UN Partnership on the Rights of the Person with Disability (UNPRPD) Project Technical Consultant, 6 Months, Apia, Samoa

UNICEF Pacific is in search of a dedicated and proactive local Consultant for Samoa. The purpose of this assignment is to enhance the understanding of the rights of persons with disabilities among key national stakeholders, such as participating UN organizations, government stakeholders, OPDs, and civil society, and additional stakeholders, such as development partners. In doing so, the capacities to implement disability inclusive development approaches in the country and region are strengthened.

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, access.

In the Pacific UNICEF works in Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu: These 14 Pacific Island countries are home to 2.3 million people. This year, UNICEF, on behalf of three Resident Coordinator Offices in the region, will lead the inception phase of a ten-country initiative to promote the rights of persons with disabilities in line with the UNCRPD. Countries include the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.

Of these ten countries six have ratified the UN Convention on the Right of Persons with Disability, where four have not. The overarching vision of the initiative is for the rights of persons with disabilities to be respected, protected, and fulfilled and for all persons with disabilities to participate in society fully and actively on an equal basis with others. The mission is to support countries to accelerate the implementation of the CRPD and disability inclusive SDGs for all persons with disabilities with the full involvement of the Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The principal outcome is for countries to develop and implement policies, plans, budgets, programs and services with the meaningful participation of OPDs in line with the CRPD obligations and commitment to the SDGs.

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of work:

       Engage in Induction Workshop

• Develop training materials for a 6-day training based on UNPRPD Fund's standardized training materials in consultation with Pacific Disability Fund (PDF)who will deliver the training:
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and disability-inclusive SDGs
• UNPRPD's cross-cutting approaches
• Preconditions for disability inclusion
• Elements of situational analysis
• Support the PDF in delivering the training for key stakeholders, including UN Organizations, government actors, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and other civil society actors.
• Ensure active participation of persons with disabilities in the training.
• Document the training including pre- and post-assessment.

• Conduct Situational Analysis
• Follow the UNPRPD Fund's template to develop a comprehensive review of the national context.
• Organize and facilitate consultative meetings with national implementation partners and stakeholders.
• Develop data collection protocols, undertake data collection, perform data analysis, and write the final report.
• Analyze contextual factors affecting UNCRPD and SDG implementation, as well as preconditions for disability inclusion.
• Identify gaps in disability inclusion within ongoing national processes and programs.
• Provide recommendations for further in-depth analysis where needed.
• Establish a foundation for mutual understanding and working relationships among UN entities, government, OPDs, and other stakeholders.
• Ensure the analysis can serve as an advocacy tool and inform policy planning.

Please refer to the ToR ( TOR_UNPRPD Project Technical Consultant (batch Samoa and Palau).pdf) for further information on the deliverables and the timelines. 

GUIDANCE FOR APPLICANTS:  

This Consultancy is open to individual experts only. Candidates are requested to provide an achievement orientated CV and cover letter.

• Candidates are asked to submit a separate financial offer along with their application. The financial proposal should include a lump sum amount for all the deliverables and should indicate a clear break down for the following:
• Monthly / Daily fees– based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference above
• Miscellaneous: to cover communications, and other costs.

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

Education:

• The lead consultant must have a university Degree in social sciences field, including community development and human rights law; with 3 years of experience in disability work

or

• Technical Certificate in community development, disability inclusion; with 5 years of experience in the disability work.

Experience & Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in working in the area of disability inclusive development and in UNCRPD implementation and/or monitoring.
• Demonstrated experience in producing and/or delivering training to a wide variety of people and organisations in the Pacific. Audiences can include youth, OPDs, CSOs, government and technical working groups.
• Demonstrated ability to develop research analysis tools, reports, and programme proposals within deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results within deadlines.
• Fully proficient computer skills including use of relevant graphic software and other applications.
• At least three years of experience in research and delivering quality programme proposals to donors within deadlines.
• Knowledge and experience of more than one year of working with people with disabilities and their OPDs will be an advantage.
• High level interpersonal and relationship-building skills
• Ability to communicate effectively with persons of various cultures and disciplines
• Ability to identify risks and to develop strategies to mitigate them
• Ability to determine and review priorities and meet deadlines
• Management & leadership skills including coaching and mentoring
• Diplomatic skills to liaise with counterparts and different stakeholders
• Good analytical, negotiating, and advocacy skills

Language:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset. 

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.  

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.