National Consultant to develop policy paper on the right of the child to a family environment in Tbilisi, Georgia

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, protection

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

The right of every child to grow up in a family environment is set out in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). In particular, the CRC recognizing that the child, “for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding” (preamble). The Convention obliges the state parties to undertake all necessary measures to avoid separation of children from their parents and highlights the importance of family reunification to be dealt with in a “positive, humane and expeditious manner” (art 9, 10).

The Code on the Rights of the Child (2019) resonates with the respective provision of the CRC obliging the State to take appropriate measures to prevent the abandonment or the separation of the child from his/her family (art. 27.1). The Code stipulates that the separation of a child from her/his family should be a measure of last resort and the decision should be made by the judge (art. 26). If it is necessary to separate a child from the family, alternative care in any form shall be in conformity with the best interests of the child as well as with the local and international childcare standards (art. 29.2). The Code introduces family support programmes and ensures wellbeing and protection for children in Georgia (art.28). This includes a special focus on rights to be protected from all forms of violence, access to inclusive education and healthcare, social protection, access to justice etc.

The Code reinforces the policies towards deinstitutionalization (DI) and support to the families, including development of the national strategy and action plan on DI (article 99-2.c)

Although, as a result of DI reform which has been ongoing since 2005, all large-scale institutions under the child welfare system have been closed down, challenges remain. Boarding schools under the Ministry of Education and Science are not still seen as part of the wider DI process, family support services to prevent institutionalization of children are largely absent and alternative care system and services need to be reinforced.

DI should be seen as a comprehensive process covering various directions such as reinforcing prevention, gatekeeping, strengthening alternative care system, reintegration etc.

UNICEF with the support of the European Union is strengthening the state capacity to initiate a comprehensive DI process and strengthen multisectoral cooperation to prevent institutionalization of children, alternative care and family support programmes including at the municipal level as required by the Code on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF seeks to engage a national expert to develop a policy paper on the realization of the right of the child to a family environment. The document will foster an intersectoral approach and include interventions and measures to be implemented by all relevant sectors in Georgia i.e. social welfare, education, health, law enforcement, judiciary, to prevent and protect children from family separation, strengthen multi-sectoral cooperation, further develop a gatekeeping mechanism, as well as alternative care services and finalize DI reform in Georgia. The policy paper will serve as the basic document for the development of the DI strategy and action plan.

Scope of Work:

The main objective of this consultancy is to produce a comprehensive policy paper on realization of a child’s right to a family environment to set a clear vision on the main directions of the child welfare reform, roles and responsibilities of various actors involved as well as recommendations for policy makers and implementing agencies. This will involve analysis of the best practices in areas such as preventing separation of children from their families, ensuring the quality of alternative services, supporting children and caregivers in the care system, developing effective reintegration processes, monitoring, data collection and analysis to inform decision-making.

The policy paper should apply a child rights-based approach and:

• Provide a brief overview of major international standards and instruments and international best practice examples (at least 2) of ensuring a child’s right to family environment.
• Provide a brief analysis of the existing situation (including policy and legal frameworks) including residential settings and alternative care services, and existing social norms that support institutionalization of children (such as stigma on disability; practice of violent methods of upbringing, etc.), based on a desk review.
• Provide an analysis of challenges that the child welfare and other systems face to ensure a child’s right to a family environment including prevention and alternative care system.
• Analyze the roles of different systems to ensure a child’s rights to a family environment including judicial supervision over family separation cases.
• Describe linkages between different systems and intersectoral cooperation.
• Provide an analysis of the increased role of municipalities to strengthen child and family services, prevent institutionalization of children, support reintegration.
• Provide overall as well as agency-specific recommendations for ensuring a child’s right to a family environment (including prevention, gatekeeping, closure, reintegration, and alternative care system).
• Provide recommendations for policy makers to introduce a comprehensive DI reform in light of the requirements and spirit of the Convention and the Code on the Rights of the Child.

The assignment will include thematic as well as policy discussions around realization of the rights of the child to a family environment. The policy paper should follow the requirements of the Government Decree 629 on the rule on elaboration, monitoring and evaluation of policy documents (2019).

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline:

Develop work plan, methodology and outline of policy paper

Work plan, methodology and outline paper

5 working days

Develop the draft policy paper

Draft policy paper

15 working days

Discuss the draft policy paper with major partners

Amendments prepared after discussions

5 working days

Finalize the policy paper based on the feedback received from UNICEF and partners

Final report

10 working days

Duration: from 25 May 2023 to 25 October 2023 (35 working days)

Location: Home-based.

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

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Masters in law, social science, or related fields
• At least 8 years of working experience in child welfare reform (including policy and legislative development and implementation) on the issues related to deinstitutionalization, development of family support and alternative care services.
• At least 8 years of relevant professional experience in research, data collection and analysis, writing policy papers.
• Excellent knowledge of relevant international standards and practice, the reform processes in the social protection and child welfare system in Georgia.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Excellent writing skills in Georgian and English.
• Previous experience of collaboration with the UN/UNICEF 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.