Local consultancy: Child Poverty and Social Exclusion, German National Committee for UNICEF, Berlin (6 months)

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Application deadline 3 years ago: Wednesday 13 Jan 2021 at 22:55 UTC

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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, inclusion

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. As part of its efforts to provide all children with an equitable chance in life, UNICEF works to identify, monitor, and effectively address the underlying causes of child poverty and deprivation.

Despite the strength of the European economy and a tradition of investment in the welfare of the most vulnerable citizens, nearly one-quarter of Europe’s children remained at risk of poverty and social exclusion as of 2018.[1] Poverty and deprivation in childhood can have lifelong detrimental impacts, undermining an individual’s health, educational attainment, income earning capacity, and social connection, and contributing to an increased risk of exposure to violence, among others. The EU has long recognized the need to address entrenched issues of child poverty and social exclusion, including through a call by the European Parliament for a Child Guarantee to reduce inequalities. As families, societies, and governments around the world struggle to cope with the devastating impacts of COVID-19, which are expected to result in significant economic contraction, employment impacts, and a likely increase in poverty, these efforts have taken on a new urgency.

UNICEF’s work on child poverty and social exclusion reduction takes a multidimensional approach, viewing poverty through a child lens that takes into account both economic deprivation and insufficient access to the core goods and services that are essential for child development and realization of child rights as per the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This stream of work is built on the premise that addressing monetary poverty at the household level is necessary but not sufficient to provide children with the opportunity to thrive and develop. It therefore brings together efforts to increase governments’ capacities to regularly collect, analyze, and present data on indicators related to both child poverty and social exclusion, such as access of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their carers to universal and targeted services, as well as to existing social assistance programmes.

Background: Germany’s Participation in Phase III of the Feasibility Exercise

Germany has been selected as one of seven EU Member States in which the third phase of the Child Guarantee feasibility exercise will be piloted.[2] This phase of work aims to test the feasibility of the Child Guarantee in pilot countries, through three interlinked actions: (i) systematic review and meta-analysis of national policies and strategies to reduce child poverty and social exclusion across all EU Member States; (ii) deep dives and/or analysis on country-level interventions and enabling factors related to child poverty and social exclusion; and (iii) in a smaller selection of countries, localized policy interventions that target the 4 CG target groups of vulnerable children (children with disabilities, children in institutional care, children with migrant backgrounds, and children living in precarious family situations) in order to ensure their access to universal and targeted services.

The current phase of work is focused on the second activity: analysis of country policies and practices to address child poverty and social exclusion.

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this assignment is to provide technical support to UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia Regional Office on the development of a compilation of the policies, programmes and services aiming at reducing child poverty and social exclusion in Germany, that will encourage other member states to implement similar policies, services and approaches. This includes a review of the existing policies and legislations as well as of the systems, processes, financing, organizational structures, and mechanisms which can influence whether policies and interventions lead to the desired changes. This will inform the collation of existing and planned policies and programmes at national level that constitute the implementation of the EU Child Guarantee in Germany. This document should be developed in collaboration with the Government, as it will be used to show in Germany and to the EU the commitments (existing and planned) on child poverty and social exclusion. This collation will be complimented by a report that selects the most promising practices in terms of their effective results in ensuring effective access of the four Target Groups, as determined by the findings of the feasibility study implemented in the Phase I of Child Guarantee project (children in care, children with disabilities, children with migration background and children living in precarious family situations) to basic rights in the five policy areas (access to housing, education, child care, health and nutrition). The work and products required by this assignment will be developed in close partnership with the government of Germany, and in particular with the two lead Ministries - the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Tasks, deliverables and expected timeline

  1. In close partnership with UNICEF and whenever necessary with key government partners identify all relevant resources, data and any other relevant information for the collation of the German experience of policies, programmes and services that have addressed child poverty and social exclusion in Germany in the past 10 years with a focus on the 4 target groups.
    • Deliverable 1: List of all relevant resources and information. Timeline: By end of 1 month
  2. Based on a set of criteria agreed with UNICEF and key government partners, select a methodology to collate, review and present a desk review of relevant experiences in Germany, including national policies and programmes, services, mechanisms, and coordination structures that have been or are being carried out to ensure the implementation of the EU Child Guarantee in Germany. This should include a focus on effective access to housing, childcare, education, health and nutrition for the four target groups of vulnerable children in Germany.
    • Deliverable 2: Methodology developed and validated. Timeline: By end of month 2
    • Deliverable 3: Desk Review report. Timeline: By end of months 3
  3. Based on the desk review, and a set of criteria agreed with UNICEF and key government partners, select the most promising practices with a focus on ensuring effective access to housing, childcare, education, health and nutrition for the 4 target groups of vulnerable children in Germany. Provide a detailed report focusing on the enabling factors in terms of systems, processes, financing, organizational structures and mechanisms that led the selected interventions to deliver the desired changes. This document should constitute a clear summary that can be projected externally of what constitutes the key national components of the implementation of the EU Child Guarantee in Germany
    • Deliverable 4: Set of criteria agreed with UNICEF and key partners. Timeline: By end of month 4.
    • Deliverable 5: Report on enabling factors in terms of systems, processes, financing, organizational structures and mechanisms of selected interventions. Timeline: By end of month 5.
  4. Map the different actors responsible for planning, programming and respective competencies, in particular with regards to housing, education, childcare, healthcare and nutrition and for ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable groups of children.
    • Deliverable 6: Mapping of actors. Timeline: By end of month 6.

The consultant is responsible to ensure that the two lead Ministries - the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs – are systematically consulted in the key steps and key deliverables of the assignment and their feedback is adequately reflected. Also, the consultant will continuously consult on the methodology and the key research steps with the UNICEF Office of Research.

Contractual modalities:

  • Duration: 1 February 2021 – 31 July 2021 (6 months), full-time capacity (to be negotiated with the potential candidate)
  • Reporting line: the consultant will report to the Regional Advisor - UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office and the Head of Child Rights Advocacy and Programming, UNICEF Germany.
  • Duty Station and travel: The Consultant will be expected to be based in Germany (ideally Berlin), with a combination of remote and on-site engagement in Berlin, where the Consultant will be working in the UNICEF German National Committee premises. The consultant may be expected to travel within Germany. The consultant will arrange their own travel.
  • Travel:
    • All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultant will apply.
    • All travel shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
    • The Consultant must travel via the most economic and direct route.
    • Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of the travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses upon submission of an invoice together with the supporting documentation.
    • The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSafe certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.
  • Payment: The consultant will be paid monthly based on timely and satisfactory delivery of outputs as per the above.
  • Penalty Clause:
    • If the final reports and documents are not submitted according to the deliverable stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld.
    • 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.
    • All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. The consultant’s contribution will be duly acknowledged in any final publication.

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

Required:

  • Advanced university degree in Economics, Social Policy, Political Science, or a related field.
  • A deep understanding of the context, policy, and process for child poverty and social exclusion reduction at the national and subnational levels in Germany.
  • Proven experience in conducting similar tasks (including stakeholder consultations, research, reporting)
  • Professional links/partnerships with relevant national and subnational bodies.
  • The ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines.
  • German (native-level fluency) and English required.

Desired:

  • Previous engagement with and demonstrated understanding of the EU Child Guarantee development process will be an advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.

To apply:

Applicants are invited to:

  • Complete their UNICEF profile.
  • Attach P11, CV and Cover Letter.
  • Submit a financial proposal with a monthly fee in USD. Applications without fees will not be accepted.

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.


[1] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20200305-1

[2] The 7 pilot countries are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, and Spain.

Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: unicef.org