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For every child, the right to learn Violence against children remains a pervasive challenge across the EU, requiring integrated prevention and response systems grounded in child rights, evidence, and sustainability.
UNICEF Refugee Response Office (RRO) in Poland, at the request of the Ministry of Justice, is implementing a multi-country project under the EU Technical Support Instrument โStrengthening the response to violence against children through better informed policies and enhanced institutional capacityโ. The project will contribute to the improved childrenโs safety in Poland and Romania through a strengthened response of the authorities to prevent and combat violence against children.
How can you make a difference?ย
Scope of Work:
To achieve this aim RRO is hiring an experienced child protection consultant, with an in-depth, preferably international technical knowledge of designing, implementation and evaluation of the MDIA centers, and of Polish, international and EU regulations and standards.
The consultant will be specifically responsible for the following scope of work:
(1)Developing recommendations for Polish government to create, implement, fund and sustain public-funded and embedded into the public system MDIA centers for children who experienced violence, which:
a)include guidelines on the governance, coordination, legislation and policy, financing, sources of funding, services, tools, workforce skills, competencies, and qualifications, professional development, and continuous monitoring/evaluation
b)guarantee nation-wide accessibility of the centers for children, including children on the move, children from minority groups, including Roma, children with disabilities, children from LGBT+ groups and other vulnerable groups;
c)Integrate services for child victims of violence and witnesses of violence such as forensic interviews, medical examinations, therapeutic support, and case management and others, legal support, under one roof.
d)include recommendations on ensuring sustainability of a Stakeholder Group (or equivalent consultative mechanism) as an advisory body for providing guidance on functioning of mentioned centers, beyond project lifetime.
e)are practical, sequenced, action-oriented and directed towards one or more responsible institutional bodies with timelines and resource implications
f)Include pilot stage of implementation, including timelines and evaluation tools for the adjustment of recommendations following the pilot outcomes.
(2)Develop Poland-specific standards for MDIA Polish centers, specifying:
a)Service standards (scope of services provided in the centers, processes: referral, reception, safety planning, forensic interviewing, medical & psychosocial assessment, therapeutic and legal support, case management, follow-up, safeguarding)
b)Competency profiles (skills, knowledge, education, attributes of staff employed in the centers, roles in the procedures and internal processes, ethical and safeguarding obligations)
c)Training framework (foundational and advanced modules for staff of the centers; induction; supervision; continuous professional development and capacity-building requirements).
d)Quality & M\\&E (case review procedures, indicators, feedback, periodic monitoring or audits, continuous improvement mechanisms, child participation in quality improvement).
e)Pilot: description of the pilot stage, including timelines and evaluation tools for the adjustment of standards following the pilot outcomes.
(3)Leading and coordinating the process of consultations and validation of the recommendations and standards with the Stakeholder Groups, other key stakeholders, relevant experts, Advisory Group.
(4)Providing other consultations concerning the subject of the assignment, especially to the representatives of UNICEF, Polish government, Advisory Group or stakeholders, including the consultations of the roadmap to introduce MDIA centers in Poland, developed by UNICEF.
(5)Preparing and presenting deliverables during the meetings, events with participation of the key stakeholders, and closing conference in Romania.
(6)Ensure that all deliverables are child-centred, trauma-informed, child rights-based, and aligned with the CRC, relevant European and international guidance and standards, including Barnahus Quality Standards; and lessons from TSI-supported pilots.
(7)Ensure that all deliverables are based on evidence generation completed within the project: mapping of services findings, legal analysis, and EU good practices desk review.
(8)Ensure visibility of UNICEF, the project and support of the European Commission โ as agreed with relevant focal point of UNICEF RRO.
Recommendations and standards should be developed in the stages: (1) First draft for consultations and suggestions of UNICEF and Ministry of Justice (2) adjusting the draft after 1st round of comments (3) presentation to the relevant stakeholders, project Stakeholder Group and other relevant experts (4) coordination of the process of consultations (5) developing the consolidated set of recommendations, including comments and suggestions (5) presentation of the recommendations during validation workshops with the Advisory Group (6) including necessary adjustments and finalization of the recommendations.
Methodology
The consultant will propose in the inception report a robust methodology that typically includes: (1) desk review: consolidating and synthesizing available data from Poland (assessments, mappings, reports, legal/policy frameworks) and EU good practices and standards relevant to Barnahus and violence against children response (2) engagement of the key stakeholders (3) consultations and validation workshops to refine recommendations and standards (4) Drafting
and Quality Assurance: develop drafts, integrate feedback, ensure clarity, feasibility, and alignment with mentioned rules, guidelines and standards.
Ethics & Safeguarding
The consultant must comply with applicable ethical standards, child safeguarding policies, and data protection laws (e.g., GDPR). No direct engagement with children is foreseen within the contract.
Materials
All materials created by the consultant which bear a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, the Contract and any intellectual property rights thereof, including but not limited to patents, copyright, and trademarks, shall be solely owned by UNICEF. The Consultant may not distribute any materials (e.g., photography, video) without written consent from the Head of Office of UNICEF office engaging the Consultant and subject to the conditions set out in such written consent. The Consultant may not communicate at any time to any other person, entity, Government or authority external to UNICEF, any information known to the Consultant by reason of his/her/their association with UNICEF that has not been made public, except with the prior written authorization of UNICEF; nor will the Consultant at any time use such information to private advantage.
The Consultant agrees that all UNICEF Data, together with all rights (including intellectual property and proprietary rights), title and interest to such UNICEF Data, will be the exclusive property of UNICEF, and the Consultant has a limited, nonexclusive license to access and use the UNICEF Data as provided in the Contract solely for the purpose of performing its obligations under the Contract. The Consultant will use its reasonable efforts to ensure the logical segregation of UNICEF Data from other information to the fullest extent possible. The Consultant will comply with any guidance or conditions on access and disclosure notified by UNICEF in respect of UNICEF Data.
Supervision of UNICEF RRO:
Throughout the contract duration, the consultants will have regular contact with UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland to review progress, challenges, and next steps.
Ad-hoc calls may take place as deemed necessary.
The consultant will collaborate with RRO staff and other consultants recruited by UNICEF Refugee Response Office in Poland where needed.
Language:
All drafts, reports and analysis should be submitted in electronic format by email in English.
UNICEF will accept both individual and team applications, especially consisting of experts from various specializations, aimed at guaranteeing both international expertise and knowledge of the Polish legal and social context.
Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered โstaff membersโ under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEFโs 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.
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.
TASK/DELIVERABLES/MILESTONES:
Report should include: methodology, stakeholdersโ map, template for recommendations, structure of the standards for MDIA services, detailed timeline of work, risks and mitigation measures
Developing draft recommendations (15 days)
Draft recommendations
Developing draft MDIA centers standards (15 days)
Draft standards
Leading and coordination consultations, validation workshops, participation in the meetings, presentation of the deliverables during the events (10 days)
PPT, minutes from the meetings, adjusted drafts of recommendations and standards
Developing final Recommendations (3 days)
PPT, report
Developing final MDIA centers standards (2 days)
PPT, report
Final Report & Annexes (5 days)
Final report
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆย
Minimum requirements:
(1)At least 10 years of proven experience in the field of child protection (including response to violence against children) required,
(2)in-depth, preferably international technical knowledge and experience in designing, implementation and evaluation of the MDIA centers,
(3)in-depth knowledge on the models of MDIA centers, existing in other EU countries,
(4)Proven expertise in providing advice to the governments or international organizations in the field of response to violence against children;
(5)Proven expertise in developing and writing analytical reports, recommendations or standards;
(6)Strong understanding of psychosocial needs of children who have experienced violence, of the models of multidisciplinary and intersectoral cooperation in cases of violence, of the trauma-informed approach;
(7)Familiarity with the ideas of case management, seven strategies for ending violence against children, Quality Barnahus Standards and other guidance in the field of MDIA services
(8)Excellent understanding of CRC, international, EU acts concerning rights of children victims of violence, general comments and observations of CRC and UNICEF in this field, required
(9)Ability to translate complex concepts (legal, behavioral, psychological) into practical guidance adapted to stakeholders' needs.
(10)Strong facilitation skills to support coordination and problem-solving among diverse actors.
(11)Excellent analytical, and problem-solving skills
(12)Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, action-oriented recommendations.
(13)Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight
deadlines.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English โ required. Fluency in Polish, as well as knowledge of the Polish context, will be an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEFโs Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post areโฆ
(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 othersย
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
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.ย 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.
UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer aย wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks andย reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.
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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:ย ย
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable male candidates are encouraged to apply.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally requiredย to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.ย
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicantsโ bank account information.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEFโs Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.