Consultant Field Coordinator St Maarten

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

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.
 

We are looking for a:
 

Consultant Field Coordinator Sint Maarten
(Dutch side, in the period of 1 October 2023 to 30 April 2024)

Background
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 well-being 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, well-being, 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 crisis-related needs while 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 was the most recent major disaster. Whilst hurricane seasons always carry a risk of hurricanes, other natural disaster risks increase as the probability of these events rises due to the impact of warming Atlantic waters caused by climate change.

In relation to point 3 above, there is a need to increase the human resource capacity of the Court of Guardianship, specifically to identify a field assistant to support in the implementation of the Handle with Care and Child Check Programmes. The previously mentioned programmes were introduced to Child Protection stakeholders on Sint Maarten in 2022 through a series of sensitization sessions. During these sessions, all stakeholders indicated an interest in implementing this programme on Sint Maarten. These programmes are expected to be piloted in 2023.

The Court of Guardianship is the Government entity responsible for the implementation of both Child Check and Handle with Care. The implementation of these programmes however is to be carried out in collaboration with other stakeholders who routinely encounter children, such as the police, schools, mental health professionals and medical practitioners.

The Assignment
The assignment will be undertaken under the supervision of UNICEF NL in close collaboration with the Government of Sint Maarten through the Court of Guardianship. The scope of work will include supporting the following two core components:

To implement the Handle with Care programme, which is the organisation of rapid support for children who have witnessed or experienced serious domestic violence or another traumatic incident. When the police are involved in a serious domestic violence incident in the home of a child, the police immediately initiate the ‘Handle with Care’ protocol via the Court of Guardianship. The Court of Guardianship sends the HwC signal to the school as soon as possible. The school can then provide the psycho-social support required for that child.

To implement the Child Check programme, which is especially meant for professionals, such as (family) doctors, nurses, social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists, who work with adult clients/patients who are parents or guardians.  The Child Check program ensures that during their contact with adult clients/patients, professionals check whether there are children involved and assess whether they are safe.

Specific Objectives:

• To facilitate consultations with all relevant stakeholders for the formalization of the necessary agreements between the various stakeholders of the Handle with Care and Child Check programmes and the Court of Guardianship.
• To conduct research on the appropriate methodologies for communication in the implementation of Handle with Care and Child Check (e.g., WhatsApp, email, App, etc.).
• Development of implementation plan of Child Check and Handle with Care

Consultancy Assignment:

(i)         Liaise with relevant stakeholders in the execution of the project activities including Government and non-government (project activities detailed in the implementation plan).

(ii)        Assist with the necessary follow-up to ensure the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the required stakeholders for both Handle with Care and Child Check.

(iii)      Ensure stakeholders utilize the chosen methodology of communication (WhatsApp, e-mail, or App).

(iv)      Ensure that the integrity of any project information is maintained, in compliance with confidentiality protocols.

(v)        Assist with the booking and follow-up of all meetings required for any follow-up or clarifications with stakeholders.

(vi)      Assist in the compilation of data/information necessary for the evaluation of the implementation of the programmes.

(vii)     Support the project team to address issues/challenges which may arise during the implementation of the programmes.

(viii)    Support the convening of any stakeholder feedback sessions.

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

The period of engagement shall not exceed 60 days,
the period of 1 October 2023 to 30 April 2024. 

Deliverables

The field assistant will be contracted for a period of 7 months, on a part-time modality.

• Support the drafting of the implementation plan for both Handle with Care and Child Check-in coordination with the relevant stakeholders and the Child Protection Specialist
• MoUs signed with Police for both Handle with Care and Child Check
• MoUs signed with the School Board of SXM for both Handle with Care and Child Check
• MoUs signed with the board of the Mental Health Foundation for Child Check
• MoUs signed with the St. Maarten Medical Centre for Child Check
• MoUs signed with Turning Point Foundation for Child Check
• MoUs signed with Safe Haven for Child Check

Requirements

• At a minimum, a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies, Business Administration or another related discipline from a recognized tertiary-level institution.
• At least three years’ experience working in the field of administration or management.
• A working knowledge of Social Work or community development is an asset.
• Must be proficient in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Must be proficient in the use of electronic mail, Zoom or other online meeting platforms, as a tool to support workflow.
• Must be highly organized and experienced, working in a fast-paced environment.
• Experienced in organizing and managing events is desirable.
• Must have good writing skills and competence in the use of the English language. The ability to communicate in both English and Dutch is an advantage.

Administrative arrangements
The successful candidate would already be living on Sint Maarten, prior to submitting the application. There is no relocation attached to this assignment.

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.

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

How to apply

Please submit your CV and motivation letter as well as information on your daily fee, via our online button here below, by 1st of September 2023 COB EST time.

For any questions, you may write to the Project Manager, Freddy Austli: faustli@unicef.nl.

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