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Home-based: Child Protection Consultant (244 working days; with travel as needed) - Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

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Job no: 572415

Contract type: Consultant

Duty Station: Geneva

Level: Consultancy

Location: Switzerland

Categories: Child Protection, Knowledge Management, Research, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

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, safety.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

This consultancy is in support of UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO)’s work to deliver child protection responses in humanitarian action, including in the following contexts:

Migrant and refugee children along the Mediterranean and Western Balkan migration routes

Numbers of children and families migrating into the EU via the Mediterranean Sea and Western Balkan routes have increased since 2017, with initial 2024 figures maintaining this trend. Over the past two years, children have represented a quarter of all Mediterranean Sea arrivals to Europe. Toward and on the Mediterranean Sea migration route, children experience harsh environmental conditions, violence, exploitation, lack of adequate shelter, limited access to essential resources like food and healthcare and other dangers. These risks are heightened by increased instability in countries of transit and origin. Similar risks face children and families on the move on Western Balkan routes into the EU.

National social and child protection systems in countries of transit and destination are strained and often limited, making it nearly impossible for governments to ensure inclusive equal access to quality services for host communities and refugee and migrant children and families. As a result, women and children, especially unaccompanied and separated children are regularly housed in overcrowded and inadequate reception facilities or detained, often with adults. There remain critical gaps in providing sufficient protection services for children and their families in the countries of origin, in transit and in countries of arrival. In response, UNICEF ECARO continues to work across the region, and in collaboration with key partners, to ensure a continuum of rights and protection for children on the move.

In April 2024, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum was approved in plenary by the European Parliament. Supporting member states’ implementation of the Pact, as well as the protection capacities of non-EU countries at the EU’s external borders, will be critical to ensure that it provides a more predictable system for managing migration and sharing solidarity whilst maintaining child-specific safeguards.

The repatriation and reintegration of children affected by armed conflict

Throughout the region, UNICEF continues to work with countries to ensure human rights based, age and gender-sensitive responses to children and caregivers repatriated and reintegrated from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Given the vulnerability of this group and additional repatriation operations expected continued support in this workstream is critical.

Ukraine Refugee Response

As of May 2024, 5.9 million refugees from Ukraine remain recorded in Europe. The protracted crisis is straining resources and reducing the ability of children and households to cope, with many children without parental care continuing to face legal challenges to fulfilling their right to protection. Children displaced in and outside of Ukraine continue to face heightened risks of violence, exploitation, and abuse. Displaced women and girls are especially at risk of gender-based violence when sheltering or seeking asylum.

Scope of Work

1. Provide technical support to the implementation and monitoring of programming and donor funded projects related to the repatriation and reintegration of children from Iraq/Syria, including FPI (Foreign policy Instruments) Phase II and US Department of State projects in Central Asia:

a. Support the meeting of reporting requirements, including quarterly and interim reports.

b. Support the coordination of regular check-ins with country offices involved in donor funded projects.

c. Support the follow-up of regional support actions on SSWF (Social Service Workforce) , MHPSS and GBV for the country offices involved in donor funded projects in Central Asia.

d. Contribute to developing an ECARO addendum to UNICEF’s internal policy paper on engagement with the UN Preventing Violent Extremism Agenda.

e. Contribute to documented CAAC ( Children and Armed Conflict) -related workstreams at country level.

2. Provide technical support and follow-up on key workstreams within the children on the move agenda:

a. Document and facilitate the follow-up of activities related to the Europe and Central Asia Region (ECAR)/Middle East and North Africa Region (MENAR) cross-regional forum on the Mediterranean mixed-movement route, including resource mobilization concept notes and by contributing to the technical review of research and evidence generation work.

b. Support the development and coordination of activities with IOM and UNHCR on protecting the rights of refugee and migrant children and families, including a contribution of UNICEF’s value-add in the Western Balkans in view of the implementation of the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum.

c. Document, share and follow-up on the final report of the digital communication for child protection programming campaigns with Meta.

3. Support the design and implementation of digital capacity building and programming products:

a. Support the ongoing roll-out of the GBV virtual safe space deployment.

b. Support the development and roll-out of the GBV e-learning language adaptation in close coordination with the Türkiye Country Office and the Agora team.

4. Monitor and document the implementation of activities and recommendations related to UNICEF’s legal research on fulfilling the rights of children without parental care displaced from Ukraine.

5. Provide technical review and support to the development of three ECARO multi-country evaluations: 1) UNICEF’s approach and measures taken to protect the rights of children evacuated from institutions in Ukraine to other countries; 2) analysis on GBV risk mitigation in alternative care and; 3) analysis of national legal frameworks regulating the minimum age of sexual consent and marriage.

6. Contribute to improving the knowledge management of the ECARO Child Protection SharePoint space.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / MilestoneDeliverables / OutputsTimeline / DeadlineTechnical support to the implementation and monitoring of programming and donor funded projects related to the repatriation and reintegration of children from Iraq/Syria (110 days)Contribution to reporting requirements, including quarterly and interim reports.30 working days4 x Interim reports15 working daysCoordination of regular check-ins with country offices involved in donor funded projects.Meeting notes and follow-up action summary for 10 x check-ins with country offices10 working daysFollow-up of regional support actions on SSWF, MHPSS and GBV for the country offices involved in donor funded projects in Central Asia.Meeting notes and follow-up action summary for 6 x technical meetings on SSWF/MHPSS/GBV5 working daysContribute to developing an ECARO addendum to UNICEF’s internal policy paper on engagement with the UN Preventing Violent Extremism Agenda.Addendum paper25 working daysContribute to documented CAAC-related workstreams at country level.Documentation of CAAC (Children and Armed Conflict)-related workstreams25 working daysTechnical support and follow-up on key workstreams within the children on the move agenda (45 days)Activities related to the ECAR/MENAR cross-regional forum on the Mediterranean mixed-movement route

Meeting minutes and follow-up actions of 3 x ECAR/MENAR cross-regional forums

20 working daysActivities with IOM and UNHCR on protecting the rights of refugee and migrant children and families1 x concept note on UNICEF value-add in Western Balkans15 working daysDocument, share and follow-up on the final report of the digital communication for child protection programming campaigns with MetaFinal report drafted and disseminated10 working daysDesign and implementation of digital capacity building and programming products (30 days)Roll-out of the GBV virtual safe space (VSS) deploymentSummary report on GBV VSS deployment10 working daysDevelopment and roll-out of the GBV e-learning language adaptation in close coordination with the Türkiye Country Office and the Agora team.Final training documents20 working daysMonitor and document the implementation of activities and recommendations related to UNICEF’s legal research (16 days)Document and support in the implementation of activities and recommendations related to UNICEF’s legal researchSummary of implementation activities16 working daysProvide technical review and support to the development of three ECARO multi-country evaluations (35 days)Support in the documentations UNICEF’s approach and measures taken to protect the rights of children evacuated from institutions in Ukraine to other countriesReview of draft and final report13 working daysSupport the analysis on GBV risk mitigation in alternative careReview of draft and final report11 working daysSupport the analysis of national legal frameworks regulating the minimum age of sexual consent and marriageReview of draft and final report11 working daysContribute to improving the knowledge management of the ECARO Child Protection SharePoint space (8 days)Knowledge management of the ECARO Child Protection SharePoint spaceUpdated 3 x CP pages8 working days

244 working days between July 2024 and June 2024.

Consultant's Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be remote/home-based.

As part of this assignment, some international travels are foreseen. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 244 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as these will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• Master's degree in international law, human rights law, or international development with a strong academic focus on relevant legal dimensions.
• At least two (2) years of proven experience and knowledge in the areas related to the ToRs is required.
• Contextual knowledge of international legal framework on child protection, with a focus on the European legal framework as it relates to legal responsibility, international protection, access to child protection systems, and identification of comprehensive, secure, and sustainable solutions is required.
• Contextual knowledge of child protection programming in the Ukrainian crisis is required.
• Contextual knowledge of GBV programming in emergencies is an asset.
• Experience developing and implementing digital communication and engagement workstreams, including online information and service platforms is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in knowledge management and documentation is required.
• Experience developing and implementing work, implementation and dissemination plans related to child protection programming is required.
• Experience supporting the design, implementation and follow-up of donor-supported projects and grants is an asset.
• Previous international experience with UNICEF or another UN Organization is considered an asset.
• Ability to adjust and work under quickly changing context is required.
• Fluency in English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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:

Please include a full CV and a Cover Letter in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.

Advertised: W. Europe Daylight Time

Deadline: W. Europe Daylight Time