Consultancy Recruitment: National consultancy to support the child protection refugee response, Prague, Czech Republic (45 days from 15 december- 2023-30 June 2024)

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, A future 

The consultant will provide technical services to facilitate the implementation of the Workplan signed between UNICEF and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic in the areas of (i) child protection system strengthening, (ii) Social service workforce. capacity building, (iii) establishment of the regional coordination platform to support UNICEF’s humanitarian efforts in
child protection.

How can you make a difference? 

1. Child Protection System Strengthening (35%)

• Support Child Protection System Assessments:

• Support revision of the draft and final reports on the assessment of the child protection system with the focus on refugees and the assessment of the alternative care system for refugee children; revise resource documents and analyses; identify key areas for child protection system enhancement.
• Suggest recommendations for evidence-based changes to strengthen the overall Child Protection framework ensuring that UNICEF’s interventions align effectively with the needs and challenges present in the system; provide support to align the assessment findings and subsequent recommendations with global best practices.

• Support Child Protection System Reform:

• Provide technical support to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports in the Child Protection System Reform process; attend and contribute to the strategic and technical meetings and decisions; review research and analysis documents, draft summaries of consultations.
• support and propose revise policies, practices, and procedures related to child protection.
• provide recommendations for the Child Protection system improvements giving primary consideration to the best interests of the child and in alignment with global best practices.

• Develop Standard Operational Procedures on the protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Children:

• Based on systemic assessments, develop Standard Operational Procedures on the protection of Unaccompanied and Separated Children and engage meaningfully with MoLSA, MoEYS and MoI for its endorsement.

2. Social Service Workforce Capacity building (35%)

• Support the Training of Trainers (ToT) for national experts in child protection in humanitarian emergency Provide support to the coordination and facilitation of national experts for training of trainers (ToT).

• support the accreditation of the ToT course; contribute to designing and development of the ToT program.

• Support the cascade trainings

• Provide support to the coordination and delivery of cascade trainings across the local authorities for social and legal protection of children (OSPODs); ensure engagement of local authorities, municipalities and other relevant state and non-state organizations.

3. Regional Coordination (30%)

• Support coordination among the 14 regions of the country

• Support communication between regional authorities, organizations, and stakeholders involved in child protection efforts; support information sharing between regional actors; facilitate the exchange of expertise, resources, and best practice-sharing; facilitate organization of high-level meetings in the regions and events to showcase UNICEF programming and impact.

• Provide technical assistance to Regional Coordination Platforms

• Provide technical support to regional coordination, identifying strategies and entry points for the enhancement of the refugee response across all regions and ensuring alignment with global best practices and UNICEF agenda in child protection.

Note: The consultant is expected to collaborate with UNICEF international consultants/experts and

implementing partners whenever their expertise is relevant and aligns with the underlying objectives of the assignments, such as in the context of Assessment of the Child Protection System, Child Protection System Reform and Social Service Workforce capacity building, building on achievements of the humanitarian response and to ensure sustainability of UNIECF’s interventions.

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

• An advanced university degree (master’s or higher) in social science, human rights, psychology, or related field
  required.
• A minimum of [insert years] of relevant professional experience in 
• At least 5-7 years of professional work experience in the field of child protection, social and legal protection of children in the Czech Republic required.
• Demonstrated experience in working with Czech Government and local NGOs in the field of child protection required.
• Knowledge, expertise and established record in managing, planning, coordinating, implementing, and monitoring child protection system strengthening, emergency and post-emergency projects desired.
• Experience of cooperation with UNICEF or other UN Agencies desired.
•  Extensive experience in analysing systems and programs, concepts, guidelines, practical tools and manuals desired.
• Experience in working in emergency and refugee support context is an asset. 
• Excellent writing skills.
• Excellent analytical, advocacy, communication and negotiating skills.
• Excellent team working skills and respect for diversity.
• Ability to work through networking and in partnership.
• Language Requirements: Proficient in Czech (native) and mandatory fluency in English

The consultancy is open to applicants from the Czech Republic or those with a valid Czech Republic work permit, as well as individuals with prior experience in working with the Czech Republic Child Protection system. Your submission should include:

• A short cover letter, highlighting relevant experience with similar type of assignments (max 300 words).
• CV of the individual applicants
• Samples or links to at least 2 related pieces of work previously conducted by the consultant, must be provided in English.
• Technical proposal 2 pages maximum
• Financial proposal including number of days for undertaking the assignment, daily fee, travel costs. Travel costs will be pre-approved by UNICEF as per the UNICEF rules and regulations for travel for consultants i.e., irrespective of the distance and duration of the flight, most direct and economy flight ticket shall apply.
• The financial proposal should include all possible costs related to the implementation of the tasks under the present TOR including international, inter-city and in-city travel expenses and DSA. UNICEF does not provide or arrange health insurance coverage. The financial proposal must be submitted in a separate file of non-editable format (e.g., PDF). Consultancy fees should be broken down to show the details for the below-mentioned deliverables.
• As this is a national consultancy, all applicants should please indicate VAT amount separately in the Financial Offer or clearly state if you are non-VAT payer.
• This consultancy is homebased.

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.