Part time Consultancy: Protection of Sexual Exploitation and abuse (SEA) and child safeguarding in LACRO Panama (5 months)

Contract

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UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

In 2017 the UN adopted a strategy to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation (SEA). Policies and procedures have been developed for the whole UN which include requirements for action plans, risk mitigation frameworks and staff responsibilities to report SEA. The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is at the core of UNICEF’s mandate. UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual exploitation and abuse perpetrated by UNICEF personnel and by personnel and sub-contractors of UNICEF Implementing Partners.

In December 2018, under the IASC Championship of UNICEF Executive Director, the IASC Principals laid out three main priorities to prevent and respond to SEA, namely: 1) safe and accessible reporting mechanism that is gender and child sensitive; 2) quality SEA survivor assistance; and 3) enhanced accountability, including through prompt and respectful investigations.

UNICEF has further articulated procedures to prevent and respond to SEA, and there are contractual obligations with UNICEF consultants and implementing partners including preventative, investigative and corrective measures, as well as requests to governments. In addition, to trainings and clear reporting procedures with timelines, investigation systems have been established that flow from the point of concern through country, regional and to the executive level. In 2016 it also established a strong policy on child safeguarding (CSG) which encompasses and goes beyond SEA.

During 2020 the UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean began a process of strengthening SEA prevention actions within the Regional and Country Offices. As part of UNICEF's response to COVID-19, the inclusion of actions for the prevention and response to SEA incidents has been promoted with the country offices, the strengthening of capacities within UNICEF, the reporting mechanisms, the capacities of the partners and promoting inter-agency coordination.

Considering the above, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and Caribbean (LACRO) intends to further develop UNICEFs SEA and concerns of abuse1 responses by developing staff capacities at regional and country level, supporting country offices in the monitoring and any necessary follow up on implementing partners training, articulation of reporting structures and support for the development of country level plans within the UNCT framework.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

1 According to UNICEF’s child safeguarding policies.

For every child, protection

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to support the Regional and Country offices in establishing their country specific process for preventing, responding and reporting on SEA and Concerns of Abuse/CSG in line with UNICEF’s global guidance and as part of the whole UN, and to support the UNICEF staff and implementing partners in understanding what SEA is and their individual and organizational responsibilities. This includes working with UNICEF’s personnel, associates (suppliers, implementing partners) to reduce the likelihood of SEA and concerns of abuse.

How can you make a difference?

Specific Tasks

The Consultant supports the development and preparation of the office’s PSEA activities and is responsible for contributing to the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of these activities in accordance with UNICEF’s regulations and capacity-building initiatives on PSEA and concerns of abuse (significant Harm to a Child) ) in the region in order to help shape strategic programmatic responses to PSEA across sectors.

More specifically, the consultant will support the Regional Office in 3 main area of work and will be expected to complete the following tasks:

1. Technical support, coordination and monitoring:
   • Work with each country office to develop clear monitoring mechanisms including tracking contractual obligations with implementing partners,
   • Develop a monitoring system for PSEA in LACRO which includes case progress, trainings, country signatures, etc.
   • Inter-agency Coordination: Works with regional and country offices in the promotion and realisation of UN Country Action Plans for PSEA.
   • Knowledge management: in collaboration with CP Officer, maintain a knowledge management repository for the above resources and other global resources or best practices/lessons learned, for current, useful and reliable reference.
2. Prevention:
   • Develop and implement a basic training programme (that can be replicated) for the regional and country offices and implementing partners. This includes general orientation training as well as specific trainings for those who carry particular roles in the reporting process. The package will work from the existing PSEA trainings already developed globally and is expected to include ‘initial’ trainings and successive follow up training/learning opportunities. It will also include reference to PSEA requirements found within UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children. In light of COVID 19 specific attention will be on the implementation of PSEA in times of limited mobility. Further this training will also touch on child safeguarding responsibilities as per UNICEF directives on the same.
   • Develop a package of trainings for UNICEF PSEA focal points (that can be replicated) to be able to deliver to implementing partners. This package will build on existing materials with a key focus on the contractual obligations and reporting requirements. Considering COVID 19 specific attention will be on the implementation of PSEA in times of limited mobility.
3. Detection and Response:
   • Referrals: Support Child Protection colleagues, in improve effecting safe, timely and accountable referrals as appropriate.

Expected Results

The following results are expected at the end of the consultancy:

• Repository with Documentation of PSEA and CSG programs in the LAC region, including existing materials, guidelines, tools available through a knowledge management platform.
• A monitoring system for SEA and in LACRO which includes case progress tracking, trainings.
• Replicable learning packages on PSEA designed and delivered including reports on key results/learnings from each training.

Deliverables

Description****Duration****Expected deadlineMonthly report with the propose work plan in based on review of existing survey results and data sheets by country on PSEA 12 daysAugust 2021Monthly progress report with corresponding deliverables 18 daysSeptember 2021Monthly progress report with corresponding deliverables18 daysOctober 2021Monthly progress report with corresponding deliverables 18 daysNovember 2021Final progress report with corresponding deliverables, recommendations and lessons learned 10 daysDecember 2021To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education:

An advanced university degree in the social sciences (i.e. sociology, political science, international relations) or international development.

Work Experience:

A minimum of 7 years of professional, international experience associated with the support, design, implementation, or management of PSEA and/or child safeguarding and/or Child Protection, Experience working in the UN or other international development organizations an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
• Knowledge of Portuguese will be considered an asset.

Technical Knowledge:

• Experience operationalizing response plans and codes of conduct, ideally in a related area.
• Experience developing standard operation procedures, ideally in a related area.
• Experience designing and conducting trainings, remotely and in person, ideally in a related area.

Other skills and attributes:

• Demonstrated excellent communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and build collaboration with multiple partners.
• Ability to work efficiently under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrate strong communication skills, verbally and written.
• Able to work effectively and engage young people in program design.
• Demonstrated experience on UNICEF will be an asset

Supervision:

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Regional Advisor in close coordination with the Child Protection in Emergencies Specialist.

Workplace:

The consultant will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials, and equipment’s. The consultant will be required to have access to Skype/Zoom to facilitate the communication required during this assignment.

How to apply:

Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

Travel:

If the situation permits, the consultant may be required to travel to some countries in the region for this assignment.

• Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy.
• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.
• For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.
• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.
• UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)
• For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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:

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.