Responding to the Country Program Document 2024-2028, UNICEF office in Rio de Janeiro has started to focus its programmatic and advocacy work on violence prevention and response in contexts of armed violence. In a context of alarming and growing rates of physical, sexual and lethal violence that affect lives of thousands of children in Rio de Janeiro, the Rio de Janeiro office works in an intersectoral manner to advocate for and protect children along with the Areas of Child Protection, Survive and Thrive, Learning and skills, Adolescent development and Participation, Communications and Advocacy, Social policy, WASH & Climate Change, South-South Cooperation and Monitoring and Evaluation. As such, the consultant for this assignment will work closely with multiple teams at UNICEF Brazil country office and along with the Rio de Janeiro team as a mean to deliver expected results defined on the BCO 2025 Annual Work Plan. The assignment also requires seamlessly liaising with external core partners of the municipal, state and judiciary sector in Rio de Janeiro who lead the local child protection agenda, plus relevant civil society stakeholders and local UNICEF implementing partners.
SCOPE OF WORK:
Under the supervision of the UNICEF Rio de Janeiro Field Office and in close coordination with the Child Protection team, the consultant will support the implementation of UNICEF’s child protection agenda in contexts affected by armed violence, particularly by (1) providing technical inputs to two studies conducted by implementing partners (on early childhood immunization and child mobility), (2) contributing to the systematization of UNICEF’s internal learning and technical note on violence prevention, (3) organizing a civil society engagement meeting, (4) supporting the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Support Centers (CAAC), (5) reviewing and finalizing methodologies such as the Violence Prevention tool, and the behavior change strategy on corporal punishment, (5) participating in the TEVAC Task Force internal meeting to share Rio-based experiences, and (6) developing strategic recommendations and a final consultancy report summarizing key deliverables and proposed follow-up actions for Child Protection in Rio.
DELIVERABLES
- Work Assignment Overview 1: September – Technical review of studies and support to advocacy planning Report on impacts of armed violence on childhood immunization
1.1 Deliverables/Outputs
1.1.1 Two rounds of technical review of the study on the impacts of armed violence on early childhood immunization, including its recommendations
1.1.2 Technical review of the infographic and policy brief on armed violence and child/adolescent mobility, including its recommendations
1.1.3 Provision of technical inputs for the advocacy and influencing strategy for both studies
1.1.4 Identification of stakeholders from Rio’s child protection system to be invited to both study launches
Deadline: September
Estimated budget: 15%
- Work Assignment Overview 2: October – Support implementation of civil society engagement strategy
2.1 Deliverables/Outputs
2.1.1 Systematization of UNICEF experiences in armed violence prevention in Rio de Janeiro
2.1.2 Review of internal technical note on armed violence with suggestions for next steps (Ending Violence Against Children Task Force)
2.1.3 Deliver at least one civil society group meeting: drafting invitations, follow-up, agenda proposal
2.1.4 Reporting and submission of next steps to the group
2.1.5 Definition of theme, agenda and date for next meeting
Deadline: October
Estimated budget: 20%
- Work Assignment Overview 3: October – Event coordination for the inauguration of CAAC (Child and Adolescent Support Centers)
3.1 Deliverables/Outputs
3.1.1 Organize the launch event of the Child and Adolescent Support Centers (CAAC)
3.1.2 Drafting and sending invitations to local partners
3.1.3 Design of the event programme
Deadline: October
Estimated budget: 15%
- Work Assignment Overview 4: November – Methodological tools review and social behavior change strategy review
4.1 Deliverables/Outputs
4.1.1 Review of the implementation proposal for a behavioral change strategy related to corporal punishment in Rio de Janeiro
4.1.2 Preparation of analysis report on the Intentionality Scale for violence prevention and response
4.1.3 Monitoring of the tool's application in one partner-implemented project
4.1.4 Finalization of methodological aspects of thetool
Deadline: November
Estimated budget: 15%
- Work Assignment Overview 5: December/January – Strategic positioning and 2026 planning
5.1 Deliverables/Outputs
5.1.1 Participation in an internal meeting of the UNICEF Ending Violence Against Children Task Force
5.1.2 Development of a presentation about Rio de Janeiro’s experiences in preventing armed violence
Deadline: December–January
Estimated budget: 20%
- Work Assignment Overview 6: February – Final report and recommendations
6.1 Deliverables/Outputs
6.1.1 Submission of final consultancy report summarizing all deliverables
6.1.2 Identification of next steps of each deliverable including follow-up actions, where applicable
Deadline: February
Estimated budget: 15%
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT
- Postgraduate degree, preferably in the fields of Law, Social Sciences, Human Rights or Related Areas. Verification will be done by presenting the diploma from an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education;
- At least 5 years of professional work or academic experience in violence prevention and response issues in Rio de Janeiro
- Expert knowledge on the local socioeconomic and political context, also about relevant stakeholders regarding violence prevention and response in Rio de Janeiro
- Expert knowledge about armed violence issues in Rio de Janeiro urban area, its implications and concepts to the child development agenda
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
Portuguese: fluent
English: fluent
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
- A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.
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This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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 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.
