Individual Consultant for Child Disability Assessment and Referral Reform, Remote/Home-based with occasional travel, 275 working days

Overall purpose of the assignment is to facilitate the reform of the child disability assessment and referral to be in line with the provisions of CRC, CRPD and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO), moving away from medical assessment to rights-based approach, focusing on assessment of functions and required community-based services for a child and a family as a whole. More specifically, the consultant will provide technical expertise for the reform of child disability assessment and referral to multisector stakeholders in selected Cantons of FBiH and Republika Srpska.

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 champion.

Overall purpose of the assignment is to facilitate the reform of the child disability assessment and referral to be in line with the provisions of CRC, CRPD and International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (WHO), moving away from medical assessment to rights-based approach, focusing on assessment of functions and required community-based services for a child and a family as a whole. More specifically, the consultant will provide technical expertise for the reform of child disability assessment and referral to multisector stakeholders in selected Cantons of FBiH and Republika Srpska.

How can you make a difference? 

Under the overall supervision of Social Policy Specialist and Child Protection Specialist, the consultant will provide technical expertise and support to: 1) the multisectoral teams In selected Cantons - Herzegovina Neretva (HNC), Una Sana (USC), Zenica Doboj (ZDC) and West Herzegovina (WHC) and other government and non-government institutions and organisations to pursue child disability assessment and referral reform, in accordance with developed Guidelines and 2) lead a consultative process resulting with the transformation plans for two residential care institution in BiH focusing on child protection. The expert would work under the supervision of UNICEF to support the governmental stakeholders to foster a transformation plans for identified institution within broader national vision for DI for children. This process should contribute to further strengthening and sustainability of government efforts to implement De-Institutionalization Road Map for BiH.

Specific deliverables include:

• Capacity building of Assessment Team and Coordinators in ZDC, including workshops for parents of CWD (2025)
• Capacity building of Assessment Team and Coordinators in USC (2025 - 2026)
• Provide supervision to Assessment Team in ZDC (2025 - 2026)
• Provide supervision to Assessment Team in USC (2025 - 2026)
• Provide technical assistance to RS Working Group and Assessment Team to pilot the reform (2025-2027)
• Contribute to FBiH level policy and legislation reform (2025 - 2027)
• Conduct evaluation of Individual Plans of Support (2025)
• Participate and contribute to consultations on the design of registry of children/data base – EU supported (2025)
• Participate and present at the advocacy events at country-wide level (2025 - 2027)
• Participate in and contribute to quarterly workshops of cantonal Assessment Teams (2025 - 2027)
• Provide technical assistance to WHC for child disability assessment reform (2025-2027)
• Provide technical assistance to HNC for scaling up the disability assessment reform for children above 15 y (2025-2027)
• Provide Training of Trainers on ICF for 10 professionals (FBiH and RS) (2025-2026)
• Lead meetings and consultative process with authorities and key stakeholders to craft transformation plans for selected child care public institution to serve as the basis for further action planning aiming to end institutionalization of children in BiH. 
• Sharing DI reform experiences from other countries to promote exchange among decision makers and knowledge sharing and inform planning of transformation of institutions for BiH context.
• Convene stakeholder consultations with decision makers, professional associations, beneficiaries groups to gain consensus for common vision for ending institutionalization of children in BiH 
• Transformation plan finalized and prepared for validation and approval by the government.

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

Education:

Advanced university degree in social sciences, preferably in special education and/or psychology

Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in social inclusion, social policy and related field.
• Expertise and in-depth knowledge of international standards and global policies related to disability (UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).
• Outstanding expertise in WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health and experience in provision of technical assistance to government partners in translating it into disability assessment and referral reforms.

Language:

Knowledge of local languages; Fluency in English (oral and written).

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.