International Consultant to propose program for empowerment of Roma and Egyptian girls and boys in Montenegro
This opening expired 6 months ago.
Do not try to apply for this job.
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 from any harm.
The right of every child to be protected from all forms of violence (physical, sexual, psychological violence and neglect) is set out in the CRC and other international human rights treaties and standards.
Montenegro is committed to ending violence against children and has made significant strides in the past decade to align its legal and strategic framework with international standards on the protection of children from violence. This commitment has been reflected in the country’s ratification of all relevant UN and Council of Europe (CoE) treaties including the Lanzarote and Istanbul Convention. Protection of children from violence is also guaranteed by Montenegros Constitution and is an integral part of the countrys strategies and action plans for EU accession and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Government of Montenegro has adopted the Strategy for Social Inclusion of Roma and Egyptians for the period 2021-2025, which sets the vision and defines interventions towards the improvement of the socio-economic and legal position of Roma and Egyptians in Montenegro.
Based on the 2011 census, in Montenegro, Roma compose 1.01% of the total population. Additionally, 0.33% of the total population declared themselves as Egyptians. As per the 2011 census, there were 2,072 Roma and Egyptian adolescent girls and boys (10-19), representing 2,4 % of the total number of adolescents in Montenegro (85,464). Statistics show that a child born into a Roma family will most certainly be born into poverty (in 9 out of 10 cases according to MICS 2018).
Four out of five Roma children do not attend preschool, thus entering the first grade of school unprepared, lacking knowledge of basic numeracy and an ability to follow instructions. Based on the MICS 2018 data, primary and secondary education completion rates for general population stand at 96 percent and 86 percent, respectively, while only 56 percent of Roma and Egyptian children (59 percent boys and 51 percent girls) complete primary education.
The practice of arranged child marriages in Roma and Egyptian communities remains a concern. The prevalence is significant with child marriages seen as a traditional practice rather than a violation of children’s rights. More than one third (32.5 percent) of girls aged 15–19 and more than one in six boys (15.8 percent) are currently married or in union. A 2018 Study found that drivers of child marriages include the low level of girls’ education, poverty, lack of opportunities, social norms and customs, legislative gap allowing the marriage at the age of 16.
Continuous and multi-pronged support based on ‘the best interest of the child’ approach has been taken by UNICEF to support the Government of Montenegro in better social including of Roma and Egyptian children and families. Along with the ongoing support it is critical to note that the strengthening of the system must include stronger engagement with Roma and Egyptian children and their families. Therefore, it is necessary to develop interventions for the empowerment of Roma and Egyptian adolescent girls and boys, with primary focus on girls’ empowerment, skills building, and tackling discrimination.
Several different non-formal programmes for prevention of child marriage have been implemented in different parts of the world by UN and other international organizations. The main goal of these programmes is to protect girls’ rights, in particular delay age at marriage and childbearing, and empower the most marginalized girls. The programmes include different components from tackling discrimination, skills building to access to safe platforms, health services and available local resources. While some programme include direct engagement and empowerment of boys and girls, some programme only entail work with adolescent girls, while some include even families and wider communities.
Based on the above, it will be beneficial to propose the programe that will be implemented in Roma and Egyptian communities in Montenegro with the aim to prevent child marriages among Roma and Egyptian boys and girls. The programme/s will be proposed based on the review of existing and evidence-based programmes that gave significant results and can be adopted to the Montenegrin context taking into account country context, its constitution, demography and the prevalence of child marriage among Roma and Egyptian community.
Hence, within the scope of this consultancy the inter****national expert will be engaged to make a review of evidence-based existing non-formal programmes on prevention of child marriages and propose the programs and approaches that could be implemented in Montenegro. This should entail, if applicable, different solutions and programs that are offering engagement of different beneficiaries (girls, boys, parents and in combination), including evaluated non formal programmes for skills building among Roma and Egyptian adolescent girls and boys to prevent further and reduce existing prevalence of early marriages. The programmes should also take into consideration "gender-responsive cash-plus" programmes/interventions, combining provision of financial support with improved access to essential services, through better outreach and improved coverage of beneficiaries.
This consultancy is part of the European Union and UNICEF partnership on to strengthen national child protection system for prevention and protection of children from all forms of violence and exploitation in Montenegro.
[1] End Violence Against Children, Montenegro (https://www.end-violence.org/impact/countries/montenegro).
How can you make a difference?
The purpose of the assignment is to provide support to the Government of Montenegro in their efforts towards better social inclusion of Roma and Egyptian communities, focusing on Roma and Egyptian girls and boys by mitigating and preventing child marriage among Roma and Egyptian boys and girls.
More specifically, this international consultancy will take into consideration the relevant evidence-based non-formal programmes that have been evaluated as the programme that gave significant results in prevention of child marriage and hence, that could be adopted and recommended to be implemented in Montenegrin contexts. The process will take into consideration regional experiences in the implementation of similar programmes, country context, demography, prevalence of child marriages and other important elements. The programs proposed should focus on girls’ empowerment, skills building, and tackling discrimination but also other elements that will raise awareness of issues like gender-based violence, early marriage and teenage pregnancy.
The recommended non-formal programmes for Montenegro should include all necessary elements of the programme, target population (age limit), programme activities, its scale, duration and timeline. The recommended should include phases of its piloting, scaling up and sustainability with estimates of the number of beneficiaries that would be included in each stage with funding estimates.
Deliverables: Under the direct supervision of UNICEF Child Protection Officer, the International Consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks
- Desk review of all country context available reports, analyses, and data that are relevant for the prevention and protection of child marriage, review of the regional and global evidence-based programs focused on prevention of child marriage (6 days).
- Interviews, focus groups , and consultations to collect data and information from the relevant national key stakeholders, including line ministries, representatives of CSOs and the Ombudspersons Office (4 days);
- Drafting the Report containing the recommended programs for the prevention of child marriage that can be implemented in Montenegro among Roma and Egyptian boys and girls and their families including all necessary elements of the programme, target population (age limit), programme activities, its scale, duration, and timeline. (6 days);
- Finalization of the Report based on the feedback received (3 days);
- Presentation of the Report findings (1 day).
The consultant will work in the field and from home.
Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Timeline:
Desk review of all country context available reports, analyses, data that are relevant for the prevention and protection of child marriage, review of the regional and global evidence based programs focused on prevention of child marriage (6 days).
Desk review conducted
By end February 2024
Interviews, focus groups and consultations to collect data and information from the relevant national key stakeholders, including line ministries, representatives of CSOs and Ombudspersons Office (4 days);
Interviews and consultation with stakeholders organized
By mid-March 2024
Drafting the Report containing the recommended programs for prevention of child marriage with all necessary elements of the programme, target population (age limit), programme activities, its scale, duration and timeline that can be implemented in Montenegro among Roma and Egyptian boys and girls and their families (6 days);
Report drafted
By end March 2024
Finalization of the Report based on the feedback received (3 days)
Report finalized
By 20th April 2024
Presentation of the Report findings (1 day)
Report presented
By 30th April 2024
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s) in political science, gender studies, social work, law, or related fields.
- PhD will be considered a distinct advantage (max. point rated re to education will be assigned).
Experience:
- At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in research, data collection and analysis;
- At least 5 years of programmatic or evaluation experience in the area of child marriage specifically.
- Knowledge of UN and CoE international standards in the area of child protection, gender-based violence, and child rights;
- Familiarity with the context of Montenegro and regional context in particular with child and youth participation will be considered a distinct advantage;
- Previous experience of collaboration with the UN/UNICE is an asset.
Language:
- Fluency in English is required.
- Knowledge of Montenegrin will be considered as an advantage.
Other:
- Excellent writing skills, presentation skills, strong strategic and analytical skills, demonstrated by a proven record of concise and clear publications and reports relating to the analysis of social and child protection policies, etc. As part of the technical evaluation, applicants are requested to provide a recent piece of work.
- Experience in working with policymakers and multiple government stakeholders for a multisectoral approach is a strong advantage;
- Strong communication and presentation skills;
- Demonstrates tact and a high sense of responsibility and discretion.
- Ability to work under pressure and strict timelines
- Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
All deliverables should be produced in English language.
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.
Payments:
The payments will be made upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of invoices, in two tranches. 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.
Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to complete the following online courses. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract.
- Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF
- Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSEAA)
- Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)
Before the commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF, the Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete course on General Information Security Awareness Course.
The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link: AGORA: Log in to the site (unicef.org).
A) Technical criteria – Technical evaluation process / Maximum points: 70
1. Technical Criteria – please select:
Interview Desk review of CVs -70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points
- Education: 20
- Previous experience, where a recent piece of work needs to be provided by the applicant within application: 25
- Interview findings, CV, Motivation/ cover letter and proposed work plan: 25
Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation.
B) Financial criteria – evaluation of financial proposal - Maximum points: 30
The applicants are requested to submit their financial proposal consisting of a professional fee for the services to be provided. The applicants are requested to submit their lump sum financial proposal consisting of a daily professional fee, proposed travel costs for north, central and south area of the country and daily subsistence allowance (DSA) when applicable which will be paid up to a maximum of the official UN rate. Reimbursement of travel costs / accommodation expenses will be based on actual expenses.
- Travel costs and Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].
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.
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.
Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office.
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.
Added 6 months ago
-
Updated 6 months ago
-
Source:
unicef.org
