Unicef

UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant -Child Protection in Emergencies

Consultancy, Research Jobs
Salary
500 - 100000

Job Description

UNICEF Zimbabwe is inviting applications for an individual consultant -Child Protection in Emergencies (Open to Zimbabwean nationals only)

Job no: 544172
Contract type: Consultancy
Level: Consultancy
Location: Zimbabwe
Categories: Child Protection

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.

Background

The Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) call for the rapid provision and deployment of qualified personnel to act in the first eight critical weeks of humanitarian response and provide guidance for action beyond that, moving towards defined benchmarks.

Zimbabwe is experiencing a complex humanitarian crisis, combining drought, erratic floods and an ever-deepening economic crisis, resulting in economic insecurity, high inflation and depreciating local currency compounded by persistent shortages and increased prices of fuel, electricity and other essential goods. Social conditions and vulnerabilities have worsened, with a large part of the population living in poverty and many facing food insecurity. Services in critical social sectors are breaking down and service seeking behavior is seriously compromised because people no longer have the economic means to reach service providers.

Women and children are highly exposed to protection risks, including family separation and exploitation and abuse. Migration is increasing, including children migrating without caregivers. Civil society organisations report increased cases of children in conflict with the law, children roaming the streets and institutionalisation. Children with disabilities drop out of rehabilitation programmes, access to ARVs for children living with HIV is problematic and assistive devices have become beyond reach for most children. Reported child sexual abuse and GBV has risen sharply. Even if children reach service providers, the more specialised health care services including post rape examinations and forensic age estimations, required for the prosecution of sexual offences involving children, are compromised because of the ongoing doctor’s strike.

The COVID-19 outbreak and extended lockdown since March 2020 aggravates the pre-existing humanitarian crisis Zimbabwe already found itself in and produces unprecedented challenges to the protection of the most vulnerable women and children. The lockdown measures have further hampered access to services and self-isolation confines women and children to their homes which may not be safe spaces and where they are subject to increased levels of violence and abuse, aggravated by deepening household economic stress. As caregivers fall ill, children are at risk of separation and in need of emergency alternative care placements. Anxiety, depression and stress have steadily increased with more children and adults in need of mental health and psychosocial support.

UNICEF Zimbabwe is responding to the complex crisis in the key sectors of Health and Nutrition, WASH, HIV/AIDS, Education and Child Protection. UNICEF co-leads WASH, Nutrition, Education sectors and the Child Protection subsector with the relevant Government authorities. Child protection sector coordination meetings continued to be organised since the country responded to cyclone Idai in March 2019, under Government leadership, and the Protection cluster was activated with UNICEF, UNFPA, UNHCR and civil society partners to coordinate GBV, Child Protection and Refugee responses.

Purpose

Given the deepening humanitarian situation since cyclone Idai in 2019, UNICEF Zimbabwe in its Child Protection programme created a new Output 6.5 Child Protection in Emergencies in the Child Protection AWP 2021. UNICEF’s increasing needs for CPiE programming, including partnership management, monitoring, reporting and resource mobilization, require full-time technical assistance. While in 2020 the section has been able to rely on surge support and stand-by partnerships, and thereafter a TA position, given the Level 4 Lockdown that Zimbabwe is in again, the section is now recruiting a national consultant to support the CPiE portfolio and output 6.5 of the CP AWP and assume the Child Protection sub-cluster coordination function.

Duties and Responsibilities

Assignments:

he function of the CPiE consultant will be as follows:

Coordinate the Child Protection sub-cluster and represent UNICEF in Protection cluster and GBV sub-cluster meetings
Collaborate with the Protection Cluster lead, UNFPA and OCHA to ensure that key child protection concerns are reflected in all documents and humanitarian initiatives.
Facilitate Humanitarian Needs Assessments and provision of inputs to HNO, HRP, HAC and development of Humanitarian preparedness and response Plans
Work with child protection actors to assess the emergency needs and updates in light of COVID-19 third wave, coordinate and oversee inter-agency needs assessment about child protection issues to map out priority protection gaps and identify key resources and assets, including existing child protection systems (both formal and informal).
Support implementation of Child Protection activities as stipulated in the Covid 19 third wave response plan.
Support the development and management of CPIE partnerships with IPs and coordination with Government and UN agencies as per output 6.5 of the Child Protection AWP
Provide technical support to the preparation of CPiE resource mobilization proposals, donor reports and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes
Track progress and coordinate CP inputs into emergency monitoring and data tracking processes, including EMT tracker, SitReps and 5W tool.
Generate data on the impact of the humanitarian crisis on Protection, in particular child protection, through 5W and other tools
Provide inputs into the UNICEF Emergency Team/Country Management Team meetings and coordinate child protection inputs into the weekly UNICEF HQ and Global SitReps, monthly HAC SitRep and bi-weekly OCHA SitReps in cooperation with the CPiE/GBVIE IMO
Conduct trainings to Government and CSO partners on Minimum Standards on Child Protection in Emergencies, GBViE risk mitigation and Accountability to Affected Populations
Participate and contribute to end of year review processes, 2021, CPD development process and RAM/SMQ reporting
Support procurement of Child Protection emergency supplies
Perform regular Government and CSO partner monitoring visits and mitigate risks identified
Draft communication and information materials for CO programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for child protection in emergencies programmes.

Qualifications and Experience

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

An advanced university degree (Masters or higher) in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, social work, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
A minimum of five years of professional experience in planning and management of child protection in emergencies related areas is required.

A minimum of 4-8 years of experience with UNICEF and/or other relevant actors, including experience with child protection information systems in natural disaster and/or armed conflict contexts. Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
Knowledge of UNICEF’s core commitments to children in humanitarian action as well as the humanitarian cluster approach, particularly the child protection working group (sub-cluster), gender-based violence area of responsibility, and protection cluster.
Excellent commination and interpersonal skills, and proven success in facilitating interagency processes to achieve a common goal.
Fluency in English (verbal and written). Good written and spoken skills in the language of the humanitarian operation and knowledge of another UN language an asset.

How to Apply

Competitive market rates will apply.

If interested and available to undertake the consultancy, please submit your application online and attach the required documents including the technical and an all-inclusive financial proposal (detailing professional fees, DSA, airfare etc. where necessary). This consultancy involves 30 field travel days. UNICEF will provide transport support for the field trips related to this assignment.

Click to Apply