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National Consultant- Children in Armed Conflict including Armed Violent, 12 Months, Abuja

Apply now Job no: 583942
Contract type: Consultant
Duty Station: Abuja
Level: Consultancy
Location: Nigeria
Categories: Child Protection

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a chance. 

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children's rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families.  UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally - click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/

Background:

The purpose of this consultancy is to strengthen UNICEF’s capacity to protect and respond to the needs of children affected by armed conflict and armed violence in Nigeria. The consultant will provide technical support and guidance on contingency planning, monitoring, and coordinated action across sectors to ensure effective protection responses. Specific attention will be given to children at risk of recruitment and use by armed groups, sexual and gender-based violence, family separation, and other grave violations. The consultancy will also support the development of early warning systems, enhance the capacity of staff and partners to respond to emergencies involving children in conflict-affected areas, and provide technical input on the financial and programmatic aspects of humanitarian interventions addressing armed violence.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultancy will play a critical role in Child Rights Monitoring, reporting and response, ensuring that violations against children affected by armed conflict and those in non-emergency settings are documented, analyzed, and addressed. The assignment will further support implementation and monitoring of the Handover Protocol for children encountered in conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, serve as Secretariat for the Group of Friends on Children and Armed Conflict (GOF-CAAC) in Nigeria, and provide leadership as the Abuja-based Emergency Focal Point for the Child Protection Section.
Through these interventions, consultancy will contribute to improved preparedness, timely response, and accountability in addressing the protection needs of children affected by emergencies and violence.
 
Scope of Work:
The Consultant will support UNICEF Nigeria’s Child Protection Section in strengthening emergency preparedness, response, and child rights monitoring through the following key responsibilities:
 
1.Child Rights Monitoring Reporting and Response:
 
Support the monitoring and reporting of child rights violations, including for children affected by armed violence in non-emergency settings.
Contribute to the design, planning, and monitoring of the Handover Protocol for children encountered in the course of armed conflict in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
 
2. Coordination and Secretariat Functions:
 
Serve as Secretariat for the Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict (GOF-CAAC) in Nigeria, ensuring effective coordination, communication, and follow-up of activities.
 
Act as the Abuja-based Emergency Focal Point for the Child Protection Section, supporting coordination, reporting, and response actions.
 
3.Capacity Building and Training:
 
Support the design, organization, and delivery of emergency preparedness and response training for UNICEF staff, partners, and regional standby Emergency Response Teams.
 
Strengthen office and partner capacity in emergency preparedness, coordination, and response through workshops, technical guidance, and simulation exercises.
 
4.Emergency Preparedness and Planning:
 
Support the development, updating, and implementation of country contingency plans and early warning mechanisms to enhance preparedness for potential emergencies.
 
Participate in the formulation of emergency response plans and monitor compliance across sectors, including financial resource allocation.
 
Provide policy and program advice on emergency management issues, offering direction and guidance to strengthen preparedness and response mechanisms.
 
Work Assignments Overview:
 
1. Develop inception report, workplan, and methodology
 
Deliverables/Outputs:
 
Inception report and approved 11.5 months workplan
 
2.Update and validate national contingency plans, including early warning mechanisms
 
Deliverables/Outputs:
 
Updated contingency/early warning plans
 
3.Support development of emergency response action plans and monitor compliance
 
Deliverables/Outputs:
 
Draft and validated response action plans
 
4.Provide policy advice and guidance on emergency preparedness to Country Office
 
Deliverables/Outputs:
 
Policy briefs and technical guidance note
 
5.Develop and maintain emergency information database.
 
Deliverables/Outputs:
 
Functional emergency information/response database
 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:Download File TOR CP Emergency Consultant .pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Law, International Development, Public Policy, Humanitarian Affairs, or a related field.
 
A first-level university degree combined with at least 5 years of progressively responsible professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
 
Professional training/certification in emergency preparedness, child protection, or project management is an asset.
Knowledge, Expertise, and Skills
 
Strong knowledge of child protection, humanitarian principles, emergency preparedness, and UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children (CCCs).
 
Proven expertise in program management, emergency response, inter-agency coordination, and monitoring & evaluation.
 
Demonstrated experience in financial/resource management, including Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) planning, budgeting, and reporting.
 
Skills in capacity building, training design, and strengthening emergency response mechanisms for staff and partners.
 
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and report-writing skills, with fluency in English (knowledge of Hausa or Kanuri languages is an advantage

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

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  

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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. 

Advertised: W. Central Africa Standard Time
Deadline: W. Central Africa Standard Time

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