Local consultancy (with travel): Skills building Programme Consultant, Rome, Italy (11.5 months)

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, results

Since 2016, the UNICEF Regional office for Europe and Central Asia outposted office in Italy is responding to the unique needs of adolescents and young people who are seeking asylum, on the move, stranded or pushed back. The operation aims to provide support to the Government of Italy on children and young migrants and refugees, to ensure timely, equal and appropriate care, protection and support for social inclusion, as part of the Regional Migrant and Refugee Response. Starting from 2020, the Italy response is also leading in the implementation of the Phase III of the Preparatory Action for the establishment of a Child Guarantee to combat child poverty and social exclusion. During this phase Italy is one of four European countries testing innovative and evidence-based models of services for the most disadvantaged children, amongst whom, children and young people with a migration background, children in precarious family situations, children in institutions.

Language learning constitutes one of the most crucial factors to ensure social inclusion of students with migration background (representing almost 10% of total school population) into the national school system, in order to fulfil their right to education and, at the same time, to comply with the obligation to complete the first cycle of the school system. Overall, school performance results in 2019 show lower performance in Italian and mathematics of students with migration background, compared to their peers with Italian citizenship. On the contrary, English results revealed the opposite trend: Italian pupils score worse than students with migration background – which underlines the overall lower performance of Italian students in English literacy. Low performance in foundational literacy is coupled with as yet limited scope for XXI century skills development in the school curricula and poor job orientation, increasing the chances of school dropout and unemployment vis-à-vis the fast changing and unpredictable work of work, especially for more disadvantaged children and adolescents (e.g. with a migration background, living in poverty, in institutional care etc). In 2020, the incidence of NEET – young people not in employment, education, or training – was recorded at 23,1% for the age range between 15 and 29, amongst the highest in OECD countries.

UPSHIFT in Italy is UNICEF’s response to the lack of opportunities and chances for refugee, migrant but also Italian adolescents from disadvantaged areas to develop XXI century skills and their full potential. Launched in October 2018, UPSHIFT has so far gone through 3 cycles of implementation and is currently one of the models being piloted under the framework of the Child Guarantee. For each cycle a different model is implemented, from implementation in secondary schools, catch up schools and out of school to roll out of different learning packages (Basic Entrepreneurship Education, Ideas in Action, Innovation & Creativity Camps, Incubation). Rigorous monitoring and evaluation of each cycle feeds into ongoing efforts to ensure scaling up and sustainability of the UPSHIFT model in Italy with key government stakeholders (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Social Policies).

In line with the current educational priorities set by the National Recovery Plan in Italy, UNICEF is now partnering with Akelius Foundation to support a comprehensive educational approach seeking to strengthen teacher capacity and improve the Italian and English language skills of children. From a life-cycle approach point of view, the additional focus on primary schools is of particular importance to equip students with strong language skills from the start of their educational pathway, thereby reducing the chances of dropping out of school at a later stage.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist, P4, in Rome, Italy, the Consultant: Skills Building Programme is primarily responsible for supporting the implementation of XXI century skills building interventions for children and youth, both Italians and with a migration background with a focus on language and entrepreneurship education.

Key responsibilities include:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Support the management, oversight, and coordination of partnerships and related contracts with the organizations responsible for the development of skills building programmes (with a focus on language learning and entrepreneurship education), delivery of non-formal and formal education, and provision of teacher capacity development activities;
• Support the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Akelius language platform, focusing on language learning and teacher capacity, in coordination with existing partners;
• Set up and update a project management tool that includes timeline, activities, responsibilities, milestones, budget, expenses, risks and mitigation actions, to ensure that the Akelius project is completed on time, on budget, and with the expected quality;

MONITORING AND REPORTING:

• Regularly review monthly reports of implementing partners and support to programmatic reviews and visits;
• Draft donor reports and support the organization of donor visits and involvement in XXI century skills building events;
• Support to drafting of monthly and quarterly reports, annual planning, mid-year and annual reviews of the Migrant and Refugee Response.
• Document the planning, testing, and delivery of the Akelius platform, including challenges, good practices, and lessons learned;

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

• Creation, updating of a XXI century skills building folder in the internal shared drive containing documents, tools, creative assets and sharing both internally via the shared drive and externally with partners and stakeholders via email and other shared platforms;
• Follow-up on information requests and other requests related to Akelius and UPSHIFT from the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia and HQ Divisions;
• Attend weekly coordination calls and other meetings, conferences and webinars, trainings and assist in preparing background material and taking minutes, as needed.
• Synthesis of available evidence (reports, reviews etc.) and drafting of briefs, articles and other UPSHIFT related documentation for internal use and external dissemination

Contractual modalities:

• Duration: The consultant will be expected to work full-time during a period of 11.5 months, starting end August 2021.
• Duty Station and travel: The consultant will be in Rome but will be expected to travel to Bologna every other month, depending on COVID-19 travel restrictions. The consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. All travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed.
• Payment: The consultant will be paid monthly upon timely and satisfactory submission of the monthly report.

• Travel:

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.

• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the 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.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• An advanced university degree (Master's) in social sciences, international development, education or related field
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience of which 1 in project management
• Excellent planning & organizational skills
• Strong communication skills - both oral and written;
• Experience in skills building programmes
• Fluency in Italian and English are required.

Desired

• Previous experience with UNICEF and or the UN;
• Experience in UPSHIFT or AKELIUS
• Experience in working in support to vulnerable groups of children (e.g. children with a migration background, Roma children, children with low socio-economic background, etc.).

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.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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;
• Indicate a monthly fee, bearing in mind that the maximum monthly allowed for this consultancy is EUR 3,600, travels not included. Applications without fees will not be accepted.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.