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, Care. 

From its inception in 2016 until December 2022, Safe Online has raised more than US$ 100 million for the Safe Online portfolio from the UK Home Office, Human Dignity Foundation, Technology Coalition, and the Oak Foundation. By December 2023, it has awarded nearly 100 million in capacity building, tools, programmes, and technologies to prevent and respond to online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), through more than 120 projects with impact in over 100 countries.

Safe Online has implemented the following funding rounds to date:

• In 2019 and 2022, Safe Online invested US$15 million to develop Disrupting Harm, a holistic and innovative methodology and approach to conducting comprehensive assessments of online CSEA at national and regional levels in 25 countries. Disrupting Harm is a large-scale research project with multiple data collection components carried out by three international organisations that aims to better understand how digital technology facilitates the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, both online and in person.
• To further invest in building the capabilities related to technology and innovation as outlined in the WeProtect Global Alliance Model National Response, Safe Online focused on channelling funding into potentially higher risk areas of investment such as technology solutions and innovation. The fourth funding round was launched in September 2019 through an Open Call for Solutions focused on cutting-edge technology tools for the global community to make children safe online. As a result of this Call, we welcomed a new cohort of 15 grantees, which were awarded a total of US$ 10 million for the development and scale-up of these tools.
• In January 2021, Safe Online and the Technology Coalition launched the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund to expand knowledge of online child sexual exploitation and abuse and explore the most effective measures to prevent it. Through this collaboration, Safe Online is teaming up with the biggest players in the technology space as part of Technology Coalition’s Project Protect. Project Protect seeks to prevent and eradicate online CSEA through technology innovation, collective action, research, knowledge sharing, and increased accountability. This fund is an essential part of that process, supporting actionable research that will lead to real, lasting change for children’s digital safety. Eight new grants are expected to be awarded by the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, bringing the total number of grants in this Fund up to 13 for a total amount of US$ 1,600,000.
• In September 2021, Safe Online launched two open calls for proposals through a US$ 15 million investment round focused on strengthening systems and technology solutions to enable more effective and coordinated efforts to tackle online CSEA. As a result of these two calls, 18 grants were awarded for the implementation of projects in Eastern and Southern Africa, and Southeast Asia, as well as globally.
• In September 2022, a new round focused on evidence generation and scalable impact was launched among targeted organisations, for the development of project interventions building on existing project funded by Safe Online, with the objective of conducting as well evaluations
• Also in 2022, Safe Online launched a $4 million Call for generating crucial data and evidence to tackle online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). This initial investment will be followed by an additional $1.5 million for evaluations of the projects selected.
• In 2023, Safe Online launched a USD $2 million funding round focusing on innovative solutions to leverage existing and new technologies to address challenges in the online CSEA landscape. The funding was not limited solely to technology solutions, but also included research on social and policy questions for enhancing the capacity of all stakeholders around the use of tech solutions for the two focus areas – age assurance and live streaming of abuse.
  Safe Online also announced a new US$ 10 million Global Open Call for Proposals in 2023. The call is split into three distinct investment pillars: Networks and Systems, Research and Data, and Technology Tools. Our ‘whole system’ approach aims to achieve maximum impact by supporting work across multiple sectors to address online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA).
  In 2023, the Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund granted 4 awards to further accelerate the work of organisations from the first cohort of grantees.
• Finally, in 2024, Safe Online announced a new US$ 5 million Global Open Call for Proposals. This latest call is once again split into three distinct investment pillars: Networks and Systems, Research and Data, and Technology Tools

Safe Online also supports the Safe Online grantee community through creating a strong network which maximises the collective impact and leverages synergies i.e. we invest in more than just individual projects, we invest in global prevention and response to online CSEA. This is done in several ways: through tailored technical support in the form of programmatic visits, check-in calls, in-person convenings, networking facilitated by Safe Online, and knowledge exchange opportunities via the Safe Online Network Forum and global and regional webinars to promote learning within the grantee community and the wider ecosystem. Going forward, the Safe Online team aims to continue investing in the online CSEA ecosystem and collaborative efforts, while also promoting a collaborative culture through connecting grantees to each other, and relevant key resources and mentors to ensure cross-collaboration, knowledge exchange, and learning.

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will support the Safe Online team by drafting the Safe Online 2024 Annual report. For that, the consultant will review the quantitative and qualitative data reported by the Safe Online grantees in their 2024 Annual Reports and Final reports, liaising directly with the grantees for follow-up as necessary. Quantitative data will be provided by the grantees in the form of log-frame analysis (mainly), while qualitative data will be embedded in the narrative reports. The Safe Online Results Framework should be a guiding document to frame and undertake data analysis.

DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT

• Master’s degree in social sciences, international relations, public administration, communications, journalism, and related fields.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in Donor Reporting, Data Analysis, Monitoring and Evaluation, Journalism, Communications, or other relevant field.
• Additional experience in the following areas will be considered an asset:
  • Legal frameworks and/or judicial systems related to child protection and violence prevention also specific to gender-based violence (GBV), as well as data protection, privacy and cyber-security.
  • Public policy and legislation formulation, implementation, and/or evaluation.
  • Social Services and Child Protection (online and/or other forms of violence), including prevention, education system and caregiver’s engagement, and/or victim support.
  • Data science, new and emerging technology, and/or cybersecurity.
  • Technology industry or other private sector experience.
  • The successful candidate will be highly responsive, discreet, analytical, results-oriented, with a flexible approach and able to contribute strategic and out-of-the-box thinking.
• Fluency in English (both oral and written) is required, knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

DESIRED REQUIREMENTS

• 1-3 samples of work that demonstrate your ability to analyze and synthesize large quantities of information into an engaging, results-oriented document.

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 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. 

Interested candidates are required to fully complete their application profile, upload a cover letter and their financial proposal (daily fee rate in USD).

Applications with incomplete profile and without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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 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.