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Vacancy Announcement: Consultant

 Consultancy Title: Consultancy for a senior expert on Protection against retaliation and policy

Section/Division/Duty Station: Ethics Office NYHQ

Duration: 14 October 2024 to 31 December  2025

Home/ Office Based: NYHQ / Remote

 About UNICEF – DO NOT EDIT

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

To bring external expertise towards the management of complaints of protection against retaliation and other workplace issues based on relevant UN/UNICEF Policies and Standard Operating Procedures and provide expertise towards the work of the Office on Policy Review/Development.  

Scope of Work:

1. Provide expert advice and services to the Director of Ethics, due to work surges or as required by special circumstances, in conducting a preliminary assessment of complaints of retaliation based on UNICEF policy on Protection Against Retaliation and the UNICEF Standard Operating Procedures.

1. Provide expertise in the preliminary assessment of reports and complaints of retaliation under the guidance of the Ethics Director.
2. If the assessment results in a prima facie case, provide expertise towards the preparation of the following for review by the Director of Ethics:

• Draft report to Office of Internal Audit and Investigation.
• In consultation with the Director of Ethics, determine if interim relief is needed and draft a recommendation for approval by the Executive Director.
• Draft note to be shared with the complainant on the outcome of the assessment and other relevant communications.

3. If the assessment result is that there is no retaliation, provide expertise towards the preparation of a draft memo and other communication to inform the complainant about the outcome.
4. When the investigation is completed on cases referred to OIAI, review the report and underlying evidence and, in consultation with the Director of Ethics, draft recommendations and propose actions based on UNICEF policy on Whistle-blower Protection against Retaliation

2. Contribute external expertise to the Office’s work on Policy review and development, such as by providing expertise towards the work of the Office in the review, development, and revisions of the Policies on Whistle-blower Protection against retaliation, Financial Disclosure and other Ethics policies.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone: Deliverables/Outputs: Delivery[1] Deadline

Provide expert advice and services to the Director in the preliminary assessment of Complaints for Protection against retaliation.

• Reports, memos, recommendations, or relevant communication on incoming cases assigned for review.

Provide expert advice and services in review of investigation reports from OIAI on cases referred for investigation and make recommendations for action.

• Recommendations including a memo, a proposed action plan, relevant communication, based on the Policy, for review by the Director of Ethics.

Contribute external expertise towards the review of policies, and relevant recommendations and good practices.

• Report on the review of policies, recommendations, and good practices.

Provide expertise towards the drafting, revision, and updating of Policies such as the Policy on Whistle-blower protection against retaliation and the Executive Directive on Financial Disclosure and Declaration of Interest Statements based on the outcome of the review and consultations.

• In put provided for the revision and/ or update of the Policy on Whistle-blower protection against retaliation and the Executive Directive on Financial Disclosure and Declaration of Interest Statements.

Qualifications

Education: Masters

 Second degree in Law, ethics, auditing, or related discipline is required.

*A first-level university degree in a relevant field combined with ten years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree

 Work experience:

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required *:

At least eight years of international experience in organizational ethics, law, corporate compliance, auditing, governance, or related roles is required.

Experience in handling complaints of protection against retaliation or investigation in an international setting is required

Experience handling confidential or sensitive information is an asset

Excellent Written and verbal communication skills in English is required.

Fluency in other UNICEF languages (Arabic, French, or Spanish) is an asset.

Requirements:

Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and

- Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include/ reflect :

• • the costs per each deliverable and the total lump-sum for the whole assignment (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

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

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

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:  

Individuals engaged under a consultancy 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.