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International Consultancy Child Protection in Education for Pacific Island Countries

Suva

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Suva
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Education, Learning and Training
    • Children's rights (health and protection)
    • Protection Officer (Refugee)
  • Closing Date: Closed

The UNICEF Pacific Multi-Country Office is seeking a consultant to provide technical assistance to PICT’s to develop child protection in schools policies, implementation plans, management tools and selected activities to implement the policies.

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

Under the 2018-2022 Multi-Country Child Protection Programme, UNICEF Pacific is providing technical and financial support to strengthen child protection systems in 14 Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICT). The Programme comprises 3 Outputs: (i) strengthening of the legal and policy framework; (ii) building the capacity of services across social welfare, justice, police, health and education sectors; and (iii) promoting social and behaviour change.

Under Output 2, the Programme provides for the development and implementation of a comprehensive institutional and human capacity building package for each of the 5 key sectors, including regulatory framework, management tools and training modules, all to be embedded in sectoral existing systems to ensure sustainability.

The objective of this output/milestone is to prevent and respond to child protection concerns in schools and through schools in all pre-, primary and secondary schools in the country. Child protection issues in schools include all forms of teacher-student, student-teacher and student-student violence, such as violent discipline, sexual harassment, abuse or exploitation, peer bullying, school fights, etc. Child protection through schools refers to the role of educators in the detection, reporting and referral of child abuse, neglect or exploitation which may occur outside the school, in homes and communities.

Although ten out of fourteen PICT’s prohibit corporal punishment in schools and there is no quantitative data on the prevalence, the practice still exists as many teachers have not been trained on alternative discipline and behaviour management.

According to WHO Global School Health Based Survey conducted in 11 PICT’s between 2010 and 2014, from 29% up to 67% of children 13-15 years of age reported being subjected to bullying, from 33% to 65% engaged in physical fights and 46% to 68% severely injured as a result.

Few Pacific Island Countries have comprehensive child protection in education policies and implementation is partial. Three countries have comprehensive policies, three have safeguarding policies and the remaining countries do not have any child protection policy.

How can you make a difference?

Based on UNICEF Pacific Technical Guidance Note on Child Protection in Education, the Consultant(s) will be expected to provide technical assistance to ministries of education to carry out the following activities, through home-based work for literature review and drafting, and country visits for consultations and workshops.

  • Integration of child protection in national policies/strategies/plans/budgets
    • In countries that are in the process of developing/revising their multi-year National Development Plans or Strategies, or their Education Sectoral Policies/Strategies/Plans/Budgets, ensure that child protection is reflected adequately.

    • When the Ministry of Education is preparing its annual government education budget, assist in the preparation of the budget to ensure that resources are allocated for the implementation of the Child Protection in Education Policy

  • Development of the policy and regulatory framework

    • Develop a comprehensive child protection in education policy, including child protection in and through schools, in particular child safeguarding, code of conduct for teachers, positive discipline, prevention of bullying, reporting/referral mechanisms, detection of child protection cases, etc.

    • Develop a costed multi-year implementation plan for the policy

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

  • Advanced university degree in education, or in another social science discipline, combined with relevant experience in education.
  • Five to 8 years of relevant experience, i.e. technical assistance and advocacy with governments for the development of child protection in education policies, procedures, management tools, teacher training, student curriculum, and school-based activities.
  • Previous experience in Pacific Island Countries and Territories preferable.
  • Excellent writing and analytical skills
  • Demonstrated facilitation/training skills
  • Ability to persuade, influence, negotiate, advocate
  • Excellent people’s skills, relating with people, team work, networking
  • Adaptability, flexibility, cultural sensitivity, tact, diplomacy, patience, respectful attitude
  • Excellent communication skills, both speaking and writing; in particular, ability to communicate technical concepts, knowledge and skills in a clear, simple and jargon-free language; ability to present information in a well-structured, logical manner
  •  Excellent spoken and written English

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Download File TOR - Child Protection in Education - Adv..pdf

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

This vacancy is now closed.
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