Call for Interest: International Child Protection Systems Strengthening, Policy Development and Facilitation Consultants – ROSTER

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. UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child,a fair chance UNICEF is a United Nations agency that promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child. Together with partners, UNICEF works in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, for the benefit of all children, everywhere. Since 1948, UNICEF has been working with the Philippine government and civil society to promote and protect the rights of Filipino children. UNICEF works on long-term development programmes and supports the government during the onset of emergencies in the following areas: Education; Health; Nutrition; Disaster Risk Reduction; Adolescent Development; Emergency Response; Peacebuilding; Social Policy; Child Protection; and Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. We also provide supply and logistical support in the above areas. Purpose of the Activity/Assignment: UNICEF Philippines is inviting applications from qualified international consultants to join a roster of senior Child Protection specialists who can provide high-level technical assistance to support child protection systems strengthening, policy development, strategic planning, institutional reforms, and capacity development initiatives. The selected consultants will form part of a pre-qualified roster and may be engaged on a needs basis to provide specialized expertise that is not readily available in-country. Assignments may include technical advisory services, policy development, systems assessments, facilitation of high-level consultations, capacity strengthening, research, documentation of global good practices, and development of strategic frameworks and implementation tools. The roster will be valid for a period of 30 months. Inclusion in the roster does not guarantee immediate engagement nor any future contractual relationship with UNICEF. Consultants will be contracted based on programme requirements, funding availability, consultant expertise, and availability. Background: UNICEF Philippines supports the Government of the Philippines in strengthening child protection systems to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and harmful practices affecting children. Current priorities include implementation of the Child Protection Systems Strengthening (CPSS) Strategy, strengthening governance and coordination mechanisms, enhancing child protection workforce capacities, improving case management and referral systems, promoting meaningful child participation, strengthening safeguarding systems, advancing alternative care reforms, and improving monitoring and accountability mechanisms. To complement national expertise and bring global perspectives, UNICEF seeks to establish a roster of international consultants who can provide specialized technical assistance, facilitate knowledge exchange, and support the adaptation of international good practices to the Philippine context. To ensure timely access to specialized technical expertise, UNICEF seeks to establish a roster of consultants with expertise in child protection policy development, systems strengthening, strategic planning, facilitation, research, and technical writing. Scope of Work: Consultants may be engaged to provide one or more of the following services: A. Child Protection Systems Strengthening - Provide strategic advice on the design, implementation, and monitoring of child protection systems strengthening initiatives. - Support development, review, and refinement of national and sub-national CPSS strategies and implementation plans. - Conduct systems assessments, benchmarking exercises, and institutional reviews. - Support development of governance, coordination, financing, workforce development, and accountability mechanisms. B. Policy Development and Reform - Support drafting and review of child protection laws, policies, strategies, frameworks, standards, and guidelines. - Conduct comparative analyses of international policies, standards, and practices. - Develop policy recommendations informed by international evidence and lessons learned. - Support alignment of national policies with international child rights standards. C. Technical Advisory and Capacity Development - Provide technical advisory services to UNICEF, government counterparts, and partners. - Design and facilitate high-level consultations, workshops, strategic planning sessions, and learning events. - Develop training curricula, capacity development frameworks, and learning materials. - Mentor and coach government counterparts and technical working groups, where appropriate. D. Research, Documentation and Knowledge Management - Conduct reviews, studies, assessments, and evaluations. - Document international good practices and lessons learned. - Produce technical reports, policy briefs, discussion papers, and knowledge products. - Support dissemination and utilization of evidence for policy and programme development. Child Safeguaring: * International consultants may facilitate consultations, workshops, assessments, validation activities, and other processes involving children and adolescents. The duration and extent of contact will depend on the specific assignment. Child Data Role: Consultants may review, analyze, manage, or transmit child-related information, including consultation outputs, assessment findings, case studies, and other child protection data, in accordance with UNICEF safeguarding, confidentiality, and data protection standards in accordance with UNICEF policies and data protection requirements. Work Assignment Overview | Deliverables/Outputs Typical Assignment Area 1:Policy, guideline, manual, toolkit, or strategy development | Deliverables:• Inception report• Consultation plan• Draft technical document• Validation workshop report• Final approved document Typical Assignment Area 2:Facilitation of workshops and consultations | Deliverables:• Workshop design and agenda• Facilitation materials• Workshop proceedings• Summary of findings and recommendations• Final workshop report Typical Assignment Area 3:Research, assessment, or systems-strengthening support | Deliverables:• Assessment framework• Data collection tools• Draft assessment report• Validation presentation• Final report and recommendation To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… Minimum Qualifications and Experience Required: - Advanced university degree in Social Work, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Administration, Public Policy, Human Rights, Law, Psychology, Education, International Development, or related field. Years of Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required*: Work Experience: 5 years Knowledge/Expertise/Skills: - At least 10 years of progressively responsible international experience in child protection, social welfare, human rights, public policy, governance, or related sectors. - Demonstrated expertise in child protection systems strengthening. - Proven experience supporting national policy, legislative, or institutional reform processes. - Demonstrated experience developing strategies, frameworks, guidelines, standards, and implementation tools. - Experience facilitating high-level consultations and multi-stakeholder processes. - Strong analytical, technical writing, facilitation, and communication skills. - Familiarity with international child rights standards and global child protection frameworks. - Previous experience