National Individual Consultancy to Review the Child Protection & Case Management System, 65 days over 4 months, Kingston, Jamaica. Individual Consultant National Position Senior level Short term contract

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

UNICEF JAMAICA goal is to help to fulfil the rights of every child.
We pursue this goal by partnering with stakeholders such as the government, non-governmental organizations, change-makers in civil society and the private sector to influence and improve laws, policies, and programmes which will impact how children access quality services. We are in a unique position to collaborate with everyone including advocates and service providers who work closely with children and their families, as well as the elected leaders who are responsible to ensure that laws and policies are in line with children’s rights. Most importantly, we integrate the voices of our children and adolescents by engaging them on the issues that affect their lives.
Focusing our attention on children in vulnerable situations, we have five priority areas in the Jamaica country programme document (2022 to 2026):

1. Child protection
2. Climate action and resilience
3. Education
4. Social policy
5. Survive and thrive

Everything we do is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jamaica ratified in 1991.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Support Stakeholder Engagement Coordination
• Assessment of the normative, institutional, functional and procedural effectiveness of the CPS in a Post-Hurricane Context
• Family Court Child-Centric Process Assessment
• Analysis of Court Decisions
• National Legal and Institutional Inputs

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  TOR National Consultant Child Protection System & Case Management Review AD.pdf]

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced university degree in social work, human rights, law, or related field (Masters or equivalent level)
• Work Experience: At least (10) years of relevant work experience in child rights law, family or juvenile justice and child rights-based legal and institutional review and analysis
• Technical Knowledge: Professional technical knowledge in:
  *International and domestic child rights legal frameworks, including UNCRC, child justice standards, and child-centred justice            principles family law, juvenile justice, and child-sensitive judicial procedures, including due process safeguards and child                  participation.
  *Institutional mandates, governance arrangements, and legal coordination mechanisms across child protection and justice actors
  *Access to justice for children, procedural safeguards, and rights-based approaches in emergency and humanitarian contexts
  Child-rights–based approaches to legal and institutional reform
  *Experience working with government, courts, and statutory institutions to contextualize legal frameworks and procedural                 guidance
  *Strong analytical, legal drafting, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills
  *Knowledge of project coordination and results-based planning in legal or justice sector initiatives.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required

Position desirables:

• Experience in legal and normative analysis, legislative/policy review, and assessment of procedural child safeguards and access to justice for children.
  • Experience engaging justice sector and statutory child protection actors on legal frameworks, governance, and coordination mechanisms.
  • Experience developing legal guidance, procedural tools, or capacity-strengthening materials for child rights or justice stakeholders.
  • Prior UNICEF/UN experience is an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

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.

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 and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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 with disabilities 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.

CO specific: visa residence requirements: i.e.: UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.]

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.