National Consultancy - Development of a Roadmap for Protection of Children in Street Situations (for Liberian Nationals Only), Monrovia, 6 months - In-country

Contract

This is a NO-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-3 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, child protection!

Background:

Liberia has shown consistent progress in aligning its legislation, institutional capacity, and policies to progressively ensure implementation of child rights in the country. The National Human Rights Plan and the Pro-Poor Agenda for Development and Prosperity clearly prioritize fulfillment of child rights in the country and set objectives to ensure access of children to life, health, education, parental care, access to justice, non-discrimination, development, protection and participation.

The National Child Welfare and Protection Policy, adopted in 2017, established the vision and agenda of the government for the development of a comprehensive and holistic welfare and protection system for children and families. To that end, the policy dictated a paradigm shift from specific child issue-based programming to a holistic child welfare and protection system strengthening in Liberia.

The Children’s Law sets a bill of child rights in the country and outlines the responsibilities of the Government and non-state actors to fulfill them. Notwithstanding with this progress and commitments, vulnerable children and families in the country continue to face serious challenges and deprivations.

Children in street situations represent a particularly vulnerable group of children in Liberia. A study by Street Child Liberia, conducted after the EVD outbreak, concluded across Monrovia identified 14,185 street-connected children. Most children identified were jobless (44.2%), however 23.8% of the street-connected children were involved in movable business. Around half of the children were above 13 years. The assumption was that this age group “was dominant on the streets due to the expense of high school education in Liberia and these children’s ability to earn a living to support their families. The headcount conducted during the night identified 4,724 children, who were believed to live permanently on the streets ….. From the qualitative research conducted, economic factors, such as poverty and the work search, were the dominant push factors that caused children to come to the streets. Most children voiced the most dominant aspiration was the desire to find a stable place to live. The EVD children stated that Ebola had brought them to the streets, with the dominant factors being the death of a caregiver, poverty, and stigmatization within their community.”

As COVID-19 pandemic had a negative socio-economic impact on vulnerable families and increases the risks for children, it can be safely assumed that it led to increase in the number of street-connected children in Liberia. Taking into account Liberia’s commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and other international human rights treaties, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection launched the development of a national road map for protection of the rights of children in street situations. The current initiative of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection of Liberia is in line with General Comment 21 to the Convention of the Rights of the Child where the Committee on the Rights of the Child provides authoritative guidance to States on developing comprehensive, long-term national strategies onchildren in street situations using a holistic, child rights approach and addressing both prevention and response in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The National Roadmap on Children in Street Situations in Liberia will be developed on the following principles:

• Child rights approach whereby the child is respected as a rights holder and decisions are often made with the child. A child rights approach ensures respect for the dignity, life, survival, well-being, health, development, participation, and non-discrimination of the child as a rights holder.
• Evidence-based, whereby the national road map will be based on information and analysis on children in street situations as well as learning from international experience.
• Participatory approach with involvement and consultation with State and non-State actors, including children and communities.
• A system building approach and sustainable interventions.

The roadmap will be based on a situational analysis and will aim to address underlying and immediate causes and provide access to rights to the children. It will seek a balance between long-term solutions and immediate protection and tangible results. It will be based on international and regional child rights standards (such as the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for Strengthening National Child Protection Systems) and build on on-going initiatives in the country (e.g. the social service workforce assessment findings and recommendations).

It is expected that the road map will include actions related to:

• Ensuring reduction of poverty and increased social protection to vulnerable families.
• Ensuring access to education and learning, including alternative forms of learning.
• Ensuring access to vocational skills and life skills training.
• Positive parenting and support to parents to meet the needs of their children.
• Protection to victims of violence and sexual abuse.
• Quality alternative care.
• Protection of children from different forms of exploitation such as labour and sexual.
• Prevention and protection of victims of trafficking (internal and international).
• Access to health care, including sexual and reproductive health services.
• Access to birth registration and legal identity services.
• Access to legal aid and child-sensitive justice.
• Regulating and supporting existing gate keepers (CWCs, SGBV Observatories)

The development of the road map will be led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection with technical and financial support from UNICEF. The involvement of stakeholders and partners will be organized through a Steering Committee at political level and a Technical Working Group. A small Secretariat comprising of MoGCSP and UNICEF will support logistically the process. A national consultant will be contracted by UNICEF to draft the situational review and the road map.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of Assignment:

As part of the overall child protection systems strengthening in Liberia, the national consultant will provide technical and organizational support to UNICEF and the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection for the development of national road map on protection of children in street situations.

1. Tasks and Deliverables of the Assignment:

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist with overall support from the Chief of Child Protection, the National Consultant will be responsible for carrying out the following tasks:

Objective 1: Develop Qualitative Analysis of the Situation of Children in Street Situations.

Key Activities/Tasks

Outputs/Deliverables

Time frame

1. Develop a review methodology outlining objectives, data collection methods and sources of information, analytical approaches.
2. Collect data, documents and additional information on the implementation of the national policies relevant to child protection. This activity will involve consultation with children in street situations and other stakeholders (policy makers, professionals, international community)
3. Draft analytical review document present it to Technical Working Group and Steering Committee for review and inputs.

4. Finalize the analytical report based on feedback provided and submit to MOGCSP and UNICEF.

5. Analytical review methodology

6. Analytical report

March 21 – April 30, 2022

Objective 2: Drafting of a National Roadmap for Protection of Children in Street Situations.

Key Activities/Tasks

Outputs/Deliverables

Time frame

1. Develop an outline of a national road map, present it to Technical Working Group and Steering Committee and finalize based on feedback.
2. Draft national child protection road map with support from the Technical Working Group and the Secretariat. The road map should include objectives, priorities, activities, M&E framework and estimated budget. It should take into account the analytical review, the country context, international standards and best practices, regional standards and best practices (e.g. ECOWAS Child Protection Framework). Present the draft road map to the Technical Working Group and Steering Committee.
3. Finalize based on feedback.

1. Outline of child protection road map.

2. Draft and share road map to the Technical Working Group and Steering Committee for inputs.

3. Finalize and share final child protection road map to UNICEF and MOGCSP.

May 1-10 2022

May 11-June 25,2022

25 June -30 July,2022

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

Qualification:

Education:

• Advanced University degree (Master’s) in the areas of Social Sciences, Law, or other relevant areas.

Working Experience:

• Experience in the area of child protection.
• Experience and expertise in protection of children in street situations and other vulnerable children.
• Knowledge on Liberia child protection system, context and policies.
• Strong analytical, strategic planning and monitoring and evaluation skills.
• Experience in conducting policy reviews, analysis, data collection.
• Experience in drafting policy documents.
• Strong negotiation and advocacy skills.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate workshops, conduct research, organizing high level consultations, date collection and analysis validation meetings.
• Ability to work with child protection actors, and different stakeholders, and in a diverse environment to produce high quality work
• Ability to work in a team environment, meet deadlines, and work under pressure.
• Computer proficiency including Internet and Microsoft Office (including Excel), Familiarity with RQDA or EVivo is an asset.
• Ability to work independently.

Language skills required:

• Fluency in English (oral and written), knowledge of other languages is an asset;

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

• Builds & Maintains Partnerships.
• Demonstrates Self-Awareness & Ethical Awareness.
• Drive to Achieve Results for Impact.
• Innovates and Embraces Change.
• Manages Ambiguity and Complexity.
• Thinks and Acts Strategically.
• Works Collaboratively with others-Establish.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

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.

For every child, a futue!