Community-based reintegration expert

Job no: 572880
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Kyiv
Level: Consultancy
Location: Ukraine
Categories: Child Protection

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.

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UNICEF Ukraine

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Background:

As a result of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, the lives of every Ukrainian, including the most vulnerable, children, have been severely impacted. Millions of children were displaced both within as well as outside of Ukraine, thousands of them without parental care, including children evacuated from institutions. Many other were separated from their parents/legal guardians during their displacement, have since been separated from their caregivers or are in other ways in need of family tracing and reunification (FTR) and family-based placement support. However, more than two years have now passed, meaning that and there is now both an opportunity and an urgency to safely reintegrate children who have been reunified with their families or otherwise returned to government-controlled areas (GCA) of Ukraine, as children returning from abroad or from non-government controlled areas, often after harrowing journeys and ordeals, are amongst the most vulnerable children. They have often had to survive violence, abuse and neglect, are at risk of further violence, have returned to areas and communities that they might not know and that are not capacitated to support their needs and vulnerabilities, are at risk of institutionalisation and are at risk of being stigmatised. The Government of Ukrainian (GoU), with UNICEF and other support, is actively seeking ways to support FTR as well as the identification of and placement in family-based alternative care solutions for children who cannot be reunified, including notably children evacuation abroad from institutions. This, in line with the GoU’s vision of ensuring safe and nurturing family care for all children. This is a national priority articulated through the Strategy for Ensuring the Right of Every Child in Ukraine to Family Upbringing (henceforth referred to as “the Strategy”), of which UNICEF’s Better Care Initiative is a key mechanism for the implementation of the Strategy. Furthermore, a shared priority of the Government and UNICEF is ensuring family care and access to social services, health and education for children who were previously displaced and have subsequently returned to Ukraine in a manner anchored in the best interests of children. This will leverage existing government initiatives like Better Care and Resilience Centres, prioritize family care, and access to a minimum package of social services and benefits (ISSB) to ensure that the reintegration process is successful.

UNICEF’s programme objectives and related activities are designed through a system strengthening lens and an integrated approach involving both humanitarian response and care reform. This is intentionally designed to create intentional linkages aimed at the shared objectives of safe return, family care, and access to social services to facilitate successful reintegration. The objectives and related activities of UNICEF’s Reintegration Programme leverage current efforts to safely return children to Ukraine and identify and support those who have already returned to Ukraine, ensure placement into appropriate family care selected to meet the child’s unique needs, profile, and situation, and facilitate reintegration back into community. It is designed to strengthen the child protection system utilizing standardized approaches such as case management, and family strengthening. Recognizing the trauma caused by war, and the knock-on effects of family separation, and movement, particular focus will be paid to facilitating access to necessary social services both for the child and for the family providing care.

Purpose of assignment:

The consultant will work closely with UNICEF’s Kyiv and field Offices, notably within the various teams and thematic areas of child protection work, with key governmental counterparts leading the various components of return and reintegration (Ombudsman’s Office, Coordination Centre on Care Reform, Ministry of Social Policy, National Social Service, Regional Child Affairs Services, Regional Social Services, etc.) as well as with UNICEF’s implementing partners. Notably, the consultant will:

• Support UNICEF in framing its return and reintegration work through the development of an internal programme note on return and reintegration, which will include consultations and be in line with UNICEF’s broader child protection programming, notably on Better Care Reform and will be in line with global standards and best practices.

• Develop and support an Open Call to select an implementing partner to support UNICEF reintegration programme and support the setting up of said programme, in line with national priorities, under the leadership of relevant government institutions and in consultation with other UNICEF colleagues, NGOs, CSOs, etc.

• Develop a package of specifications, methodologies and tools on case management and services for returned children aimed at strengthening the capacity of notably local actors in supporting and assisting returned children. This will also include developing and piloting training modules on said packages.

• In line with the programme note and the packages, the consultant will also develop a mapping to support UNICEF reintegration programme which will identify ongoing UNICEF Chid Protection programmes, gaps and support needs in order to ensure high quality reintegration programming in prioritised return Oblasts.

• The consultant, in coordination with UNICEF Child Protection colleagues, under the leadership of relevant government entities and in coordination with other actors will draft and Action Plan on return and reintegration that it will submit to relevant governmental actors. Following the development of the Action Plan, the consultant will develop ToRs for a coordination forum that will serve to oversee the implementation of the Action Plan as well as an M&E framework, tools, processes and accompanying (piloted) training modules.

They will provide technical support to the Child Protection Section, and work under the direct management of the Child Protection Specialist working on Return and Reintegration under the general oversight of the Alternative Care and Return and Reintegration team lead in Kyiv to support to ensure the coordinated implementation of UNICEF’s Return and Reintegration programme

Scope of work:

Under the general direction of the UNICEF country office and the PHC, the consultant will provide relevant technical support at the levels of national, oblast, primary health care facilities.

• Technical consulting and other relevant support of health facilities staff regarding procured cold chain equipment including active and passive cooling equipment, temperature monitoring system, specialized refrigerating, and other transport for vaccine delivery, power generators, voltage regulators and other electrical systems/devices supported cold chain such as air conditioning and ventilation, fire and security alarms systems.
• Regular monitoring and evaluation of cold chain infrastructure, including CCE capacity, site readiness, transport/logistics and staff responsible for storage and transportation of vaccines. Providing timely reports on projects activities, gaps, and bottlenecks to be addressed.
• Consulting and controlling the quality delivery of cold chain equipment (CCE) and other related equipment verifying the compliance and provide solutions.
• Monitor and supervise the installation, handover, and commissioning of the CCE in accordance with the requirements and procedures set by the organization.
• Updating the CCE inventory, UNICEF CCE Dashboard on a regular basis site, readiness for CCE installation according to the requirements.
• Consults the local level cold stores by preparing recommendations based on the WHO Effective Vaccine Management guidelines, as well as identifying gaps based on data and evidence for capacity building of staff on vaccine and cold chain management monitoring and maintenance.
• Training on proper use of CCE (uploading of vaccine, unloading, transportation, temperature registration and monitoring).
• Monitoring visits to selected health care facilities and vaccination points, preparation reports on supplied equipment, knowledge and skills of trained personnel at using cold chain equipment and temperature monitoring devices, actions in emergency situations.
• Regular (weekly) reporting on the work done in accordance with the agreed plan.
• Monthly reporting on the work done in accordance with the agreed form.

Work assignment overview:

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

Inception Report

7/12/2024

12

Internal programme note on return and reintegration

7/30/2024

30

Open call for reintegration programme

9/4/2024

10

Service package for returned children

9/20/2024

10

Case management considerations package for returned children in the context of reintegration

10/6/2024

10

Mapping of ongoing support and needs in priority reintegration locations

10/22/2024

20

Tested/piloted training modules on service package for local actors

11/17/2024

18

Tested/piloted training modules on case management for returned children in the context of reintegration for local actors

12/11/2024

18

Draft Action Plan on retrun and reintegration

1/4/2025

10

ToR for Coordination Forum on return and reintegration

1/20/2025

10

Monitoring and evaluation framework for reintegration

2/5/2025

10

Monitoring tools and procedures

2/21/2025

10

Tested/piloted training modules on M&E framework

3/9/2025

10

Final Report

3/31/2025

12

Sub-total:

190

Travel plan: It is prognosed that the Consultant will travel to field locations (Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odessa, Volyn, Poltava, Mykolaiv, etc.) around Ukraine 20% of the time in order to facilitate the drafting of deliverables, consultations, trainings, workshops, etc. The trip plan will be developed jointly with UNICEF Kyiv and Field Offices.

Number of travel days: 38 days (10 round trips).

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

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

Education: Masters degree or higher in one of the following fields is required: social sciences, international law, international development/relations, human rights, psychology, sociology or other related disciplines. A combination of relevant academic qualifications and extensive work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Professional experience:

• At least 5 years of professional experience in social protection / child protection or other relevant field at national and/or subnational level.
• Knowledge of the Ukrainian system of child protection, system of social protection, system of alternative care for children (residential and family-based).
• Experience in strengthening social workforce and system of social services
• Experience in coordination and cooperation with high-level national, and sub-national governments, international organisations, UN Agencies and international/local CSOs.
• Experience working in Human Rights, Child Protection, notably Family Tracing and Reunification and/or Return and Reintegration is considered an asset.
• Experience in development of wide strategies and plan of actions in area of child protection.
• Experience providing consultancy services to UNICEF and other UN agencies is welcome.

Languages:

Ukrainian: Proficient/Native [C2];

English: Upper-Intermediate [B2].

Skills and competencies:

• Excellent communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to build consensus among diverse stakeholders.
• High political awareness and risk and impact analysis and risk mitigation strategy development skills.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational, time management, and project management skills.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEFs 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.

Advertised: 12 Jun 2024 FLE Daylight Time
Deadline: 26 Jun 2024 FLE Daylight Time