Child Protection, Individual Contractor, Salvador, Brazil

The consultancy will be carried out at Field Office in Salvador and aim to contribute for strengthening of subnational UNICEF presence and its cooperation in these regions, territories and cities. Official travels are planned, in this consultancy, in order to attend mentioned regions, capitals and cities, representing a total of 10 trips over the 11.5 months contract period.

Background & Rationale

UNICEF has been working in Brazil since 1950 in partnership with federal, state, and municipal governments, civil society, religious groups, the media, the private sector, and other international organizations in the promotion of the rights of every Brazilian girl and boy. UNICEF acts as a catalyst, inside and outside Brazil, uniting people and organizations and strengthening efforts for children and adolescents to be a priority in the agendas of governments, society, companies and the media. UNICEF's target audience are children and adolescents in vulnerability because of discriminatory practices, ethnic or racial issues, emergency situations, disability, HIV/AIDS or violence.

Due to the large geographical size of the country, UNICEF is present in 9 offices throughout Brazil and a large part of UNICEF's actions in the country is structured around three work platforms which are based on territorial action: the semi-arid, the Brazilian Legal Amazon and the urban centers platforms.

The UNICEF Field Office in Salvador located within the Semi-arid territory, follows the same Country Programme (CPD) results framework providing technical and financial support to projects developed in three states Bahia, Minas Gerais and Sergipe. 

Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, equity is the guiding principle of the country programme, which aims to support Brazil in the realization of rights for the most excluded children. The goal of the country programme, which is aligned with national priorities, is to support Brazil to facilitate the generation and sharing of knowledge to identify the most excluded children and monitor and measure progress in the fulfillment of their rights, develop and implement public policies to address the needs of the most vulnerable, advance protection of children and adolescents from the worst forms of violence, and augment participation of society, and in particular that of young people.

A relevant targeted population group of children which UNICEF has dedicated special attention to, are those at greatest risk of extreme forms of violence as indicated above (notably homicides, sexual violence and institutional violence). While statistics show that violence against children occurs mostly within the home, in the case of adolescents, violence is also common in public spheres and institutions such as health units, schools, detention centers and social assistance units. Given the high number of adolescent homicides and the pervasive tolerance of violence by society, violence merits special consideration in this country programme and some territories.

Institutional context:

Following these principles and seeking to impact the vulnerable populations in this semiarid region, the UNICEF Salvador Field Office has been carrying out two main strategies to reducing inequalities, in this territory:  The UNICEF Seal Award Municipal and the Urban Centers Initiative.

Particularly in this context of implementing CPD in the region, the UNICEF Salvador Field Office also has the responsibility, through its Chief Field Officer,  for leading  and ensuring the Child Protection results throughout the semiarid territory, included its 9 states, 3 Zonal Offices and 4 capitals cities which are involved in the PCU initiative.

This characteristic of this Field Office imposes important conditions for the effectiveness of the Child Protection programme results in the region that can be supported through a good strategy to managing these results and the main activities oriented to the implementation of the program in the territory.

Figured out this institutional context, the Zonal Office Salvador Field Office will implement efforts to strengthen the child protection system in the Reconcavo Baiano, Semiarid and Urban Centers Regions, as well as in the three geographical States – under its specific responsibility – in their capacity to prevent and respond to violence against children, until 2021.  Accordingly, three objectives should be prioritized in order to achieve that goal:

1. Families, communities, civil society, private sector and governmental agents in prioritized states with increased knowledge on the impact of violence on the lives of children;
2. Gaps in the legal, political and institutional framework related to prevention, assistance and response to violence against children mapped and addressed; and

Improved cross-sectorial coordination and public services, at national and subnational levels, to benefit child witnesses, victims and perpetrators

Purpose

The present term of reference aims to hire a Child Protection Individual Contractor. Under the supervision and coordination of the Chief Field Office, specialist in child protection the individual contractor will provide technical and operational support the Office in Salvador to implement at least 2 strategic activities:  (i) provide technical support to the chief of Field office,  to implement the Awure’s Project –  initiative on prevention violence to be implemented in 9 municipalities in Bahia Recôncavo Region and Salvador and (ii) improve child protection’s response to COVID-19 in aligning with Pillar II, toward to assist the municipalities enrolled at UNICEF Seal in Bahia, Sergipe and Minas Gerais States.

The planned activities on child protection services improving will directly benefit municipal managers and technicians, civil society partners, community agents, municipal guardianships, community leaders and adolescents’ networks, through strategies of capacity building, support and technical assistance, advocacy, knowledge management, materials for training, social mobilization and interinstitutional articulation.

The consultancy will be carried out at Field Office in Salvador and aim to contribute for strengthening of subnational UNICEF presence and its cooperation in these regions, territories and cities. Official travels are planned, in this consultancy, in order to attend mentioned regions, capitals and cities, representing a total of 10 trips over the 11.5 months contract period.

Expected results:

Under the guidance of Chief Field Office, the individual contractor should contribute to achievement of results of Component 3 within these strategic regions and capitals of Minas Gerais, Bahia and Sergipe States, committing to deliver the following results by activities performed.

Expected result 1 - Rapid Assessment on social inequality indicators of adolescent children and their families from Bahia Recôncavo Region and Salvador accomplished, contributing to achieve AWURE Result 2 - Facing the impacts of racism, sexism and religious intolerances

Main activities

• In joint an M&E specialist for the SAB territory, carry out the mapping and analysis of social indicators on inequality situation of children, adolescents and their families, taking into account race, gender and ethnicity perspectives, as well as, the traditional populations in situations of vulnerability who lives in Recôncavo Region and Salvador;
• Conduced in collaboration with Chief of Salvador Field Office, with the communication specialist of UNICEF, as well as with the communication professional from implementing partner (IP) , planning and coordinate the survey on social perception, attitudes, norms and behaviors on violence, sexism and racism against children which will be applied in  9 municipalities of the Recôncavo and Salvador capital.
• To collaborate technically with Implementing partners on the elaboration of epidemiological bulletins on homicides against adolescents which will be prepared semesterly.
• Maintain the technical interaction of the initiative with the other relevant UNICEF programme areas and projects: education, health, adolescent’s participation, monitoring and evaluation and communication at national and semiarid territory;
• Working in collaboration with the communication specialist to ensure good visibility of the information, data and initiatives;
• Preparing reports, and other relevant documents;

1.1. Deliverable - 1 Rapid Assessment on children’s social inequality situation in 9 Municipalities carried out and finalized and first findings of survey on social perception and attitudes systematized, analyzed and released.

1.2. Duration - 60 days (since 1^st. day of contract)

1.3. Deadline - 60 days after start date

1.4. Payment 25% of the contract

Expected Result 2 - AWURE’s implementers partners (IP’s) technically supervised on their activities directed towards Result 1 – Diversity and Inclusion; and Result 3 – Overcoming the Scholar drop out

• To assist IP’s giving technical support to develop the UNICEF BAE methodology and contents of capacity building activities, considering the challenges that vulnerable adolescents profile and their efforts to improve the schooling level and employed in the Recôncavo Region;
• Participating in meetings with UNICEF programme specialists’ staff and with Chief of Field Office to giving feedback and technical discussion on the progress of both Results
• To participate in meetings with implementers partners (IP) in order to construct work plan and identifying opportunities, challenges, strengths and risks throughout the projects;
• Preparing reports, donors report and other relevant documents.

2.1. Deliverable – panorama of indicators of age-grade distortion and of children drop out of school from the 9 municipalities mapped and analyzed by using municipal source datas.

2.2. Duration – 90 days (since 1^st. day of contract)

2.3. Deadline – 90 days after start date

2.4. Payment 25% of the contract

Expected result 3 – AWURE’s implemented partners (IP’s) with their plans of capacity buildings elaborated aligned with UNICEF’s methodology and contents on violence prevention against children in order to attendance at municipal public services and contribute to achieve AWURE Result 5 - Strengthening community networks for protection against violence.

Main Activities  

• To collaborate technically with Child protection specialist in Salvador Office and with implementing partners, on training and capacity building activities targeted local , social and technical actors improving the integrated flow of public municipal services social assistance, education, health and protection systems (community networks) in the 9 municipalities of Recôncavo and Salvador;
• Technical and operational support to implement the Action Plan of the Committee of Homicides prevention of children, adolescents and young people in Salvador
• Based on experience of Salvador’s Committee offers technical support to implement integrated strategic actions on prevention and reduction homicides against adolescents and youth in these 9 cities of Recôncavo Region.

3.1. Deliverable – number of trained professionals in health, education and social work from the 10 municipalities monitored and reported.

3.2. Duration – 360 day (since 1^st day of contract)

3.3 Deadline – end of contract

3.4. Payment - 20% of the contract

Expected Result 4 - By December 2020, 40% of the municipalities enrolled in UNICEF Seal in Minas Gerais, Bahia and Sergipe States having accomplished the activities of municipal campaign to protect against violence in the context of the pandemic and post-pandemic, and training guardianships counsellors  on protection children and adolescents who are victims and witnesses of violence  as of Outcomes of Protection Programme Pillar II  in this Edition of the UNICEF Seal.

Main activities

• In joint with the implementer partner of UNICEF Seal, manage necessary technical assistance on prevention of violence against children municipal initiatives by the municipalities enrolled in UNICEF Seal;
• Using CP capacity training materials available and social mobilization strategy to support implementer partner to engagement of a greater number of municipalities receiving specialized technical assistance to induce a municipal campaign protection children and increase the number of guardianships counsellors developing prioritized municipal measures on protection of children and adolescents; Provide specialized technical assistance to elaborate, installation and operate an integrated municipal policy to assist child victim, witness or threatened by violence in the municipality of Vitória da Conquista;
• Participating in the meetings with municipal, state and national partners, discussing de
• major challengers and achievements of this municipal experience;
• Identify the main and findings of this experience, proposing for the best technical contribution of UNICEF on this matter since the new national legislation – 13.431/17

4.1. Deliverable - (i) updated table of the status of the municipalities on the protection activities elaborated and reported; and (ii) the systematization of good practice in compliance with Law 13.431 / 2017 by the municipality of Vitória da Conquista;

4.2. Duration - 120 days

4.3. Deadline – 120 days

4.4. Payment - 30% of the contract

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Quantity of work (addressing all the areas of the current ToR);
• Quality of work (ability to develop high quality content, strategic plans, reports, papers and technical recommendations);
• Punctuality in reports and documents delivered;
• Accountability and professionalism while using or giving information on behalf of UNICEF;
• Teamwork;
• Feedback from Salvador Office coordination.

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

• University Degree in Social Sciences or other relevant disciplines (International Relations, Statistics, Politics Sciences, Human Rights, Law, Public Administration, Planning, Management, etc.);
• From 5 to 10 years of relevant work experience with projects, public policies management, and social programmes, including community or volunteer projects;

• • Multidisciplinary experience and considerable knowledge on social policies;

• Multidisciplinary experience and considerable knowledge on research methodologies, social indicators, primary and secondary data, as well as understanding of public social databases and registers
• Knowledge about human rights and the rights of children and adolescents in Brazil;

• • Knowledge regarding the territories where the consultancy will be developed;
• Excellent writing skills in Portuguese, with desirable experience in text production and institutional and social mobilization materials (reports, technical notes, assessments, releases etc.);
  • Experience with planning and organizing events;

• Ability to use basic computer tools (Office, social media, internet, virtual spaces);
• Ability to dialogue and liaison with stakeholders from different sectors;
• Oral and written skills in English is desirable;
• Adaptability and ability to work in a team environment;
• Administrative capacity to prepare reports and meet deadlines.

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• UNICEF will provide the individual contractor all required core equipment and material for fulfilling his duty, including computer.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the individual contractor.
• Individual contractors will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

Financial Proposal

Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.

A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants and individual contractors are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

The payment will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

Restrictions

In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all religious and ethnic backgrounds, representing the diversity of Brazil, such as black and indigenous people, to apply to become a part of our organization. Candidates will be equally considered regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, social and HIV/aids status.