National Indivudual Consultant: Technical support to Drop in Centres Consultant, Pretoria, South Africa, 12 months

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, Protection

How can you make a difference? 

BACKGROUND

In collaboration with the National Department of Social Development (DSD), UNICEF is providing technical and financial support to monitor and oversee implementation of the Risiha Programme within identified provinces in South Africa. The main purpose of this assignment is to strengthen the capacity of civil society organisations in the provision of the services.

The Risiha programme is operationalised through Drop In Centres (DICs) – a community-based facility that provides basic services to support the emotional, physical and social development needs of vulnerable children. The Children’s Act outlines the services that a DIC must provide a basic minimum of services – and thus providing an enabling children and families to move from vulnerability to resilience.
Furthermore, DICs are required to comply with the national norms and standards, in order to ensure safety of children and provision of quality services. These include a) safe environment for children; b) safe drinking water; c) hygienic and adequate toilet facilities; d) access to refuse disposal services or other adequate means of disposal of refuse; e) and hygienic area for the preparation of food.
It is for this reason that UNICEF is seeking the services of a consultant to support the National DSD in building the capacity of DICs to ensure quality prevention and early intervention programmes to vulnerable children. The consultant will work in close collaboration with officials from the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Directorate and Child Protection Officer. The consultant will be based at the DSD Pretoria offices full-time to act as the key coordinating unit amongst all stakeholders. For every child, PROTECTION. PURPOSE OF THE

ASSIGNMENT

The consultant will be seconded to the Department of Social Development’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children Directorate with dual reporting to UNICEF and DSD for the duration of the assignment.

Goals and Objectives:

– Support in ensuring programme quality and reach

– Strengthen workforce capacity for the implementation of the Risiha programme using the relevant tools

Strengthen organisational development to enable compliance to national norms and standards SCOPE OF WORK

The consultant will deliver results as follows:

1. CBPEI Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

This may include, but not limited to the following:

In collaboration with government and other stakeholders, participate in monitoring and evaluation activities, programme and annual reviews to assess progress and to determine required corrective action where required to achieve results.

Undertake field visits at the provincial, districts and where possible service point levels to conduct periodic programme reviews with government counterparts and other partners.

Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits (in-person and remote), surveys and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems.

Preparation of regular and mandated programme reports for management, donors and other stakeholders in projects related to compliance with norms and standards.

Development of reports on programme implementation using results-based reporting.

2. Organisational development of Drop In Centres:

In collaboration with the National Department of Social Development and UNICEF, finalise the improvement plans for d DICs in Limpopo, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces to ensure compliance with a) Financial management, including resource mobilisation b) Monitoring and evaluation c) Human Resources Management (HRM), and d) Donor reporting.

3. Capacity building on the implementation of the Risiha Programme Core Package of Training

The consultant will be expected to conduct capacity building with all implementers of the Risiha Programme ensuring that all districts in KwaZulu Natal and Mpumalanga provinces are covered. The approach of the capacity building should equip implementers to align theory into practice. The training should be practical focusing on the following:

– Introduction to Risiha Programme
– Domains of Core Package of Services
– Orientation to Core Package of Services Tools (Ungubani, Girl/Boy Index) and Enablers.
– Risiha Assessment and Care plan Development process.
– Orientation of Prioritisation Framework process
– Case Management process, linkages and Network
– Clear Definition of roles and responsibilities on the workforce implementing RISIHA Programme

Work Assignment overview:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

☒ Bachelors

Other Enter disciplines:

Social Work, Public Health, Social Policy, Development Studies, Social Sciences

Relevant work experience required (in years):

– Minimum 10 years of experience working within the children’s rights, public policy and development environment.

– Proven competencies in development of training material, training and evaluation.

– Demonstrated experience in grant management.

– Demonstrated experience in project management and partnership development.

– Demonstrated experiences in working with government stakeholders at district, provincial and national level.

– Outstanding research and analytical skills, including strong ability to analyse, integrate and summarise information from a wide range of sources.

– Demonstrated capacity to engage with key stakeholders and facilitate workshops and dialogues.

– An added advantage having working experience in the GBV, SRHR, HIV and/or VAC programming.

– Excellent writing skills in English, including a demonstrated ability to draft clear, concise and reports.

– Good computer skills, including familiarity with search engines and academic databases.

– Ability to work independently and to ensure high-quality deliverables.

– Ability to work independently, remotely and to ensure high-quality deliverables.

– Experience working with UNICEF and government is desirable.

Specialised skills and/or training if needed:

– Training skills an asset

– Supervisory and oversight skills an asset

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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. 

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:  

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

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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. 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.