Roster of national and international experts in Child Protection in Emergencies, UNICEF Myanmar (In-person or Remote)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to protection.

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How can you make a difference? 

The purpose of establishing the Consultant’s Roster of Experts in Child Protection in Emergencies is to provide UNICEF Myanmar Country Office with a pool of pre-qualified, pre-vetted, and well-qualified consultants who can be contracted quickly and efficiently to provide high-quality technical advisory, strategic, and operational support on Child Protection, particularly during emergencies or when needs arise in Child Protection programmes. The roster will cover the following two specialized technical areas:

• Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS)
• Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC)

Applicants are requested to self-identify their field(s) and priority area(s) of expertise. Consultants may demonstrate expertise in one or more areas and may be considered for the relevant consultant profile(s) based on their qualifications, experience, and demonstrated technical expertise.

Technically suitable candidates will be included in the roster for a period of 36 months. However, inclusion in the roster does not guarantee any future contractual relationship with UNICEF.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will support Child Protection Section in Myanmar CO and implementing partners to ensure timely, quality, and accountable child protection interventions in line with international standards and UNICEF policies.

Consultants may be engaged during sudden-onset emergencies, humanitarian scale-ups, and/or transition implementation period.

Specific responsibilities will depend on assignment needs and may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Technical programme support such as conducing rapid assessments and situation analysis, adapting CPiE tools and guidance to the context, etc
• Planning and coordination support such as facilitating inter-sectoral planning and response efforts, contributing to emergency response plans and humanitarian appeals, assisting in emergency scale-up, etc
• Monitoring and reporting support such as monitoring implementation, preparing briefing notes and recording good practices and lessons learned, etc

The specific deliverables, outputs, and timelines will be defined in the respective ToR for each assignment. 

Duty Station: Assignments may be carried out remotely or in person, depending on the requirements of the specific assignment and the needs of UNICEF Myanmar. The specific duty station and assignment modality will be confirmed at the time of contracting for each assignment.

Reporting: The consultant will report directly to the Hiring Manager based on the specific ToR and will work closely with the Chief of Child Protection and the Child Protection team.

Duration: To be specified in the relevant ToR upon confirmation of an assignment, based on its scope and requirements.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced university degree in one of the following fields:

• Social Work
• International Development (gender studies, peace and conflict studies)
• Human Rights (Women’s, Child rights and/or Persons with disabilities)
• Psychology
• Sociology (security studies, community development)
• Public Health (mental health)
• International Relations
• Law
• Related field

Common requirements

Experience: 

1. Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in child protection.
2. At least 5 years of direct CPiE experience in humanitarian settings, including emergency response or surge deployment experience
3. Experience supporting emergency responses, preparedness, or recovery programmes in conflict, disaster, displacement context.
4. Experience working with UN agencies, NGOs, or partners.
5. Experience in coordination mechanisms is desirable.

Common competencies for all profiles

Knowledge of:

1. Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS)
2. UNICFE’s Core Commitments for Children (CCC)
3. Community-based protection approaches

Familiarity with:

1. Inter-Agency Case Management guidelines
2. Protection mainstreaming through child safeguarding, PSEA and accountability to affected population
3. Monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian programmes
4. Results-based management

Profile-specific requirements

Profile 1: MHPSS in CPiE Specialist

1. Experience in designing and implementing MHPSS in CPiE programming and rolling out IASC MHPSS minimum service package such as:

• Coordination: strengthen MHPSS working groups, mentor WG leads/co-leads, help realign fragmented coordination
• Assessments, analysis and information management
• Targeted expertise of MHPSS interventions: counseling, suicide prevention, integration into other sectors/service providers

1. Good understanding of MHPSS M&E systems, aligned with the IASC common M&E framework

Profile 2: Unaccompanied and Separated children (UASC)

1. Experience in designing and implementing and providing technical support to preventing and responding to family separation in humanitarian context, including:

• interventions related to family tracing and reunification
• best interest determination for alternative care arrangements
• family-based care options

1. Good understanding of IASC guiding principles on UASC and the field handbook and toolkit on UASC

Applicants may apply for one or more consultant profiles. Candidates will be assessed against the common requirements and the profile-specific requirements for each profile for which they apply. Successful candidates may be included in the roster under one or more profiles where they demonstrate the required qualifications, experience, and technical expertise.

Desirable: Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

How to apply:

Applications must be submitted through the UNICEF online recruitment portal, Talent Management System (TMS). Qualified candidates are requested to:

1. Fully complete your TMS profile, including all mandatory fields and employment experience.
2. Attach an updated CV.
3. In your cover letter, clearly indicate which consultant profile(s) you wish to be considered for:

• Profile 1: Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) in Child Protection in Emergencies
• Profile 2: Unaccompanied and Separated Children (UASC)

Applicants may identify expertise in one or both areas.

Evaluation Criteria

A) Technical Evaluation:  maximum 70 points             

Common requirements (max 10 points)

Meets all five common requirements: 10 points,

Meets two or less: 5 points

Common technical skills/competencies (max 20 points)

Meets all seven technical competencies: 20 points

Meets three or less: 10 points

Profile-specific requirements (max 40 points)

Meets both requirements (40 points)

Meets only one requirement (20 points)

Only candidates who score at least 60 points in the technical evaluation will have their financial proposals considered.

B) Financial Proposal: maximum of 30 points

When an assignment is confirmed, selected candidate(s) will be requested to submit a financial proposal for the services to be provided in accordance with the relevant ToR. Among technically suitable candidates, selection for a specific assignment will be based on the best value for money, taking into consideration the suitability of the candidate’s expertise and experience, the proposed financial offer, and availability.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of misconduct.
UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these 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, 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 are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel.
Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.