Adolescent and Youth Development Programme Consultant at UNICEF

Job description

Under The Overall Guidance Of The Chief Social Policy And Child Protection, And Under The Direct Supervision Of The Child Protection Specialist, The Consultant Will Undertake The Following Tasks

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you.

For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

Background and Justification

The commitment of the South African Government to youth development is influenced by its democratic goals. It is based on the principles of social and economic justice, human rights, empowerment, participation and active citizenship that are imbued in the South African Constitution. The National Youth Policy 2015-2020 gives further expression to these principles and is intended to lay the foundation for youth, who will shape South Africa's future. Youth are therefore at the core of South Africa's development agenda.

The rich national legislative and policy framework related to children and youth is defined by the South African Constitution as the supreme law of the country and guided by an internationally informed rights-based approach to growth, protection and development. The Children's Act (No. 38 of 2005) gives effect to these constitutional rights by establishing a framework for a range of holistic interventions for children and their families that can be conceptualized on a continuum of care. The Children's Act thereby emphasizes the importance of strengthening programmes and services at the front end of the continuum – namely prevention and early intervention, which includes strengthening the capacity of caregivers, families and communities to care and protect children, give them love and support. Of further importance are the National Development Plan – which provides an aspirational vision of South Africa in 2030 - and the Medium-Term Strategic Framework 2014-2019, which together set the context within which all youth-oriented programmes should be located as well as the actions Government will take to achieve set targets.

Within this framework, UNICEF partners with government and civil society to help empower children and adolescents to access internal and external resources to reach their potential. In particular, UNICEF invests in the opportunity for adolescent girls and boys to acquire critical skills as they grow; the abilities, values and experiences to negotiate multiple life domains, to become economically independent and to avoid risky behaviours, such as alcohol and drug use.

In light of the above, UNICEF supports, in partnership with the Provincial Department of Social Development (DSD), the implementation of an Adolescent and Youth Development (AYD) Programme in one of the most poverty-stricken provinces in the country: the Eastern Cape. Youth in the Eastern Cape represent diverse groups; girls, boys, from both rural and urban areas, and with varied interests and inclinations. Yet, what most of these young people have in common is their experience of growing up in poverty and exposure to adversity, such as absent parents and violence. Their safety is compromised not only in their homes, but also in schools, and on the streets of their communities. This puts them at an increased risk of sexual abuse, HIV infection unplanned pregnancy, early and child marriage. Furthermore, alcohol and drug use among the youth is an increasing concern in the Eastern Cape and high levels of substance abuse are in turn major contributors to crime and violence, risky sexual behaviours and academic problems.

The aim of the Eastern Cape AYD Programme is to protect and empower the most vulnerable children and adolescents and to facilitate their successful and safe transition to adulthood. The programme is therefore designed to respond holistically to the needs of children, adolescents and families who are vulnerable and at risk of violence. In particular, the programme has been designed to support national and provincial government to implement the Children's Act, especially Chapter 8, which calls for the prevention and early intervention of violence against children. To this end, adolescents, parents/caregivers and families receive support in a variety of settings, from home visits conducted by trained child and youth care workers, to parental education programmes and life-skills training in the safe parks. Furthermore, the programme has a technical component that specifically addresses substance abuse among adolescents, with a focus of supporting the provincial government on strengthening both

preventative as well as rehabilitative services for young people. UNICEF is seeking to hire a national consultant who will support and monitor the implementation of this programme through engagements with both provincial government and the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers (NACCW) as outlined in the following sections.

Scope of Work

• Goal and Objective : Under the overall guidance of the Chief Social Policy and Child Protection, and under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist, the consultant will undertake the following tasks:
• Monitor the day to day implementation of the Programme Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW) in the Eastern CapeThis includes:
• Undertaking regular visits to all programme sites (of which there are currently 14) to provide technical support, oversight and monitoring support to NACCW and implementing partners;
• Reviewing and, where necessary, strengthening monthly progress reports by NACCW, to ensure alignment with agreed reporting format, style and quality; and ensure report meets UNICEF Style Guide requirements;
• Providing logistical support for field visits by Country Office staff and other partners, as requested by the Country Office
• Support to provincial Department of Social Development to organize and record regular (6 weekly) programme reviews at task team meetingsThis includes:
• Attending and actively participating in provincial and district coordination forums; and ensuring that relevant Government and UNICEF programme and policy information flows to sub-national partners;
• Providing technical support to the EC Provincial Department of Social Development to advocate for the prioritisation (and funding) of Isibindi and other key child protection services in provincial planning and budgeting processes;
• Support and monitor the implementation of deliverables as contained in the Work Plan 2017 between UNICEF and the Eastern Cape province In this regard, the consultant is expected to support provincial government to organize one programme review every +/- six (6) weeks for shared planning, monitoring, co-ordination and reporting on project action plans. Subsequently, the consultant will be required to follow-up closely with partners on agreements and recommendations to ensure that programme objectives are met.
• Prepare monthly progress reports
• Prepare monthly progress summaries on progress made, challenges encountered, proposed corrective actions and viable recommendations on programme implementation. Recommendations should be mindful of optimal utilization of resources that contribute effectively to the advancement of the programme.
• Develop monthly donor reports
• Prepare monthly donor reports, which should include a summary of results achieved with a description of main activities undertaken as well as future work plan, including priority actions to be undertaken.
• Conduct at least four support/monitoring field visits per month
• Conduct at least four (4) field visits per month to programme sites (14 sites in total), assess local conditions and resources and monitor programme implementation. Communicate and liaise with local and provincial counterpart authorities and implementing partners to strengthen coordination, quality and coverage of programmatic interventions.
• Follow-up and collaborate with UNICEF Operations Sections to coordinate financial and supply management requirements and undertake any other relevant tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
• Work Relationships
• The consultancy involves working closely with the Provincial Department of Social Development, District Managers and the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW).

Desired Competencies, Technical Background And Experience

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Management, Law, Development Studies or other relevant discipline;
• Knowledge of child protection and youth development;
• At least five years' experience in project management and monitoring, preferably in the field of child protection and/or youth development;
• Past experience in working with government institutions, international organizations or donor supported programmes is desirable;
• Proven ability to plan, manage and execute ideas without direct supervision;
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality reports;
• Previous working experience in the Eastern Cape province is an asset;
• Readiness to travel to and work in remote areas;
• Valid driver's licence;
• Fluency in English both verbal and written required. Fluency in a local language, particularly isiXhosa, is a necessity; and
• Computer skills required, including internet navigation and MS Office applications.

Conditions

• Languages needed: English. Working knowledge of the languages spoken in South Africa is an added advantage.
• The consultancy will be for a period 11.5 months. As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed.
• The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Child Protection Specialist;
• The consultant will be based in King William's Town for easy access to government and NACCW offices and work independently, using his/her own equipment and office space;
• UNICEF will support the consultant in establishing contact with the necessary partners, both government and non-government;
• The consultant will not be entitled to sick leave with pay, annual leave or over-time payment, including weekends and during holidays.
• The consultant will be required to travel frequently to remote areas to accomplish some of the tasks included in these terms of reference. All costs associated with travel, including flights and per diem will be covered by UNICEF. All travel is by most economical fare and reimbursement as per UNICEF policy;
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF's General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.