International consultant to strengthen the design and implementation of social services, in particular child protection services with UNICEF in Uzbekistan

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, protect

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen the design and implementation of social services, in particular child protection services, in Uzbekistan, and in this regard to provide technical guidance and support to the newly established National Agency for Social Protection [hereafter: NASP]. Special attention should be paid to ensuring sustainability of related support provided in Surkhandarya region under two projects financially supported by the Japanese Government (October 2021 to March 2022) and the European Union (“Enhanced access to inclusive education, social services and legal aid in Surkhandarya region”, July 2022 to December 2023).

1. Assist in developing child protection services, standards, procedures and processes. 2. Strengthen the capacities of the “Centres of rehabilitation and adaptation of women who experienced violence and prevention of suicide” [hereafter: Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women] in responding to the needs and circumstances of child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation as well victims and witnesses of domestic violence accommodated in the centres.

Scope of Work:

• Develop job descriptions of the staff of the NASP responsible for child protection at national and sub-national levels. The Agency has at central level a Department for the Development and Monitoring of Services for Minors, consisting of 18 staff including the Head and Deputy-Head of the Department, and with responsibilities for child protection and support to children with disabilities. At district-level, the Agency will establish so-called “Inson” centres for social services including mobile psychosocial support outreach teams, complemented by a community-based social workforce. • Contribute to the development of a normative framework relevant to child protection for the NASP, including procedures related to prevention and response to violence, abuse, and exploitation of children; alternative care of children; and support to children in contact with the justice system. • Develop Procedures for the Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women and capacity-building for providing care and support services to child survivors of sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation and child victims and witnesses of other forms of physical violence.

Work Assignments Overview - Timeline

1. Draft job descriptions for employees of the National Agency of Social Protection (NASP), summarizing the essential responsibilities, activities, qualifications and skills for the respective position - 3 days home-based by July 31st, 2023:

1.1 Central Department for Development and Monitoring of Services for Children a. Unit for Alternative Care of Children and Adoption (3 ppl) b. Unit for Response to Violence, Abuse, and Exploitation of Children (3 ppl) c. Unit for Family Strengthening and Support (5 ppl) d. Unit for Justice for Children (2 ppl)

1.2 District-based “Inson” Centre for Social Services a. Specialists responsible for family strengthening and support b. Specialists responsible for child protection

2. Develop for the Department of the Development and Monitoring of Services for Children and its sub-national structures Procedures on the prevention and response to violence, abuse, and exploitation aligned with the draft inter-sectoral SOPs on child protection (and building on the Procedures on the prevention and response to violence developed for the Ministry of Preschool and School Education) - 2 days in-country in August and 4 days home-based by October 15th, 2023.

3. Develop for the Department of Development and Monitoring of Services for Children and their subnational staff a Guidance on the provision of alternative care to children in line with the UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children. The Guidance document should cover in a succinct way key principles and adaptations needed to prevent family separation and facilitate decision making about care placements; key considerations for each type of alternative care placement including both system-level responses and individual child-level responses for children in need of alternative care, children currently in alternative care, and children who are leaving alternative care either due to family reunification or graduating out or care, or the closing of a residential care facility - 5 days home-based by August 30th, 2023.

4. Develop for the Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women a Procedure on care and support to children placed in these centres along with their mothers - 5 days home-based by July 31st, 2023.

5. Develop for the Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women a Procedure on care and support to children who have experienced sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation - 5 days home-based by July 31st, 2023.

6. Develop for the Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women a Guidance on core psychosocial interventions for child survivors of sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation and children who have experienced and or witnessed domestic violence and other forms of physical violence - 3 days home based by August 5th, 2023.

7. Conduct training for the management and psychologists of the Centres of Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women on the application of the Procedure on rehabilitation and support to children placed in the Centres for Rehabilitation and Adaptation of Women, including basics in the provision of psychosocial support (one module should be dedicated to supporting child victims and witnesses of abuse in criminal proceedings) - 5 days home-based by August 10th, 2023 (development of training); 7 days in-country by August 31st, 2023 (trainings)

- Develop training materials, including presentations, handouts and a pre- and post-test - Conduct a 2-day workshop for the management - Conduct a 3-day workshop for the psychologists

8. In cooperation with a national consultant, support the review of the regulation on the Commissions of Children’s Affairs at central, regional and district levels and other bylaws related to the activities of the Commissions in light of recent changes in the social protection system - 3 days home based by November 15th, 2023.

9. Develop for the Unit on Justice for Children of the Central Department on Development and Monitoring Services for Children a Procedure on how to represent children in criminal and civil justice proceedings - 3 days home based by October 15th, 2023.

Deliverables:

1. Draft job descriptions for the prescribed positions in Russian.

2. Draft SOPs in Russian (max. 15 pages, excluding annexes); Final SOPs incorporating feedback from UNICEF and the NASP

3. Draft Guidance in Russian (maximum 15 pages, excluding annexes); Final Guidance incorporating feedback from UNICEF and the NASP

4. Draft Procedure in Russian (max 15 pages, excluding annexes); Final Procedure incorporating feedback from UNICEF, the Rehabilitation Centre and the NASP

5. Draft Procedure in Russian (max 15 pages, excluding annexes); Final Procedure incorporating feedback from UNICEF, the Rehabilitation Centre and the NASP

6. Draft Procedure in Russian (max 15 pages, excluding annexes); Final Procedure incorporating feedback from UNICEF, the Rehabilitation Centre and the NASP

7. PPTs, pre- and post-test, handouts

8. A set of key recommendations for necessary revisions of the regulation and bylaws shared with UNICEF and the NASP

9. Draft Procedure in Russian (max. 15 pages, excluding annexes)

Travel:

The consultant will be required to travel one time to Tashkent.

Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA) should not exceed UN established rates. For more details on UN DSA rates please follow the link: https://icsc.un.org/.

Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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

• Enter Disciplines Law and other Social Sciences.
• At least 8 years of practical experience, including international, in child protection, social protection and social work.
• Knowledge of international standards concerning child rights and child protection.
• Experience in conducting trainings on child protection and social work.
• Experience in developing SOPs and standards for child protection and social services.
• Excellent communication skills in Russian and good understanding of English.
• Previous work experience with UNICEF highly desirable.t.

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.