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For every child, protection!

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Over the past decade, Uzbekistan has made significant strides in strengthening its legal framework to protect children and women from violence, abuse, and exploitation. As part of its ongoing efforts to align national legislation with international human rights standards, the country has adopted several important laws and policies aimed at safeguarding the rights and well-being of vulnerable groups, particularly girls, boys, and women. Key legislative developments include the Law on the Protection of Women from Harassment and Violence, adopted in 2019, the amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Liability Codes to criminalize domestic violence in 2023, and more recently the passing of the Law on the Protection of Children from All Forms of Violence by the Senate in August 2024. The Government has also developed the National Strategy on Gender Equality 2020-2030, which promotes the rights of women and girls, including protection from violence, exploitation, and discrimination, and sets out specific objectives for enhancing the protection mechanisms available to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Furthermore, the National Action Plan on the Implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child addresses the specific needs of children affected by violence, exploitation, and abuse, with a strong focus on prevention, rehabilitation, and social reintegration.

Despite these important legislative achievements, gaps remain in the implementation of existing laws and the provision of coordinated, multi-sectoral services for survivors of violence. There is a need for a unified, comprehensive strategy and action plan that addresses all forms of violence against children in an integrated manner, encompassing preventive measures, protection services, and rehabilitation efforts. This strategy should build on the legal advances made in recent years and be grounded in evidence-based practices, cross-sectoral collaboration, and a strong commitment to gender equality and the rights of girls and boys.

This consultancy aims to support the Government of Uzbekistan, in particular the National Agency for Social Protection (NASP), and the Senate of the Oliy Majlis, in developing such a comprehensive strategy and action plan, ensuring alignment with international standards, national laws, and ongoing reforms.

Scope of Work:

The consultant is expected to work closely with NASP, the Senate, UNICEF and relevant government bodies to develop a comprehensive multi-sectoral strategy and action plan aimed at preventing and responding to all forms of violence against girls and boys. The specific scope of work includes:

1. Assessment and Review:

• • Conduct a thorough assessment of existing frameworks related to violence against children in Uzbekistan. This includes analyzing gaps, strengths, and areas for improvement in current legislative, social, and protective mechanisms.
  • Review best practices and evidence-based approaches from other national action plans to provide informed recommendations, particularly focusing on integrated multi-sectoral approaches to violence prevention and response​.

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination:

• • Engage with key stakeholders across sectors, including social protection, health, education, justice, community, faith-based and disabled persons organizations to ensure the strategy aligns with national priorities and fosters inter-sectoral collaboration.
  • Facilitate participatory workshops, consultations, and focus group discussions with government agencies, civil society, gender experts/activists and community representatives to gather insights and build consensus on the strategy's components​.

3. Development of Strategy Document:

• • Develop a strategy document, including vision, goals, and objectives, aimed at preventing and responding to violence. This framework should cover the enabling environment, preventive measures and recurrence, and response and support services as well as practical measures to promote zero tolerance to violence among the population.
  • Define key outcomes, outputs, and indicators for monitoring and evaluation, ensuring alignment with international standards and national development goals.

4. Development of Action Plan:

• • Design a time-bound action plan detailing specific interventions, timelines and responsible actors for effective implementation. The action plan should focus on the enabling environment, preventive measures, response and support services, and
  • Identify potential funding sources and mechanisms, including government budget allocations, international donor support, and public-private partnerships.

5. Monitoring and Evaluation Framework:

• • Develop a monitoring and evaluation framework that enables systematic tracking of progress, assesses impact, and provides accountability across sectors.
  • Ensure that the framework includes data collection and reporting mechanisms for transparent and efficient evaluation of outcomes​.

Work Assignments Overview - Deliverables/Outputs - Timeline

1. Inception phase

• Online meeting with NASP, the Senate and UNICEF to confirm the objectives, priorities, and expected outcomes.
• Define analytical frameworks and approaches for stakeholder engagement and methods for integrating best practices and lessons learned from previous action plans or related projects.
• Prepare a stakeholder map listing organizations and individuals who will be engaged during the project. Outline engagement strategies, including consultation types (e.g., workshops, one-on-one interviews) and frequency, to ensure that each stakeholder group’s inputs are captured.
• Review the timeline (consultations, report drafts, review periods, etc.) and ensure that it reflects translation needs and any potential delays due to approvals or stakeholder availability.

Inception report outlining methodology, work plan, stakeholder engagement strategy, risk management approach, in English or Russian, approx. 10 pages - Week 1-2, 7 days (home-based)

2. Desk Review and Situation Analysis

• Conduct a desk review and situation analysis that will cover an in-depth review of current legislative, policy, and institutional frameworks addressing violence against children. This will also include a critical analysis identifying gaps and highlighting best practices to inform the development of a multi-sectoral strategy.

Assessment report on legislative, policy, and institutional frameworks for prevention and response to violence against children and women, in English or Russian, approx. 15 pages - Week 4-6, 8 days (home-based)

3. Stakeholder consultations

• Conduct interviews and workshops with relevant stakeholders from government entities, NGOs, civil society, community, faith-based and disabled persons organizations and write a report summarizing the key findings and providing a comprehensive compilation of insights and inputs to support the strategy development.

Stakeholder consultation summary and input compilation report, in English or Russian, approx. 10 pages - Week 7-8, 10 days (5 days in-country and 5 days home-based)

4. Development of strategy document

• Draft a multi-sectoral strategy document, including goals, objectives, and key performance indicators.

Draft multi-sectoral strategy document, in English or Russian, approx. 30 pages. Week 9-11, 12 days (home-based)

5. Action plan

• Draft an action plan with detailed interventions, timeline, responsible actors.

Draft action plan with detailed interventions, timeline, responsible actors, in English or Russian, approx. 15-20 pages. Week 11-12, 
8 days (home-based)

6. M&E Framework

• Draft an M&E framework with indicators, data collection tools and reporting templates.

Draft M&E framework with indicators, data collection tools, and reporting templates, in English or Russian. Week 13-14, 5 days (home-based)

7. Finalization and submission of deliverables

• Finalize the Strategy, Action Plan and M&E framework and present it to NASP, the Senate and relevant ministries and other stakeholders.

- Final comprehensive strategy, action plan and M&E framework, incorporating feedback from stakeholders,

- Presentation of final strategy, action plan and M&E framework to NASP, the Senate, and relevant ministries and other stakeholders. Week 10-11, 6 days (4 home-based and 2 in-country)

International travel: 2 trips to Uzbekistan

Please submit a professional fee (in USD) based on 56 working days to undertake this assignment, without travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Sciences 
• At least 8 years of practical international experience in the field of addressing violence against women and children
• Excellent knowledge of international standards concerning violence against women and children
• Proven experience in supporting governments in developing legal policy documents related to violence against women and children
• Excellent communication skills.
• Previous work experience in Uzbekistan or Central Asia to be considered an asset.
• Proficiency in Russian to be considered 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.