Consultant – GBViE (CSS) – Req.# 567080

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, LOVE

Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

Consultancy Title: Consultant – GBViE (CSS)

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

Duration: 25 January 2024 – 24 January 2025

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:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does – in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life – in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions – her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens – addressing inequity – not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Related to this mission, UNICEF is directly involved in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in some of the world’s most intense and complex conflicts and disasters. GBV in its various forms constitutes a global crisis which undermines social and economic progress; as one of the world’s greatest human rights violations, GBV must be addressed to ensure universal rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of human beings. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE) is recognized as a life-saving measure and an essential component of humanitarian action. As a lead agency in addressing GBViE, UNICEF has expanded its on-the-ground programming in recent years and made prevention and risk mitigation of, and response to GBViE one of its targeted priorities in its new Strategic and Gender Action Plans (GAP) 2022-2025, as well as in the new Child Protection Strategy. GBViE contributes to the results under Goal Area 3 and is also now a cross-cutting priority across the new Strategic Plan-, making GBV risk mitigation one of UNICEF’s change strategies and a key contributor across all Goal Areas. GBViE risk mitigation is now also across all sectors and areas of work in UNICEF’s updated Core Commitments for Children.

As part of its continuous efforts to improve GBV service delivery globally, UNICEF is taking the lead on developing, revising and disseminating key resources to strengthen the service providers’ capacity to offer quality care to child survivors of sexual abuse. In partnership with the International Rescue Committee, UNICEF finalized the second version of the Caring for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for health and Psychosocial Service Providers in Humanitarian Settings (CCS) and associated training package (2023). In addition, a global CCS e-learning focusing on the basic modules of the training packages was developed and piloted. In 2024, the translation and dissemination of the revised resource package, as well as the expansion of the content covered by the e-learning, its contextualization and piloting would require further technical support.

In addition, UNICEF has been strengthening its GBViE programmatic efforts by pioneering on varied key research topics, including related to risk mitigation, women and girls centered technology, costs of GBViE and feminist approaches to research. As a lead agency on GBV, innovation and related knowledge management, UNICEF has been an active contributing member of the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) for several years. The SVRI is the largest global network on research on violence against women (VAW) and violence against children (VAC), providing a space where global role players in the field connect with one another, share and promote their research, work to influence policies and improve the lives of those who have experienced GBV. Ahead of the coming SVRI global forum that is taking place in Cape Town (South Africa) from 21 to 25 October 2024, UNICEF is planning to prepare and submit up to 10 abstracts and develop communication products on key GBViE initiatives and innovations with the objective of being selected to present during the international conference.

During the 12-month period of the contract, the consultant will support the CCS resource package development and dissemination, and the UNICEF participation to the SVRI through the specific tasks listed below.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Child Protection Manager (GBViE), the consultant will be responsible for completion of the following deliverables:

1. Support the CCS resource package dissemination;
2. Contribute to the CCS e-learning development and pilot;
3. Contribute to the development of resources for the 2024 SVRI Forum.

The consultancy will be home-based with travels to emergency-affected contexts relevant to the above tasks, as feasible.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

• CCS training package contextualized and piloted in at least 2 contexts

By 15 July 2024

• 2 case studies on the use of the CCS package finalized

By 15 November 2024

• Lessons learned and recommendations collected and shared

By 24 January 2025

• At least 2 modules added to the CCS e-learning course

By 30 June 2024

• CCS e-learning course contextualized and piloted in at least 3 contexts

By 15 October 2024

• Lessons learned and recommendations collected and shared

By 24 January 2025

• 4-5 abstracts developed and submitted

By 15 February 2024

• 2-3 communication products developed and approved

By 31 August 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s degree in public health, social work, political science, human rights and international law or other related degree, or equivalent programming experience

Language Proficiency:  

• Fluency in English and French is required. 
• Fluency in Spanish and/or Arabic is considered an asset for this role.

Work experience:

• 8 to 10 years of programme management experience, preferably including at least 3 years implementing GBV programming and/or engaging with GBV coordination in humanitarian contexts.
• Demonstrated experience with GBV case management and its intersections with information management.
• Experience in Gender or GBV related knowledge management and sharing is an asset.
• Experience working with a wide variety of stakeholders and capturing of requirements in an inter-agency setting.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Ability to work with a team as well as independently in a multi-cultural environment.  
• Proven capacity to work with and lead collaborative teams across different locations and with different technical skills.  
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and verbal. 
• Creative, innovative thinker who can also translate ideas into practical applications. 
• Proven skills in networking, strategic thinking, problem solving, advocacy and negotiation.
• Ability to quickly develop a sound understanding of the processes performed by UNICEF functional areas, both at Headquarters, Regional and Country Office levels. 
• Excellent drafting skills and ability to write effectively for UNICEF external products.

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.