Individual Contractor -Programme, 5 months, Athens, Greece

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UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Wednesday 28 Apr 2021 at 20:55 UTC

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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,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize UNICEF’s presence in the country under the form of a Greece Country Office. This office falls under the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 21 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of an expanded mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are moving towards an even greater collaboration and partnership in order to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country including children in institutional care.

The Convention of the Rights of the Child, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children all recognize that the ideal setting for a child to grow up in to fulfil their potential and participate as full citizens, is within a family environment that provides a nurturing and loving atmosphere. However, when necessary for the protection of a child to be looked after this should be happening, within a community-based care system which is suitable to meet the child’s individual needs

The child care system in Greece is reliant on the use of long-term residential care. There is limited availability of community-based prevention services and few alternative family-based care services. The length of children’s stay in care is long-term, and in most cases and there is a corresponding tacit social norm that “institutions are a good solution for children.” There are approximately 1,700 children placed in various type of residential institutions throughout Greece, including state-run, NGOs and church or faith-based organizations. Drivers for institutionalization include poverty, lack of community-based prevention and support services, lack of inclusive education, lack of specialized family support and parent training, disability categorization and attitudes.

Over the past few years, Greece has seen new important developments for their child care system. In 2018, a new Law on Foster care and Adoption paved the way for expanded family-based care options, and in late 2019, there were renewed efforts to take forward De-Institutionalization (DI) and community-based care with an initiative to draft a DI national strategy and action plan. While promising, these recent efforts have yet to materialize into a comprehensive child care system that addresses gatekeeping mechanisms, prevention services and response to child abuse and neglect.

The UNICEF Country Office in Greece aims to ensure that the rights of all children in Greece are protected and promoted. This includes ensuring that children in or at risk of institutionalization have improved access to family and community-based care, specialized services, quality, accessible and inclusive services, in the context of a strengthened child protection system

How can you make a difference?

  • Support in the development of specific sectoral plans of action for project implementation in the areas of child care system reform, education, youth empowerment and violence against children.
  • Undertake regular visits to project sites to assess local conditions and monitor and evaluate partner progress, implementation and utilization of resources.
  • Prepare and maintains records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of project/programme implementation.
  • Prepare reports, briefing papers and other related documentation on initiatives as necessary for decision making and information purposes for UNICEF management, donors, partners and allies.

  • Ensure strong inter-agency interaction at the planning and operational level and/or participate in relevant child protection and education coordination structures.

  • Develop and enhance strong partnerships with community groups, leaders and other partners in the community, as well as with civil society organisations to orient them on country programme goals and to solicit their involvement in the implementation of the country programme.

Outputs/Deliverables

• Monthly reports summarising activities and progress against main duties listed above.

• Input to sectoral plans of action listed above.

• Concept notes and good practices documents, as requested.

• Minutes of relevant meetings and outcome reports (on a regular basis).

• Draft summaries/notes for the record and reports from participation in coordination meetings, including but not limited to partner meetings, consultations and meetings with government institutions.

• Draft field visit reports or programmatic visits to UNICEF implementing partner interventions.

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

  • Advanced university degree in social work, international relations, humanitarian affairs, law, child psychology, education, or another relevant field.
  • Minimum of 4 years related work experience with UNICEF and / or other relevant actors in the areas of child rights, project management, and other relevant fields.
  • Fluency in Greek and English.

F****or 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

• Strong levels of self-awareness and ability to self-manage and operate safely and securely in rapidly changing contexts.

• Personal drive for results.

• Ability to work effectively in a diverse and multi-cultural team to achieve goals.

• Ability to develop new and nurture existing internal and external networks, partnerships and relationships which deliver results.

• Ability to communicate clearly, confidently and persuasively, both orally and in writing.

• Ability to analyse information, solve problems and make decisions in complex, challenging and rapidly evolving environments.

• Strategic thinking.

• The highest levels of personal integrity and commitment to adhering to required standards of conduct and behaviour.

• A willingness and commitment to serve the children and their communities.

Duty station and travel

The individual contractor/consultant will be based in Athens, with frequent duty travel to the geographical areas covered by the Programmes of Implementing Partners (namely Attiki, Central Greece, Peloponnese, Western Macedonia, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia & Thrace, North Aegean).

Interested applicants are expected to indicate a monthly fee for travel, considering on average two (2) duty trips of 3 days each, all inclusive (air fare, boat, train, bus or own vehicle, accommodation and per diem). An amount for travel will be specified in the contract (travel lumpsum). From this amount the contractor will receive payments only after calculation of actual days travelled, as per UNICEF rates for DSA and travel related expenditures, and after submission of an invoice. The amount specified as a lumpsum in the contract may not be paid in full to the contractor. If the amount for travel initially set in the contract is higher than the actual cost of all travels at the end of the contract, the amount is not due to the contractor and is returned to UNICEF budget. If the amount for travel initially set in the contract is lower than the actual cost of all travels, this amount could be increased, provided sufficient funds are available in the respective budget line. All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.

Equipment

IT Equipment may be provided to the consultant, upon availability, to carry out the deliverables. Interested applicants are expected to have already the necessary IT equipment (lap top, mobile phone).

Timeframe and Payment Schedule

The Consultant will be paid on a monthly rate against submission of a monthly invoice clearly outlining the deliverables produced during the period, and within 30 days upon acceptance of the satisfactory completion of these deliverables.

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. The UNICEF Greece Country Office will take into consideration the offers received by the applicants, the available budget under the Grant Agreement and the local labor market rates.

HOW TO APPLY

Applicants are invited to:

a. complete their UNICEF profile

b. attach latest CV and Motivation Letter (http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.htm))

c. Indicate a monthly fee for the aforementioned deliverables (Full time deployment)

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

All regulations for Consultants and Individual Contractors, including General Terms and Conditions, do apply for this contract. 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.

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.

Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org