Individual Contractor: Protection of Sexual Exploitation and abuse (PSEA) in LAC

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.

In 2017 the UN adopted a strategy to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA). Policies and procedures have been developed for the whole UN which include requirements for action plans, risk mitigation frameworks and staff responsibilities to report SEA. The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by UNICEF personnel and by personnel and sub-contractors of UNICEF Implementing Partners.

In December 2018, under the IASC Championship of UNICEF Executive Director, the IASC Principals laid out three main priorities to prevent and respond to SEA, namely: 1) safe and accessible reporting mechanism that is gender and child sensitive; 2) quality SEA survivor assistance; and 3) enhanced accountability, including through prompt and respectful investigations.

UNICEF has further articulated procedures to prevent and respond to SEA, and there are contractual obligations with UNICEF consultants and implementing partners including preventative, investigative and corrective measures, as well as requests to governments. In addition, to trainings and clear reporting procedures with timelines, investigation systems have been established that flow from the point of concern through country, regional and to the executive level.

During 2020 the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean began a process of strengthening SEA prevention actions within the Regional and Country Offices. As part of UNICEF's response to COVID-19, the inclusion of actions for the prevention and response to SEA incidents has been promoted with the country offices, the strengthening of capacities within UNICEF, the reporting mechanisms, the capacities of the partners and promoting inter-agency coordination.

Considering the above, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and Caribbean (LACRO) intends to further develop UNICEFs SEA responses by developing staff capacities at regional and country level, supporting country offices in the monitoring and any necessary follow up on implementing partners training, articulation of reporting structures and support for the development of country level plans within the UNCT framework.

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

For every child, protection

The purpose of this assignment is to support the Regional and Country offices in establishing their country specific process for preventing, responding and reporting on SEA in line with UNICEF’s global guidance and as part of the whole UN, and to support the UNICEF staff and implementing partners in understanding what SEA is and their individual and organizational responsibilities. This includes working with UNICEF’s personnel, associates (suppliers, implementing partners) to reduce the likelihood of SEA.

How can you make a difference?

Specific Tasks

The Consultant supports the development and preparation of the office’s PSEA activities and is responsible for contributing to the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of these activities in accordance with UNICEF’s regulations and capacity-building initiatives on PSEA in the region in order to help shape strategic programmatic responses to PSEA across sectors.

More specifically, the consultant will support the Regional Office in 3 main area of work and will be expected to complete the following tasks:

1. Technical support, coordination and monitoring:

• Review PSEA structures in UNICEF COs and in relation to the UN country team to identify gaps and successes.
• Work with each country office to develop clear monitoring mechanisms including tracking contractual obligations with implementing partners,
• Develop a monitoring system for PSEA in LACRO which includes case progress, trainings, country signatures, etc.
• Inter-agency Coordination: Works with regional and country offices in the promotion and realization of UN Country Action Plans for PSEA.
• Knowledge management: in collaboration with CP Officer, maintain a knowledge management repository for the above resources and other global resources or best practices/lessons learned, for current, useful and reliable reference;

2. Prevention:

• Develop and implement a basic training programme (that can be replicated) for the regional and country offices and implementing partners. This includes general orientation training as well as specific trainings for those who carry particular roles in the reporting process. The package will work from the existing PSEA trainings already developed globally and is expected to include ‘initial’ trainings and successive follow up training/learning opportunities. It will also include reference to PSEA requirements found within UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children. In light of COVID 19 specific attention will be on the implementation of PSEA in times of limited mobility. Further this training will also touch on child safeguarding responsibilities as per UNICEF directives on the same.
• Develop a package of trainings for UNICEF PSEA focal points (that can be replicated) to be able to deliver to implementing partners. This package will build on existing materials with a key focus on the contractual obligations and reporting requirements. Considering COVID 19 specific attention will be on the implementation of PSEA in times of limited mobility.

3. Detection and Response:

• Referrals: Support Child Protection colleagues, in improve effecting safe, timely and accountable referrals as appropriate;
• Work with each country office to develop a clear reporting mechanism for SEA, identifying the specific posts carrying the different responsibilities, and defining (with colleagues working on Accountability to Affected Populations) key project areas where reporting processes may be more challenging and identify require specific supports.

Expected Results:

The following results are expected at the end of the consultancy:

• Analysis of existing PSEA CO structures, gaps and successes.
• Repository with Documentation of PSEA programs in the LAC region, including existing materials, guidelines, tools available through a knowledge management platform.
• A monitoring system for PSEA in LACRO which includes case progress tracking, trainings, country signatures.
• Replicable learning packages on PSEA designed and delivered including reports on key results/learnings from each training.
• Mapping of SEA reporting mechanisms for each office.

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

• Education:
  • Master's degree in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, political science, international relations) or international development.
• Work Experience:
  • A minimum of 7 years of professional, international experience associated with the support, design, implementation or management of PSEA and/or child safeguarding and/or Child Protection.
  • Experience working in the UN or other international development organizations an asset.
• Languages:
  • Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge on Portuguese will be considered an asset.
• Technical knowledge:
  • Experience operationalizing response plans and codes of conduct, ideally in a related area.
  • Experience developing standard operation procedures, ideally in a related area.
  • Experience designing and conducting trainings, remotely and in person, ideally in a related area
• Other skills and attributes:
  • Demonstrated excellent communication skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to engage and build collaboration with multiple partners.
  • Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
  • Demonstrate strong communication skills, verbally and written.
  • Able to work effectively and engage young people in program design.
  • Demonstrated experience on UNICEF will be an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate…

Core values of care, respect, integrity, trust, and accountability. UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

Supervision: The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist in close coordination with the Child Protection Regional Advisor.

Workplace: The consultant will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials, resources and equipment. The consultant will be required to have access to Skype/Zoom to facilitate the communication required during this assignment.

Duration: Estimated start date is March 2021, and end date November 2021.

Travel: No travel is currently involved. If situation permits, the supervisor and the consultant will agree on travel to some countries in the Region.

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

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.