Individual Contractor, Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Covid-19 Response & Recovery Actions in the LAC Region

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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.

For every child, education

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.

Children and adolescents with disabilities are one of the most marginalized and excluded groups in society, experiencing widespread violations of their rights. They are most likely to face severe social, economic, cultural and civic disparities as compared with those without disabilities. Negative attitudes, stereotypes, stigma, violence, abuse, isolation, as well as lack of adequate policies and legislation, and educational and economic opportunities are daily experiences they face.

UNICEF uses the term ‘disability’ in line with the definition provided in the CRPD (Article 1): “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”

UNICEF’s work on disability is guided by a human rights-based approach and inclusive development framework according to the social model of disability. UNICEF strives for meaningful participation of persons with disabilities, including children, adolescents and women with disabilities, in all aspects of UNICEF’s work- in the spirit of the motto “Nothing About Us Without Us”-.

Protecting the rights of children with disabilities has been an integral part of UNICEF agenda the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) went into force. This work further gained momentum with the passing of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The Conventions demand recognition of each child as a full member of her or his family, community and society and entail a focus on investment removing all physical, cultural, economic, communication, mobility and attitudinal barriers that impede the realization of the child’s rights– including the right to active involvement in the making of decisions that affect children’s daily lives.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

How can you make a difference?

1. Strengthen the capacity of the National Offices to implement inclusive programming and practices.

• Provide continued support to country offices in Panama, Perú, Paraguay, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay to strengthen inclusive approaches in health, education, and social protection

• Manage and facilitate documentation, dissemination, and exchange of good practices amongst COs and regional disability partners.

• Facilitate the identification of local partners, support the development of alliances and coordinate the training of front liners and counterparts on disability inclusion.

• Provide support and advise to the implementation of DIPAS in the region, by facilitating collaboration and mutual learning amongst UNICEF COs and disability partners.

• Provide advice and recommendations for family outreach and participation of children with disabilities. Advice on the implementation of communication in accessible formats, and reasonable accommodations for disability inclusion.

• Systematize mainstreaming processes in the region and compile information that makes this type of inclusive practice visible.

2. Regional campaign "Part of the Solution"

• Follow up the implementation of MoUs with regional disability networks and continue identification of possible UNICEF partners. Ensure regular collaboration and participation of adults and children with disabilities in consultations, campaigns, and programs.

• In coordination with the Inclusion Advisory Team, continue developing activities and training to introduce and disseminate collaborative, intersectional, and inclusive practices.

• Continue mapping and identifying disability organizations, individuals, and resources on the ground that can contribute to UNICEF’s main strategies and country programs.

3. Collect data, promote awareness, and facilitate advocacy on reducing stigma and discrimination

• Follow up on the results of the recent report on bullying and discrimination of children with disabilities, by disseminating findings and advocating awareness amongst COs

• Continue managing information and possible entry points for interventions to reduce stigma and violence against children and adolescents with disabilities in LACRO.

• In coordination with COs assist the creation of advocacy groups on the ground led by children and adolescents’ advocates and support the implementation of awareness and empowerment initiatives against stigma and discrimination.

Expected Results

• Produce at least 8 communication products on disability inclusion in the region to be used for the landing page, education newsletters, and HQ reports.

• Continue systematization of processes and support provided to National Offices on an ongoing basis for their capacity development and prepare a report.

• Organize 2 regional events with partners (DPOs and UN agencies) within the Part of the Solution regional initiative.

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

• University Degree in Social Sciences, Human Sciences or related fields. • A minimum of 10 years of experience providing technical assistance to international agencies and/or governments in the LAC Region. A good understanding of inclusive development with a focus on inter-sectorial approaches to children and adolescent’s health, education and social protection required. • Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical knowledge: Professional knowledge and expertise in implementing integrated policies and programs that are inclusive of children and adolescents with disabilities. Extensive knowledge of UNICEF work in the LAC Region in the areas of disability rights and cross sectorial approaches to ECD, education, health and social protection.

Other skills and attributes:

• Demonstrated excellent skills in (a) reviewing and systematizing existing practices, (b) writing documents and guidelines for implementation of inclusive initiatives. • Demonstrated ability to identify available resources and promising practices in the area of disability inclusion. • Ability to work efficiently under tight deadline.

Supervision: the individual contractor will work under the direct supervision of the Education Manager and in close collaboration with the Education and ECD team.

Workplace: This is a home-based remote consultancy. The contractor will need to provide his own equipment, tools and resources for this consultancy.

Duration: This is a full-time consultancy for 11.5 months, and is expected to start on 1 June 2022.

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

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.