Back Individual Contractor, Education Migration Response for LAC Region, LACRO, Panama City, Panama [11.5 months]

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, education 

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices.

UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For information of the work of our organization in the LAC Region, please visit our website: UNICEF LAC Region  

How can you make a difference? 

The challenges facing the education of refugee and migrant children and adolescents have been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, when COVID-19 spread throughout the region, the Ministries of Education have progressively closed schools at the preschool, primary, and secondary levels. However, despite all efforts, there is still many children in the region without access to face-to-face classes. According to the R4V national platforms, in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru around 28 million students (half of whom are women) have been affected by school closures. Although the Ministries of Education are ensuring educational continuity Through different learning modalities, including distance education, it is essential that the new modalities are inclusive and reach the most vulnerable children, especially refugee and migrant children, who often face additional barriers, such as limited internet connectivity, lack of access to computers, phones, and educational materials, and difficult living conditions.

Purpose of the Assignment 

Under the supervision of the Education Specialist [Migration], the IC will provide professional technical, operational, and administrative assistance throughout the programming process for the education migration response agenda for the EiE team. This includes the implementation of the regional activities of the ECW Multi Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) the Education Multi-Year Resilience Programme for Venezuelan and host community boys, girls and adolescents in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (GAC project), MHPSS regional initiatives, and response for Venezuela (R4V) coordination. The IC will support the Education Specialists for migration in the implementation of the regional activities to strengthen and implement evidence-based policies, strengthen capacities at regional and national level and to support countries to have reliable, accurate, relevant and timely data for the migration and refugee response, monitoring and delivery of results; technical and operational support to project implementation; networking and partnership building; innovation, knowledge management.

Specific Tasks 

The individual contractor will support the superivsor in the related tasks related to the migration and refugee agenda associated with the EiE team and its projects.  

The IC will support the:

Expected Results 

Deliverables: the individual contractor will present a monthly report at the end of each month, and a final report at the end of the contract. 

Supervision: the IC will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Education Specialist [Migration] and in close collaboration with the Regional Education Specialist [Emergency]. 

Workplace: this is a home-based, remote consultancy. 

Travel [TBD]: If travel is involved it will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. 

Duration: this consultancy is expected to start on 24 October 2022, with an estimated duration of 11.5 months. 

How to apply:  Application should be submitted online and should include Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily, monthly and total fees in their financial proposal.

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

Education: University degree in international relations, economics, information management, or other relevant related technical fields. 

Work Experience:
- A minimum of two years of professional experience in programme, project management, information management (IM), and/or data analysis and data visualization is required.
- Familiarity with data sources and use of Adobe, Illustrator or other design or visualization software.
- Experience with data reports and dashboards visualization.
- Experience working in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.
- Understanding of UNICEF programme work in the LAC Region (desirable).
- Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset. 
- Experience with UN is an asset, with UNICEF a strong asset. 

Other desired skills:
- Experience working remotely, very responsive over email or throughout virtual applications.
- Flexibility and adaptability to shifting conditions and work demands.
- Capacity to communicate effectively and work collaboratively.
- High level of Integrity and commitment to UNICEF's mission and professional values.
- Good judgment, initiative, high sense of responsibility, tact and discretion.
- Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to establish harmonious working relations in a multicultural environment.

Languages: Fluency in Spanish and Proficiency in English is required. Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies. 

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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. 

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. 

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/ recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at https://www.whed.net/home.php