Child Friendly Cities Initiative Programme Specialist

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does - in programmes, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, and thrive, so that they develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. Every child must have an equal chance in life - in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions - and for her or his rights to be protected. The evidence is clear that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens - and by addressing inequity - will not only give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also leads to the sustained growth and stability of countries. As such, the focus on equity is vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), while also supporting the equitable development of nations. UNICEF works with governments and other partners to ensure that all countries fulfil the commitments they made at the UN Convention CRC, that every child can grow and develop to reach their full potential.

In Trinidad and Tobago, over half the population lives in urban areas where children face serious challenges, including violence, limited safe spaces, and unequal access to essential services. While improvements have been made in health, education, and sanitation, violence remains widespread—nearly 70% of children experience violent discipline or psychological aggression. Urban poverty further compounds inequality, with 30% of children from the poorest households not completing upper secondary education. Migrant and vulnerable children are particularly at risk. Of the migrant population in the country, over 80% are from Venezuela.

In response, UNICEF partnered with the Mayor of San Fernando and UN agencies—UNDP, ITU, UNCDF, UNRO, WFP, PAHO, UN Women, and ECLAC—to launch the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) in early 2025. The initiative aims to prevent violence and promote inclusive urban development that centres children’s rights, voices, and needs in public policies and planning. Globally, UNICEF has supported over 3,000 child-friendly cities, including in Spain. The Ciudades Amigas de la Infancia (Child Friendly Cities Initiative) in Spain was launched in 2002 and has the support of the Ministry of Youth and Children, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), and the University Institute of Needs and Rights of Children and Adolescents (IUNDIA).

In Trinidad and Tobago, the CFCI—led by UNICEF ECA in collaboration with the Municipality of San Fernando—aims to create a model child-friendly municipality where children feel safe and secure to access quality basic services and play by 2027, with the vision to scale across cities in the Eastern Caribbean. In the context of rising violence, including over 600 homicides in 2024, this assignment supports the rollout of the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), a global model promoting inclusive, safe, and sustainable urban environments for every child. The CFCI specialist is therefore required to support the coordination, implementation, and documentation of the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) for possible scale-up and strategy development for the region.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Stakeholder Coordination

Support the conduct and maintain a comprehensive stakeholder mapping and analysis to identify, categorize, and assess key actors involved in the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI), ensuring effective engagement and coordination throughout the initiative.

Coordinate and facilitate inclusive stakeholder meetings for the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) Action Plan by organizing schedules, preparing materials, guiding participatory discussions, and ensuring timely documentation and follow-up.

Ensure the active, informed, and inclusive participation of children and youth in the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) planning sessions through targeted engagement, capacity-building, and structured opportunities to influence decision-making.

2. Child and Youth Engagement

Support the design and pilot inclusive, age-appropriate participatory tools and activities—tailored to the interests and abilities of diverse children and youth, including migrants in San Fernando—to ensure meaningful engagement in The San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) process.

Support the organization of inclusive and safe workshops using creative, participatory methods in collaboration with local partners to gather meaningful input from children on their vision and priorities for a child-friendly San Fernando.

Support the Collection, analysis, and documentation of children’s input to inform the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) Action Plan, ensure their voices influence decisions, and establish feedback and monitoring mechanisms to sustain meaningful participation.

3. Committee Meeting Support

Coordinate and manage logistics for quarterly Technical and Steering Committee meetings by scheduling in advance, securing accessible venues, arranging necessary services, and ensuring broad stakeholder participation and representation.

Prepare and distribute focused, time-bound agendas and relevant materials in consultation with stakeholders ahead of each meeting, ensuring child-friendly versions are available when children or youth are involved.

Record detailed meeting minutes, review for accuracy, circulate to stakeholders within five working days, and maintain a digital archive while tracking follow-up actions for accountability.

4. Situation Analysis

Support the collection, organization, and review of existing data on children’s well-being in San Fernando by identifying key sources, categorizing information by thematic areas, assessing data quality, and summarizing key trends to inform the Action Plan.

Support the design and implement ethically sound, inclusive data collection activities—such as interviews, focus groups, or surveys—with diverse stakeholders, including children, and document findings for analysis.

Draft an accessible summary report analyzing qualitative and quantitative data on children in San Fernando, highlighting key findings, voices of youth, and actionable recommendations for the Action Plan, and present it to stakeholders for validation and integration.

5. Technical Support and Capacity Building

Facilitate participatory sessions with diverse stakeholders to analyze data, identify priorities, and collaboratively develop conclusions, recommendations, and lessons learned to inform the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) Action Plan.

Identify, document, and disseminate good practices and community-driven innovations from the initiative through accessible formats to inform future programming and stakeholder learning.

Support South–South learning events online or in person to establish the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) globally

6. Reporting and Communication

Support the collection and compilation of data and stakeholder inputs to draft clear, timely midyear and annual report sections that highlight progress, challenges, and child participation, in alignment with UNICEF reporting standards.

Collaborate with UNICEF and partners to develop and tailor engaging, accessible communication and advocacy materials—such as briefs, social media content, and child-friendly documents—for diverse audiences to promote the Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI)

Ensure all reports and communication materials reflect child participation and local engagement by incorporating children’s voices, inclusive storytelling, and clear documentation of their influence on decisions, aligned with child rights principles.

7. Results Framework Development

Collaborate with the PME team with participation of stakeholders to define SMART indicators and realistic targets for key result areas, ensuring alignment with the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) Action Plan, child rights priorities, and both quantitative and qualitative dimensions, including child participation and equity.

Support the development of user-friendly, participatory monitoring and evaluation tools and ensure the results framework aligns with national priorities and UNICEF Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) standards, including equity, inclusion, and stakeholder validation.

Support the final evaluation of the San Fernando Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (SF-CFCI) by contributing to the development of the ToR, facilitating evaluator engagement and data access, participating in validation workshops, and ensuring the evaluation emphasizes child participation, community impact, and sustainability.