Home-based: Technical Consultant to prepare a regional analytical report on violence against children (36 working days; with travel as needed) – Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO)

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For every child, safety.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The purpose of this consultancy is to provide technical support to the development of an analytical report on violence against girls and boys in Europe and Central Asia region based on an in-depth review of available indicators and data from various data sources (administrative, survey). The consultant will analyse, contextualise, synthesise and visualise the latest data on violence against girls and boys in the Europe and Central Asia region and produce an analytical report / report card as part of the TransMonEE analytical series.

Background

The Transformative Monitoring for Enhanced Equity (TransMonEE) is a three-decade-old regional partnership initiative among around thirty National Statistics Offices (NSOs). It aims to strengthen the coverage, quality, disaggregation, accessibility, and use of data on children, across a breadth of areas relevant to children’s rights and wellbeing, aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The TransMonEE regional database and website includes data for all 55 countries and territories in Europe and Central Asia. It is a helpful tool for capturing and disseminating a vast range of data on all issues affecting children. TransMonEE data collection in partnership with NSOs is focused on the four domains: 1) Family environment; 2) Access to justice 3) Violence against children, and (4) Children with disability. The last annual meeting of the TransMonEE network with NSOs was conducted in March 2024 back-to-back with the UNECE/UNICEF Expert Meeting on Statistics on Children. It was agreed at the meeting that the focus of the next TransMonEE analytical series will be on violence against girls and boys.

Measuring the prevalence and nature of violence against children (VAC) is challenging. VAC can take on many forms: bullying, physical violence, sexual violence, homicide, among others. To standardise the measurement of VAC across countries for international consistency and comparability of statistics, the International Classification on Violence against Children (ICVAC) was developed and adopted by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 54th Session (28 February – 3 March 2023), which defines and classifies VAC for statistical measurement and analysis. UNICEF is the custodian of the ICVAC and leads the development of the ICVAC implementation strategy.

Reliable data on VAC are essential to unveil its hidden nature, mobilise resources and action, inform the development of policies, legislation and programmes, and instituting a sound monitoring process to assess results and impact. Despite the wide-ranging types of data needed, information on VAC remains fragmented in both coverage and scope. Several obstacles have affected the availability, international comparability and quality of violence-related data, including challenges related to methodology, ethics and multiple actors and sectors responsible for addressing VAC, the lack of international standards for data collection, limited country capacity for data gathering, and unsystematic investments in the production of comprehensive and internationally comparable statistics on the subject.

Most countries in the region of the Conference of European Statisticians use administrative sources to produce VAC statistics according to a UNECE survey among NSOs, which informed the 2022 Guidance on Statistics on Children. Only 17 out of the 35 countries that responded reported the use of survey data to produce statistics on VAC. More than half of the nearly 300 statistics/indicators that were reported by NSOs were produced based on survey data. As an initial mapping of VAC data for the region shows, the findings of major surveys are reflected in the global or regional databases, such as UNICEF and Eurostat. Also, some TransMonEE countries annually collect and report administrative data on VAC.

In this context, the UNICEF Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECARO) Child Protection (CP) and Programme Planning and Data sections (PP&D) will mobilise a highly specialised expert to support a regional analysis of the available VAC data in the region and the development of an analytical report on VAC.

The report will consider regional trends (last 5-10 years) in the context of the existing international child protection policy frameworks and the specific regional child protection agenda, and consider available data, in addition to TransMonEE, from violence against women and VAC surveys and other data sources, as well as contextual information derived from child protection authorities and systems, VAC coordinating mechanisms and other relevant national bodies and stakeholders.

The product will be an analytical report card that can be used by regional partners, national governments, academia and civil society actors in priority setting and decision-making, international and national child protection policies and programmes and in achieving better outcomes for the concerned children.

Scope of Work

This role amalgamates expertise from both data analytics (specifically statistics on violence) and child protection. The expert consultant will work closely with the RO CP and PPD sections to undertake the below tasks:

• Review of mapped indicators and data sources on VAC/VAW
• Data Extraction and Compilation, Analysis, and Visualisation
• Contextualisation based on literature review
• Identification of promising/good practices of VAC/VAW information management systems and surveys
• Documentation of data gaps in the region in view of ICVAC/TransMonEE
• Developing a comprehensive analytical report
• Presentation of the key findings.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone	Deliverables / Outputs	Timeline / Deadline
• Undertake an in-depth review of the mapped indicators and data sources on VAC/VAW • Select adequate indicators and data sources based on agreed selection criteria • Extract, compile, analyse and visualise the data based on an agreed data analysis and visualisation plan • Contextualise the data based on a desk review of relevant literature • Capture promising/good practices of VAC/VAW information management systems and surveys • Carry out a secondary analysis of VAC data according to ICVAC and TransMonEE and identify the data gaps	Documentation of: – Results of in-depth review – Selection criteria and selected indicators and data sources – Data analysis and visualisation plan – Data compilation file – Design-friendly visuals – Results of the desk review – Brief case studies of promising/good practices identified – Indicators mapped against the ICVAC/TransMonEE incl. data gaps identified	20 working days; By 15 June 2024
• Develop a comprehensive analytical report that will include recommendations for priority actions to improve the availability, quality and comparability of VAC data in the region to increase the impact and effectiveness of child protection policies and programmes and specific interventions to effectively prevent and respond VAC. This report should include an executive summary, which can be used as a stand-alone document (e.g., for advocacy with policymakers).	– Documentation of secondary analysis and data gaps identified – Draft analytical report including recommendations and executive summary	10 working days; By 30 July 2024
• Finalise the draft report after incorporating all the consolidated feedback received from UNICEF offices (headquarters, regional, country) and regional and national partners and key stakeholders in the field • Develop a Power Point presentation (incl. speaking notes) synthesising the analytical report • Present the key findings at relevant regional meetings.	– Final report including executive summary and Power Point presentation including speaking notes	6 working days; By 30 September 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

36 working days between May and November 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be remote/home-based.

As part of this assignment, some international travels are foreseen. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment will be made on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs are incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines. All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future.

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 36 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as these will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• Master’s degree in social work, sociology, political science, economics, psychology, education, or other related field from any reputed university
• At least eight (8) years of proven experience in development/humanitarian studies, policy analysis, statistics or research involving data analysis and report writing. Prior Engagement in regional data analysis (quantitative/qualitative).
• Proven track record of analysing administrative and survey-based data and data systems in a relevant field (e.g., child protection, health, humanitarian, etc.) with a good understanding of the phenomena of VAC.
• Familiar with administrative data and data systems, as well as some of the main household surveys in Europe and Central Asia region (ECAR), with a solid understanding of VAC indicators and statistics.
• A good understanding of regional child protection policy agendas and reform efforts is an advantage.
• Excellent skills in secondary analysis of both administrative and survey data using any statistical software and in data visualisation.
• Strong literature review and analytical skills to compile and consolidate various inputs, and produce technical, concise, and easy-to-understand documents.
• Excellent writing skills. Proven experience in the development of analytical reports.
• Previous experience with UNICEF or another UN organisation is an advantage.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Fluency in English; Knowledge of one or more languages used in the region will be an advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most marginalized children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family 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.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV and Cover Letter in your application. Additionally, indicate your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a professional fee will not be considered. 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.

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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.