International Consultant to support development of specialized foster care and establishing the first Foster Care Centre in Montenegro

Contract

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Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

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For every child, protection.

Purpose of this activity/assignment: The purpose of the consultancy is to strengthen the overall foster care system in Montenegro by developing standards of work for centres for foster care to enable focused work on development of foster care in the country with specific focus on specialized and urgent foster care for children without adequate parental care, particularly for children with disabilities at greater risk of institutionalization. The objective of the consultancy is to support establishing and piloting the first Centre for Foster Care. This will include defining foster care centre standards of work, review and adaptation of the centres for social work role and recognizing the role of the Centre for Foster Care in the process of recruiting, assessing and supporting foster carers.The consultant is expected to define standards of work of foster care centres, propose the optimal set up for piloting the first Centre for Foster Care with a view of setting up three regional centres for foster care to be established by the Ministry of Labour including the description of its role, job descriptions of its staff, the program of work, and division of tasks between the centres for social work and centres for foster care etc. In addition, the Consultant is expected to prepare training programs on foster care with particular focus on foster care for children with disabilities without adequate parental care i.e. for foster care with intensive support, and urgent foster care for professionals in the system of social and child protection and professionals in other relevant sectors. Upon developing the training programs for professionals, the consultant will conduct capacity building activities for the representatives of the Centres for Social Work and Children’s Home “Mladost”, Bijela, relevant line ministries and institutions/organizations/services providers including representatives of local self/government.

Since ratification of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and its Optional Protocol in 2009, Montenegro has made progress in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. However, challenges remain. While the 2013 Law on Social and Child Protection set preconditions for deinstitutionalization and shift from institutional to family and community-based care, overall, current legal and policy framework continues to allow institutionalization and is not fully in line with CRPD. A considerable number of adults and children with disabilities live in institutions, some of them for decades, where they are not able to exercise their rights on the same basis as others. Others are at risk of institutionalization because community-based services are not yet available or adequately developed across the country. Many of those at risk of institutionalization are children without parental care, children with disabilities, and adults with disabilities who are unemployed. There is not yet a minimum package of guaranteed family and community-based services for children with disabilities and their families, neither in legislation, nor at community level. In 2021 multiple stakeholders, persons with disabilities, organizations of persons with disabilities and associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities were consulted on priority areas for the purpose of drafting the Situational analysis of the rights of persons with disabilities in Montenegro. According to it, children with disabilities were still overrepresented in institutional care, which accounted for over 60% at the time of its drafting (end of 2022 children with disabilities made some 50% of children placed in residential institutions) of all institutionalized children. It is rare for these facilities to provide the individual attention that children need to develop to their full capacity. In the past four years, 11 children with disabilities have been placed in foster families while no child with a disability has been adopted. In addition, the sam analysis states that except for family counselling and social-psychological support, there was no support for parents of children with disabilities, nor parents with disabilities provided by the social and child protection system.Based on recommendations from the Situational analysis, the two-year joint UN initiative was developed under the title “Accelerating Disability Inclusion for Children and Adults with Disabilities in Montenegro”. The initiative is funded by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and implemented by UNICEF, UNDP and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO). It aims at supporting the Government in preventing institutionalization and taking key steps to facilitate transition of persons with disabilities from institutions to family and community-based services. Moreover, it facilitates closer engagement between organizations of persons with disabilities and Protector for Human Rights and Freedoms in monitoring implementation of CRPD. The initiative is committed to ensure strong disability inclusion and meaningful participation of persons with different types of disabilities, women and men, children with disabilities and their parents in UN programming.Within this initiative, based on the 2019 Analysis of cross-sector system support for children with disabilities in Montenegro and consultations with key stakeholders, foster care is recognized as one of the key services to prevent further institutionalization of children in Montenegro and accelerate the process of deinstitutionalization of children currently residing in child care institutions with special attention on children with disabilities.The development of family support and community-based services is one of the key aspects of the social welfare and childcare system reform that has been intensified since 2011 under the lead of the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and EU and UN financial and technical assistance. Key reform principles in social and child protection are decentralization, deinstitutionalization and living in a supportive, least restrictive environment, and deinstitutionalization is perceived as a cornerstone of the overall reform. The reform process has focused on intensifying family and community-based care while reducing institutional placement, in line with the key policies and national, regional and international recommendations. In the past years, legal reform, capacity building of relevant professionals, development of services, quality assurance mechanisms, and introduction of new methods of work contributed to achieving zero children from 0-3 years of age in institutional care, 50% decrease of a number of children in institutional care overall and 15% increase in the number of children in foster care in the period 2010-2020. As regards alternative care for children, significant efforts have been invested in the development of foster care. The Strategy for the Development of Foster Care in Montenegro 2012-2016 was adopted in 2012 and implemented by 2016, numerous trainings of professionals were organized as well as mass media campaign on foster care. Still, the foster care system is Montenegro is not yet adequately and sufficiently developed and does not adequately address a number of issues, including budgeting for foster care, development of specific forms of foster care i.e. foster care with intensive support, urgent foster care, remuneration for foster families, case management for foster care, monitoring and evaluation system for foster care, etc. This has been confirmed in 2020, when UNICEF supported the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare to review the existing foster care system and accelerate strengthening of foster care with a focus on professionalization of foster care and expanding emergency fostering (for babies and victims of violence) and fostering with intense support (for children with disabilities, children with challenging behavior, children in conflict with the law, etc.). The Review provided recommendations and a Roadmap with proposed sequence of steps for further development of the foster care system in the country, which will serve as a guide and basis for the consultancy.

How can you make a difference?

The deinstitutionalization process needs to be accelerated for all children and in particular children with disabilities. At the end of 2022, there were 110 Montenegrin children in residential institutions with children with disabilities overrepresented in institutional care (accounting for about 50% of children in residential institutions).Thus, in 2022, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare has prioritized deinstitutionalization in its key short, mid and long-term strategic reform documents, which has been translated into the development of the first comprehensive five-year Strategy on Deinstitutionalization as a framework for strategic actions for both deinstitutionalisation of children and adults in Montenegro. UNICEF is a key supporting UN agency for overall deinstitutionalization process and more specifically deinstitutionalization of children, adolescents and youth in Montenegro. The Strategy on Deinstitutionalization is to be adopted by mid-2023 and one of its key measures is establishment of three Centres for Foster Care and strengthening the foster care system with emphasis on foster care with intensive support and urgent foster care.Therefore, UNICEF Montenegro is seeking for a consultant to support the Government of Montenegro i.e. the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in strengthening the existing foster care system through support in establishing and piloting a Centre for Foster Care (the first one of three planned) in Montenegro.The International Consultant is expected to perform tasks under the direct supervision of UNICEF Child Protection Officer.

Work Assignment Overview

Desk review of all available relevant international standards and best practices, national strategic, legal and other documents (reports, analyses, data) relevant to foster care and deinstitutionalization including but not limited to: CRC, CRPD, Recommendations of the CRC Committee for Montenegro, EC Progress Reports for Montenegro, the draft 2023-2027 Strategy on Deinstitutionalization, Law on Social and Child Protection; Family Law; Analysis on the Foster Care System in Montenegro, 2021; Analysis of the cross-sector system support for children with disabilities in Montenegro, 2019, Analysis of the Work of Centres for Social Work in Montenegro, 2018, etc.;

Concise work-plan developed based on the conducted desk review and interviews and consultations with stakeholders.

20% upon delivery of the work-plan

Interviews and consultations to collect information from the relevant professionals from: Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Institute for Social and Child Protection, Centres for Social Work, Children’s Home “Mladost, Bijela, NGOs, other line ministries and relevant stakeholders and professionals as needed;

End November 2023

Develop standards of work of a Centre for Foster Care including defining/division of roles of a centre for foster care and a centre for social work regarding foster care in general, but also in terms of selection, assessment and support to foster carers; defining an adequate model (separate institution or an organizational unit of an existing institution etc), needed staff, financial and other resources etc; a centre for foster care’s staff job descriptions i.e. Systematization Act;

Standards drafted and submitted

End January 2023

60% upon delivery of the Draft Standards of work of a Centre for Foster Care and draft reviewed Rulebook defining the family placement - foster care

Support the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare in revising the Rulebook defining the family placement - foster care to properly reflect the roles of the Centre for Foster Care and Centres for Social Work;

Rulebook defining the family placement - foster care revised

Mid-February 2023

Develop the workplan for the Centre for Foster Care for the first two years of its functioning, including the capacity building needs assessment/plan;

Workplan for the Centre for Foster Care for the first two years of its functioning developed

End-February 2023

20% upon delivered Workplan, training programme, delivered two training and the final report approved

Design a training program on foster care with particular attention to specialized and urgent foster care for professionals in the Social and Child Protection system and for the professionals in other relevant sectors;

Training program designed

Mid-March 2023

Delivering two trainings, a training for the selected professionals (primarily case managers and staff of the Centre for Foster Care) in the Social and Child Protection System, and a training for the professionals including from other line ministries/institutions and services providers;

Two trainings for professionals (one for SCP professional, one for professionals in other sectors) delivered

Mid-April 2023

Report with recommendations on further advancements and steps to expand and strengthen the work of the Centre for Foster Care including recommendations for countries to exchange knowledge on foster care with, on developing and continuous implementation of campaigns to promote foster care .

Final report submitted and approved.

End April 2023

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s) in social work, social policy, social sciences or other related field is required;
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in social work, social policy, child rights or a related field and expertise in the area of child care system reform and deinstitutionalization, especially in relation to fostering;
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset;
• Experience in development of training material and delivery of capacity building trainings in child protection sphere;
• Familiarity with the context of Montenegro in particular with child rights, alternative/foster care, will be considered as an advantage;
• Previous work experience with UN/UNICEF or other international organization will be considered as an advantage.
• Fluency in Montenegrin is required; knowledge of English is an advantage. Other: • Excellent writing skills, presentation skills, strong strategic and analytical skills; • Ability to work with different stakeholders; • Demonstrates tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion; • Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards; • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

• To view our competency framework, please visit here.

  Payment: The payments will be made in three instalments upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of invoices. 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.

  Mandatory e-learning: 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. 1. Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF; 2. Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSEAA); 3. Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA); 4. BSAFE (English)

  The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link: AGORA (unicef.org) . Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office prior the contract signing.

  Selection methodology: All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below. The proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria: A) Technical criteria – Technical evaluation process / Maximum points: 70 1. Technical Criteria: 1 Interview -70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points • Education: [20 points] • Previous experience: [20 points] • Technical questions at the interview: [30 points];

  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 lump sum financial proposal consisting of breakdown with professional fee, travel and other applicable costs. Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].

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.

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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.