Individual Contractor, Adolescent Development and Participation, LAC Regional Office, Panama

Contract

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UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For more information about UNICEF and its work, visit the LAC Region page.

For every child, education The new Strategic Plan of the UNICEF LAC Regional Office includes the work on adolescent engagement and participation. Therefore, with the inclusion of the adolescent engagement, participation and skills development agenda in the Education section, support is required for a successful transition of the ADAP agenda. This assignment is of a temporary nature, as it aims to ensure the continuation of the work on Adolescent Development and Participation, including the planning and development of the 2022 Annual Work Plan, as well as contribute to the achievement of results according to the Education and ADAP agenda.

Purpose of the Assignment How can you make a difference? Under the overall guidance of the Education Specialist (Secondary Education and Learning), and the overall guidance of the Regional Education Adviser, the individual contractor will be responsible for providing technical support for advancing the adolescent development and participation agenda at the Regional Office, including technical guidance to COs, knowledge management and documentation of good practices, supporting regional efforts on adolescent participation and civic engagement and the implementation of Generation Unlimited (Youth as Change Makers) in the Region.

Specific tasks

Support regional efforts in the promotion of Adolescent Development and participation (ADAP), including adolescent and youth engagement in key programmatic areas

• Provide technical assistance in the development and implementation of the Adolescents Development and Participation agenda at the Regional Office, act as LACRO focal point on adolescents, working closely with other sectors, as well as the ADAP team in NYHQ.
• Provide technical guidance and support to LAC Country Offices, as well as regional counterparts on Adolescent related issues, including the review of situation analysis, CPDs, policies and programs.
• Compile results from adolescent development, participation and civic engagement programs implemented by UNICEF and contribute to the preparation of the annual report, tracking progress on COVID and non-COVID related results, support the review of annual reports, SMQs, regional surveys and MICS.
• Lead the development and drafting of regional multi-sectoral and multi-countries proposals and prepare investment case on adolescent and young people engagement.
• Coordinate the engagement of adolescents in UNICEF programs and communication efforts at regional and national levels, capturing voices of adolescents from the region and ensuring their active engagement in the development of programs, initiatives and products.
• Facilitate the engagement of adolescents and young people in key programmatic areas, including climate change, mental health, among others, through U-report and other platforms.
• Support knowledge management and evidence generation to inform advocacy and policy change, including analyzing trends in public policies, documenting actions and results achieved at CO and RO level when engaging adolescents as leaders in policy and advocacy change.
• Organize and coordinate meetings and workshops/seminars related to adolescent development and participation to showcase good programming practices and innovative models, with partners, including the private sector.
• Establish and coordinate collaboration with UN agencies and other key other stakeholders to ensure voices of youth from the LAC Region are included in regional and global discussions around the Agenda 2030 and Sustainable Development Goals.
• Participate in regional working groups on youth, such as the UN Interagency Working Group on Youth, Kids Online LAC network and similar.

Support the implementation of Generation Unlimited in LAC Region (Youth as Change Makers).

• Support country offices to roll out and/or adapt Plan 12 and support development of similar initiatives promoting skills development among adolescents, in collaboration with other education colleagues.
• Coordinate the work on the CONCAUSA 2030 initiative, in collaboration with implementing partners and the CONCAUSA youth network.
• Support the implementation of Generation Unlimited initiative in the region, including the documentation of the results from country level initiatives with a focus on Pillar 4 (Youth as Change Makers) and Pillar 5 of Reimagine Education (Young People’s Engagement).
• Contribute in the development of proposals, consolidation of alliances and strengthening of partnerships with youth led organizations.
• Provide technical support in the development of action plans and country level implementation, when required.

Expected results

1. An intersectoral workplan and indicators developed for the regional office on adolescent development and participation (as per new ROMP)
2. COs in LAC count on sound technical assistance related to adolescent development and participation.
3. Generation Unlimited initiative is timely implemented in the region
4. Alliances with youth organizations established

5. New resources on adolescents produced and disseminated.

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

• University degree in in Social Science, Human Rights, Psychology or related field.
• A minimum of eight years relevant professional experience
• Working experience in promoting children rights, adolescent development and participation
• A good understanding of regional youth organizations and mechanisms for youth participation in the LAC Region.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge - Professional technical knowledge on children rights, adolescent participation, youth engagement in climate change and expertise in developing training and communication materials. - Extensive knowledge of UNICEF programme work in the LAC Region in the areas of adolescent development and participation, skills development, youth engagement in climate change. - Experience facilitating adolescent and youth consultations in the region, collecting programmatic results and coordinate communication initiatives for adolescents and young people.

Other skills - Demonstrated ability to be flexible and adapt to shifting conditions and work demands. - Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines. - Must be detail oriented and creative and possess strong communication skills - Capacity to communicate effectively - Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment and establish harmonious working relations. -High level of integrity and commitment to UNICEF's mission and professional values. - Sets high levels of quality and productivity. - Ability to clearly define objectives and plan activities and work on results-based approaches and methodology. - Demonstrated experience on UNICEF will be an asset.

Supervision: The individual contractor will work under the direct supervision of the Secondary Education Specialist and in close collaboration with Regional Advisers.

Workplace: This is a home-based, remote consultancy.

Duration: The estimated start date is 15 October 2021, and approximate duration is ten [10] months.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies.

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.

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.