ROSTER of Romanian National Consultants in CHILD PROTECTION area, Romania, REMOTE, Req: 577888

UNICEF Romania invites qualified candidates to express their interest to be included in the ROSTER OF SPECIALIZED CONSULTANTS FOR THE CHILD PROTECTION SECTION. They might be contracted to provide support to UNICEF in delivering specific products in relation to evidence generation (data collection, research, etc.); policy and legal analyses; policy advocacy; policy and programme planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation; technical assistance and capacity building; public finance management for social services; knowledge management; management information system design and use, etc. to support child protection programmes in Romania.

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, PROTECTION 

UNICEF is looking for additional Child Protection technical expertise from Consultants in the following areas:

1. Violence against children.
2. Child Guarantee and localization.
3. Social assistance, with focus on
   • Strengthening quality and access to social services and
   • Strengthening quality and support of the social services workforce.
4. Alternative care, with focus on
   • Foster care and
   • Care leavers.
5. Justice for children.
6. Child protection in emergencies, with focus on the transition from humanitarian response to strengthened and resilient systems.

How can you make a difference? 

The selected consultants, when there is the need to deliver specific deliverables, will work closely with UNICEF Romania’s Child Protection team. When necessary, a close collaboration and interaction with state authorities and Civil Society Organizations will be required. Collaboration with state authorities implies working together with the National Authority for the Protection of Children's Rights and Adoption; Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities; Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity; Ministry of Justice and other national level institutions as well as the county and local governments. The consultants may also be requested to work closely with development partners and humanitarian agencies, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies and other international organizations.

The selected consultants may be required to travel across the country to gather evidence and to collaborate with local actors, for which they are expected to make their own arrangements for travel and lodging. Required travel will be specified in the TOR for each assignment and consultants will have to include all travel expenses (considering the expected travels) in their quotations.

The selected consultants are required to use their own equipment necessary for undertaking the assignments.

The details of the specific deliverables will be outlined in a separate ToR at the time of contracting for the given assignment and may include, but are not limited to, the following functional work and scope of work:

1. Violence against children
   1. Research and Evaluation:
      1. Legal framework analysis;
      2. Quantitative and qualitative social research;
      3. Monitoring and evaluation system development including indicator development.
   2. Policy and legal framework development (evidence-based roadmap development for strengthen response to VAC, including specific sectoral and cross-sectoral strategies guidelines and methodologies).
   3. Technical assistance and capacity building (design of capacity building programmes and tools to support to government and other counterparts).
   4. Public Finance Management (social services financing mechanisms).
   5. Management information systems (digital tools for data collection and visualization, eLearning, etc.).
   6. Knowledge management (EU and national best practices’ mapping and documentation, and report writing for policy advocacy).
2. Child Guarantee and localization:
   1. Research and Evaluation
      1. Legal analysis – national and EU framework relevant for policy implementation and EU funding;
      2. Monitoring and evaluation system development including indicator development.
   2. Policy and legal framework development (including theory of change, and concept design for modelling, development of guidance, manuals and similar documents).
   3. Technical assistance and capacity building (technical advice and capacity building support to various national and regional/EU counterparts and partners).
   4. Public Finance Management (with focus on EU funding – budget planning and expenditures; financing mechanisms).
   5. Management information systems (digital tools for data collection and visualization/dashboard).
   6. Knowledge management (development and organization of strategic meetings and experts’ forum - meetings/forums/roundtable, documentation of best practices and lessons learnt, report writing for policy advocacy).
3. Social assistance:
   1. Policy and legal framework development (with special focus on quality and access to social services at local level, including theory of change, and concept design for modelling for an incentivized package for social workers in disadvantaged area).
   2. Technical assistance and capacity building (with focus on development of the normative framework on social assistance and related capacity building).
   3. Public Finance Management (budget costing, planning and financing mechanisms).
   4. Management information systems (digital tools for data collection and visualization, eLearning, etc.)
4. Alternative care:
   1. Policy and legal framework development (including theory of change, and concept design for modelling, development of guidance, manuals and similar documents).
   2. Technical assistance and capacity building (provision of technical advice and assistance, and capacity building support to government and other counterparts – related to modelling and evaluation)
   3. Public Finance Management (budget costing, planning and financing mechanisms).
   4. Knowledge management (documentation of modelling, including lessons learned and report writing for policy advocacy and development).
5. Justice for children:
   1. Research and Evaluation:
      1. Legal analysis;
      2. Quantitative and qualitative social research;
      3. Monitoring and evaluation system development including indicator development.
   2. Policy and legal framework development (technical sector strategies, policy, programme, proposal, including theory of change, and concept design for modelling, development of guidance, manuals and similar documents).
   3. Technical assistance and capacity building (provision of technical advice and assistance, and capacity building support to central and local government and other counterparts – related to modelling and evaluation).
6. Child protection in emergencies:
   1. Policy and legal framework development (including theory of change, and concept design for modelling, development of guidance, manuals, and similar documents)
   2. Technical assistance and capacity building (provision of technical advice and assistance, and capacity building support to central and local government and other counterparts – related to modelling and evaluation).
   3. Management information systems (with focus on Primero – and use at local and national level – and interconnectivity with other digital tools).
   4. Knowledge management (documentation of modelling, including lessons learned and report writing for policy advocacy and development).

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

• A University degree in social and/or development sciences, social policy, sociology, social assistance, law, public administration, economist, public finance management, statistics, information technology or related field, or other relevant specific fields. 
• A minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in experience in total in any of these aspects:
  • Providing technical assistance in child protection/social assistance at the national and/or local levels.
  • Managing research/studies, knowledge management, data collection and analyses in child protection/social assistance and social services area.
  • Engaging with central and local governments, international organizations, and civil society entities.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to oversee multiple initiatives.
• Familiarity with UN & EU agenda, norms and systems.
• Analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, ability to facilitate, consult and negotiate with a broad range of government and non-government partners.
• Experience in child protection emergency preparedness and response will be an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in Romanian and Proficiency in English, including strong report writing and presentation skills are required.

 For every Child, you demonstrate… 

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

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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.