In 2018, Brazil enacted Law 13431/17, a crucial step in child protection legislation. It introduced a rights guarantee system for children and adolescents exposed to violence, aiming to prevent their re-victimization. This law, also called the Protected Listening Law, mandates Integrated Assistance Centers (CAI) for child victims or witnesses of violence, offering specialized support and evidence collection. It emphasizes non-revictimization throughout the process, ensuring protection from identification of the victim to holding perpetrators accountable. UNICEF acknowledges its potential to enhance child protection policies. In Rio de Janeiro, despite strong support, formal implementation faces challenges like creating a committee, issuing decrees, and establishing CAIs. Rio’s unique circumstances, including armed violence, offer insights for national discussions. While other cities begin implementation, none have made definitive progress, making Rio a potential model. The consultant will assist UNICEF, facilitating Law 17431/17 implementation in Rio de Janeiro.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Under the supervision of the UNICEF’s Child Protection Officer in the Southeast, the external consultant will support the implementation activities of the Protected Listening Law in Rio de Janeiro, fulfilling, among other roles and duties, (i) facilitation of  meetings for the Committee for the Implementation of the Protected Listening Law in Rio de Janeiro, (ii) design and conducting of awareness and training activities about the law to specific stakeholders; (iii) technical assistance for the redesign and renegotiation of cross-sectoral and intrasegment flows and protocols; (iv) strategic analysis for the formalization of the Committee for the Implementation of Protected Listening Law in Rio de Janeiro.

DELIVERABLES

1. Work Assignment overview 1: Facilitation of meetings for the Committee for the Implementation of the Protected Listening Law in Rio de Janeiro.

1.1. Deliverables/Outputs

1.1.1. Mobilization and engagement of actors within the child rights guarantee system, including monitoring the entry and exit of representatives, organizing invitations to meetings, promoting the inclusion of new members, as well as strategically designing agendas for general meetings, aiming for the establishment of an Integrated Assistance Center (CAI), among other tasks;

1.1.2. Facilitation of the 9 (nine) monthly meetings of the Management Committee, including sending invitations, drafting minutes, and other tasks (target number of meetings: 9);

1.1.3. Monthly participation in the meeting of the Judicial Coordination of the Courts for Childhood, Youth, and the Elderly (CEVIJ), a crucial forum for discussing the implementation of the Protected Listening Law in the justice system of Rio de Janeiro, totalling 9 meetings;

1.1.4. Technical support for the redesign and publication of intersectoral flows and protocols within the scope of the Committee;

1.2. Deadline December 15th

1.3. Estimate Budget 15%

2. Work Assignment overview 2: Design, mobilization, and facilitation of awareness and training activities for specific stakeholders regarding the law.

2.1. Deliverables/Outputs

2.1.1. Remote or in-person awareness and training activities for actors within the child rights guarantee system.

2.1.1.1. Awareness activity with the Office of Public Defenders reaching at least 10 professionals, within a minimum of 9-hour workload, not counting preparation stages, based on materials both new and previously designed by UNICEF;

2.1.1.2. Training activity for the school community in Pavuna, reaching at least one professional of half of the schools in Pavuna, within a minimum of 4-hour workload, not counting preparation stages, based on materials both new and previously designed by UNICEF and the Municipal Department of Education;

2.1.1.3. Training activity for Guardianship Counsellors, reaching at least five CT 12 Coelho Neto counsellors, withing a minimum of 4-hour workload, not counting preparation stages, based on materials both new and previously designed by UNICEF and the Municipal Department of Social Assistance;

2.1.1.4. Awareness activity with healthcare staff, reaching at least one professional of half of the health units in Pavuna, withing a minimum of 4-hour workload, not counting preparation stages, based on materials both new and previously designed by UNICEF and the Municipal Department of Health;

2.1.1.5. Training activity for social workers, reaching at least one professional from one CREAS and two CRAS from Pavuna, withing a minimum of 4-hour workload not counting preparation stages, based on materials both new and previously designed by UNICEF and the Municipal Department of Social Assistance.

2.2. Deadline August 15^th

2.3. Estimate Budget 35%

3. Work Assignment overview 3: Facilitation and strategic guidance of meetings for redesigning and renegotiating intersectoral and intrasegment flows and protocols.

3.1. Deliverables/Outputs

3.1.1. On-demand meetings for renegotiating and redesigning service flows and protocols for children and adolescents who are victims or witnesses of violence, considering at least one meeting per month with Education, Health, Social Assistance and Guardianship Council teams, totalling 9 (nine) meetings;

3.1.2. Publication of flow and protocol or similar based on the law by Social Assistance and the Guardianship Councils;

3.1.3. Publication of flow and protocol or similar based on the law with the Education Department;

3.1.4. Publication of flow and protocol or similar based on the law with the Health Department;

3.2. Deadline October 15th

3.3. Estimate Budget 35%

4. Work Assignment overview 4: Strategic analysis for the formalization of the Committee for the Implementation of Protected Listening Law in Rio de Janeiro

4.1. Deliverables/Outputs

4.1.1. Evaluate opportunities for the formalization of the Committee, whether through the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, the Municipal Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (CMDCA), or another institutional arena, by reporting monthly on the matter to your supervisor;

4.1.3. Draft a decree for the formalization of the Committee;

4.1.4. Brief report on the experience of formalizing the Committee in Rio de Janeiro at the end of the contract.

4.2. Deadline December 15th

4.3. Estimate Budget 15%

DURATION OF CONTRACT:

9 months

TRAVEL PLAN

No

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT

• Postgraduate degree, preferably in the fields of Law, Social Sciences, Social Work, Psychology, Public Policy, or Public Security, with a minimum of 3 years and at least 5 years of undergraduate education in one of these areas or a related field. Verification will be done by presenting the diploma from an institution accredited by the Ministry of Education;
• Advanced knowledge of the Protected Listening Law;
• Professional and/or academic experience in the field of childhood and youth.

Work experience with the Protected Listening Law, track record of working with facilitation and/or participation in interinstitutional groups and/or rights councils, proof of mediation experience, familiarity with the actors within the child rights guarantee system in Rio de Janeiro, and familiarity with the child protection network in Rio de Janeiro are a plus.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Portuguese: fluent

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultant will work from home using own equipment and stationery. UNICEF will provide office space for consultative meetings when needed.
• Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant and mandatory courses are completed.
• Consultants will not have any representative, certifying, or approving authority, or supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.
• The consultant will work remotely on a delivery basis.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
• 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.
• The payment will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

INSURANCE AND HEALTH COVERAGE

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

RESTRICTIONS

• Consultants may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF.  Notwithstanding, consultants must complete the applicable mandatory trainings before the signature of the contract.
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

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.