National Consultancy: Development of the Safe Schools Framework for the Education Sector (Open to Malawian Nationals Only)

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, Learning...

Safe Schools Programme (SSP) is an integrated child protection programme implemented in schools to ensure that children are safe from violence at school, on the way to school and at home. In every country in the world, children are experiencing violence in schools. This violence comes in many forms, from corporal punishment to bullying to “sex for grades”. No matter the type, violence in and around schools can leave a lasting mark on children, following them into adulthood and threatening their ability to become productive citizens.

Statistics show that children in schools in Malawi suffer bullying, verbal abuse or threats, rape and defilement, unwanted sexual touching, and sexual harassment and gender-based violence. The Violence Against Children Survey also shows that young adults who suffered childhood abuse were more likely to experience myriad negative outcomes such as mental distress, greater prevalence of smoking and alcohol abuse, more frequent contracting of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and higher rates of self-harming behaviours. Men who experienced violence as children were likelier to become abusers in adulthood. About 50% of 18-24-year-old males who experienced childhood physical violence reported they had, in turn, resorted to violence against their partner.

Cyberbullying is also becoming an increasingly devastating problem among students. In 2019, UNICEF reported that 70 per cent of young people have experienced online violence, digital harassment, and cyberbullying. Corporal punishment is also a challenge, with 720 million school-aged children living in countries where corporal punishment in schools is not fully prohibited. Despite Malawi being among the countries that prohibited corporal punishment, evidence shows that it is still used in schools. Further, the constitutional prohibition is only limited to state institutions, exposing many children accessing education through private schools to corporal punishment.

Safe Schools Programme

With support from various partners, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has implemented the safe schools programme to respond to violence in schools using the overall framework of prevention, referral and response in targeted districts. The programme aims to improve the capability of the education workforce to recognize and refer cases of abuse and neglect as well as to support programmes to empower and equip school-aged girls and boys (especially young adolescents) to reduce the risk of violence and participate actively in school and community settings including through Children’s Corners and education platforms. Furthermore, the safe schools initiatives promote information dissemination and skills development for parents and caregivers through nutrition platforms, and for teachers in schools on child development, non-violent discipline and effective adult-child communication.

UNICEF and the MoE have noted that while good the safe schools concept is implemented very well at targeted schools, there is a gap at national level. There is no national Safe Schools Framework that provides general clarity and guides the rolling out of the safe schools programme. Furthermore the is lack of clarity on the role of stakeholders, how they interact with each other and define clearly their roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities and authorities to manage the safe schools initiative.

To this effect, the MoE has requested UNICEF to support them in hiring a national consultant to assist the MoE in developing a national Safe Schools Programme Framework in line with the 2023 MoE-UNICEF work plan.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF in collaboration with the MoE seeks to recruit a consultant who has the required skills and experience to lead in establishment of the Safe Schools Framework to be the basis of prevention and response to violence in and through schools and teacher training colleges. The overall purpose of the consultancy is to support the MoE in facilitating the process of developing the Safe School Framework through engagement with key education stakeholders at the national, division, district, zone and school levels.

As part of the framework the consultant is also expected to develop a Child Protection Strategy and Guidelines for schools in Malawi, which, among others, will define a minimum package for safety and protection in all schools.

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

Academic qualification:

• Masters level or higher degree in Social Work, Social Sciences, Education, Gender or other relevant field of study

Work experience:

• Extensive experience (at least 5 years) in leading similar assignments is required.
• Having in-depth knowledge of Education, Malawi Societies and Culture, Child Protection, human rights, gender equality and equity agendas is required.
• Specific experience in leading Child protection initiatives is an added advantage.

Technical skills, knowledge and strength areas:

• Expertise and experience in qualitative and quantitative research, designing communication and behavioural change strategies, operational plans, and M&E Frameworks
• Ability to manage projects and ensure the quality of deliverables
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and accurately
• Ability to work effectively in teams and in a multicultural environment
• High sense of integrity and results oriented
• Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office applications
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English and interpersonal skills
• Fluency in local languages is an asset
• Computer skills, including internet navigation, and various office applications

Languages:

• Excellent written and spoken skills in English is required.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference Terms of Reference_Consultancy for the Safe Schools Programme Framework.pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

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.

HOW TO APPLY...

Interested Individual Consultant should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Academic certificates
3. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the Individual Consultant's understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment
4. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees, stationery, communication, and other miscellaneous costs). Financial Proposal for Consultancy.xlsx Complete the attached form.
5. References details from three most recent supervisors.

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.