Consultancy (Part-time, Home-based): Consultant for technical support on the rollout of the recommendations on children’s rights and online gaming, Child Rights and Business, Division of Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP)

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, hope

The Children’s Rights and Business (CRB) Unit within the Private Fundraising and Partnerships (PFP) Division is responsible to develop guidance for companies, governments, and civil society to advance how children’s rights are impacted by business. Traditionally, UNICEF’s engagement with the private sector focused mainly on mobilizing funds and other resources towards implementation of (often philanthropic) programmes for children. Today, UNICEF recognizes that such interactions only touch the surface of the potential business has to contribute to UNICEF’s mission and the global agenda for children. UNICEF now works with all stakeholders – companies, government and civil society – to create an enabling environment where business can respect and support children’s rights.

UNICEF’s CRB Unit has developed a body of work on children’s rights and online gaming including a discussion paper and a set of recommendations for the industry. These terms of reference are specific to the provision of technical support in the roll-out of the recommendations as well as the development of further guidance on prioritized issues.

CONTEXT

Over the last decades the online gaming industry has undergone a rapid evolution, becoming one of the most profitable entertainment industries in the world, with some analysts estimating it is worth more than $20 billion USD per year.[1] Growing internet capabilities and the mobile technology boom have revolutionized the industry and opened doors to a new generation of gamers, changing the way people buy games, update software and communicate and interact with other gamers. And while the move to mobile technology has defined the recent chapter of gaming, new advances in artificial intelligence and virtual and augmented reality will serve as another paradigm shift in the gaming world.

Gaming technology allows millions around the world to enjoy a shared activity, helping children and young people to connect with friends or as a way to spend time with their families. There is also evidence that educational tablet and smartphone games can help children with numeracy and literacy. Numerous computer and tablet games are now regularly used in education and integrated into learning programmes, allowing teachers to monitor the reading and math skills of their students. And for older children, online games can serve as an avenue to for entrepreneurship or civic engagement. In this respect, gamified technology could be used to support UNICEF programming.

However, alongside these potential benefits, children face risks that mirror those they face from their general participation in the online world. These risks range from grooming and cyberbullying to exposure to harmful or inappropriate content of games or pop-ups, and from the collection and monetization of children’s data to aggressive commercial engagement through in-app purchases. In some countries, policy makers are advocating for stricter measures to limit children’s participation in online gaming activities to prevent excessive use or gaming “addiction.”

In sum, the online gaming industry can impact children’s rights in both positive and negative ways, with the potential to affect their rights to protection, participation and inclusion. Together with key industry actors, UNICEF has examined both the risks and opportunities that online gaming implies for children, and to better understand these implications through a child rights lens. This work has resulted in a set of Recommendations for the Online Gaming Industry on Assessing Impact on Children and a discussion paper entitled Child Rights and Online Gaming: Opportunities and Challenges for Children and the Industry. The objective of these efforts is to engage industry, government, civil society and academia on roles, responsibilities and recommendations for industry along the gaming value chain to develop, offer and market products in a way that both mitigates risks, and also creates benefits for children.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF is seeking an expert consultant to support the roll out of the recommendations for the online gaming industry on assessing impact on children with relevant stakeholders and to devise and implement an influencing strategy on prioritized issues. This work consists of four pillars.

MAIN TASKS & DELIVERABLES

1. Promotion and roll-out of the industry Recommendations (approximately 4 days)
   • Identify opportunities to further promote the Recommendations within different regions and encourage additional companies to consider and adopt them
   • Conduct interviews with companies who pilot the Recommendations and gather feedback on how to further mainstream them
2. Prioritization and strategy building (approximately 4 days)
   • Prioritize issues to take forward by producing a mapping of all themes covered by the Recommendations ranked on key criteria including company feedback on where further guidance is required
   • Consult with internal/external stakeholders to identify most appropriate strategies to advance action on selected issues and conduct a stakeholder mapping to identify partners, barriers to progress, and levers for change
3. Deep-dive guidance and identification of promising practice (approximately 25 days)
   • Develop deep-dive guidance on prioritized issue(s) identified in stage 2 above
   • Capture case studies of ‘promising practice’ from different markets and advocate for scale up of these approaches based on strategy
4. Advocacy and communications (approximately 7 days)
   • Organize a virtual gathering of key industry stakeholders to promote the deep-dive guidance on prioritized issue(s)
   • Create ‘how to’ guidance and deliver virtual training for UNICEF staff on child rights and online gaming, including by capturing examples of successful engagement and providing one-off technical advice

ESTIMATED DURATION OF THE CONTRACT AND PROPOSAL

Note that this is a part-time consultancy, consisting of approximately 40 workdays tentatively between end October 2020 and 10 March 2021.

REPORTING TO 

Corporate Alliances Specialist, the Children’s Rights and Business (CRB) Unit

WORKPLACE

Consultant is expected to work remotely with the potential for travel to in-person events.

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

Education: A master’s degree in law, social or political science, or related field is required. 

Experience: Over 10 years of work experience with one of the following is required: online gaming, child online protection, human rights, and children’s rights. Demonstrate prior experience of child rights issues within online gaming is highly preferred.

A strong research background is required. Applicants must have a proven record of excellent writing and analytical skills in English.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

Remarks: Please indicate your ability, availability and overall bid (US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable) in your cover letter. Applications submitted without an overall bid will not be considered. Also, please mention the earliest date you can start.

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.

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 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.