Climate change has been causing increasingly frequent and extreme natural disasters in Brazil and worldwide. Vulnerable children and adolescents, along with their families, have fewer resources to relocate or adapt to climate change. Often, this group lives in geographically exposed areas to disasters and experiences the first and most intense impacts of socio-environmental shocks and their secondary economic consequences.
Brazil has a robust intergovernmental social protection system that aims to support vulnerable families in guaranteeing their rights and overcoming inequalities and poverty, including during socio-environmental shocks. The Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) is designed as an intersectoral system and encompasses a wide range of programs, playing a fundamental role in enabling the most important national cash transfer program, Bolsa Família.
Despite the robustness of the Brazilian social protection system, COVID-19 and the most recent extreme events in the Amazon region and Rio Grande do Sul have revealed challenges in adapting social protection services and benefits to ensure an effective and timely response to large-scale shocks, particularly at the state and municipal levels of SUAS. Similarly, climate change and the high risk of new socio and environmental shocks in various regions of the country make it essential for the system to advance in preparation and response to emergencies.
With vast expertise in preparedness and emergencies, UNICEF has been supporting governments at national and subnational levels to increase social protection shock-responsiveness. In partnership with the National Collegiate of Municipal Social Assistance Managers (CONGEMAS), UNICEF developed two technical guides to support municipalities CRAS in emergencies: guidelines and orientations for preparedness and Contributions to adapt SUAS services to emergencies. In addition, the document SUAS in emergencies elaborated in partnership with the Social Assistance department of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro systematizes the municipality’s response to COVID-19 pandemic and highlights lessons learned in urban centers.
Since 2023, UNICEF initiated a partnership with the Social Assistance National Department (SNAS) of the Ministry of Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Poverty (MDS) to develop and disseminate a series of technical guidance to prepare and respond to emergencies. So far, five documents have been released and have reached more than 10,000 views. The first document is a quick guide for social workers at municipal level. The other four documents go deep into important dimensions of preparedness and response to emergencies under the scope of Social Assistance in Brazil, including administrative and budgetary management, social work, shelters management and social assistance surveillance.
Based on the lessons learned from the most recent emergencies, technical guidance on food security has been perceived as an important gap to be addressed. In this sense, an additional document will be developed to be integrated into the series.
The development of the document with technical guidance on food security will be led by the Social Assistance National Department (SNAS), with the support of a social protection consultant who will work in alignment with the Social Policy technical team in Brasília. UNICEF will also mobilize communication efforts to support the dissemination of materials and expand potential outreach.
SCOPE OF WORK:
UNICEF Brazil is looking for a Social Protection consultant to support the development of technical guidance for Social Assistance workers on Food Security in emergency contexts. Under the supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the consultant will work closely with the technical team SNAS and support coordination efforts led by UNICEF.
The expected results are:
DELIVERABLES
Estimated Budget: 0%
* The consultant is expected to travel to Brasília at least twice for missions of two days each, to participate in in-person meetings or workshops with SNAS and other key stakeholders.
DURATION OF CONTRACT:
7 months
Mandatory Education and Experience:
FINANCIAL PROPOSAL
A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.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. 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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and 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:
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. Consultants 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.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.