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For every child, the right to A Fair Chance
1. BACKGROUND
With about 2.4 million people, Botswana has a youthful population. Children under 18 years represent 35 percent of the population, approximately 60 percent under the age of 60 years of which 38.2 percent are between the age bracket of 15-35 years. (2022 Population and Housing Census) Investing in this cohort is a critical area for the sustainable growth and prosperity of Botswana. With a significant portion of the population being young, it is imperative for the government to invest in youth and put the country in a good path to reap the demographic dividend. In recent years, Botswana experienced political and socio-economic changes, including the unprecedented climate change such as persistent droughts and floods against the backdrop of harsh effects of COVID-19 which further compounded the situation of children, adolescents and youth.
The establishment of the Ministry of Child Welfare and Basic Education and the reformulation of the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Culture Development to the now Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, signify a major shift in the development of children, adolescents and youth agenda. There is an urgent need for the government to analyse the situation of children, adolescents and youth. It is against this background that UNICEF and UN agencies, in collaboration with the government will conduct a detailed situational analysis of children, adolescents and youth (SitAn) in Botswana.
The SitAn of children, adolescents and youth’s rights and wellbeing is a flagship product designed to inform policy dialogue, partnerships and interventions to improve the lives of children, adolescents and youth. It is an assessment and analysis of the country situation, with respect to children, adolescents and youth's rights and critical issues affecting their realization.
The SitAn is a crucial part of the child rights monitoring (CRM) framework and represents a key UNICEF programmatic output that helps focus on knowledge gaps related to inequities and child deprivations. At the UN wide level, it provides agencies with the opportunity to track progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
By promoting the broad engagement of all stakeholders, the SitAn is expected to inform policy dialogue in the country and child, adolescent and youth -focused policy advocacy to make an important contribution to accelerating the achievement of child-related goals with equity. The findings of the SitAn will among others propose appropriate strategies for the government and partners to make strategic investments in children, adolescents and youth.
Findings from the SitAn will further contribute to the upcoming Common Country Assessment (CCA) and further inform the development of the new UN Sustainable Development Cooperation framework (UNSDCF) and the UNICEF Country Programme. Both processes will benefit from the evidence generated by the SitAn to inform national strategies and UN programming contributing towards an enabling environment for children that adheres to human rights principles, such as universality, non-discrimination, participation and accountability.
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ToR_SitAn Botswana CO .docx
2. PURPOSE, SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE ANALYSIS
The purpose of the situation analysis (SitAn) is to examine the progress, challenges and opportunities for realizing child rights and well-being, and the patterns of deprivation faced by children, adolescents and youth in Botswana.
Objectives:
a) Develop a deep understanding of the situation of children, adolescents and youth in Botswana (including relevant groups of young people in a particularly vulnerable situations) by analysing the policies and strategies, social and economic trends affecting them (data disaggregated by age, gender, urban/rural, ethnicity, socio-economic status and other relevant factors).
b) Identify and analyse the barriers and bottlenecks that prevent children and especially the most disadvantaged children and families from benefiting from social services across sectors and enjoying their rights.
c) Provide national government partners with comprehensive equity sensitive and evidence-based analysis on children and adolescents for result-based decision-making;
d) Provide essential information to non-government partners (NGO’s, community-based organizations, civil society, media and business sector) to be used in their planning and interventions to address the most urgent issues affecting children and adolescents contribute
to the (re)formulation of key national strategies so that the priorities for the most disadvantaged children and adolescents are integrated into the socio-economic development agenda.
e) Identify critical data gaps and contribute to the generation of evidence that can improve the monitoring of the rights of children and adolescents, especially the most vulnerable groups
f) Assess the current or potential presence of emergency risks (disaster risks and other potential shocks); the likelihood of their occurrence, the underlying vulnerabilities and the capacities and coping mechanisms of families, communities and local and national institutions.
g) Analyse to what extent there is an enabling environment for the realization of the rights of all children, adolescents and youth in Botswana and analyse how evidence-based interventions and services needed to address deprivations are prioritized in national policies, laws, strategies, plans and budgets
h) Capture new or emerging area of concerns regarding children, adolescents and youth in Botswana, such as environmental issues affecting them, mental health issues etc.
i) Analyse the role/impact of business sector on child and adolescents’ rights fulfilment as well as public financial management.
3. Scope of Work:
The consultant will provide an updated analysis of children and adolescents status in line with UNICEF global SitAn guidance. The consultant will use newly available data, review literature, conduct interviews and discussions focusing on data and information triangulation. The option to use AI tools is also available in agreement with UNICEF.
The following process will be undertaken: Review of available data: conduct a review of the recent data, evidence and research on children and adolescents focusing on: health and well-being, nutrition, HIV, water and sanitation, environment, education, child and social protection and participation in relation to international targets such as the SDGs and other goals related to the CRC. The consultant will review and update the situation of children within the context of the Agenda 2030 of Leave No One Behind, new/emerging areas including and not limited to climate, mental health, the rights of children with disabilities, risk and resilience.
Both quantitative and qualitative data should be reviewed through a human rights, gender and equity lenses. A desk review will be undertaken.
4. REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Key deliverables and time frame
The work is expected to be carried out within a period of 3-4 months.
A total of 50 consultancy working days are estimated for this assignment with the following estimated share of days:
▪ Inception Phase – total of 14 working days
▪ Data Collection Phase – total of 10 working days
▪ Analysis and Reporting Phase, including validation presentation – total of 26 working days
The team is expected to produce and submit following deliverables:
▪ SitAn inception report
▪ Preliminary report on key findings and conclusions; up to 30 pages
▪ Power point presentation for validation of the findings
▪ Comprehensive SitAn report – for UNICEF’s internal usage – up to 150 pages
▪ Summary SitAn Report (Alpha SitAn) – 40 pages
Inputs on submitted inception and draft reports provided by UNICEF and other stakeholders should be addressed in the process and final documents.
All submissions should be electronic. All materials submitted to UNICEF should be delivered in English, while preliminary report on key findings and conclusions, Summary SitAn Report and PPTs should be submitted in both, English and (national) language.
5.2 Required qualifications and experience:
The assignment is expected to be undertaken preferably by an individual international consultant
Required background and experience:
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Background
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Recognized researcher with proven experience in public policy, social policy and policy analysis, public finance and child/human rights
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Education
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Advanced degree in social sciences, international development or related fields relevant for the assignment
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Expertise and skills
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- Strong analytical skills – references to previous work or institutions
- Excellent knowledge of statistics, social service systems, development agenda
- Previous experience with UNICEF is an advantage.
- At least 5 years of relevant experience in development of analytical reports and policy documents related to children and adolescents;
- Proven experience in in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, policy (and finance) analysis (including experience in the consistent use of age and sex-disaggregated and gender sensitive data) and report preparation;
- Knowledge of human rights-based approach to programming
- Experience in facilitating consultations with government representatives, NGOs, academia, children, adolescents and other stakeholders
- Fluency in English
- Excellent writing skills
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For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates from targeted underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
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