National Consultant for coordination of the joint UN programme on the rights of persons with disabilities: Accelerating Disability Inclusion for Children and Adults with Disabilities

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, equality.

The United Nations in Montenegro implements the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for the period 2017-2021, with an extension to 2022. It is committed to working together with the Government of Montenegro and with the people of Montenegro, to make a lasting contribution to national human rights and development priorities, especially for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families. The Government of Montenegro and the UN System pursue the achievement of national development priorities, the Sustainable Development Goals framed by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as commitments of the Government of Montenegro in line with UN global summits, international human rights obligations and the reform agenda linked to the EU accession process.

Within the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, the United Nations in Montenegro is embarking on a two-year programme to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in the country. The programme, which is funded through the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD), was preceded by an Inception Phase in 2021, in which different governmental stakeholders, persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) were consulted on priority areas. Based on their inputs, the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO), UNDP and UNICEF developed the two-year programme to promote the rights of persons with disabilities.

The Programme aims to support State institutions and OPDs to advance implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and disability inclusive Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and in particular the pre-conditions for disability inclusion of equality and non-discrimination, service delivery, CRPD compliant budgeting, and accountability. Under Goal One, it will a) support Government to prevent institutionalization and to take key steps to facilitate the transition of persons with disabilities from institutions to family and community-based services and b) facilitate closer engagement between OPDs and the National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) - The Protector for Human Rights and Freedoms - to monitor implementation of CRPD. Under Goal Two, it will assist the UN to ensure strong disability inclusion in the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (SDCF) for the period 2023-2027 and the Common Country Analysis on which the SDCF is based. The program will ensure meaningful participation of persons with different types of disabilities, both women and men, and of children with disabilities and parents in all activities, at all stages.

The objective of the consultancy is to ensure the effective coordination, support for, monitoring of and reporting on the two-year Joint UN Programme Accelerating Disability Inclusion for Children and Adults with Disabilities, supported by the UNPRPD, and the effective coordination of the UNICEF led activities under the programme.

Therefore, the Joint UN Programme team, composed of UNICEF, UNDP and the RCO in Montenegro, is seeking a national consultant to: 1) coordinate the joint UN programme activities and results; and 2) lead all UNICEF-related activities and results (while UNDP will be responsible for management of its own component)

The consultant will be formally supervised by UNICEF, while she/he will also have an overall coordination role of the Joint UN Programme and will be responsible for joint reporting and monitoring, as well as specific reporting to UNICEF

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work: Under the direct supervision of UNICEF Child Protection Officer, the consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks: 1) coordinate the joint UN programme activities and results; and 2) lead all UNICEF-related activities and results including financial reporting (note: UNDP will be responsible for management of its own component).

More specifically, the national consultant is expected to :

- Organize regular coordination meetings of the joint UN programme team, as well as meetings between the UN agencies, consultants and stakeholders on the status of programme and financial implementation; - Support establishment and functioning of the Programme Steering Committee, including drafting its Terms of Reference, organizing Committee meetings and taking notes of the meetings; - Provide technical support to UNICEF Communication team and the Joint UN Programme team to coordinate the visibility and communication component (in close cooperation with the UNICEF comms team); - Support capacity building activities with identified partners; - Ensure regular monitoring and progress reporting at all required intervals including the end report to UNPRPD; - Serve as a liaison between the Joint UN Programme team and the Technical Secretariat of the UNPRPD for inquiries, guidance and for the reporting on progress; - Follow up on the delivery of the planned results and budget and take proactive action addressing delays and/or any issues during the implementation; - Support the process of the final evaluation of the programme in line with UNDP procedures and regulations; - Other tasks that are relevant to the coordination as identified by the Joint UN Programme team.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

Bachelor’s degree in education, sociology, social work, law or other social science • A minimum of five years of professional work experience in coordination, planning, implementation and/or monitoring of programmes/projects; • Experience in managing/leading UN joint programmes is an asset; • Knowledge of the social inclusion area and programming with children with disabilities is an asset Language • Excellent command of local language (spoken and written); • Excellent knowledge of English language.

Other • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; • Excellent writing skills. • Demonstrated tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion. • Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards. • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Excellent writing skills;
• Demonstrated tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion;
• Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Payments: The payments will be made upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of invoices. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

Mandatory learning:

Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to complete the following online courses. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract. 1. Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF 2. Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSEAA) 3. Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA) Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete the following course before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF. • BSAFE security training Any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract: • Fraud Awareness • Information Awareness Security Course (only for consultants/individual contractors with a UNICEF email address) The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link: Summary of Mandatory Learning for UNICEF Staff . Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office.

Selection process:

All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below. Persons with disabilities, particularly women with disabilities, are strongly encouraged to apply. The proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria:

A) Technical criteria – Technical evaluation process / Maximum points: 70 1. Technical Criteria – Interview/Written test – 70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points • Education: 10 points • Previous experience: 30 points • Technical questions at the interview: 25 points • Other: 5 points

Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation

B) Financial criteria – evaluation of financial proposal - Maximum points: 30 The applicants are requested to submit their financial proposal consisting of a professional fee only for the services to be provided. • Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].

- 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.

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.