Outreach and Youth Empowerment Consultant, Prishtina, Kosovo, Youth, 11 months, home based

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, empowerment

In order to support the school to work transition, UNICEF in Kosovo works to help adolescents and youth develop 21st-century skills in both school and community settings. This is mainly done through the delivery of skills building programmes such as UPSHIFT (social entrepreneurship), PONDER (critical media literacy), and PODIUM (advocacy for change), the K-GenU internship programme promotion and other. Mentors play a key role in supporting adolescent and youth through their journey from problem identification in their communities to successfully implementation of youth led solutions. In this regard, the consultant will be engaged in providing mentorship to adolescent and youth participating in the UNICEF skills-building programmes, both during the workshop and during the incubation phase.

How can you make a difference?

With a median age of 29.6, Kosovo has the youngest population in Europe. This young population should be a strong force for development for Kosovo. Yet, the combination of limited opportunities for quality education, employment and participation in social and political life, along with inadequate support services, makes it difficult for adolescents and youth to claim their role. Youth unemployment in Kosovo remains high, with 29% of youth age population unemployment and 31.7% of the age group 15-24 not in education, employment or trainings (NEET)[1].

In order to give adolescent and youth the voice to actively participate and help shape policy development, and to become more informed about matters that are important to them so that they can make a difference in their communities UNICEF has launched the U-report. U-Report is a free and anonymous digital tool, created by UNICEF Global, where youth can freely and safely speak out on topics that are important to youth and to their community. U-Report directly interacts with young people ages 15 and higher, (with a focus on those ages 15 to 24), who sign up to become U-Reporters through simple polls sent via Facebook Messenger or Viber. These polls are focused on topics and challenges that are most relevant to U-Reporters in their respective communities, and they give youth the means and a channel for stating and discussing their opinions and satisfaction with regards to children’s rights, equality, socio-political and economic developments, and any other areas that are relevant to them in their respective communities. U-report Kosovo has currently 7,477 U-reporters. In order to fully utilize the U-report it is important to constantly promote the platform and recruit new members, launch polls related to current issues concerning adolescent and youth, and share relevant information in their interest. In this regards the consultant will be engaged in organising outreach sessions, in order to increase the number of U-reports and prepare and propose polls related to relevant topics concerning adolescent and youth with specific focus on air pollution.

The consultant will be based in Gjakova and will be supporting the implementation of UNICEF Pillar2 (Empowerment and Participation of Adolescents and Young people) activities in Gjakova and surrounding municipalities. The scope of the work will be outreach and empowering adolescents and youth and exposing them to opportunities to become active citizens and changemakers in their communities. Furthermore, the consultant will support local level institutions in strengthening their services for children.

Key objectives of this consultancy include:

• Outreach to schools and local NGO’s on promoting UNICEF programmes with specific focus on U-report
• Provide mentorship for adolescents and youth participating in UNICEF skills building programmes, during the workshop and the subsequent incubation phase;
• Promote U report among adolescent and youth in Gjakova, Prizren, Junik, Istog, Klina and Peja municipalities and increase the number of U-reporters;
• Draft and support the preparation of U-report polls with specific focus on Air pollution and other issues concerning adolescent and youth engagement and participation;

• Promote Kosovo Generation Unlimited internship programme in Gjakova and surrounding municipalities.

  Work Assignments Overview: Mentor Adolescent and youth during skills building programmes and incubation phase Deliverables/Outputs: Adolescent and youth from four groups participating in the skills building programmes are empowered to develop and implement their youth led projects Delivery deadline: 24 days

  Work Assignments Overview: Outreach and promote U-report among adolescent and youth in selected municipalities Deliverables/Outputs: Number of adolescent and youth users in U-report from 12 schools in 6 municipalities increased Delivery deadline: 24 days

  Work Assignments Overview: Support the preparation of U report polls with specific focus on Air pollution Deliverables/Outputs: 5 U report polls prepared and launched Delivery deadline: 5 working days

  Work Assignments Overview: Outreach and promote Kosovo Generation Unlimited internship programme and other UNICEF skills-building programmes in selected municipalities Deliverables/Outputs: K-GenU internship programme and other UNICEF skills-building programmes promoted regularly in 6 selected municipalities Delivery deadline: 19 days

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

• Bachelors Degree in Social Sciences, Social Work, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, or other relevant disciplines
• Previously engaged in activities related with adolescents and youth
• Working experience with the local level institutions, UN and international agencies, CSO’s.
• Excellent inter-personal relations and communication skills.
• Excellent knowledge of MS Office
• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team and establish harmonious and effective working relationships.
• Previous experience with U-report or similar data collection systems is an asset
• People with disability are encouraged to apply.

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.