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Consultancy Title: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Child Protection

Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection Section, Programme Group – NYHQ

Duration: May 1, 20224 to December 31, 2024

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment: 

Through the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme to Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation: Delivering the Global Promise, the largest global programme focused on accelerating the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by end of 2030, UNICEF supports holistic, integrated and multisectoral approach that will (i) expand opportunities for women’s and girls’ agency; (ii) promote enabling family and community environments; (iii) build and expand a global youth movement grounded in adolescent girls’ leadership; (iv) strengthen governance to end FGM; (v) strengthen the capacity of rights holders and duty bearers; and (vi) bridge the gap between evidence generation and uptake of research across 21 countries covering Africa and the Middle East.

UNICEF’s work on the prevention of harmful practices (with a focus on FGM) is a corporate priority and embedded in UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. This corporate commitment provides a favorable institutional environment for expanding work on ending FGM through the Joint Programme which covers 17 countries and is being delivered jointly through UNFPA. This work also responds to SDG 5.3 which aims to eliminate all harmful practices, such as female genital mutilation.

The main purpose of the assignment is  to provide technical assistance for design, implementation of specific programmes for prevention of harmful practices, specifically contributing to FGM elimination.  Therefore, UNICEF is seeking a highly motivated, organized, and innovative thinker to support the development and deployment of the Joint Programme’s movement agenda, the nexus toolbox, compile country experiences and provide overall support for program delivery by the Joint Programme.

Scope of Work:

1.     Provide technical support to the Joint Programme to roll out the nexus toolbox to a minimum of five Joint Programme countries Review existing research, knowledge, tools and mechanisms on shock-responsive social protection systems and risk finance, including risk insurance.

2.     Support the Joint Programme to systematically collect country programme experiences (lessons learned, best practices, reviews, evaluations) in the protection of children from harmful practices, with particular attention to FGM.

3.     Draft a technical paper and or tool, informed by the collected body of knowledge, past Joint Progamme report on movement building for young people, that can be shared and replicated across countries.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables: 

Deliverable 1– A final technical report on rollout of nexus toolbox in at least 5 countries is in place, clearly outlining process, coverage, and lessons that the Joint Programme should take forward.

Deliverable 2 – At least 2 technical missions are conducted to countries adopting a nexus approach and a report detailing technical support provided is completed.

Deliverable 3 – A succinct report detailing programme experiences from all 17 Joint Programme that includes lessons learned, best practices, reviews, evaluations on prevention of and response to FGM.

Deliverable 4 – A technical guide and plan on movement building with focus on youth movement.

Deliverable 5 – Three rollout activities of the movement building with focus on youth movement in 3 countries are implemented.  

Qualifications 

Education:

Master’s university degree in Social Sciences, Social Work, Law, Sociology, International Development, and other related technical fields.

Work experience: 

• Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme management, including monitoring and evaluation, in child protection or a related field. Demonstrated understanding of social norms and social norms change and experience in programmatic application.
• Fluency in English and French are required. 

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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: 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.