UNICEF Montenegro is looking for
Consultant to to provide child rights related inputs to guidelines on disability inclusive budgeting and improve capacities of stakeholders on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of the guidance
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in 2009. Since, the country has made progress in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. However, challenges remain.
While the
2013 Law on Social and Child Protection set preconditions for deinstitutionalization and shift from institutional to family and community-based care, overall, the legal and policy framework in force continues to allow institutionalization and is not fully in line with CRPD. A considerable number of adults and children with disabilities live in institutions, some of them for decades, where they are not able to exercise their rights on the same basis as others. Others are at risk of institutionalization because community-based services are not yet available or adequate. Many of those at risk of institutionalization are children without parental care, children with disabilities, and adults with disabilities who are unemployed. There is not yet a minimum package of family and community-based services for children with disabilities and their families. While independent monitoring of the rights of persons with disabilities is carried out, there is no systematic, meaningful involvement and participation of organizations of persons with disabilities and associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities in such monitoring today.
In 2021 multiple stakeholders, persons with disabilities, organizations of persons with disabilities and associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities were consulted on priority areas for the purpose of drafting the
Situational analysis of the rights of persons with disabilities in Montenegro . According to it, there is a lack of budget analysis and studies from a disability inclusion perspective in the country, and a considerable amount of State funding is used for institutions where adults and children with disabilities reside rather than for family and community-based services. Existing State budgeting guidelines do not include any disability related benchmarks and standards, neither at national nor local level, and disability-related costs are seldom included in planning, spending, and monitoring of the State and local budgets. There is absence of adequate data on the number of children and adults with disabilities, types of disability and their needs for participating in public life and limited knowledge on how to carry out disability inclusive budgeting as a step towards CRPD compliance.
Therefore, there is a need for national and local authorities to design disability inclusive budgeting guidelines, strengthen capacities on how to implement such guidelines, monitor their implementation, and adopt budgets in line with the CRPD. Expenditures for family and community-based programs and services must be recognized and allocated in both, national and local budgets, and resources diverted from residential institutions to such programmes and services.
Based on recommendations from the Situational analysis, the two-year joint UN initiative was developed under the title “Accelerating Disability Inclusion for Children and Adults with Disabilities in Montenegro”. The
initiative is funded by the UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) and implemented by UNICEF, UNDP and UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO). It aims at supporting the Government in preventing institutionalization and taking key steps to facilitate transition of persons with disabilities from institutions to family and community-based services. Moreover, it facilitates closer engagement between organizations of persons with disabilities and Protector for Human Rights and Freedoms in monitoring implementation of CRPD. The initiative is committed to ensure strong disability inclusion and meaningful participation of persons with different types of disabilities, women and men, children and youth with disabilities and their parents in UN programming.
Under this initiative, UNICEF Montenegro is seeking for a consultant to support the line ministries and local self-governments in developing guidelines on disability-inclusive budgeting that will contribute to prevention of institutionalization and development of family and community-based services for children and youth with disabilities. Upon developing guidelines, consultant will conduct capacity building for the representatives of line ministries and local self-governments on how to use such guidelines to secure funding for disability inclusive policies and programs, and develop cross-sectoral, child-centred and gender-responsive disability inclusive budgets in line with the CRPD. Training modules will focus on: models for co-financing of integrated cross-sector services at national and local level; fiscal decentralization and financial planning at national and local levels; fiscal reallocation; increase in the volume of public funding; investing in professional qualifications of the staff working with children and youth with disabilities in a variety of services and settings that allow them to stay with their family and participate actively in the community; fostering monitoring and advocating for implementation of guidelines, etc. Organizations of persons with disabilities, associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities and Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms will take active participation in the whole process, from designing disability inclusive guidelines to capacity building of different stakeholders.
Under the same initiative, UNDP will engage the consultant that will develop guidelines for disability inclusive budgeting and conduct capacity building while focusing on enhancing activation and independent living of adults with disabilities. UNICEF and UNDP consultants are required to agree on the common approach and collaborate while performing assigned tasks. Additionally, these consultants will closely cooperate with the UNICEF consultant that will be engaged by for the purpose of child budgeting, in line with PF4C processes.
How can you make a difference?
Under the direct supervision of UNICEF Montenegro Child Rights Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist (CRMES), the Individual international consultant is expected to undertake the following tasks:
• Desk review of relevant budget related documents (legislation, policies, analyses, etc.), and particularly methodologies for disability inclusive budgeting, with special focus on the effective methodologies in countries of similar contexts and level of development. The review will inform development of guidelines for disability-inclusive budgeting in line with CRPD, and capacity building on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of the guidance;
• Online Consultations with representatives of national and local authorities, Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, organizations of persons with disabilities and associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities for the purpose of designing guidelines on disability inclusive budgeting;
• Design of draft version of guidelines on disability inclusive budgeting with recommendations to be used by the national and local authorities. Sharing guidelines with the UN team and preparing the pre-final version with integrated UN comments;
• Preparation of the programme and materials for the training for 25 representatives of national and local authorities with participation of the Institution of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, organizations of persons with disabilities and associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of guidelines;
• Two-day training for 25 representatives of national and local authorities with participation of the Protector of Human Rights and Freedoms, organizations of persons with disabilities, associations of parents of children and youth with disabilities on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of guidelines;
• Design of final version of guidelines with recommendations based on inputs/comments from the training. Final guidelines and recommendations should be delivered in Montenegrin and English;
• Submission of report on delivered training and evaluation.
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Work Assignment Overview
Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Timeline
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Desk review of relevant budget related documents and methodologies for disability inclusive budgeting
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Desk review completed
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By end of May 2023
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Consultations with stakeholders
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Consultations conducted
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Design of pre-final guidelines on disability inclusive budgeting with recommendations
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Pre-final guidelines with integrated UN comments delivered
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By end of July 2023
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Preparation of the programme and materials for the training for 25 representatives on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of the guidance
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Programme and materials for the training prepared
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By end of August 2023
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Two-day training for 25 stakeholders on how to use, monitor and advocate for implementation of the guidance
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Training conducted
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By end of September 2023
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Design of final version of guidelines with recommendations based on inputs/comments from the training
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Final version of the guidelines delivered
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By end of October 2023
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Submission of report on delivered training and evaluation
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Report and evaluation
sheet submitted
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To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, economics or other relevant fields.
• Master’s or equivalent diploma will be considered as an advantage.
Experience:
• Experience of 3 or more years in child rights with focus on children with disabilities, more precisely in prevention of institutionalization and provision of quality integrated services.
• Experience of 3 or more years in developing budget guidelines, action plans and strategies related to child rights, with focus on children with disabilities.
• Experience of 3 or more years in capacity building of cross-sectoral nature involving local and national level duty bearers and OPDs’ representatives.
• Experience in fiscal decentralization and financial planning at national and local level.
• Familiarity with the context of Montenegro related to State and local budgets and child rights with focus on children with disabilities will be considered as an advantage.
• Previous work experience with UN/UNICEF or other international organization will be considered as an advantage.
Language:
• Excellent command of English, Montenegrin (or Slo-South-East language).
Other:
• Excellent writing skills, presentation skills, strong strategic and analytical skills.
• Ability to work with different stakeholders.
• Demonstrates tact and high sense of responsibility and discretion.
• Demonstrates integrity and high ethical standards.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
The payments will be made in two instalments upon successful completion of the deliverables and submission of invoices.
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.
Learning: Upon conducting the recruitment process and prior to the signing of the contract, the consultant will be required to complete the following online courses. All certificates should be presented as part of the contract.
1. Ethics and Integrity at UNICEF
2. Prevention of Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority (PSEAA)
3. Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Abuse (PSEA)
Before commencement of any travel on behalf of UNICEF, the Consultants and Individual Contractors must complete course on General Information Security Awareness Course.
In addition to above, any consultant or individual contractor who is issued a UNICEF email address must complete the following courses no later than 30 days after signature of contract:
1.Fraud Awareness;
2.General Information Security Awareness Course (only for consultants/individual contractors with a UNICEF email address). The above courses can be found on Agora through the following link: Summary of Mandatory Learning for UNICEF Staff.
Course completion certificates should be shared and retained with the human resources unit of the hiring office.
Selection methodology: All applicants will be screened against qualifications and requirements set above. Candidates fully meeting all the requirements will be further evaluated based on the criteria below.
The proposal will be evaluated against the following criteria:
A) Technical criteria – Technical evaluation process / Maximum points: 70
1. Technical Criteria – Interview - 70 % of total evaluation– max. 70 points
• Education: 20 points
• Previous experience: 20 points
• Technical questions at the interview: 30 points
Only candidates who obtained at least 70% of points from the technical part (who will score at least 49 points) will be qualified for considering for financial proposal evaluation.
B) Financial criteria – evaluation of financial proposal - Maximum points: 30.
The applicants are requested to submit lump sum financial proposal consisting of all-inclusive fees for the services to be provided.
Financial scores will be calculated using the formula [lowest offer / financial offer of the candidate x 30].Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
To view our competency framework, please visit here.
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.
The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
