2014 UNICEF Careers. Consultant Job

Consultant Jobs in Kenya
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Kenya Country Office, Nairobi
Vacancy Announcement: Consultant – NO-C
Duration: 6 months

Applications are hereby invited from suitably qualified candidates to fill the above Consultancy in the Child Protection Section, UNICEF Kenya Country Office

Justification
Kenya is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC), since 1990 and 2000 respectively, among other regional and international protocols. This commitment includes preventing and responding to violence against children.

Violence against children has been identified as a critical inhibitor of growth, development and progress in Kenya, tolerated because of ingrained social norms and lack of public awareness about the harm it can cause not only to public health but also to the moral fabric of a nation.

The Government of Kenya is aware of this damaging effects of violence against children and has been working towards the establishment and implementation of a child protection system to prevent and respond to violence against children.Although there is lack of sufficient data which makes it difficult for decision makers and other stakeholders to make informed programmatic decisions around violence against children, the few available data indicates that violence against children, especially sexual violence is rife in Kenya.

The 2008-2009 KDHS found that 39% of married, divorced or separated women aged 15-49 report that they have ever been physically or sexually violated by their husbands or partners.

Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2008-2009 Preliminary Report} According to Kenyan Police Crime Statistics, rape was one of the most prevalent crimes in 2011

In 2010 the former Ministry of Gender Children and Social Development requested support from UNICEF Kenya to carry out a national survey to track patterns of and potential risk and protective factors for emotional, physical and sexual violence against children. The survey implementation was collaboration between the Government of Kenya, through the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the Department of Children Services (DCS), the CDC and UNICEF Kenya.

The overarching aim of the study was to measure the prevalence of violence against children in Kenya and identify risk and protective factors in order to inform efforts by stakeholders to reduce violence against children.

From the VAC study, 31.9% of females and 17.5% of males experienced sexual violence prior to eighteen years of age, while 73.1 males and 66% of females experienced physical violence.

Those who experienced emotional violence were 31.9% males and 25.8% females respectively as reported in retrospect by 18-24 year olds.In 2011, the Department of Children Services (DCS) and UNICEF commissioned a baseline assessment, a Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) study in Nairobi, Mombasa, Malindi, Kisumu, Garissa, Eldoret and Nakuru to establish communities’ knowledge, attitude and practices on prevention and response to child abuse, exploitation, violence and separation from family as well as awareness on alternative family care.

The survey found that knowledge and awareness on child protection (violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect and family separation) is low with a recorded spontaneous awareness level of 6% and 33% when prompted among primary care givers across the 7 districts.

Despite associating child abuse with child labour, majority of the survey participants cited sexual abuse (defilement, incest, sodomy) and physical abuse (torture, corporal punishment at home and school, slapping, kicking, caning) as two of the main forms of child abuse.

Negative attitudes among communities in child protection, increases the level of child abuse, exploitation and violence.

Certain forms of violence against children, mainly child marriages and female genital mutilation were highlighted as generally acceptable in some regions.The VAC study stipulates important information and knowledge that is essential for communities to prevent and respond to violence against children.

While most communities are responding minimally to cases of child abuse, separation, violence and exploitation, the response is not at the desired level to prevent and protect children, as there is evident lack of information, knowledge, and positive attitudes, as indicated by the child protection KAP study report of 2011.

In collaboration with Government line ministries and UNICEF, Department of Children Services (under the current Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services) has developed a costed plan that addresses issues around communication and advocacy on VAC.

The response plan has identified the following gaps

• There is no “popular Version of VACS’ ( (which is a short, simplified and user-friendly version of a report for public use) for dissemination of the study findings;
• There is limited dissemination of VACS findings;
• So far no substantive Advocacy and Media campaign on VAC has taken place;
• There is no Communication strategy on Violence against Children;
• The Monitoring and Evaluation in relation to VAC is weak.
• It is therefore, imperative to develop a behaviour change communication strategy that provides for the behaviour objectives, critical participant groups with appropriate channels of communications.  Scope of WorkA consultant is required to undertake the following:
• Undertake literature review from existing Child Protection studies in order to generate baseline information on attitudes and practices towards violence against children.
• Write a popular version of the VAC study report. This should be a fact sheet, intended for the primary care givers, media, general public, service providers and donor community, outlining major findings and should be simple and straight forward.
• Develop a Violence against Children advocacy and communication strategy and communication plan
• Develop a communication toolkit that will be distributed in schools teasing out issues for teachers and students in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education officials
• Facilitate County dissemination forums on the VAC study report in order to beef up the communication strategy and also the baseline information mentioned in one above
• Hold FGDs with different stakeholders in the five Counties in order to beef up the communication strategy and also the baseline information mentioned in one above
• Hold discussions with the TWG (at the inception stage of the consultancy), a validation with a wider stakeholders ( when the first draft is developed) and a post validation (after revising the first draft)
• Ensure constant briefing and updates channeled through the focal points at DCS and UNICEF.

The consultant is expected to work closely with the Child Protection focal point for VAC, the Department of Children Services focal person, and the Communication for Development focal point in the development, editing and finalization of the above documents.

RWP/PCR and IRs areas covered

• This consultancy will contribute to Intermediate Result
• The government has the capacity to coordinate and demonstrate the systems approach to Child Protection, and will contribute to the Activity 1 on Child Protection Systems.

Expected Deliverables

• The consultant is expected to deliver timely, quality products, ensuring that the content addresses the scope of work and incorporates revisions as requested by DCS, UNICEF and other partners

• A report from the literature review to form baseline for attitudes towards violence against children
• A popular version of the VAC study (maximum six pages)
• Include key findings from the VAC study
• Include key recommendations from the VAC study
• In English and Kiswahili

A detailed communication strategy that has

• Clear communication objectives
• Audiences segmentation and implementation strategy
• A clear communication and advocacy plan with a budget
• The outcomes of the FGDs, consultative meetings with TWG and county disseminations incorporated in the strategy
• A communication toolkit for schools with clear prevention and response mechanisms
• Reports from the county dissemination forums, FGDs and validation workshops.

Desired background and experience
Education

• Advanced university degree in communication for development or the social/behavioural sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, Health Education), with emphasis on participatory communication, communication planning, social mobilization and behavioural research.
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili required.

Work Experience:

• Be an independent consultant with extensive experience in report writing and editing.
• 5 years progressively responsible work experience in strategic communication design or the planning and management of Communication for behavior change programmes, in developing countries.
• At least 2 two years’ experience in working on child rights with a focus on child protection
• Practical experience in the application of communication planning processes to specific programmes and experience in social mobilisation, and participatory research and impact evaluation of C4D interventions.
• Demonstrate that he/she has undertaken similar analyses, research/writing/editing in the past (through CV, relevant work, publication records, etc.).

Skills

• Good writing and communication skills with ability to present ideas and concepts concisely in written and oral form is required
• Have the ability to write for a general audience of child rights advocates, policy makers and others interested in the well-being of children
• Be able to work under minimum supervision and to meet tight deadlines
• Knowledge of current developments in the field of communication for development (C4D and social norms change strategies
• Knowledge on Human Rights based Approach to Programming
• Knowledge of child protection and current thinking on CP in Kenya, the region and at global level

Competencies

• Communication
• Working with people
• Drive for results
• Applying Technical Expertise

Conditions (Important)

• The Consultant will be under the general supervision of the Chief of Child Protection Section and Chief of C4D.
• The consultant will work in close collaboration with Child Protection and Communication for Development(C4D) as well as the head of field services in the DCS
• S/He will work under the terms and conditions as provided by UNICEF’s standards and regulations governing consultants.
• All materials and information developed during this tenure will be the property of Government of Kenya and UNICEF and will not be used by any other purposes without the express authority of the two.
• The Consultant may not publish or disseminate Reports, data collection tools, collected data or any other documents produced from this consultancy without the permission of and acknowledgement of Government of Kenya and UNICEF Kenya.
• Payment modalities will be as per UNICEF HR guidelines.

Interested and suitable candidates should ensure that they forward their applications along with their curricula vitae, including an indicative fee range, to;

The Human Resources Manager
UNICEF Kenya Country Office
Email address: kenyahrvacancies@unicef.org

Please indicate Reference No. “KCO/SSA/CP/2014/004” in the email subject.

Interested candidates should also complete the Personal History (P11) form, which can be downloaded from the UNICEF Kenya website www.unicef.org/kenya/P11_FORM(2).doc).

“Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply”

Zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse

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