National consultancy - Training of professionals for interpersonal and communication skills to promote foster care

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, family

Over the last decade, North Macedonia has put increasing attention on issues related to advancing childcare reforms by moving away from the placement of children in large-scale institutional care to alternative care services including foster care, organized supported living and small group homes. The country managed to maintain no children in large scale residential care institutions as of late 2019. Alongside the de-institutionalization, respective authorities initiated a significant and ambitious social sector reform, led by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP). The Government redirected resources including for the establishment of three foster care support centers, the first one being established in July 2021. The support center for foster families was introduced in the child protection system for the first time, as regulated by the new Social Protection Law from 2019, stipulating that it will be responsible to promote the family foster care service, evaluate and educate future foster families, and observe and provide support to the existing foster families. UNICEF contributed to the foster care system strengthening by providing technical assistance for development of foster care standards, procedures, toolkits, training materials and specialized modules, and specifications for support centers for foster families, and by supporting the capacity development component for the professionals working in the foster care system. Moreover, UNICEF and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy conducted a nationwide campaign intended to mobilize new foster families, to mobilize support for community-based alternatives to institutional care, and to raise the awareness among the general population and the professionals that children best develop in the family environment. The campaign reached over 1 million and engaged over 110,000 people on social media, generated interest of hundreds, garnered a 20% increase in the number of foster parents and contributed to a two thirds reduction in the number of children living in large scale institutions. As of March 2023, UNICEF is conducting another communication campaign to mobilize and recruit potential foster families, with a focus on emergency and specialized foster families that can provide specialized care to children under a specific risk. However, despite significant progress and UNICEF’s continuous support, foster care support centers relied on external support with regards to community outreach and communication campaigns with the aim to recruit foster care families. One of the roles of the Foster Care Support Center is to set up a recruitment strategy as part of their Annual Work Plan and inform potential applicants about the nature of the task and the qualities needed whilst not unduly deterring them.

Over the last decade, North Macedonia has put increasing attention on issues related to advancing childcare reforms by moving away from the placement of children in large-scale institutional care to alternative care services including foster care, organized supported living and small group homes. The country managed to maintain no children in large scale residential care institutions as of late 2019. Alongside the de-institutionalization, respective authorities initiated a significant and ambitious social sector reform, led by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy (MLSP). The Government redirected resources including for the establishment of three foster care support centers, the first one being established in July 2021. The support center for foster families was introduced in the child protection system for the first time, as regulated by the new Social Protection Law from 2019, stipulating that it will be responsible to promote the family foster care service, evaluate and educate future foster families, and observe and provide support to the existing foster families. UNICEF contributed to the foster care system strengthening by providing technical assistance for development of foster care standards, procedures, toolkits, training materials and specialized modules, and specifications for support centers for foster families, and by supporting the capacity development component for the professionals working in the foster care system. Moreover, UNICEF and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy conducted a nationwide campaign intended to mobilize new foster families, to mobilize support for community-based alternatives to institutional care, and to raise the awareness among the general population and the professionals that children best develop in the family environment. The campaign reached over 1 million and engaged over 110,000 people on social media, generated interest of hundreds, garnered a 20% increase in the number of foster parents and contributed to a two thirds reduction in the number of children living in large scale institutions. As of March 2023, UNICEF is conducting another communication campaign to mobilize and recruit potential foster families, with a focus on emergency and specialized foster families that can provide specialized care to children under a specific risk. However, despite significant progress and UNICEF’s continuous support, foster care support centers relied on external support with regards to community outreach and communication campaigns with the aim to recruit foster care families. One of the roles of the Foster Care Support Center is to set up a recruitment strategy as part of their Annual Work Plan and inform potential applicants about the nature of the task and the qualities needed whilst not unduly deterring them.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose and objectives of the Individual Consultancy

UNICEF is seeking to engage a national consultant to provide training to foster care and social services professionals in North Macedonia. Under the general supervision of the Child Protection Officer, the consultant will be expected to perform the tasks described in the Work assignment overview below, aimed at achieving the following specific objective:

1. Develop capacity building for foster care and social service professionals for interpersonal and communication skills aimed at promoting foster care.

The consultant will work in collaboration and with close supervision by the UNICEF Child Protection Officer.

Deliverable 1: Develop capacity building for foster care and social service professionals for interpersonal and communication skills to promote foster care

Activities for this deliverable: - Deliver two-day training for 12 foster care professionals from Foster Care Support Centers Skopje and Bitola - Deliver one-day training for 40 professionals from the social service workforce Timeframe: 5 days

Deliverable 2: Produce final report

Activity: Produce final report reflecting on all deliverables, with identified gaps, results achieved and proposed way forward for each deliverable

Timeframe: 2 days

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

• University degree in communications, public relations or related field
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in delivering trainings
• Experience in delivering trainings related to advocacy and/or communication skills
• Excellent analytical thinking planning, communication and facilitating skills
• Effective communication, interpersonal skills and sensitivity to diverse cultural contexts and situations
• Excellent verbal and writing skills in English is a strong asset
• Knowledge of Macedonian is a requirement

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.

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.