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, wellbeing
Children affected by migration and displacement are among the world’s most vulnerable populations. By the end of 2022, a record 43.3 million children worldwide lived in forced displacement, according to UNICEF estimates, many of them for their entire childhood. While high-quality data on migration is necessary for evidence-based migration policies there are currently substantial gaps in the production of data on migrant and displaced children globally, in terms of quality of data, but also standards of data management. The migration landscape in Serbia is growingly dynamic - since 2015, Serbia has seen increasing mixed migration, with only in 2023 around 108,828 migrants and refugees transited through the country, and more than 320,000 only from Ukraine; in addition to continuous emigration from the country there is also the return of the Serbian citizens, voluntarily or through readmissions. Serbian Commissariat for Refugees and Migration (SCRM) is the key migration and displacement Government actor with the mandate for policy development, management of reception facilities, facilitation of return and integration, but also plays a central role in managing migration data. As stipulated by the law
the SCRM is tasked to perform tasks related to the collection, consolidation, and analysis of data and indicators for migration management; immigration and emigration reporting; creation and regular updating of the migration profile of the Republic of Serbia; establishing a unique system for collecting, organizing and exchanging data; establishment of cooperation with members of the European Migration Network; training and qualification of persons who perform tasks of importance for migration management, ensuring the availability of information of importance for migration issues, as well as other tasks specified by law.
In Serbia, in partnership with the SCRM UNICEF, jointly with IOM, UNHCR, and UNDP, initiated the 2-year project Promoting Evidence-based Migration Governance for Maximizing Development Potential of Migration funded by Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund with the overall goal of promoting data-driven migration policy and planning in the Republic of Serbia and to ensure migration management structures and mechanisms (including those for data management and capacity building) take into account the needs and rights of children affected by migration.
Furthermore, the project aims to support the systematic collection of migration-relevant data in local communities enabling evidence-based design and implementation of local migration action plans, as well as to further strengthen the data processing and analysis function at SCRM to become a migration data hub and to provide regular quality and reliable data enabling better monitoring of ongoing and creation of new policies at local level.
Migration management mechanisms have been developing intensively in previous periods. To enable the development of responsive and relevant gender-inclusive, child-sensitive, and disability-sensitive evidence-based migration policies, decision-makers (primarily SCRM and local migration councils) need reliable, comparable, disaggregated by age and gender, and timely data. Additionally, as the data on people affected by migration are increasingly generated and used standards of protection of data need to be further strengthened.
The purpose of this assignment is technical assistance to SCRM, as the focal point of the migration policy framework, to support their quality data collection, analysis, and reporting practices in line with the Government of Serbia's obligations, structures, and products, and ensure they are gender and child sensitive.
How can you make a difference?
The contractor directly supports SCRM in their function as the key Government entity for migration management framework, with a specific focus on the responsibilities related to the migration data collection, analysis, and reporting, and more concretely in ensuring migration data management practices, structures, and products are sensitive to the needs of children and include gender, and age-disaggregated information.
The primary objective is to enhance the quality and accuracy of migration data with a specific focus on the well-being and circumstances of children. This position is crucial for ensuring that migration data practices prioritize the specific needs of children, contributing to a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the migration landscape.
The contractor will provide technical assistance including support to designing and performing consultative assessments and gap-analysis related to migration data management architecture and procedures, formulating proposals for and promoting enhancements of the data-related procedures and tools for SCRM and other stakeholders through the organization of events, development of guidelines, and proposals of revised procedures.
The contractor will be working closely with another data management-focused expert and will collaborate with other team members engaged under the project and in the wider team in SCRM. The contractor will be placed in the SCRM, during the work assignment, and will be directed and supervised by the designated supervisor in the SCRM and UNICEF Emergency Officer. The contractor will be obliged to strictly adhere to confidentiality principles in accordance with SCRM regulations and procedures. He/she will also be communicating and collaborating with other team members engaged in the project. The contractor will provide monthly reports on achievements and results to SCRM and UNICEF.
Task 1: Support SCRM in continuous assessment and gap analysis of the current migration data management systems and procedures
- Support production of recommendations for improvements of migration data management practices based on international standards and best practices (IDAC recommendations, inter-agency and expert group on SDG indicators, GCM statistic group), focusing on child and gender sensitivity, per different actors (including for SCRM management).
- Supporting conducting consultations and a thorough assessment of existing migration data management practices of the stakeholders that are members of the Working Group for the Reporting in the field of Migration Management (with special focus on SCRM) and identifying gaps related to child/gender sensitivity.
- Undertake other tasks assigned by the supervisors, to accomplish the project objectives.
Deliverables: Periodical reports outlining assessment findings, highlighting existing strengths and weaknesses of existing data management practices and inputs for solutions for improvements and detailed recommendations for further improvement concerning gender and child sensitivity.
Timeframe: September 2024 – August 2025
Task 2: Support enhancement of SCRM migration data management procedures (including data collection and reporting practices):
- Based on the assessment (Task 1) work closely with SCRM staff at national and local levels (including SCRM headquarters, reception, and asylum centers, local Trustees for Refugees) to build and sustain their capacity to generate, collect and analyze child and gender-sensitive migration data, promoting recommendations for improvements of data practices and supporting their implementation.
This task should be achieved through:
- enhancing the inclusivity of migration data collection tools, ensuring they are designed to capture the unique experiences and vulnerabilities of children.
- producing/updating SCRM procedures on internal collecting, analyzing, and reporting migration data with a child and gender-sensitive approach.
- Organize meetings/info sessions/workshops with SCRM staff to roll out guidelines and new/revised data collecting tools and promote child and gender-sensitive data practices
- Undertake other tasks, as assigned by the supervisors, to accomplish the project objectives.
Deliverables: SCRM procedures for internal child-sensitive migration data collection, analysis, and reporting, data collection tools with incorporated child and gender-sensitive elements, and a user guide for implementation of data collection tools are revised/produced and submitted to SCRM management for validation; organize, deliver and report on meetings/info sessions/workshops with SCRM
Timeframe: September 2024 – March 2025
Task 3: Provide technical support to SCRM in Data Analysis, Reporting and Quality Assurance:
- Review of all key reports produced by SCRM concerning child and gender sensitivity, ensuring reports highlight age and gender-specific trends, challenges, and opportunities.
- Support transfer of knowledge related to child-sensitive data practices to the SCRM staff responsible for reporting including preparation of suggestions for improvement of reporting system
- Undertake other tasks assigned by the supervisors, to accomplish the project objectives.
Deliverables: key SCRM reports are revised to ensure age and gender sensitivity are included; a document containing suggestions for improvement of the reporting system
Timeframe: September 2024 – August 2025
Task 4: Support promotion of child and gender-sensitive data collection and analysis among stakeholders generating or using data on children in migration:
- Based on the assessment (Task 1) and international standards and best practices, support the promotion of recommendations for improvements of migration data management practices focusing on child and gender sensitivity, across actors who collect data on children in migration, including through the organisation of the national level event.
- Support SCRM’s participation in the International Data Alliance for Children on the Move (IDAC) related to communication with and support to IDAC initiatives in coordination with SCRM management.
- Undertake other tasks assigned by the supervisors, to accomplish the project objectives.
Deliverables: event on child-sensitive data practices with national and local stakeholders organized in collaboration with SCRM management and UNICEF, and inputs for preparation of materials for SCRM participation at IDAC initiatives (up to 2 events)
Timeframe: September 2024 – August 2025
Duration of the contract: This is a full-time office-based contract in a duration of 11.5 months.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
-
Advanced degree in a relevant field related to data management, statistics, social or medical sciences.
-
At least three years experience working in two or more of these fields: data management, migration, social protection, child
protection, emergency - required
-
Experience in collecting, managing, and/or analyzing migration data, with a specific emphasis on child-sensitive data - required
-
Familiarity with international standards and protocols for child sensitive data management - required
-
Good digital literacy: facility with MS Word, Excel, and email/internet software, presentation - required
-
Experience with data management software is an asset – desirable
-
Fluent written and spoken Serbian and English language is required
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/individual contractors 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 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.
