By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Read our privacy policy

Consultant/Institution to undertake a Capacity Gap Assessment and prepare a Capacity Enhancement Plan for Child Safeguarding in the UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands (UK)

Bridgetown

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Bridgetown
  • Grade: Consultancy - International Consultant - Internationally recruited Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Social Affairs
    • Education, Learning and Training
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
  • Closing Date: Closed

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.

Background and context:

Anguilla, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), and Virgin Islands (VI) UK are Caribbean Overseas Territories (OTs) of the United Kingdom (UK). Like many of its global counterparts, the UK government prioritizes children's protection, recognizing the importance of preventing and responding to violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect of children to ensure their rights to survival, development and well-being. In this regard, the four UKOTs have recorded steady progress with respect to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) pertaining to children's rights. These include Goals 2 (achieve universal primary education), 3 (promote gender equality and empower women), 4 (reduce child mortality), 5 (improve maternal health), 6 (combat HIV, AIDS, malaria and other diseases), and to a lesser extent, goal 7 (ensure environmental sustainability).[1]

The UKOTs have made significant progress towards the creation of a protective environment and the strengthening of child protection sector, but as the 2015 Situation Analyses conducted by the UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area in the four UKOTs indicated, there are still some deficits to be addressed to ensure the protection of children's rights.[2] Based on the findings of the four situation analyses, violence and abuse against boys and girls, early sexual initiation, teenage pregnancy, bullying, obesity, alcohol and drug abuse, lack of parental supervision and migration of parents are among the challenges faced by children in the OTs.[3] This makes attention to the enhanced safeguarding of children a social imperative for these countries.

The UK Government defines safeguarding as protecting children from maltreatment; preventing impairment of children's health and development; ensuring that children grow up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care; and taking action to enable all children to have the best outcomes.[4] Safeguarding may be seen as the responsibility of everyone who works with children, and a range of local agencies and actors generally have responsibility for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and providing services to children and their families. These may include departments such as child services, education, youth, social development, health services, justice, the police, as well as organizations in the voluntary and community sector.[5] Effective safeguarding, therefore, requires clear arrangements for collaboration between these various agencies and actors at the local level.[6] While considerable progress has been made with respect to strengthening the inter-agency coordination and response to safeguarding children against violence and abuse in the OTs,[7] there is need for a deeper understanding of the existing capacities (capacity assets) and to determine the desired capacity (needs) of local authorities with responsibility for safeguarding children in the four OTs. 

Objectives of the Consultancy:

Within the framework of UNICEF's UK government-funded programme on Protecting the Most Disadvantaged Girls and Boys in the Caribbean Overseas Territories of the UK, the consultancy aims to assess the national capacity to safeguard children from violence and abuse in the four UK Caribbean OTs of Anguilla, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and Virgin Islands (VI UK). The assessment will facilitate a deeper understanding of the existing capacities, and will generate insights into the capacity deficits and needs that can serve as input for formulating the desired response to the safeguarding challenges being experienced.

Specifically, the expected outcome and outputs of the consultancy are as follows:

a)  Outcome:

Deeper understanding of the existing capacities and deficits to inform capacity development interventions aimed at an improved coordinated approach to child safeguarding by local authorities in Anguilla, Montserrat, TCI and VI (UK).

 b)  Outputs:

i. A Capacity Gap Assessment of national child safeguarding capacities in line with the respective national child safeguarding protocols to serve as a foundation for formulating a capacity enhancement plan for each country.

ii. A Capacity Enhancement Plan for Child Safeguarding and Inter-Agency Coordination for each of the four UK OTs.

Scope of work:

Using the guidance of the national child safeguarding protocols of the respective UKOTs, the Consultant will assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to national capacity for optimal compliance and interagency coordination, in line with the protocols and prepare a plan for capacity enhancement.

Specifically, for each UKOT, the Consultant will be required to:

  • Map the institutional architecture required for compliance with the safeguarding protocol
  • Through participatory processes, conduct the a capacity gap assessment, including a SWOT analysis of existing capacities that examines inter alia, the level of knowledge and know-how about the protocol within the main stakeholder agencies and at community level among adults and children
  • Through participatory methodologies, garner stakeholder inputs and prepare a national capacity enhancement plan for assuring improved compliance with child safeguarding protocols

Responsibilities and major duties:

The Consultant's responsibilities and main duties in conducting the assessment are as follows:

  1. Arrange and convene a formal orientation session with key counterparts in each of the four OTs to familiarize them with the approach to be taken in conducting the assessment and to agree on a strategy/process for engendering stakeholder engagement and commitment throughout the assessment exercise (including appropriate and specific strategies for engagement (i.e. the establishment of an advisory committee; point persons in each targeted ministries, departments/agencies, CSOs, etc.).
  2. Design a capacity assessment tool (or tailor an existing tool) to suit the objectives, needs and context of this specific consultancy;
  3. Develop and implement a time-bound work plan to track progress during the assessment process;
  4. Conduct a desk review, and organize, convene and participate in focus group sessions and key informant interviews in the data-gathering phase;
  5. Draft recommendations based on the findings and convene and participate in consultative group discussions with key stakeholders, including the relevant government Ministries, agencies, development partners, civil society, and the UNICEF team to review the findings of the assessment; and, reach agreement on the recommendations and priorities identified.
  6. Produce a final summary report encapsulating the National Capacity Gap Assessment, and the Capacity Enhancement Plan for Child Safeguarding and Inter-Agency Coordination in each of the OTs.

Methodology:

The following methodological framework should guide the conduct of the assessment and presentation of the findings:

  • Desk review - mapping of the institutional architecture and enabling environment (e.g. legal and policy framework; existing coordination arrangements/protocols; functional capacities; cross-cutting mandates/areas of responsibility; budgetary allocations, etc.).
  • Data collection - Interviews and focus group discussions with stakeholders with safeguarding responsibilities (including children and their families)
  • Analysis - Interpretation and analysis of the information gathered; assessment of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in each of the four OTs).
  • Conclusion – Including a quantitative ranking of capacity backed by the supporting data, and a comparison of the desired level of capacity for optimal response against the existing level and a determination as to whether or not the existing level is sufficient or needs improvement. Recommendations for improvement and identification of priority areas of action should be provided.

It should be noted that a core principle of children's welfare is that families and children have a right to participate in the decisions that affect their lives.[8] It is important, therefore, that the Consultant takes the necessary steps to ensure that parents, children and adolescents participate in the mapping/assessment and planning process in a meaningful way. For example, parents, children and adolescents to should be included in the familiarization meetings about the mapping and assessment exercise, and participate in sufficient numbers in the focus group discussions and consultations on the findings and recommendations, so that they are comfortable expressing their views and that their voices are given greater weight.[9]

Some key guiding documents and information sources for the exercise are:

Deliverables and timeframe:

The Consultant will prepare and submit the below-mentioned deliverables within the stipulated timeframe:

#

Deliverables

Timeframe

1

Comprehensive and detailed Inception Report (including overall work plan for the implementation and completion of the capacity assessment exercise with proposed timelines for completion of desk reviews, data gathering and convening of the consultative review meetings, and submission of deliverables)

By 30 March 2017

2

Four draft country reports on results of national capacity gap assessment and capacity enhancement plan for safeguarding children from violence and abuse, for review by UNICEF team

By 15 May 2017

3

Four final country reports on results of national capacity gap assessment and capacity enhancement plan for safeguarding children from violence and abuse, incorporating feedback and comments from stakeholder consultations and UNICEF Team

By 9 June 2017

Qualifications:

The Consultant must have good technical knowledge and expertise in social data analysis and interpretation of statistical data, strong analytical and writing skills, good communication skills, the ability to facilitate participatory discussion. The specific requirements are as follows:

Education: Advanced degree/post-graduate studies in the Social Sciences, or a related field.

Experience: At least 5 years of relevant professional work experience in the area of child protection with demonstrated ability to deliver quality reports/analysis and results in line with established deadlines.

Technical knowledge and competencies:

  • Knowledge of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocols
  • Prior experience working in the area of child protection and/or child safeguarding.High-level analytical and reporting skills to facilitate the compilation of all the data and information collected, and to prepare and present clear interim and final reports that are suitable for presentation to the highest levels of government, the development partners, and civil society.
  • Prior experience working with international development agencies and civil society organizations at the national level.
  • Knowledge of the context of service delivery in small island developing states (particularly the UK OTs) would be an asset.
  • Prior experience and expertise in the design and conduct of capacity assessments would be an asset.
  • Skills and practical experience in Internet navigation, and the use of various software applications (e.g. Microsoft Office).
  • Excellent and proven meeting facilitation and organization skills.
  • Excellent communication skills and the capacity to clearly and concisely express ideas and concepts in written and oral form, and to listen with empathy, acknowledging the views and perspectives of others.

Duration of Contract:

The Consultancy will be for a three-month period, from 15 March to 9 June 2017.

Official Travel:

The consultant is expected to work from his/her own home or office base, have electronic and telephone contact with partners in the four UK OTs as required, and to travel to each of the 4 OTs to undertake the necessary fieldwork and partner engagement.

Estimated Budget:

The budget for this activity inclusive of consultant professional fees and travel costs is US$120,000.00.

Payment schedule:

  • 30% upon satisfactory submission of Inception Report
  • 50% upon satisfactory submission of the draft Country Reports
  • 20% upon satisfactory submission of the final Country Reports

Conditions of Service:

Prior to commencing the contract, the following conditions must be met:

A Corporate Entity will be required to submit samples of previous relevant work, a Certificate of Incorporation for the Company as well as a profile of the individual(s) who would be undertaking the assignment.

An Individual Consultant will be required to submit samples of previous relevant work, a statement of good health, accompanied by a recent Medical Certificate which indicates that the Consultant is fit for work and travel. In addition, the Consultant is required to certify in the Health Statement that he/she is covered by medical/health insurance. The statement includes confirmation that he/she has been informed of any inoculation required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized. He/she takes full responsibility for the accuracy of the statement.

Supervision:

The Consultant will work under the supervision and guidance of UNICEF's Child Protection Specialist. The Consultant will be formally introduced to the Ministry and Focal Point responsible for child safeguarding in each country and will be expected to work directly with key counterparts in each of the four OTs (Governor's Office, government ministries, departments/agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), etc.) to obtain documents, access data, collect information and conduct key informant interviews pertinent to the assignment.

Recourse: 

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. Performance indicators against which the satisfactory conclusion of this contract will be assessed include: timeliness/quality of submission and responsiveness to UNICEF and counterpart feedback.

Property Rights:

UNICEF shall hold all property rights, such as copyright, patents and registered trademarks, on matter directly related to, or derived from, the work carried out through this contract with UNICEF.

How to Apply:

A proposal package should be submitted no later than Close of Business (COB) on 24 February 2017 and should include the following:

  1. A cover letter
  2. A detailed curriculum vitae or background of the corporate entity in English
  3. A duly completed United Nations Personal History form (P11) for individual contractors.
  4. A technical proposal explaining the methodological approach to achieving the results of this consultancy.
  5. A financial proposal with a detailed budget (including estimated travel costs to the UK OTs).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.

Footnotes:

[1] UNICEF. Millennium Development Goals – About the goals. Accessible at https://www.unicef.org/mdg/index_aboutthegoals.htm

[2] UNICEF Office for the Eastern Caribbean Area, 2016. Situation Analysis of Children in Anguilla/Situation Analysis of Children in Montserrat/Situation Analysis of Children in the Turks and Caicos Islands/Situation Analysis of Children in the British Virgin Islands. Accessible at https://www.unicef.org/easterncaribbean/resources_32458.html

[3] ibid.

[4] HM Government, March 2015. Working together to safeguard children. A guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, which may be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/419595/Working_Together_to_Safeguard_Children.pdf

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid.

[7] To date, inter-agency protocols have been established in the VI, Anguilla and Montserrat, and a draft has been prepared in the TCI.

[8] UNICEF, 2010. Child Protection Systems: Mapping and Assessment Toolkit, Users' Guide, which may be accessed at https://www.unicef.org/protection/files/Mapping_and_Assessment_users_guide_Toolkit_En.pdf

[9] UNICEF, 2010. Child Protection Systems: Mapping and Assessment Toolkit, Users' Guide, which may be accessed at https://www.unicef.org/protection/files/Mapping_and_Assessment_users_guide_Toolkit_En.pdf

 

This vacancy is now closed.
However, we have found similar vacancies for you: