Consultant; Safe Schools Programme. Req# 569658

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: Safe Schools Programme Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Education Section – PG – NYHQ

Duration: 1 March 2024 – 31 December 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:

Safe to Learn is a global initiative launched in 2019 to catalyse commitments and evidence-based action to end violence in and through schools by 2030. It brings together a powerful coalition of partners from education, child protection, health, gender, and social and behavior change. Together, Safe to Learn partners leverage each other’s strengths and unique expertise to ensure that every child can learn safely. Safe to Learn works to prevent and respond to violence in and around schools to improve learning outcomes and better leverage investments in education towards violence prevention and response. To accelerate action towards this shared mission, Safe to Learn partners developed a 3-year Strategy (2021-2024) to develop an ecosystem for at-scale change and embed violence prevention in education systems at the country level.

The Safe to Learn Secretariat provides technical guidance and knowledge generation and management for use by the various stakeholders, particularly field practitioners. Safe to Learns mission is to leverage the role of the education sector in preventing and responding to violence against children in and around schools recognizing that violence against children must be addressed in all settings and support high quality and effective interventions across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

The Education team does not have funding to cover all planned activities that continue until the end of 2025. Based on business needs, some deliverables may be completed if additional resources become available.

Scope of Work:

The overall goal of this consultancy is to provide services to Safe to Learns capacity strengthening efforts and country engagement, including advising the Country Engagement Task Force. The consultant will work within the Safe to Learn Secretariat under the overall guidance of the Safe to Learn Global Coordinator and collaborate closely with Safe to Learn partners and UNICEF Education, Child Protection and Social and Behaviour Change staff.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Task 1 Support country engagement on safe, inclusive, and gender equitable schools

• 6-8 meeting outcome reports/tools/presentations delivered by 31 Dec 2025
• 6-8 meeting outcome reports/tools/presentations delivered by 31 Dec 2024
• 1 Annual work plan by 1 Apr 2024
• 1 Annual work plan developed by 1 Mar2025.
• 2 updates to the mapping sheet of STL partner presence done by 31 Dec2024
• 2 updates to the mapping sheet of STL partner presence done by 31 Dec2025
• A set of recommendations provided to 8 countries by 31 Dec 2024
• A set of recommendations provided to 8 countries by 31 Dec 2025
• Draft guidance for Call-to-Action endorsement finalized by 31 Dec 2024

2 countries signed up to the Call to Action using the guidance.

• Guidance implemented in 4 more countries 4 more countries signed up to the Call to Action using the guidance by 31 Dec 2025
• STL benchmark progress in 16 countries   updated annually, 1 follow up activity per country defined, establish number of schools and young people/children to be reached with STL programming for 16 countries by 31 Dec 2024
• STL benchmark progress in 16 countries   updated annually and minimum 1 follow up activity per country defined by 31 Dec 2025

Task 2; Advisory services to support joint programme implementation on violence prevention and response in education

• Implementation actions relating to programming documented and actioned for 10 working group meetings by 31 Dec 2024
• Implementation actions relating to programming documented and actioned for 10 working group meetings by 31 Dec 2024
• 2 draft inception reports developed by 31 Aug2024
• 2 additional draft inception reports developed by 31 Dec2025
• 2 costed work plans from 2 countries developed and reviewed by 31 Jul 2024
• 2 costed work plans from 2 countries developed and reviewed by 31 Dec2025
• 2 M&E frameworks adapted to country level by 30 June 2024
• 2 M&E frameworks adapted to country level by 30 June 2025

Task 3; Capacity development and guidance

• 2 draft lessons learned reports (1 country level and 1 and global level) by 31 Dec 2024
• 2 draft guidance reports (1 country level and 1 and global level) by 31 Decr2025
• 4 programme review meetings organized (2 each in 2 countries) by 31 Dec 2024
• 4 programme review meetings organized by 31 Dec 2025
• Analysis of country level data from 2-4 countries included in global reporting by 31 Dec 2024
• Analysis of country level data from 2-4 countries included in global reporting by 31 Dec 2025

Task 4 Capacity development and guidance

• Training including 1 generic PPT with notes on use of Safe to Learn diagnostic tool and benchmarking and programming framework provided for minimum 4 countries by 31 Dec 2024
• Training including 1 generic PPT with notes on use of Safe to Learn diagnostic tool and benchmarking and programming framework provided for minimum 4 more countries by 31 Dec 2025

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree or equivalent in social sciences, international development, child rights, education, or other related disciplines

Work experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of professional experience in providing technical and advisory support, strategic planning, programme development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation in diverse country contexts, including developing countries, on issues related to violence against children, including in and through schools.
• Experience of education and child protection/violence prevention policy and programming, with strong understanding of gender and inclusiveness.
• Working experience with key actors involved in gender-transformative violence prevention and response (policymakers, governments, education professionals, international and civil society organizations, etc.).
• Experience with Safe to Learn including knowledge of the Safe to Learn coalition and technical tools is an asset.
• An excellent understanding of the field of violence against children, including the work of STL, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNGEI, End Violence Partnership, CSO Forum, Global Partnership for Education, Education Cannot Wait, and others.

Competencies/Knowledge:

• Strong communication skills, excellent technical communication with peers and non-technical stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to successfully interact with a diverse group of people, across teams and with external partners and build consensus.
• Strong analytical and writing skills.
• A commitment to excellence & attention to detail
• Ability to work in a diverse, multicultural, and highly collaborative environment.
• Flexible work attitude, ability to follow direction and work independently across a virtual work environment.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to independently track and follow-up on various tasks.
• Collaborative work style, strong team-player attitude and ability to identify gaps and to take initiative to fill them.
• A good understanding of the latest research and evidence-base behind effective strategies to end violence against children in and through schools is an asset.
• Experience working with UN agencies, donors, or other international and civil society organizations, particularly at the field level is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

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