Background

Purpose of Contract

A basic right for children is to grow up in a family environment where love and safety enables them to maximize their development.  Ukraine's social service system to-date has largely failed children and their families to fully enjoy this right, with institutionalisation being the default option for social protection and little work done to address root causes to prevent unnecessary separation. More than 92,000 children (in 2012, there were 92,865 children left without parental care. Source: Ukraine State Statistics Services (2012)) in Ukraine are in formal care, making them among the most vulnerable child groups in Ukraine.

To enhance the child’s right to live in a family environment, UNICEF has identified the social service safety net in communities as the weak link. UNICEF believes that focus on preventive social care services will strengthen parents’ capacity to care for their children, contributing to a reduction in the number of children unnecessarily separated from their parents and going to state care, and in turn, reducing the ‘inflow’ of children entering state care.

Significant steps have been taken by the Ukrainian government to enhance its social service sector. The Law on Social Services was amended to provide the legal framework for development of a market of social services. In May 2012, the Ministry of Social Policy adopted the Order # 282 stipulating the standard procedure for the development of social service standards. Standardization of social services to ensure provision of social services guaranteed by the state is one of the core means of attaining the main goal of the Social Service Reform Strategy (Instruction of the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine #556 of 8 August 2012): ensure accessibility to social services, increase their quality and efficiency. The Strategy also envisaged the introduction of the procedure of assessment of community needs in social services, introduced by the Ministry of Social Policy Order #648 of 15 October 2012.

These important changes have been evolving on a backdrop of Ukraine’s political and economic changes with conflicts and uncertainty across different regions. Even with the important policy milestones, operationalization of the reform policy still faces significant challenges. The policy commitments from 2012 are important first steps to enhance child rights, but they now require significant actions for implementation. The social service system must be revised to become more effective for children and families. In consulting with state and NGO partners, the lessons learned from the evolving developments in Ukraine reflect the weaknesses in its child protection system, but at the same time, the strength of civil society and the desire for system change. System failures in justice issues and comprehensive monitoring of children’s wellbeing have limited responses and guarantees that children remain safe. With limited work done to address root causes, service responses are mostly reactive, addressing children's needs only when there is imminent danger.

The new government is currently rewriting the constitution that involves a strategy for decentralization. This strategy is pivotal for the oblasts necessary reformation of social support and care service system for children and their families. As Ukraine takes critical steps to modernize its social support system, it looks to good practices from Europe to learn from and build its own approaches for a socially oriented society. A key step in this work is strengthening Ukraine’s social work response for children and families, with an enhanced role by civil society as service providers and advocates within the social service reform dialogue.

The current momentum for change is an opportunity to strengthen the strategic partnership among the Government, the EU, UNICEF and civil society where UNICEF currently is providing crucial technical assistance to the Ministry with its plans to modernise the social support system.

The overall goal of UNICEF’s programme of cooperation is to support national efforts to reduce social exclusion and disparities and provide quality social services more effectively for the most vulnerable children. In this process, UNICEF emphasizes a development of knowledge generation based on analysis of international child protection, social welfare standards and good practices and will inform and support Ukraine in its development of policies and services for the most disadvantaged children and women.

Within this framework UNICEF is looking for an international expert to provide strategic inputs in the development of a case management manual for social work specialists working with children and families.  Review of international good practices have already been reviewed, but due to delays in  contracting a national institutional partner, the work on the social work manual will only be completed beginning 2016.

Objective

The key objective is to provide technical expertise and design inputs into the development of the social work manual, basing recommendations on EU country practices (specifically Sweden, UK and Estonia).

Key Users

The primary users for the technical recommendations will be UNICEF staff and the national specialists designing the Ukrainian case management manual.  This work will ensure critical case management components, as exhibited in international good practices, are incorporated into the manual as well as key factors to consider in cases for different vulnerable groups of families and children (The final list of vulnerabilities to be covered in the analysis will be agreed upon at the stage of developing the workplan for the Consultancy).  This work will benefit the Ministry of Social Policy to ensure a quality product as well as the end users, i.e. state and non-state social workers/specialists for children and families.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Based on knowledge of 3 EU countries’ good practices, the consultant will work in coordination with a national consultant or consultants on the development of a social work manual for Ukrainian specialists, with the international consultant providing expertise and review of national colleagues’ manual design plans and inputs to ensure that the developing work is considering critical issues.

The manual for Ukrainian specialists will examine both the key stages of case management approaches, documenting the normative provisions within Ukraine for these steps as well as analysis of the nuances of case management for specific target groups (e.g. children/families facing violence, HIV affected children/families, children/families with dependencies, or children with behavioural problems).

Specific tasks of the international consultant will be:

• Share with the national consultants good EU social work practices with the national consultants for consideration in design of the manual, either through skype consultations or in person meetings where the practices are presented and discussed, with recommendations to the national consultant(s) for the Ukrainian manual design;
• Provide technical expertise in the development of chapters regarding case management nuances for different target groups – providing expertise and review of Ukrainian plans on at least five target groups, such as: children/families facing violence, HIV affected children/families, children/families with dependencies, children with behavioural problems/ in conflict with the law, or children/families with disabilities.  These groups will be defined in coordination with the national consultants, based on the identified needs. Recommendations should be developed based on specific good practices of EU countries in working with target groups;
• Provide technical expertise in feedback on the design plan and content of the national consultants’ development.  Review will be required at a minimum at three stages of the work: in the initial design, after the first draft is completed and at the end with the final product.

Deliverables

Guided by UNICEF Country Office and specifically the Child Protection Specialist, the Consultant will have the following key deliverables under the contract:

• Deliverable 1: Establishment of detailed work plan for collaboration with national institution, provided and in agreement with UNICEF within 2 weeks after signing of contract. Consultancy timeframe: 2 days;
• Deliverable 2: Presentation on recommendations presented to national consultants, with consultation process to address questions. Consultancy timeframe: 3 days;
• Deliverable 3: Analysis report of 3 EU good practices regarding case management nuances for 5 target groups, providing recommendations and presentation in consultation with national consultants on EU practices. Consultancy timeframe: 15 days;
• Deliverable 4 :Written assessment of design plan and development of social service manual in Ukraine. Consultancy timeframe: 5 days.

Performance indicators for evaluation of results

Evaluation of results will be based on the following indicators:

• Technical and professional competence (will be measured by quality of deliverables provided to UNICEF, as well as feedback from UNICEF’s partner organisations);
• Quality of work;
• Quantity of work, including quantitative indicators of the project.

Such indicators as work relations, responsibility and communication will be also considered during evaluation of the contractor’s work.

Competencies

• Strong knowledge of European child protection system and social work responses for families;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in a team;
• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking and writing skills;
• Strong organizational and management skills;
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, being able to work with a variety of partners.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advance degree in social work and/or extensive experience in social policy work.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in working with international organizations/projects.

Language:

• Fluency in English;
• Command of Russian/ Ukrainian would be an asset.

Definition of supervision arrangements:

Supervision will be provided by the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist in the Ukraine office.

Description of official travel involved

The assignment might require travel within Ukraine.

Prior to undertaking any travel, the Consultant should complete UN Basic and Advanced Security in the Field Training Courses (linkages to these courses will be provided by UNICEF Ukraine).

All travel costs of the consultant within Ukraine will be reimbursed by UNICEF in accordance with UNICEF rules.

UNICEF recourse in the case of unsatisfactory performance

In the event of unsatisfactory performance, UNICEF reserves the right to terminate the Agreement. In case of partially satisfactory performance, such as serious delays causing the negative impact on meeting the programme objectives, low quality or insufficient depth and/or scope of the assessment completion, UNICEF is entitled to decrease the payment by the range from 30 to 50%.

The deadline for submission of applications is 5 October 2015.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Applicants that fulfil the above requirements are requested to complete a United Nations Personal History Form (P. 11) which is available at a web-site www.unicef.org/employ and submit it together with a CV and a cover letter describing your professional interests in working for UNICEF.

Please, indicate Individual Consultancy on analysis of European good practices in social work and case management approaches in the subject.

E-mail: recruitment_kiev@unicef.org

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.