Contractor. At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights. Any third-party usage shall require written permission from both parties.

Trainings

Consultants and Individual contractors, even those working from home, must complete the following online courses prior to signature of contract. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract:

• Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF
• Prevention of Sexual Harassment & Abuse of Authority
• Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)

Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete the following course before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF.

• BSAFE Security Training

Any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract.

• UNICEF Information Security Awareness Course
• Fraud Awareness

How to Apply

Prospective consultants should apply through UNICEF jobs website using the link provided, No later than 16 August 2022. The application package should include the following:

a) Detailed Curriculum Vitae

b) A proposal with a detailed budget inclusive of estimated travel costs.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.