Child Protection in Emergencies Consultant

We believe that every child should be able to be a child, always and anywhere

As the United Nations Children's Rights Organization, UNICEF stands up for the rights of every child in all countries of the world, day in and day out. Thanks to you and our partners, we help more children than anyone else in the world. We believe that every child should be able to be a 'child'. In fact, they are entitled to it. Not all children grow up in a safe and loving environment. For their development they urgently need protection, health care, (healthy) food and education.

That is what we stand for, because we are UNICEF.

UNICEF The Netherlands is looking for a:

Child Protection in Emergencies Consultant

Background and rationale

On September 6, 2017, Hurricane Irma devastated the island of Sint Maarten, negatively impacting the island's economic and physical infrastructure, and posing significant safety, livelihood, health, and wellbeing challenges for the population and Government of Sint Maarten. Among the immediate challenges of the post-disaster landscape was the need to mitigate the hurricane's impact on child safety, wellbeing, and psychosocial support systems and services.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, the Dutch National Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF NL) supported the government of Sint Maarten, particularly on school safety, psychosocial support, and child protection services. Building on the successful outcomes of the previous project, a follow-up project is currently being implemented in collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten, and funded by the Sint Maarten Recovery, Reconstruction and Resilience Trust Fund, managed by the World Bank: www.unicef.nl/trustfundsintmaarten.

Through this project, UNICEF NL aims to support the government of Sint Maarten to strengthen the education and child protection systems to address and better respond to the needs of children and adolescents resulting from natural disasters and external shocks. Overall, the project aims to:

1.       Support teachers to deal with their own crisis-related needs while also improving their ability to detect needs and provide psychosocial support to children.

2.     Increase children and adolescents' ability to cope better with shocks by providing life skills training and promoting the development of safe spaces and environments at the school and family level.

3.     Strengthen the child protection referral and case management system and support the development of a Child Protection Information System.

4.     Strengthen professionals'(such as teachers, social workers, health care personnel) knowledge of child protection.

5.     Strengthen coordination for disaster risk management at the education system and school levels to better prepare and respond to natural hazards and protect children's safety during emergencies.

Sint Maarten is not only at risk of devastating hurricanes annually, but also of other naturally occurring phenomena such as flooding, tsunamis, and earthquakes, whose destructiveness might cause similar severe socioeconomic and environmental imbalances. Hurricane Irma in 2017 is the most recent major disaster. Whilst hurricane seasons always carry a risk of hurricanes, other natural disaster risks are increasing as the probability of these events rises due to the impact of warming Atlantic waters caused by climate change.

Due to the above-described situation, there is a need to increase the knowledge and capacity of stakeholders on Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) and step-up preparedness for future disasters. Therefore, the system to coordinate the protection of children before, during, and after emergencies requires strengthening and support to ensure that the disaster preparedness plans developed by Emergency Response stakeholders include a child protection focus.

The Government of Sint Maarten has a structured emergency preparedness and response plan coordinated by an Emergency Operations Centre.

The Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) consists of 10 supporting bodies, Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), responsible for the preparation and response to disasters (an accident or a natural catastrophe) that causes severe damage or loss of life, for example hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunami, plane crash.

ESF 7 is responsible for population care: ensuring safety and general care for the population, before, during and after emergencies. The key areas of focus include Shelter Management, Distribution of Relief Goods and Mandatory Evacuations. The ESF 7 team includes several departments throughout Government, including the Court of Guardianship, as well as a number of NGOs.

The Court of Guardianship (CoG) has a Memorandum of Understanding with ESF 7, which has several articles that outline the role of the CoG in preparedness, shelter management and evacuation. The CoG has also worked with the Courts of Guardianship of the other five Caribbean islands of the Dutch Kingdom, to develop an Inter-Island Evacuation Protocol to improve preparedness for future situations in which children might be evacuated (alternative care) by their parents between these islands.

Goal/objective

The objectives of this consultancy are:

To deliver a training on Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS), as much as possible contextualized to the situation of Sint Maarten, for the members of ESF 7, and emergency response volunteers and staff of the Government of Sint Maarten and NGOs and formulate recommendations on how to adapt these standards to the local context on Sint Maarten.

To deliver a Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) refresher training for the emergency responders who developed sector/organisation disaster plans during the 2018 CPiE training.

To provide technical support to the CoG to define and strengthen its identified role as the Child Protection experts on ESF 7, including:

• The development of a Handbook to define the role and responsibilities of the CoG as the Child Protection in Emergencies Coordinator in the Government Disaster Management structure.
• The review and update of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESF 7 to identify and include the responsibilities for its expanded role as Child Protection in Emergencies Coordinator in the Government Disaster Management structure.
• To better define the CoG Action Plan to fulfil its role as Child Protection in Emergencies Coordinator.
• The identification of where and how the components of CPiE can be mainstreamed in the Government Disaster Management plans and structures.
• The provision of training in understanding and integrating Child Protection in Shelter Management for the staff of CoG and the members of ESF 7.
• To work with the PAHO team establishing the Shelter Management manual for Sint Maarten, to ensure the inclusion of Child Protection.

Specific Objectives:

• Contextualization of the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) into the local context of Sint Maarten and development of training methodology, including key documents for the training workshop.
• Facilitation of the CPMS training for the members of ESF 7, and emergency response volunteers and staff of the Government of Sint Maarten and NGOs.
• Development of the methodology to be used in the Child Protection in Emergencies Refresher Training workshop, including a review of the key training documents and draft sector/organisation disaster response plans from the 2018 CPiE training.
• Facilitation of the CPiE refresher training for the emergency responders who developed sector/organisation disaster plans during the 2018 CPiE training.
• Development of the methodology to be used for the training to understand and integrate Child Protection in Shelter Management, including key documents for the training workshop.
• Support CoG to define and strengthen its expanded role as Child Protection in Emergency Coordinator within the Government Disaster Management structure. Specifically, through:
• The development of a Handbook defining the role and responsibilities of the CoG as the Child Protection in Emergencies Coordinator within the Government Disaster Management structure. Recommendations for on-going capacity building should also be included.
• The review and update of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESF 7 to include the responsibilities for its expanded role as the Child Protection in Emergencies Coordinator in the Government Disaster Management structure.
• The development of a Road Map for the mainstreaming of CPiE in Government Disaster Management plans and structures.
• The facilitation of capacity building for the staff of the CoG and the members of ESF 7 to understand and integrate Child Protection in Shelter Management.
• Liaise with the PAHO team, establishing the Shelter Management manual for Sint Maarten, to ensure the inclusion of Child Protection in Emergencies in the development of the manual, ensuring the inclusion of the role of the CoG.
• Production of a Final Report on the recommended next steps to take, including on how to further contextualize CPiE to the Sint Maarten context.

Consultancy Assignment:

• Collaborate with UNICEF NL and government stakeholders to design and facilitate the three trainings, including:
• Prepare and deliver the CPMS training, considering the local culture and context of Sint Maarten and the participants current understanding on Child Protection in Emergencies.
• Prepare and deliver the CPiE refresher training.
• Prepare and deliver the Child Protection in Shelter Management capacity building training.
• Provide resource materials for the roll out of the three trainings (materials might include hand-outs, PowerPoints, reading materials, etc) to all participants.
• Submit, upon completion of the three trainings, all training materials in soft copy to the participants and UNICEF NL.
• Support the Court of Guardianship of the Ministry of Justice on the items mentioned under “Specific Objectives”.
• Submit a final report with the outcomes of the consultancy including recommendations on how to move ahead in improving knowledge and practice related to CPiE preparedness, considering the local context on Sint Maarten.

For the CPMS, CPiE Refresher and Child Protection in Shelter Management trainings, the consultant is expected to use the following training methodology:

• Participatory approach
• Role play and scenario based
• Group work and discussion
• Training tools will be provided to participants in electronic format. This will include:
• Copies of the training modules (including outline of learning objectives, activities, handouts, and exercises)
• PowerPoint presentations
• Essential reference and background material (including manuals on relevant subject areas, guidance documents).

In carrying out all activities, the consultant will pay particular attention to ensure a human rights-based approach, equity focus, and gender sensitivity.

Deliverables

Deliverable A (17 working days):

• Materials developed for the CPMS training: (preliminary) workshop agenda, list of on-site required workshop material, including all soft copy documents ready to be printed for around 100 participants.
• Facilitation of the CPMS training.
• Soft copies of related training materials for participants.

Deliverable B (17 working days):

• Materials developed for the CPiE training: (preliminary) workshop agenda, list of on-site required workshop material, including all soft copy documents ready to be printed for approximately 25 participants.
• Facilitation of the CPiE training.
• Soft copies of related training materials for participants.

Deliverable C (33 working days):

• Handbook developed for CoG to define its role and responsibilities as the Child Protection in Emergencies experts within the Government Disaster Management structure, including recommendations for on-going capacity building.
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ESF 7 reviewed and updated, to include the responsibilities for the expanded role of the CoG as Child Protection experts in the Government Disaster Management structure.
• Road Map developed for the mainstreaming of CPiE in Government Disaster Management plans and structures.
• Materials developed for the Child Protection in Shelter Management training: (preliminary) workshop agenda, list of on-site required workshop material, including all soft copy documents ready to be printed for approximately 25 participants.
• Facilitation of the Child Protection in Shelter Management training.
• Soft copies of related training materials for participants.
• Final report on further recommendations and next steps, including the contextualization of the CPiE, and the outcome of the consultancy.

Qualifications and experience

• Advanced university degree in social sciences, development studies or related disciplines.
• 5+ years’ experience in Child Protection in Emergencies.
• Strong knowledge and expertise on Child Protection in Emergencies and humanitarian principles.
• Extensive experience in conducting training on  The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS).
• Experience with mainstreaming CPiE into governmental emergency and disaster preparedness plans is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with the Caribbean, especially the Sint Maarten context is highly desirable, as well as previous professional experience in the region.
• Experience with similar emergency contexts/risks (hurricane, earthquake, or tsunami) is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to use participatory training methodologies.
• Excellent facilitation skills.
• Driver’s licence. Must be comfortable driving on Sint Maarten. 
• Fluency in English.

Our offer

A reference check is part of the procedure. The successful candidate will be offered a consultancy contract with the Dutch National Committee for UNICEF.

Administrative arrangements

The consultant will report to the Senior Child Protection Specialist, Ms. Neidi de Carvalho, at the Dutch National Committee for UNICEF.

The Dutch National Committee for UNICEF covers all payments by bank transfer and as per the payment schedule which will be agreed upon.

Timeframe

The consultancy will be an estimated 67 working days between December 2022 and the final deliverable is expected no later than the end of May 2023.

How to apply

Please submit your CV and motivation letter as well as information on your daily fee, via our online form by 29th October 2022 COB EST time. For any questions, you may write to the Project Manager, Freddy Austli: faustli@unicef.nl.