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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, a CHILDHOOD

How can you make a difference? 

BACKGROUND / CONTEXT

UNICEF’s Country Programme for 2023-2027 emphasizes the importance of sub-national partnerships for children in Romania to support the enabling environment for progressive realization of children’s rights. Service delivery, modelling the access to integrated basic and specialized services, promoting quality inclusive education and transition from lower to upper secondary education, piloting of the Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI), including child participation, planning, and budgeting have been UNICEF’s principal intervention areas at the sub-national level during the last years.

UNICEF’s approach to sub-national programming in Romania is focused and structured on the following key areas of interventions: a) strengthening the capacities of local actors for generation and use of age-disaggregated and gender sensitive data on children; b) facilitating risk-informed and child responsive planning, budgeting, and monitoring; c) community empowerment and promoting meaningful child participation and d) expanding access to services to all children.

PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

To implement the technical support, UNICEF Romania intends to hire a national local governance expert. The expert is expected to support the office in implementation and advancement of its sub-national partnerships for children, in selected localities, through remote and in-person technical assistance.

The national expert will support local governments in evidence generation and child focused planning, budgeting, and monitoring at sub-national level, under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist and in close collaboration with UNICEF teams.

DELIVERABLES

Geographical coverage of the assignment: Brasov, Bacau, Bucharest, Deva and Moinesti municipalities and Colonesti and Corbasca communes (Bacau County). The expert is expected to travel to the above listed municipalities/communes and therefore is requested to submit his/her travel cost included in a work plan for the assignment indicating the number of days and the purpose of trips to each municipality/commune.

The expert is expected to travel to the above listed municipalities/ communes and therefore is requested to submit his/ her travel cost included in a work plan for the assignment, indicating the number of days and the purpose of trips to each municipality/ commune. Estimated trip costs should be submitted by the consultant with his/her application. Actual expenses will be reimbursed based on the proof of travel.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public administration, political science, sociology, social protection, education, social sciences and development sciences, or other relevant technical fields.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in working with local and national public authorities in Romania.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
• Fluency in English and Romanian is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

DESIRED REQUIREMENTS

• Experience in providing technical support to local governments in Romania;
• Experience on children or youth programming, experience of working directly with child groups preferred.
• Profound understanding of national and local level governance system, legislation and the planning and budgeting process in Romania;
• Experience in managing research/studies, data collection and analyses;
• Excellent organisational and analytical skills;
• Computer skills, including Internet navigation and various office applications;
• Relevant experience in similar activities, preferably with UNICEF, other UN agencies or development will be considered as 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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

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. 

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.