International Consultant to support the introduction of child rights impact assessment (CRIA) at municipal level and empowering children as rights holders Tbilisi Georgia, Tblisi

## International Consultant to support the introduction of child rights impact assessment (CRIA) at municipal level and empowering children as rights holders, Tbilisi - Organization:UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - Office:UNICEF Tbilisi, Georgia International Consultant to support the introduction of child rights impact assessment (CRIA) at municipal level and empowering children as rights holders, Tbilisi, Georgia Position type:Consultant Division/Equivalent:CEE/CIS Department/Office:Tblisi, Georgia Categories:Child Protection 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 How can you make a difference? Purpose of Activity/Assignment The objective of this international consultancy is to provide technical guidance on the two major initiatives undertaken by UNICEF Georgia: - Development of the context-tailored concept and piloting of the child rights impact assessment mechanism (CRIA) - Development of the child rights training materials and contributing to the training of child rights trainers (ToT) UNICEF seeks to engage an international consultant to provide high-level technical guidance for a comprehensive initiative aimed at strengthening child-rights-based governance and accountability at the municipal level through the introduction of the Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) mechanism to strengthen the capacities of duty bearers, while simultaneously empowering children as rights holders and agents of change. While the CRIA mechanism aims to strengthen the ability of municipal actors to make child-rights-based decisions, the child empowerment component seeks to ensure that children are informed, empowered, and capable of meaningfully participating in decisions affecting their lives. Together, these efforts contribute to the effective implementation of the child rights framework at both institutional and community levels. Child Rights Impact Assessment Mechanism First recommended by the UN Committee¹, the child rights impact assessment (CRIA) has been recognized as the best practice for ensuring child-rights-based approach in decision-making process in the development of policies, laws, programmes and services. Furthermore, the Code on the Rights of the Child² mandates the Parliament, the Government and the municipalities to enforce a Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) mechanism in the law-making and budget-planning processes, development and implementation of programs that have direct or indirect impacts on the rights of a child or groups of children. UNICEF initiated introducing CRIA at municipal level which involved analytical work of reviewing best international practices and development of a draft concept in cooperation with the National Association of Municipal Authorities of Georgia (NALAG). The follow-up work will focus on building awareness, further advancement of a context-tailored CRIA model and its pilot in the three selected municipalities. A final CRIA package will include a key concept of context-tailored CRIA model, tools and templates, and clear guidance on key roles, procedures and timelines. As part of the awareness and capacity-building component, in-person trainings will be organized for the municipal authorities which will be followed by mentoring in the process of piloting the CRIA model in relation to selected programmes and/or services. Ultimately, the pilot will create a possibility to undertake actions, observe, analyze the lessons learnt and develop key recommendations for full-scale implementation of CRIA. Empowering Children as Rights Holders In Georgia there is a lack of awareness of children's rights both within the public society and among professionals. Children are not widely seen as rights holders, and legal representation strategies are typically discussed only with their parents, rather than involving the children directly. This leaves children inadequately informed about their own rights, as they often do not receive age-appropriate or accessible information. This results in an information gap that significantly limits the child's agency and ability to participate in decisions affecting their lives³. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child mandates the States parties to raise awareness on children's rights and to ensure that child rights education is directed to the development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms4. Furthermore, the Law of Georgia - the Code on the Rights of the Child (art. 15)5 provides the right of children to receive information about their rights and freedoms and to access effective child-friendly justice mechanisms and remedies when the rights are violated. The cooperation between UNICEF and Caucasus University aims to raise awareness of children's rights in Georgia and empowerment of children as rights holders through the engagement of university Child Rights Centers. To achieve this goal, the key objectives are to develop a comprehensive set of non-formal educational resources on children's rights, trainer`s manual for child rights trainers/educators and to prepare highly qualified child rights trainers/facilitators through training of trainers (ToT). Representatives of the Child Rights Centers, together with the Public Defender's Office of Georgia and the Legal Aid Service, will be actively involved in the implementation of the initiative. They will also use the developed materials while carrying out awareness raising and educational activities with children within their mandate. The educational materials will be developed based on consultations with professionals as well as with children themselves on the key thematic including child participation in decision-making processes in the family, at schools, and local municipalities. Synergies Between Child Rights Impact Assessment and Child Empowerment Initiative The Child Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) mechanism and child empowerment initiatives are closely interlinked and mutually reinforcing. While CRIA institutionalizes the systematic integration of children's rights into budget planning, policy development, and the design and implementation of programmes and services, child empowerment initiatives, particularly those emphasizing meaningful child participation, strengthen conditions necessary for effective CRIA implementation and, ultimately, enhance children's participation in decision-making processes. Empowering children as rights holders strengthens their ability to articulate informed views and directly contributes to the child consultation component of CRIA, ensuring that budgetary and programme decisions are better aligned with children's needs, experiences and priorities. In this way, strengthened child participation not only advances children's rights in itself but also improves the quality, relevance and effectiveness of CRIA processes. Role of the International Consultant UNICEF seeks to contract an international consultant who will provide overall technical guidance across both components in a coherent and complementary manner. The consultant will be expected to provide technical guidance for the development and refinement of a context-tailored CRIA model and related package, the design and implementation of awareness