Consultancy: GBV Risk Mitigation Institutionalization Consultant – Req.#570863

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. 

Consultancy Title: GBV Risk Mitigation Institutionalization Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Child Protection Section, Programme Group – NYHQ

Duration: April 15, 2024 to February 28, 2025

Home/ Office Based: REMOTE 

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world’s leading children’s rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children’s survival, protection and development. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is vital.

Related to this mission, UNICEF is directly involved in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in intense and complex conflicts and disasters. GBV constitutes a global crisis which undermines social and economic progress; as one of the world’s greatest human rights violations, GBV must be addressed to ensure universal rights and principles with regard to equality, security, liberty, integrity and dignity of human beings. Preventing and responding to gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE) is recognized as a life-saving measure and an essential component of humanitarian action. As a lead agency in addressing GBViE, UNICEF has expanded its on-the-ground programming in recent years and made prevention and risk mitigation of, and response to GBViE one of its targeted priorities in its new Strategic and Gender Action Plans 2022-2025, as well as in the new Child Protection Strategy. GBViE contributes to the results under Goal Area 3 and is also a cross-cutting priority across the Strategic Plan-, making GBV risk mitigation one of UNICEF’s change strategies and a key contributor across all Goal Areas.

Over the past five years, UNICEF has made significant progress on integration of GBV risk mitigation across the Agency’s programmatic sectors and clusters. Dedicated support is now required to help implement the GBV risk mitigation institutionalization plan across UNICEF and beyond. The consultant will provide the technical expertise required to this objective. The consultant will also support the UNICEF’s ongoing efforts to develop a feminist framework for its GBViE research and learning and technical resources demonstrating the linkages between GBV and environment/climate change, as well as a set of complementary guidance to accompany the cluster tools focused on working with local women’s organizations.

Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the GBViE Specialist, the consultant will be responsible for the following

deliverables: 

– Advance UNICEF’s internal plan for GBV risk mitigation institutionalization;

– Support external visibility and uptake of institutionalization work;

– Develop a set of technical resources on climate change and GBV;

– Support collaboration between GBViE and Security colleagues;

– Support the rollout of a feminist research and learning framework.

– Support development of a set of complementary risk mitigation guidance to accompany the cluster tools focused on working with local women’s organizations.

The consultancy will be home-based with travels to emergency-affected contexts relevant to the above tasks, as feasible.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Advance UNICEF’s internal plan for GBV Risk Mitigation institutionalization

– Socialize the GBV Risk Mitigation case studies

Create a set of quick-reference materials – 30 April 2024

At least 5 interactive engagements implemented to socialize the case studies –  31 December 2024

– Build out a SharePoint page to feature the resources on GBV risk mitigation institutionalization  

SharePoint Page finalized – 31 Oct 2024

Support external visibility and uptake of institutionalization work at interagency level

– Prepare and adapt 2 to 3 GBV risk mitigation products for endorsement by GBViE fora.  

2 to 3 GBV risk mitigation products endorsed through at least one interagency GBV coordination mechanism – 31 Dec 2024

– Engage with donors to socialize the GBV risk mitigation institutionalization package and influence donors’ systems         

At least 3 engagements with donors completed – 28 Feb 2025

Develop a set of technical resources on climate change and GBV

– Develop a Theory of Change for linkages between environment/climate change and GBV

ToC approved – 31 July 2024

– Develop PPT presentation and talking points on linkages between environment/climate change and GBV  

PPT presentation and talking points approved – 31 August 2024

– Develop a SharePoint sub-page of resources related to environment/climate change and GBV     

SharePoint sub-page finalized – 31 August 2024

Support collaboration between GBViE and Security colleagues

– Advise and support on GBV Risk Mitigation strengthening in the Security part of Emergency Procedures     

Inputs shared on Security Part of the Emergency Procedures – 15 May 2024

– Convene at least 3 meetings with Security and GBV experts to identify priorities.

At least 3 meetings organized

Minutes shared – 31 July 2024

– Draft an initial set of GBV/security-focused proxy indicators building upon measuring effectiveness work with other sectors           .

GBV/security-focused proxy indicators developed– 28 Feb 2025

Support the rollout of a feminist research and learning framework

– Create a guidance note on feminist considerations for impact evaluations.

Guidance note approved – 31 Dec 2024

Support the development of complementary risk mitigation guidance to accompany the cluster WLO tools

– Develop a guidance note to support field-level clusters in rolling out the WLO guidance

Guidance note and PPT approved – 30 June 2024

– Develop a plan for testing of the guidance note        

Plan completed – 31 July 2024

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s university degree in public health, social work, political science, human rights and international law or related degree, or equivalent programming experience
• Fluency in English required. Another official UN language an advantage.

Work experience:

• At least 8-10 years of humanitarian or related work experience in GBV programming in emergencies.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Knowledge and experience working on GBV risk mitigation with other humanitarian sectors/clusters. Proven experience with humanitarian coordination structures preferred.
• Knowledge and experience working with local women-led organizations an asset.
• Demonstrated experience and capacity to carry-out GBV-related research and develop technical resources, with a focus on feminist research approaches and/or on the linkages between GBV and climate change.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s working modalities, including related internal communication and advocacy.
• Flexible work attitude: ability to work productively in a team environment and independently.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to successfully and effectively liaise with people in a wide range of functions in a multi-cultural environment.

Requirements: 

Completed profile in UNICEF’s e-Recruitment system and

• Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :
  • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. Consultants 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.