International (Individual) Consultant: To develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) For The Case Management of Vulnerable Children in The Gambia

To establish clear Standards of Operating procedures in the national child protection case management system. The SOP and the case management will cover all categories of children victims or at risks of protection issues.

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Background

The Gambia has made Important progress in addressing issues that affect the rights of children over the past ten years. National legislation and polices have been put in place to ensure that children have their rights realized. In particular, the needs and rights of children have been clearly articulated in The Children's Act 2005 and its 2015 amendment and the Child Protection Strategy 2016-2020.

The country has created a new Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare where a Children Directorate is soon to be installed; showing the importance The Gambia is attributing to children matters. The country has also installed child protection actors in all the branches of power: executive, judiciary, and legislature. National and International NGOs are also implementing child protection activities across the country despite government's limited capacities to monitor their activities and to coordinate their actions to benefit a larger number of children.

The last MICS report (2018) pointed to a range of child protection issues, the most significant being child marriage, violence against children, female genital mutilation and cutting, and child labor. Other recent data indicate child migration, internal and external, as an emerging trend.

While significant progress has been made to address the above issues, the child protection legal and policy framework and its response services encounter a range of weaknesses. First and foremost, available legislation and policies are poorly implemented and enforced. In addition to that, the dispersion of child protection across different policies requires strong coordination and cooperation among Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) involved in child protection. In particular, inter-sectoral coordination and cooperation is currently weak and child protection cases are management in a case-by-case approach.

Rationale

The government of The Gambia has initiated the setting up of a case management system, as part of the strengthening of the child protection system. The Case Management System will facilitate the identification, opening, and management of cases for children who have suffered incidences of child protection or who are at risks of such occurrences. Train social agents and members of the communities will provide support to resolve and follow up the case, until satisfactory completion and closure. The Case Management System will also compile and provide data to the national data base, which will be a tool for policy makers and implementers alike in addressing issues of child protection.

In August 2019, UNICEF National and Regional supported government of The Gambia in the organization of a series of training for the setting of the Case Management System.168 professionals participated in this training, among which social workers from all the regions. During that event, some of existing tools were reviewed and a set of tools adopted for the use in the Case Management System. The participants also discussed the importance of a set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). The decision was made to hire a consultant who would support government and UNICEF in the development and validation of the SOP.

Objective

To develop and validate Standards of Operating procedures in the national child protection case management system. The SOP and the case management will cover all categories of children victims or at risks of child protection issues. 

Roles & Responsibilities

The consultant will work under the supervision of PIC Manager and in strong collaboration with team from the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare, as well as the Child Protection National Steering Committee. The consultant is expected to explore qualitative methodology using open ended questions, consultations and interview to gather vital information from various stakeholders throughout the consultancy period. In addition, the consultant will have to organize information sharing sessions with the National Child Protection Steering Committee. This will lead to a final document (SOP) produced and validated.

The consultant will be in-charge of the following tasks:

• Build a common understanding with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare
• Identification of the key actors, coordination, referral mechanisms and services available
• Development of the SOPs Procedures
• Validation of the SOP draft by the National Child protection Steering Committee
• Prepare a training module for the SOP
• Organize a TOT workshop for regional Representatives on the SOP

Deliverables

The proposed consultant should provide the following products/deliverables:

• A detailed inception report and work plan
• A Mapping of key actors and services available to protect and assist vulnerable children in the country, including coordination and referral mechanisms existing among key actors at the national, regional and local level, and services available to meet the needs of vulnerable children
• A Draft version of the SOP
• The validated version of the SOP
• The organization of a TOT workshop for regional representatives

Qualification

Education:

Advanced university degree, preferably in Social Services, development studies or other relevant field.

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in Social Services, preferably with vulnerable children;
• Good knowledge and experience on child protection systems and case management. 
• Have worked on similar SOPs
• Have worked with UNICEF or other UN Agencies
• Facilitation and reporting.
• An advanced qualification in Social Sciences
• A good knowledge of the UN CRC, ACRWC and other international Conventions guaranteeing individual rights and freedoms.
• Experience in Child Protection Case Management particularly on SOP
• Good analytical, evaluation, writing and communication skills.
• Fully proficient computer skills including use of relevant software and other applications.

How to apply

UNICEF accepts applications from institutional Consultant. UNICEF will review applications and make a final decision of a successful application. All applications should contain the following documents:

Technical and financial project proposal, which would include at least:

1. License registration statute
2. Consultant's profile/portfolio
3. Proposed timeframes (days/months)
4. Budget: Cost estimation of the survey with detail cost breakdown for different activities and transportation
5. Names and contact details of reference persons

Find attached TOR for further details on the schedule, payment modalities, general conditions, fees and ethical consideration TOR...pdf.

Application Deadline: 13th December 2019