Individual contractor to support child protection awareness, adolescents programming, social norms and Violence Against Children (VAC) prevention, Kigali, 11.5 months

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, protection

Scope of Work:

The Government of Rwanda is strongly committed to ensuring that all children can achieve their full potential in a safe and protective environment. However, the level of violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect among children and adolescents in Rwanda remains a concern. Despite violence being often under-reported, figures from the National Violence Against Children and Youth Study (2015/16) show that 42% of boys and 26% of girls aged 13-17 have been victims of physical violence, while 12% of girls and 5% of boys aged 13-17 reported exposure to sexual violence. The Early Childhood Development and Family (ECD&F) Baseline Evaluation (MIGEPROF/NISR, 2015) also indicates that 49.3% of children, sometimes very young, were exposed to violent discipline in the month preceding the study.

Recognizing much more needed investment on prevention mechanisms at the community level to effectively reduce violence against children, since 2014, the Government of Rwanda, with support from UNICEF and other partners have been establishing and strengthening a child protection system, available at all levels, to prevent, identify and respond to child protection violations. The community-based component of the child protection system includes actors responsible for child protection such as the cadre of community-based child and family protection volunteers known as Friends of the Family or Inshuti Z’Umuryango (IZU). In addition to the IZU, prevention and response efforts are increasingly recognizing that children and adolescents can be active agents in increasing knowledge and awareness, demand for services and in holding service providers accountable.

Participation of children and adolescents in child protection activities can build a strong partnership that is key in fostering a sense of responsibility and accountability by the children and adolescents in identification and fighting all forms of protection violations as well as ensuring that all those who require protection services receive them.

UNICEF has been working with key stakeholders, primarily the National Child Development (NCD) Agency, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF), Ministry of Local Government (MINALOC), Ministry of Information Communication Technology (MINICT), Ministry of Youth and Culture (MyCulture), National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD), children and youth focused organisations and other civil society partners to build capacity of young people and promote agency in the fight against sexual abuse and exploitation and promoting the participation of children and adolescents in child care and participation.

The growing need to promote children and adolescent participation, as well as to increase efforts towards fighting all forms of protection violations in all spheres of children and adolescents’ lives requires a dedicated person to manage and facilitate all efforts, including coordination of partner efforts.

Facilitate children and adolescent participation forums and activities, including linkages with Generation Unlimited (GenU) activities at community level

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The overall objective of the consultancy is to manage and coordinate UNICEF’s partnerships and support to community-based child protection programmes, specifically focusing on promotion of adolescent and child participation and prevention of all forms of protection violations. Specific objectives are as follows:

1. Facilitate the development/packaging of adolescent and youth peer support material on prevention of violence, abuse and exploitation, including child online protection.
2. Facilitate training of adolescents, child protection workforce, law enforcement and justice professionals in child and adolescent friendly service provision
3. Support child protection awareness, adolescents programming, social norms and Violence Against Children (VAC) prevention

How can you make a difference?

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Estimate Budget

Support to programme development and planning together with child protection specialist and other members of the child protection team.

detailed annual and quarterly work plan with activities clearly linked to each agreed task and result; at the beginning of the consultancy.

Q1

TBD

Provide project management of the partnership with CLADHO and University of Rwanda Social Work Department on children, youth and adolescent support programmes.

Partnership meeting minutes, programme implementation reports and programme coordination reports

Q1-Q4

TBD

Provide ongoing programme management support and monitoring of VAC, adolescents, and community programmes, particularly Gen U and the partnership with CLADHO and University of Rwanda

Field monitoring, community awareness, child and adolescent engagement and VAC prevention activity reports

Q1-Q4

TBD

Lead the development of adolescent and youth peer support material on prevention and response to violence, abuse and exploitation, including child online protection.

Peer support material developed in collaboration with SBCC team in UNICEF

Q1-Q2

TBD

Support capacity development of child protection, law enforcement and justice workforce, including community workforce and peer support volunteers in child friendly service provision for child protection

Training and skills development reports

Q1-Q4

TBD

Provide technical and operational support to programme implementation and monitoring of VAC, adolescents, and community programmes involving the IZU and other community-based structures.

Technical documents, briefings, materials, guidelines and tools on participation, awareness, VAC prevention, social norms and adolescent programming

Q1-Q4

TBD

Build and sustain effective close working partnerships with government counterparts and implementing partners through active sharing of knowledge and information.

Programme updates, meeting minutes, and reports production on implementation progress

Q1-Q4

TBD

Support knowledge management and capacity building of community-based child protection programmes and systems.

Training concept notes, power points and reports, programme documentation, progress and final reporting

Q1-Q4

TBD

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

Academic qualifications:

• University degree in Social Sciences (Sociology, Psychology and Social Work), Development Studies, Community Development or Project Management. An advanced degree in the above fields is an added advantage.

Employment experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant professional work experience in child protection, preferably working with children and young people. Experience in coordination and management of social work interventions, as well as in capacity-building is an asset.
• At least 2 years of experience in a multi-sectoral management, project and partnership management as well as practical experience of community development.
• Sound understanding and past working experience of participatory community principles and practices.
• Experience in working with Government, International Non-Government Organisational (INGOs) or Development Partners is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and competences: 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, Manages ambiguity and complexity, Nurtures, Leads and Manages People.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should send their cover letter explaining what makes them suitable for this consultancy.

Only successful candidates from the technical evaluation exercise will be contacted and requested to submit their most competitive 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 to become a part of the organization.

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:

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.