Support to the Coordination of the UN Inter-Agency Joint Programme on Child Marriage and Early Unions, LACRO, Panama City

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, Equality

In the past 10 years, the average annual reduction rate of child marriage and early unions in Latin America and the Caribbean has been 12 times lower than in the region with the second lowest decrease (West and Central Africa). To achieve the related goal (SDG 5, target 5.3) in the 2030 Agenda and achieve its elimination by 2030, the average annual reduction should reach 21.5%, that is, 200 times greater than the current 0.1%. The Region has further particularities that require increased investment and action such as:

• LAC is the only region in the world where child marriage and early unions are not decreasing.

• The region has the second highest rate of adolescent fertility in the world.

• More than 60% of married women in Latin America and the Caribbean before age 18 are from the lowest income quintiles.

• Early, non-marital unions are more frequent than formal and legal marriage.

The Joint Interagency Programme recommends, therefore, focused attention on adolescent girls, indigenous, rural, and middle- and low-income areas to end child marriage and early unions. The Regional Programme Goals include to:

1. Prevent and end CMEU by expanding options for girls and promoting gender equality through education, protection and social inclusion measures as well as access to key public services;

2. Transform unequal gender norms, attitudes and practices, and

3. Set out a roadmap for Girls’ Empowerment in the Region. UNICEF promotes the rights and welfare of all children and adolescents in everything we do. Together with our allies, we work in 190 countries and territories to transform this commitment into practical actions that benefit all children, especially focusing our efforts on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded, worldwide.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For more information about UNICEF and its work.  https://www.unicef.org/lac/en/gender-equality

How can you make a difference?

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Gender Advisor, the Individual contractor will coordinate activities and the delivery of results related to the Inter-Agency Regional Joint Programme to End Child Marriage and Early Unions in Latin America and the Caribbean launched in 2017 by the Regional Offices of UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

The regional joint programme, convened and administered by UNICEF, involves a range of global and regional partners, 5 regional programme country teams in Latin America and incipient work in the Caribbean. In this sense, the individual contractor will support the technical team (comprised of the three agencies) in the overall coordination including strategic direction, management, support to country teams and resource mobilization.

Specific tasks:

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Gender Adviser, and in support to the technical team, the individual contractor will engage in the following key activities:

1. Develop, implement and monitor 6-month workplan in coordination among the three agencies and country offices:

• Support implementation of a Regional workplan, including adjustments to accommodate COVID-19 Response.

• Identify and monitor agreed upon follow up actions with participating agencies, country teams and partners.

• Ensure synergy, integration, coherence, and harmonization of the country and regional approaches and activities, ensuring alliance where feasible with the UNICEF-UNFPA Global Joint Programme.

• Development of monthly programme reports.

• Support country teams as needed.

2. Develop key messages, products and events with regional and global partners on CMEU in LAC:

• Co-coordination of the Regional Platform of Partners to End Child Marriage and Early Unions, including co-hosting of webinars around CMEU drivers/consequences and COVID-19.

• Integrate CMEU prevention messages into COVID-19 response plans, campaigns, etc.

• Support the inclusion of the CMEU indicator in existing regional data platforms.

3. Develop and disseminate knowledge management products with regional and country partners:

• Liaise with M&E colleagues in UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women to facilitate mutual learning in the development of the M&E framework for addressing Child Marriage and Early Unions in LAC.

• Liaise with UNICEF-UNFPA Global Joint Programme to ensure global lessons reach regional country programmes and vice versa, in particular related to COVID-19 monitoring.

• Develop knowledge sharing platforms in Spanish and English for use and access by programme country teams and regional partners.

4. Develop and implement strategies and tools for donor outreach:

• Support the development and implementation of a resource mobilization strategy for regional and national components of the Joint Programme (donor mapping, partnerships, etc).

• Build donor rapport around the predominance of the issue in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Expected Results:

• 6-month workplan

• Key messages, products and events with regional and global partners on CMEU in LAC

• Knowledge management products with regional and country partners

• Strategies and tools for donor outreach

Deliverables:

Note that deliverables are not chronological and will require simultaneous management.

6 Monthly reports will provide updates across the four key activities mentioned above in a part time basis (Aprox. 11 days per month)

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

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master) required in any of the following: Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Public Health, Education, Gender or other related areas.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in international development planning and management in gender required.
• A minimum of 3 years in child marriage and early unions, girls’ empowerment, adolescent pregnancy prevention and/or gender-based violence required.
• Experience in coordinating multi-partner, multi-country initiatives required.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation required.

Languages:

• Oral and written proficiency in Spanish is required. Coordination with global partners as well as the English-speaking Caribbean also require competency in written and oral English. French and/or Portuguese proficiency considered an asset.

Technical knowledge:

• Demonstrated experience in synthesizing disparate points of information and concepts into succinct communication for senior managers and stake holders required.

Other skills and attributes:

• Programmatic experience of field level implementation an asset.
• Experience within the UN System an asset.
• Experience in resource mobilization and partnership (2 years) is an asset.
• Excellent organization and coordination skills.
• Highly self-motivated individual with strong initiative, organizational time management and multi-tasking abilities.
• Strong diplomatic and relationship management skills, and ability bring disparate interests together.
• Excellent communication skills

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA)

Core competencies: Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF competencies: building and maintains partnerships, demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness, drive to achieve results for impact, innovates and embraces change, manages ambiguity and complexity, thinks and acts strategically, works collaboratively with others and nurtures, and, leads and manages people.

Supervision:

The individual contractor will work under the supervision of the Regional Gender Adviser. As this consultancy is part of an inter-agency programme, reviews/comments will come from the interagency team through UNICEF, as Convening and Administrative Agency. Initial, mid-term and final meetings with all three agencies will be conducted; ad-hoc meetings with all agencies will convened when and if deemed necessary among all parties.

Workplace:

The selected person will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials and equipment. For this contract, the individual contractor may be required to travel: 2-4 field trips and 1 mission to UNICEF Regional Office [TBD] Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations (if applicable).

Please note, for travel to countries – it will be decided based on agreements with UNICEF and the individual contractor. For agreed country visits, the individual contractor will be responsible in administering its own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling. Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined.

Note: Due to the measures taken by the governments to stop the expansion of the Coronavirus that include home confinement and the closing of borders, travels for this consultancy will be determined once the measures are over.

Duration:

6 months after contract signature in a part-time basis (11 working days per month)

How to apply?

Application should be submitted online and should include: CV, cover letter and financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal. Travel will be covered by UNICEF and calculated per the United Nations standards.

Travel (if applicable)

Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy:

• Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations.

• For agreed country visits, the individual contractor will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

• Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.

• Travel: http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/AI/2013/3 Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e)

• Accommodation (Daily Subsistence Allowance, DSA): http://icsc.un.org/ (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map)

Remarks:

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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.

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.