International Consultant to develop and finalize legal framework pertaining to adoption, alternative care, juvenile justice law and build capacity for the roll out of Child Protection Law

Contract

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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, Support

Find out how UNICEF programmes drives change for children in Timor-Leste by visiting https://www.unicef.org/timorleste.

How can you make a difference?

Under overall guidance and supervision from the Health Manager, provide technical assistance to the Government of Timor-Leste and the National Parliament to develop or finalize laws and policies to protect children focusing on adoption and juvenile justice, as well as to build capacity of social service workforce (SSW) to implement the new Child protection law and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Specifically, the purpose is to operationalize the Law on Protection of Children and Youth in Danger - Law No.06/2023 through revising or developing a legal framework pertaining to Adoption and supporting the Ministry of Justice to develop Juvenile Justice Law. Capacity building of SSW will focus on mentoring mentors and supervisors to supervise case worker implementing child protection measures through Case Management; developing training on the implementation of LPCYD in Justice Sector for Judges and prosecutors.

WORK ASSIGNMENT:

1. Review and develop legal framework on adoption: Assist the Commission F of the National Parliament and MSSI to develop law regulating adoption, foster care and kinship care (50 days)

Activity 1.1:

• Conduct a gap analysis of existing legal framework pertaining to adoption, including a comparative analysis of adoption in the context of Timor-Leste regionally, and globally
• Presentation of key findings and recommendation to Commission F of the National Parliament
• Collaborate with other legal advisors to develop law regulating adoption depending on the findings of the gap analysis.
• Support to conduct national consultation of the draft legal frameworks.
• Support in the discussion during the generality and especially deliberation
• Support in final revisions and approval of the laws
• Develop advocacy point for UNICEF and CSO

Activity 1.2:

• Develop a concept note on the foster care and kinship care law, including comparative analysis in the region/global best practices
• Draft foster care and kinship care law
• Support in the discussion as needed
• Support in final revisions and approval of the law

2. Assist MSSI in developing Ministerial Diploma to regulate Child Protection Network (5 days)

• Conduct consultation or review the functionality of Child Protection Network (membership, functions, or roles and responsibility, coordination, accountability etc) to implement the Law on protection of children and youth in danger
• Revision of the ToR

3. Review and assist MoJ to finalize the Juvenile Justice Law (10 days)

• Review the draft Juvenile Justice Law
• Support in the discussion as needed, including in the JJ Law Taskforce
• Support in final revisions and approval of the law

4. Assis the Ministry of Justice and Legal Training Centre to develop, deliver and institutionalized the training on the implementation of Law on Protection of Children and Youth in Danger in Justice with for Judges and Prosecutors during the judicial races (15 days)

• Develop a three to four days Training Manual
• Assist to identify 5 – 6 National Trainers to work with MSSI to deliver the training.
• Deliver a three to four days ToT to trainers
• Mentor the trainers to deliver the training to Judges and Prosecutor

5. Assis MSSI to strengthen the capacity of Child Protection Case Management through mentoring the mentor and supervisor (10 days)

• Assist MSSI mentors and supervisors to develop its supervision plan
• Build their capacity in leading case management meeting, in assisting case workers, and providing feedback.
• Support mentors and supervisors in navigating court procedures and reintegration of children to home and reflection of complex cases
• Develop tools to support Case Management and deliver a training during the case management meeting.
• Support mentors and supervisor to support case worker’s mental health
• Assist MSSI through regular follow up regarding the roll out of the CP Law by trouble shooting issues arising from the field and mentoring

DELIVERABLES:

Deliverable 1.1 (By 30 November 2024):

• Gap and comparative analysis completed, and report shared with MSSI.
• PPT developed and presented to Commission F
• Draft laws developed and shared with MSSI and Commission F
• National Consultations concluded and recommendation shared with commission F
• Final draft of laws shared.
• Generality, specialty and global deliberation in parliament concluded with support provided and report shared with MSSI
• Advocacy materials developed.

Deliverable 1.2 (by 20 December 2024):

• Concept note on the development of the foster care and kinship care law is submitted and endorsed by MSSI
• Foster care and kinship care law is developed in line with the best international practices
• Presentation on the draft law submitted to MSSI and other relevant bodies, and revised to include feedback
• Final draft law submitted

Deliverable 2 (By 30 August 2024):

• Diploma Ministerial of CPN developed
• ToR of CPN for National, Municipality and Administrative Post reviewed to be in line with CP law

Deliverable 3 (by 30th December 2024):

• Juvenile Justice law is revised to align with the best international practices
• Presentation developed and presented to MoJ
• Final draft law submitted

Deliverable 4 (by 30 August 2024):

• Training manuals developed
• Trainers identified to join MSSI trainers
• ToT delivered (list of participants and report on pre post test and evaluation submitted)
• Training to Judges and Prosecutor conducted by the Trainers with mentorship (list of participants, and report on pre post test and evaluation submitted

Deliverable 5 (by 15 May 2025):

• Assigned MSSI case supervisors and mentors have a supervision plan developed.
• Tools to support case management for supervision developed
• At least 2 national case management meetings conducted by MSSI supervisors with the consultant’s support
• Assist MSSI supervisors and mentors to conduct at least 3 case management meetings; brief or trained them on new tools developed to support case management.
• 1 workshop held with MSSI mentor and supervisor on tools to support case worker’s MH.
• Report on regular follow ups and Q&A arising from the field submitted

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following areas is required: Child Protection and or family Law, Social Welfare laws, child, family and social welfare Legal Drafter of child legal framework.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant professional work experience in developing legal framework
• Relevant work experience in developing training courses related to social welfare workforce, and Justice system
• Work experience in Timor-Leste is an asset.
• Experience in capacity building and systems strengthening is an asset.
• Very good organizational and facilitation skills required.
• Proficiency in English and Portuguese is required, speaking Tetum is an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.