National Consultant (Adolescent and Youth engagement/ participation); Dhaka; Bangladesh

Contract

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Background:

Bangladesh has approximately 34.3 million adolescents (17.6 million males and 16.8 million females) in the 10-19 years age group (BBS, 2020 population projection). The country is also one of the fastest ageing societies in the world, while children and adolescents including those with disabilities are facing several challenges with significant numbers living under the poverty line, rapid urbanization, complexities of climate change and lack of access to basic quality services. Other challenges of adolescents and young people include sub optimal secondary education incompletion, malnutrition, child marriage, sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation, child labour and workplace hazards. Violence at home, in schools and in the workplace, as well as lack of reliable information and safe spaces to learn and discuss issues related to their own cognitive, emotional, social, behavioural and physical growth are prevailing

The government of Bangladesh and development partners are working jointly towards attainment of equitable results for all children, and adolescent in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 7th 5-year plan including improving human development indicators. The country has made significant achievements against its strong commitment to the implementation of the Convention of Child Rights (CRC), though significant challenges hampering progress survival, development, protection and empowerment of children and adolescents need to be addressed.

Participation is a fundamental human right (as per the CRC, CEDAW and CRDP), that builds the capacities and confidence, promote democratic engagement and the rule of law, and enhance policy making. Adolescent and Youth Engagement is in turn “The rights-based inclusion of adolescents and youth in areas that affect their lives and their communities, including dialogue, decisions, mechanisms, processes, events, campaigns, actions and programmes – across all stages, from identification, analysis and design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.”

UNICEF is committed to providing technical assistance to relevant departments of government to ensure long-term change in the lives of young people through several sector and cross-sector initiatives including evidence generation, formulation of policies, programming with participation of adolescents and youth. The engagement of adolescents and youth stands to empower them to seek information, learn and express their insights, and act as ‘agents of change’ and motivating the families and communities to support adolescents appropriately in their development create room for them to participate in society. are also crucial to trigger social change.

Culturally young people in Bangladesh hardly get the opportunity to express their opinion, and therefore parents, caregivers and community need to be motivated as they are the decision makers and young people need their support. As per the Country programme document (CPD) 2022-2026, the Social and Behaviour (SBC) Section will foster the sustainable partnership with adolescents and young people that are being implemented by multiple sections. Hence, there is a need to collaborate with the adolescent programme focal and to support building the linkages of these diverse adolescent participation platform.

Given this context, UNICEF Bangladesh has been jointly working with government through diverse programme of adolescent development, participation and empowerment that are addressing the challenges with adolescents and young people.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

SBC section of UNICEF intends to hire a national consultant to assist the SBC section for cross sectoral coordination and collaboration for adolescent engagement withing BCO and relevant result area of UNSDCF. The recruitment will follow the competitive process.

The major duties and responsibilities of this consultancy are to:

1. Conduct desk review of adolescent development and participation programme resources and analysis of the existing activities of programme sections of UNICEF Bangladesh through consultation with internal and external stakeholders including young people;

2. Mapping of adolescent engagement activities and platforms of UNICEF Bangladesh

3. Support the development of Youth Led Communication framework to address the social and behavioural change actions on climate crisis

4. Prepare a Guidance Note and action plan on sustainable partnership with children, adolescents and young people including those with disabilities in Bangladesh that indicates key areas of internal collaboration and building linkages as per current CPD and global guidance.

5. Support SBC team to contextualize and get endorsement of the ADAP guideline through wider consultation process and dissemination of the guide to the stakeholders that set standards of adolescent engagement programme.

6. Work with SBC team to expand adolescent engagement at the national and local level, capacity building of respective partners in using ADAP guide and develop a monitoring checklist for adolescent engagement activities.

7. Support in documenting at least 4 best practice case stories of effective adolescent engagement.

   Major Tasks.docx

Minimum Qualifications /Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• An advanced University Degree in social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, development studies or another related field.
• Sound knowledge on different social issues preferably Behavioral and Social Norms related issues and communication with communities, advocacy and multi-stakeholder partnership issues in the Bangladesh context.
• Relevant experience and expertise with adolescent development and participation programme, community empowerment programmes, social and behavioural change programme on child rights, development and care work.
• Required understanding of gender equality and gender issues including current programming and research.
• Relevant experience in related areas in a UN system agency or organization and experience in managing multi-stakeholder partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience undertaking adolescent empowerment and gender related research and the development, piloting and rollout of gender related training modules;
• Understanding of adolescent participation and community-based interventions, channels of influence, community-based communication and participatory programme;
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in the field of social development programme planning, behaviour change communication and advocacy.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to handle and complete multiple assignments with competing deadlines;

Language Requirements

• Fluency in written and verbal Bangla and English

Other requirements

• High level of Integrity and commitment to responsibilities.
• Conceptual ability, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills.
• Familiarity with UNICEF systems is an asset.

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.