UNICEF recruits an Individual contractor to conduct an Analysis of the Situation of Children and Women in Lao PDR

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 :

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Vientiane, Lao PDR is looking for a qualified International Individual Consultancy to conduct an Analysis of the Situation of Children and Women in Lao PDR. The assignment will start from June 2019 to September 2019.

The UNICEF SitAn process will be undertaken under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, who will be responsible for managing the project’s planning, deliverables, peer review, dissemination, monitoring of research uptake, and any other tasks required for successful completion. The Deputy Representative will Chair the Steering Committee, which will comprise the Chief of Programme Planning Monitoring and Evaluation, and other relevant staff members to oversee the SitAn.  While no formal technical committee will be formed, it is expected that the Steering Committee will assist in facilitating access to reference documents, meetings and feedback from technical experts within UNICEF and key stakeholders. The updates from the SitAn will be presented at all CMT meetings.

The purpose of the SitAn is to understand the causes of, and linkages between, problems affecting children and how a country’s human, social, economic and organizational resources and structures (including its policies and institutions) can contribute to solving these challenges.

The SitAn process is expected to promote ownership by national partners and build consensus on the analytical results.   The process will involve relevant partners – key government partners, civil society, other national stakeholders.

The SitAn will be risk-informed, rights-based, equity-focused and gender-sensitive, and will be developed through a process that includes the following steps :

• Use available data and other information to accurately identify trends, patterns, incidence and causes of key deprivations and patterns of vulnerability, disaggregated by relevant segments of the population, e.g., using LSIS II data ;
• Identify and analyse the barriers and bottlenecks that prevent disadvantaged girls, boys and families from benefiting from required interventions and services.  This will draw on the bottleneck analyses that is being undertaken by the sectors in Health and Nutrition, WASH, Education and Child Protection in 2 provinces, (Atappeu and Savannakhet) ;
• Analyse the extent to which gender inequalities and the fulfilment/non-fulfilment of the rights of women affect overall inequalities and deprivations, including those affecting children, building on the LSIS II Gender disaggregated analyses and Gender Review ;
• Assess the current or potential presence of risks, including conflict, natural hazards, existing and future hazards from climate change and other potential shocks; the likelihood of their occurrence, the underlying vulnerabilities, the nature of the hazard and the particularly vulnerable groups that will be affected.  The capacities and coping mechanisms of women and men, families, communities, local and national institutions to mitigate these risks and deal with shocks should also be assessed, using available DRR plans[1] ;
• Based on sector specific reviews and analyses, map the gaps in national policies, legislative frameworks and sector plans, and identify the steps to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This would include an analysis of the extent to which there is an enabling environment for the realization of the rights of all children including the promotion of positive social norms and behaviours, transformation of gender norms, organization of services, institutional capacities at national, sub-national and community levels, in fulfilment of human rights conventions, in particular the convention on the rights of the child (CRC) ;
• Based on information available, synthesize findings on public finance and fiscal space in the country including external sources of financing such as overseas development assistance (ODA) to provide insight on how public resources are distributed, including across regions, and their contribution to (or lack thereof) achieving children’s rights. To the extent possible and based on availability, draw on Laos Expenditure and Consumption Survey findings on household spending and poverty.

 

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

To achieve this assignment ‘s objective, UNICEF is looking for an individual international consultant that can carry out the above takes with the following experience and qualifications.

Qualifications and Experience :

• A higher-level university degree in Social Sciences, or similar background ;
• At least 10 years of working experience in analysis of social issues, preferably on children and in an international environment (previous experience with similar child rights studies an advantage) ;
• National level experiences in working across complex data and national information systems, knowledge products, and reports across social and economic sectors.

Knowledge and Skills :

• Strong analytical and writing skills, and the ability to present the results in a simple language, making use of interesting visual aids(maps, graphs and other visual tools)
• Track record of successful delivery of high level expert advice to governments and international organizations; previous work with the UN an asset
• Familiarity with and experience in analysing complex data
• Excellent analytical skills
• Good English Language skills

Language :

Fluency in English

 

For every Child, you demonstrate :

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

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 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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

 

Remarks :

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.