Home-based local consultancy (2 positions): Social Mobilizer Consultant (mobile team U-Report On the Move), Italy (103 days)

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, results

Italy remains one of the main entry points into Europe for refugees and migrants fleeing conflicts, situations of violence and deprivation. Since 2014 more than 70,000 UASC have arrived in Italy of which 60,000 have since come of age. As of June 2020, the total of asylum seekers and refugees hosted in the reception system is 84,445, 5,156 of whom are UASC (only 5% are girls). Despite the approval of the Law. No. 47 in 2017 (the so-called Zampa law), the protection and care of Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC) in Italy remains inadequate in its application, and the lack of systematic information about the status and situation of children turning 18 is a remaining challenge. While adolescence is characterized by a period of heightened vulnerabilities, it also provides a window of opportunity for successful transition to adulthood and equality especially for the most disadvantaged adolescents, including UASC. Identifying these most disadvantaged adolescents and designing our interventions to address the barriers that limit their fulfilment of rights to development, protection and participation is instrumental to breaking cycles of deprivation and poverty for these adolescents. One of the key issues of concern for UASC is that they do not feel heard and do not have anybody to talk to. Although these adolescents should be adequately informed about the decisions that affect them and their opinion taken into account, this does not seem to happen in practice at the reception centers where they are hosted.

Digital and social media offer an unprecedented opportunity for adolescents to access services and express and mobilise themselves. Through modelling and testing innovations in the context of the refugee and migrant crisis, UNICEF has launched innovative interventions aimed at promoting systemic changes to benefit adolescent unaccompanied girls and boys living in first line reception centers. This includes complementary lines of action aimed at increasing demand for the utilization of health, education and protection services, and increasing service provision of quality. Building opportunities for adolescents to engage in issues of concern to them in their local community not only supports their present and future civic engagement, but also contributes to their communities and societies.

U-Report is a social messaging program designed to empower people and communities to speak out on issues that they care about, encourage citizen-led development, respond to humanitarian emergencies, and magnify voices globally to create positive change. It is currently live in 60 countries and is engaging more than 10 million young people around the world to speak out and achieve social change.  Once the information is collected the data is instantly analyzed. The information is subsequently utilized in advocacy work across all media channels, many UNICEF programs and through general partner engagement.

Through U-report, UASC are engaged via social media and asked to reflect on their aspirations, needs and inclusion paths in Italy. This information is intended for use by  municipalities and the central government to improve protection, care and social inclusion paths of UASC.  Through U-report, adolescents respond to polls and become agents of change in their communities. U-Report is also used as a tool for individual case management, informing and supporting vulnerable refugee and migrant adolescents, to increase their access to and uptake of adolescent-friendly services. Registering through Facebook Messenger, young migrants and refugees sign up to be part of wide digital community, sharing the same difficulties and obstacles but also emphasizing the positive social inclusion success-stories. Registration is open to anyone, however given their young age and language abilities, social mobilization is key to scaling up: engaging with the young migrants and refugees, through workshops, games, interacting and explaining the scope of the digital platform is a key element of success. To foster engagement and participation, social mobilization throughout workshops focusing on youth-led content production, is fundamental to empower young migrants and refugees and enable them to participate in national and international advocacy actions.

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision of the Youth and Adolescent Development Specialist, P4, in Rome, Italy, the two Social Mobilizer Consultants will be primarily responsible for promoting the U-Report on the Move platform in reception centers and reaching unaccompanied and separated children, young migrants and refugees.

The objective will be met through collaborating closely with the U Report on the Move team (U Report Manager and Youth Engagement/Comms and Advocacy Specialist).

Each consultant will be expected to perform the following tasks and deliver each of the below:

Contractual modalities:

• Duration: The contract is expected to be for 103 days during a 11.5 month-period. 
• Duty station: The Consultants will be home-based with travel 2 times per month for 4 days each to the reception centres in a maximum of 20 regions of Italy.
• Supervisor: The consultants wil report to the Youth and Adolescent Specialist and work closely with the  U-Report on the Move Project Manager
• Terms of payments: The payment will be done on a monthly basis upon satisfactory completion of planned deliverables.
• Taxes: Consultants and Individual contractors are responsible for paying any taxes derived from the earnings received from UNICEF

NATURE OF PENALTY CLAUSE IN CONTRACT

If the final reports and documents are not submitted according to the deliverables stated in this TOR, the payments will be withheld.

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 (fees reduced due to late submission: 20 days – 10%; 1 month -20%; 2 months -30%; more 2 months – payment withhold). All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

TRAVEL:

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• An amount for travel will be specified in the contract (travel lumpsum).
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission. UNICEF will pay applicable DSA and other travel related expenses upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.

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

• University Degree is desired in social science, international affairs or communication. Diploma or equivalent in cultural mediation, educator, social mobilizer or at least 2 years of experience accompanied by professional certifications may replace the degree;
• Relevant professional experience of at least 2 years in youth engagement is required;
• Experience in working with vulnerable groups of children (e.g. children with a migration background, Roma children, children with low socio-economic background, etc.) is required;
• Demonstrated social mobilization skills;
• Proven ability to present and communicate new projects to a varied audience;
• Strong communication skills and the aptitude to handle competing messages and priorities with multiple audiences;
• Fluency in Italian and English are required. Language skills in Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Tigrinya (the U-Report languages) or any other UN languages, such as French would be an asset.

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

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.

TO APPLY:

Applicants are invited to:

• Complete their UNICEF profile;
• Attach CV and Cover Letter;
• Indicate a daily fee, bearing in mind that the maximum daily allowed for this consultancy is USD 215 or EUR 180, travels not included;
• Indicate a lumpsum for expected travels and expenditures (a total of 88 travel days is expected, if conditions will allow travelling).

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.