Consultant – Humanitarian Action for Children/ Disability Inclusion, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia

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

How can you make a difference? 

In South Asia, understanding the specific experiences of children and persons with disabilities in emergencies is crucial for creating emergency preparedness and response plans that are disability inclusive. Such inclusiveness enhances protection, resilience, and recovery for these vulnerable groups. Investing in quality mapping on social protection schemes and other services linked to WASH, health/medical, nutrition, protection, education, information/communication and technologies etc. is essential to make humanitarian programming inclusive and responsive to the needs of Persons/Children with Disabilities.

To achieve a more impactful engagement with the at-risk community and affected people, the Grand Bargain 2.0 version refines its objective to ‘achieving better humanitarian outcomes for In South Asia, understanding the specific experiences of children and persons with disabilities in emergencies is crucial for creating emergency preparedness and response plans that are disability inclusive. Such inclusiveness enhances protection, resilience, and recovery for these vulnerable groups. Investing in quality mapping on social protection schemes and other services linked to WASH, health/medical, nutrition, protection, education, information/communication and technologies etc. is essential to make humanitarian programming inclusive and responsive to the needs of Persons/Children with Disabilities.

To achieve a more impactful engagement with the at-risk community and affected people, the Grand Bargain 2.0 version refines its objective to ‘achieving better humanitarian outcomes for people through enhanced efficiency, effectiveness, and greater accountability, in the spirit of quid pro quo as relevant to all’. The reframing resulted in the endorsement in one of the key outcome pillars of the Grand Bargain, accountability, and inclusion, providing a foundation for future efforts to amplify inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities both in humanitarian action and development work.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs under ‘Equality for All’ programming is extending support to the Regional Office for South Asia (ROSA) as well as UNICEF Bangladesh and Nepal to further strengthen their efforts towards more disability inclusive programmes in South Asia. UNICEF underscores the importance of the scaling-up efforts on Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and advocates for improving full and meaningful participation as well as inclusion of persons with disabilities as outlined in the Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy (DIPAS) and IASC Guidelines, Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. UNICEF strongly positions itself in operationalizing the systematic engagement of persons and children with disabilities and envisions to contribute to the dignity and resilience of the persons and children with disabilities as guided by the Core Commitments to Children (CCC) in Humanitarian Action. It adheres to the a.) inclusive needs assessments, planning, and monitoring; b.) inclusive and safe access to information and services; and c.) inclusive and impactful participation.).

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to better understand the identification, inclusiveness and participation of Persons and Children with Disabilities in humanitarian programming including needs assessment and analysis, strategic response planning, resource mobilization, implementation and monitoring and operational review and evaluation and the challenges associated with these efforts within the South Asia Region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, both by government and UNICEF. The study will focus on 

(i) how the Government and UNICEF through community systems identify and register and/or fail to identify and register Persons and Children with Disabilities

(ii) how data related to Persons and Children with Disabilities is determined, collected and used in design of the programs/interventions  (iii) how these systems and approaches create avenues/opportunities for the meaningful participation and inclusion of Persons and Children with Disabilities in processes that directly impact them. 

The study will put forward actionable recommendations to strengthening inclusiveness, participation and integrated programming of Persons and Children with Disabilities for both UNICEF and Government. Further, the study will reflect some good practices and innovative approaches that have contributed to enhanced inclusion of and support to children and persons with disabilities in South Asia.

Key Assignments and Tasks:

Undertake a desk review that examines the existing literature on needs assessments and analysis, response planning, resource mobilization, implementation (registration systems, national policies, laws, strategies and plans, frameworks, program documents), assessment and monitoring tools and programme evaluation reports for humanitarian programming for both state and UNICEF led programmes with a focus on how PWDs/CWDs are reflected or not. The review shall focus on systems, tools, programs related to Social Protection, WASH, Child  (i) Undertake a desk review that examines the existing literature on needs assessments and analysis, response planning, resource mobilization, implementation (registration systems, national policies, laws, strategies and plans, frameworks, program documents), assessment and monitoring tools and programme evaluation reports for humanitarian programming for both state and UNICEF led programmes with a focus on how PWDs/CWDs are reflected or not. The review shall focus on systems, tools, programs related to Social Protection, WASH, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition, Education and Social Behavioural Change (information/communication) within the Government and UNICEF across all eight countries in South Asia Region (SAR) – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.                                                         

(ii) Conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with a diverse range of participants including UNICEF staff, selected Government stakeholders, Persons and Children with Disabilities, implementing partners, Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, Civil Society Organizations, UN agencies, academia and the media. This will complement and validate the findings obtained through desk reviews. Additionally, these interviews will provide firsthand inputs and insights on policies, procedures, practices enriching overall understanding.  

(iii) Based on the desk review and KIIs, put together a mapping of available registries of PWDs/CWDs with findings and recommendations (costed where feasible) linked to the inclusiveness and participation Persons and Children with Disabilities in all eight countries of the South Asian Region.       

(iv) Document good practices, and innovative approaches on inclusion and engaging PWDs/CWDs) in humanitarian action.  Prepare and facilitate presentations at inception, on preliminary findings following data collection and at presentation of final report.

Key Deliverables:

1. Produce an inception report setting out the approach/methodology and understanding of the assignment and facilitate a presentation; required number of days – 10 

2. Preliminary presentation on the finding of the study following desk review and KIIs; required number of days – 20

3. Delivery of draft report of the study; required number of days – 20

4. Final report and mapping along with recommendations; required number of days – 10

5. A virtual learning event (to be confirmed); required number of days – 5

Note: it is a remote-based consultancy. Please include your financial proposal along with your application. Any application without the financial proposal will not be considered.

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

Education Qualification:

Advanced university degree in a subject area relevant to humanitarian action, social protection, disaster management, international relations, social development, disability/social inclusion, human rights, gender, accountability, communications, localizations, and social policy. 10 years of work experience relevant to the post may be considered as a replacement for formal qualifications.

Work Experience:

• 8 years’ research or other relevant professional experience (both in humanitarian and development context) including proven or solid experience in conducting social research utilizing quantitative and qualitative data analysis, interviews focusing on sensitive issues and with at-risk groups, designing or managing complex or meta-analysis research both at the international level.
• Proven experience in producing high quality research reports, evidence-based publications, peer reviewed technical briefs, and other forms of presentations.
• Familiarity with South Asian Regional context will be added advantage.
• Proven record of working with UN agencies, INGOs, and other credible institutions will be an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

 Competencies:

• Extensive knowledge on any human rights-based approach to programming.
• Extensive engagement with the organization working on persons with disabilities.
• Skills in working and supporting collective platforms including governments, UN agencies, international non-government organizations, civil society and faith-based groups, and other key stakeholders across South Asia.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and facilitation skills
• Experience working with UNICEF will be an advantage.

PS: Urgency to accomplish the engagement within 3 months across eight (8) country offices in the South Asia Region

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.