NGO JOBS

Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: United States of America
Closing date: 30 Dec 2013

Consultant, Protection of children against violence in the Post-2015 Development Agenda – Child Protection Section

1. Background

Violence – in the home, schools, care and justice institutions, the workplace and the community – is an everyday reality for millions of girls and boys worldwide. UNICEF is mandated to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential, including by protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation. In doing this, UNICEF is guided by the provisions and principles of the CRC. The core of UNICEF’s new strategic plan for 2014-2017 places protection of children from all forms of violence at its core. UNICEF is working to place the issue high on the priority list within the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The work of the Child Protection Section within UNICEF is driven by the 2008 Global Child Protection Strategy – a rights-based approach which calls for the development of a protective environment where children are free from harm. The strategy is founded on two main pillars: 1) promoting and strengthening child protection systems, and 2) supporting positive social change. Within this framework, the main functions of the Child Protection Section in New York Headquarters (NYHQ) in relation to the promotion and protection of children from violence include: 1) support to Regional Offices (ROs) and Country Offices (COs) to develop, strengthen and implement their programmes; 2) efforts to further global advocacy; and 3) establishment and strengthening of global and regional partnerships.

UNICEF is leading a new global initiative to End Violence against Children. Launched in July 2013, UNICEF’s End Violence against Children initiative urges ordinary citizens, lawmakers and governments to speak out more forcefully and take action to fight violence against children. It calls on all partners to join global, national or local movements to end violence against children. The initiative supports the follow-up process to the 2006 UN Study on Violence against Children and the implementation of its recommendations. Within the context of an ever growing recognition of the urgent need to address violence against children, UNICEF has a critical role to play to bring its global voice and experience to reinforce the growing momentum to end violence against children; channel public outrage at acts of violence into constructive efforts to change the lives of children; connect and engage people to tackle violence against children and its causes in their own communities; and show how UNICEF’s work is impacting on children.

With this role, it is imperative that UNICEF sets the standard in terms of building a body of evidence at the global level on effective strategies to prevent and respond to violence against children, to share within UNICEF and among partners. In recent years, there has been an increased recognition that more evidence is needed on the magnitude, nature and consequences of violence against children, as well as documentation of effective strategies on how to address violence. UNICEF and partners have made efforts to collect data on violence against children. However, there remains a pressing need for reliable data on violence; and to establish a more robust evidence base on strategies for an effective policy and programme response.

UNICEF is a member of the Post-2015 Development Agenda child-focused agencies (CFA). In March 2013, six of the leading child-focused agencies came together for joint advocacy efforts to influence the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Post-2015 Development Agenda is anticipated to be an important guiding force for development planning and priority setting at local, national and global levels over the next several years, following the adoption of a framework in the year 2015. UNICEF, as a member of the CFA, is committed to advocating that any new agenda for sustainable development must protect the rights and well-being of all children, including those most vulnerable and marginalized, without discrimination of any kind or for any reason. Specifically, as a member of the CFA sub-group on violence, UNICEF is committed to the priority theme of protection of children from violence and harm. The members of the sub-group look to UNICEF for active participation. Concerted involvement by UNICEF in the sub-group and efforts to ensure violence is prioritized in the Post-2015 Development Agenda, will require significant preparation, conceptually, administratively and in terms of documentation and communication/media materials, over the coming year. UNICEF is well positioned to convene experts around this emerging issue.

Finally, Together for Girls is a global public-private partnership dedicated to ending violence against children, with a focus on sexual violence against girls. Launched in 2009 at the Clinton Global Initiative, the partnership includes five UN agencies, including UNICEF, the U.S. government and the private sector. This multi-sector partnership has three pillars of work: (1) conducting and supporting national surveys on the magnitude and impact of violence against children; (2) supporting coordinated program actions in response to the data; and (3) leading global advocacy and public awareness efforts to draw attention to the problem and promote evidence-based solutions. Both to strengthen the technical response of the Together for Girls partnership while linking efforts to UNICEF’s global End Violence initiative, [UNICEF is leading] the organization of a global high level Violence against Children meeting. The principal purpose of the 3 day meeting (end March 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa) is to help the initiative move from research to action – creating a process that can advance the progress in the prevention and response to violence against children. The meeting will provide a venue to document the experiences to date, share lessons learnt and most importantly, create a solid foundation that can be used as a springboard for mobilising resources and commitments for on-going programme response.

1. Purpose

Under the direct supervision of the team lead for the Social Norms and Protection of Children from Violence team, the purpose of the consultancy is to support programme efforts to address violence against children through improved documentation, synthesizing information on work in progress in the field supporting linkages with strategic partners. The consultant will help to sustain and build on the momentum on UNICEF’s global initiative to End Violence against Children, including through positioning work in progress in the field with the innovation on the issue and the global initiative; and to ensure the issue of protection of violence against children features high on the priority list within the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

The consultancy is to contribute to:

i) Building programme evidence in the area of violence against children to date, including documentation of programme experience through regular updates/communications to the field, to identify effective strategies and lessons learned on how to prevent and respond to violence;

ii) Development of technical programming tools on prevention and response to violence against children; including finalization of toolkit on violence against children (in collaboration with Division of Communication), a user-friendly donor issue brief; and technical inputs for preparation of briefing notes on issues related to violence against children;

iii) Increased awareness raising and advocacy on violence against children, particularly through technical assistance and support to Post-2015 Development Agenda Child-Focused Agencies;

iv) Preparation of the global high level Together for Girls Violence against Children meeting: ‘From Research to Action: Advancing Prevention and Response to Violence against Children’ (end March 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa), working closely with Child Protection Specialist, Exploitation and Violence; and external partners.

1. Expected results

Specifically, the consultant is expected to deliver:

i) End Violence against Children initiative Programme Response

• Updated resources, including issue brief pertaining to violence against children; and finalization of toolkit on violence against children (in collaboration with Division of Communication to support the End Violence initiative);

• Repository of documentation of programme experience to identify effective strategies and lessons learned on how to prevent and respond to violence, compiled from regular updates/communications to the field; and

• Provision of technical support for the milestones in the End Violence against Children initiative (April and June 2014).

• Establish and maintain knowledge gateway, capturing information from CO’s, RO’s, Division of Communication and the Child Protection team.

ii) Violence prevention and response in the Post-2014 Development Agenda

• Provision of technical support into Post-2015 Development Agenda child-focused agencies (CFA) events, including the joint Open Working Group side event on children and inequalities and violence against children (February 2014); and proposed meetings around the UN Commission on the Status of Women (March 2014); and the Office of the President of the General Assembly (spring 2014);

• Preparation of UNICEF communication and advocacy materials for events/meetings related to violence in the Post-2015 Development Agenda; and

• Participation in and follow up to bi-weekly Post-2015 Development Agenda Child-Focused Agencies (violence sub-group) meetings.

iii) Programme response to Violence against Children

• Assist towards the preparation of the global high level Together for Girls Violence against Children meeting: ‘From Research to Action: Advancing Prevention and Response to Violence against Children’ (end March 2014, Johannesburg, South Africa); working closely with Child Protection Specialist, Exploitation and Violence; and external partners

1. The estimated duration of the contract will be from 3 February 2014 to 30 June 2014. The assignment will be undertaken in [81] days over this period.

2. Expected results: (measurable results)

The consultant will be expected to provide a summary report on activities/initiatives undertaken/completed on a monthly basis as the following:

Deliverables Estimated number of days (4 days/week) DeadlineMonthly report on activities, results, and outputs 15 28 February 2014Monthly report on activities, results, and outputs 16 31 March 2014Monthly report on activities, results, and outputs 18 30 April 2014Monthly report on activities, results, and outputs 16 31 May 2014Monthly report on activities, results, and outputs 16 30 June 2014TOTAL 81

1. Key competences, technical background, and experience required

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, law or relevant related discipline• A minimum of 6 years of professional experience working at the national and international levels in Child Protection or related field• Strong understanding of child protection systems and social norms, with a particular focus on violence against children • Demonstrated experience with writing analytical strategic communications or advocacy papers• Knowledge and experience managing complex multi-stakeholder partnerships• Excellent analytical, communication, writing skills• Fluency in English and another UN working language

1. Location

The consultant will be based at NYHQ. No travel is expected.

How to apply:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and P 11 form (which can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html) to pdconsultants@unicef.org with subject line “Consultancy on Protection of children against violence in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” by 30 December, 5:00pm EST. Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.