National Individual Consultant – Strengthening the alternative protection of children deprived of family protection Vacancy Job Ref: VACUNICEF2901-40

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

TERMS OF REFERENCE

UNICEF launches Call for Consultation to Strengthen Alternative Care for Children Deprived of Family Protection

CONTEXT

The cooperation programme between UNICEF and the Moroccan government for the period 2023-2027 aims to ensure the realization of children’s rights, the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to support national development priorities. It is also part of the New Development Model and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), thus ensuring effective coordination of efforts.

With regard to child protection, UNICEF is committed to ensuring that all children and adolescents, whether girls or boys, including migrant children, live in a safe environment, free from violence, exploitation and neglect. Rights to protection, including the right to a family, or, where necessary, to alternative care in line with the principles of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and United Nations guidelines, must be fully respected.

Since September 2023, UNICEF has been responding to support children and families affected by the Al-Houz earthquake. Provincial plans have been developed and signed with the three most affected provinces – Al Haouz, Chichaoua and Taroudant – to promote children’s access to essential services and their rights. These plans aim to strengthen child protection systems, improve reporting and reception mechanisms for children who are victims or deprived of family protection, and ensure access to psychosocial support and positive parenting.

They also include training frontline workers and creating safe and child- and family-friendly spaces in disaster-affected areas.

UNICEF affirms that every child has the fundamental right to grow up in his or her family. Article 20 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child temporarily or permanently deprived of his or her family environment has the right to special protection and assistance from the State. The loss of this parental care constitutes a major factor of vulnerability, requiring appropriate protection measures, both in prevention and in care.

This is also confirmed by the Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children, which accompany the efforts of the government and civil society to improve alternative care arrangements and respect the principles of necessity, appropriateness/adequacy and the best interests of the child.

Despite Morocco’s legislative progress and efforts in child protection, the use of institutionalization of children, to the detriment of foster care, remains a concern. This trend was even more pronounced after the earthquake, with several children being placed in child protection institutions as part of emergency measures to ensure the continuity of their education. Orphaned children with the status of wards of the State were also placed in accordance with existing standards.

Although institutionalization is a necessary service to manage emergency situations, it reveals the fragility of social services supporting vulnerable families and the lack of alternative solutions, such as placement in extended families, family reunification or foster families. In addition, access to the Kafala system remains complex.

This situation also reflects the absence of territorial child protection mechanisms, which could play a vital role in preventing and monitoring placements, as well as in the ongoing assessment of the situation of children.

In this context, and in line with the United Nations guidelines on alternative care, UNICEF is launching a consultation to recruit an expert to support social protection establishments in the provinces of Taroudant, Al Haouz and Chichaoua.

The main objective is to improve the conditions of care for children in these establishments, by ensuring that they meet minimum standards in terms of basic services, including education, health, social protection and leisure. The expert will also help facilitate contact with families and ensure the protection of children against violence, exploitation, sexual abuse and harassment.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTATION

Under the supervision of the Head of the Child Protection Section and in coordination with the Head of the Child Protection / Post-Earthquake Response Program, as well as with the provincial directors of National Assistance and National Education, the consultant will be responsible for developing a comprehensive approach to supporting social protection establishments and strengthening the capacities of management associations and administrative executives in alternative protection and prevention against violence, exploitation and sexual abuse and harassment.

METHODOLOGY AND CONSULTATION APPROACH

The proposed approach aims to strengthen the capacities of local stakeholders and professionals in the areas of child protection, management of social protection institutions, as well as in the implementation of alternative care solutions. The consultant will have to ensure the relevance and adaptation of actions according to the specific needs of the stakeholders, while taking into account local realities and the challenges identified.

The main responsibilities of the consultant in this mission include the following actions:

  1. Rapid Situation Analysis: Conduct a rapid data collection on the situation of children living in child protection institutions or facilities in the target provinces (Taroudant, Al Haouz and Chichaoua). This analysis aims to assess current conditions, identify challenges faced by children and provide a solid basis for future actions.
  2. Training needs assessment: In close collaboration with the National Mutual Aid and the associations managing social protection establishments (EPS), carry out an assessment of the training and capacity building needs of the establishments’ staff. This analysis must take into account local contexts and the challenges identified. This may include a documentary review of good practices, current standards and applicable legislative frameworks, with a view to preparing the necessary materials for the training and awareness-raising programme.
  3. Design and adaptation of educational tools: Depending on the specificities of the context, the consultant will have to create or adapt educational tools (presentations, training sheets, case studies, practical exercises) and develop the detailed agenda of awareness-raising and training sessions. These tools will have to be adapted to the reality of the establishments and local stakeholders.
  4. Facilitating shared understanding of alternative care principles: Organize awareness-raising and training sessions to ensure a common understanding among EPS cadres of the different aspects of alternative care. The trainings should address the national normative framework, United Nations guidelines and international standards on child protection. The sessions should be targeted equitably across the three provinces, with an interactive and participatory approach to encourage participants’ engagement and ensure their understanding.
  5. Facilitating shared understanding of prevention approaches against exploitation, sexual abuse and harassment: Organize awareness-raising and training sessions on measures to prevent violence, exploitation, sexual abuse and harassment. These sessions must also equitably target stakeholders from the three provinces and use interactive methods to promote participant engagement and understanding.
  6. Training evaluation: Set up evaluation tools to collect feedback from participants and analyze training results. The evaluation will measure the achievement of educational objectives and identify areas for improvement for future sessions.
  7. Compilation of training tools: Compile the tools used during training, including training materials, best practices, and other useful resources for trainers and facility managers. The goal is to ensure the sustainability of the lessons and their practical application in the field, beyond the training.
  8. Final Report Writing: Write a final report detailing the training process, results obtained, feedback from participants and recommendations for improving practices and management of child protection facilities. This report will serve as a reference for future actions and for the continuous improvement of child protection services in the target provinces.

This approach should promote an integrated and collaborative approach between the various local stakeholders and guarantee a sustainable improvement in the management capacities of social protection establishments.

EXPECTED DELIVERABLES AND TIMETABLE

The implementation period of the mission is 50 working days spread over a period of 4 months. Payment for the consultation will be made by partial invoicing after receipt and final validation of the deliverables by UNICEF according to the following schedule:

Activities and deliverables to be carried out

Duration

% Payment

Deliverable 1

  • The concept note integrating the educational objectives and expected results, the methodological approaches, the thematic content by session/modules and the consultation schedule

05 days

25%

Deliverable 2

  • Summary of the rapid analysis of the situation of the documentary review and analysis of needs
  • Overall design of the training including relevant themes identified according to the profiles of the beneficiaries, the educational approaches and objectives, the assessment of needs, summary description of the training modules proposed, summary training program and training plan

10 days

25%

Deliverable 3

  • Reports on the progress of training sessions in the 3 provinces, including recommendations based on evaluations (pre/post evaluation) of participants;
  • Presentations used and supporting documentation in Word and Powerpoint format;

    30 days

40%

Deliverable 4

  • Final report of the process integrating the recommendations of the evaluation and proposal for improvement. (Long version and summary version in Word and PowerPoint)

5 Days

10%

STAKEHOLDERS

Role and responsibility of the consultant : The consultant will assume overall responsibility for monitoring and updating the situation in coordination with the UNICEF child protection section and the development of deliverables.

Role and responsibilities of UNICEF : UNICEF will facilitate contacts with key institutional and civil society actors. UNICEF will also support the consultant in coordinating and organizing workshops in the region and provide guidance to the consultant in light of international standards.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Education :

  • A university degree or advanced degree in international development, human rights, psychology, social sciences, law or other relevant fields. Expertise in the field of child protection and alternative care will also be considered.

Experience :

  • A minimum of 6 years of experience in implementing child protection and child welfare programs
  • Experience in managing/caring for cases of children in difficult situations and children placed in institutions
  • Experience in training in the field of child protection
  • Knowledge of UNICEF’s key commitments to the protection of children deprived of family care and victims of violence against children
  • Strong written and oral communication skills, with fluency in Arabic and French.
  • Strong interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, demonstrated ability to lead and facilitate multi-partner collaboration and coordination.

APPLICATION FILE

This consultation is a national consultation. It is open to individual consultants in Morocco. The consultant must include in the application file a technical offer, a financial offer and will be recruited on the basis of an Individual Consultant contract concluded with the UNICEF office in Morocco.

Technical offer

The technical offer must imperatively and explicitly include the following parts:

  1. A cover letter demonstrating interest in this consultation and a match between the profile and qualifications of the application and these terms of reference.
  2. A note of maximum 3 pages describing the approach adopted to carry out the activities and a proposed timetable for carrying out the activities.
  3. A detailed CV, mentioning previous experience in the field and the skills required for this consultation
  4. Copy of diplomas
  5. Contact details/references of 3 previous supervisors in the field who can be contacted as part of the assessment process.

Financial offer

The consultant(s) will have to provide a detailed financial note.

The financial offer must include for each of the services, in dirham (MAD), the estimated number of days and the daily rate including travel expenses and any other charges related to the provision of the services.

NB: Fees should be gross and tax declaration is the responsibility of the consultant.

All these documents must be attached on the system upon submission.

The application deadline is December 26, 2024

****Any incomplete file will be considered inadmissible****

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 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.

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.

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