Lead Consultant for International Child Protection, Family Support and Reintegration

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, opportunity

Portugal has one of the highest rates of children in residential care in Europe, with 72% living in such facilities. Institutional care harms children's development, increases attachment issues, and limits life chances, especially for children with disabilities who face higher risks of violence and early death. International frameworks, including the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care and the EU Child Rights Strategy 2021-2024, call for deinstitutionalization. Portugal has responded by prioritizing deinstitutionalization in its Child Guarantee Plan and Child Rights Strategy 2021-2024, focusing on foster care and care-leaving services. However, its legal framework still emphasizes residential care. Portugal seeks support to reform its care system, develop foster care standards, and support and guide its workforce to transition to family- and community-based care.
The Government of Portugal has sought support from the European Commission under Regulation (EU) 2021/240, known as the Technical Support Instrument, which serves as a vehicle for providing targeted assistance to regions facing specific challenges. The Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) of the European Commission has contracted UNICEF’s Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (UNICEF ECARO) to provide technical support to Portugal. The goal is to reduce the number of children in residential care by strengthening family support, reintegration, foster care, and care-leaving services. The Social Security Institute, under the Ministry of Labour, leads the initiative, promoting social inclusion and support for vulnerable groups.

To successfully achieve the objective of the EU funded project (the “Action”), UNICEF ECARO is responsible for carrying out the following:

1. An assessment of the childcare system in Portugal with particular focus on residential care, family support and reintegration, foster care and care leaving services.
2. Research and learning on best practice and lessons learned in EU and non-EU countries regarding family support and reunification, foster care and leaving care services.
3. A set of recommendations for childcare system reform in Portugal, with particular focus on family support and reintegration, foster care and care leaving services.
4. The establishment of thematic working groups to lead the design of standards and procedures and/or guidance and toolkits on family support and reintegration, leaving care services and foster care.
5. The development and dissemination of foster care quality standards, procedures, tools and monitoring indicators, as well as a capacity building programme and the revision of the existing foster care training programme, to assist the new standards and procedures being effectively implemented.
6. The development of comprehensive guidance and toolkits for stakeholders in the provision of family support and reintegration and care leaving services.

A UNICEF project team, supported by experts in child protection, foster care, and care-leaving, will implement the project. A Steering Committee, including DG REFORM, UNICEF ECARO, and the Social Security Institute, will oversee activities, while an Advisory Committee will provide guidance.
Under the supervision of the UNICEF Project team, the Lead Consultant will assist with overseeing technical implementation, supporting other consultants/experts, and ensuring alignment with UNICEF standards. The consultancy requires a child protection expert with good knowledge and experience of statutory family support services and reintegration services, social service workforce reform and child care reform in EU and non-EU countries.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:
Under the supervision of the UNICEF Project team, the Lead Consultant will serve as a technical lead in planning, designing and overseeing the implementation of the Action. More specifically, and with support from other international and/or national consultants, the Lead Consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

1. Inception report: Develop the inception report for the Action, outlining the context, workplan, timeline, methodology, etc. The Inception Report should also identify where and how any other experts/consultants, such as data gatherers, may be required to support the implementation of the Action.
2. Assessment of the childcare system in Portugal: Guide the assessment team, including the technical experts, to develop the methodology and tools for a desk-based literature review and key informant interviews and focus group discussions with key stakeholders in Portugal to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the national alternative care system. Oversee the technical experts in implementing the assessment and produce the final assessment report.
3. Research and learning on best practice and lessons learned in EU and non-EU countries regarding family support and reunification, foster care and leaving care services:
   1. Identify good practices in EU countries and beyond concerning family support and reunification and documenting this in a report.
   2. Identify at least 2 countries with good practices, organise exchange meetings online, facilitate the discussions and document the learnings in a report.
4. Developing set of recommendations for the childcare system reform in Portugal: Oversee the consolidation and analysis of the learning from the assessment of Portugal’s care system and the review and analysis of international best practice to develop a set of recommendations on standards, procedures, tools and monitoring indicators for foster care in Portugal.
5. Thematic Working Groups: Oversee the establishment and work of three thematic working groups to lead the design of standards and procedures and/or guidance and toolkits on family support and reintegration, leaving care services and foster care.
6. Lead the development of comprehensive guidance and a toolkit for stakeholders in the provision of family support and reintegration.
7. Provide oversight and guidance to the technical experts in the organization and facilitation of the foster care working group and leaving care working groups and their respective deliverables.

The Lead Consultant is expected to have regular calls with the UNICEF project team to review progress, challenges and next steps, as well as having regular calls with the technical experts to oversee, guide and monitor their work. Ad-hoc calls may take place as deemed necessary. All reports to be submitted in electronic format by email to UNICEF ECARO in English.

Working modality:

Consultant will work from home part time (140 working days over the period of 23 months). Travel to/within Portugal is expected.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in international development, human rights, social work, sociology, or another relevant social science field.
• Demonstrated working experience of conducting research related to child protection/children in alternative care (at least 8 years).
• Proven experience and knowledge related to the ToRs areas.
• Knowledge of statutory family support services and reintegration, social service workforce reform and child care reform in European contexts.
• Demonstrated experience of producing high-quality research and assessment reports; technical standards, procedures, guidance and toolkits; and other relevant documents.
• Demonstrated experience of developing monitoring frameworks and indicators in an asset.
• Demonstrated experience of working with a range of stakeholders including policy makers, practice-based organizations, non-governmental organizations and people with lived experience of care.
• Excellent qualitative analysis skills.
• Good quantitative/statistical and analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills in conference and workshop scenarios.
• Experience of facilitating online training and learning.
• Experience of managing a team, including the oversight and supervision of other experts is an asset.
• Ability to be flexible and deliver results under tight deadlines.
• Fluency in English (oral and written). Knowledge of Portuguese is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

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.

Remarks:

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

Applications without indication of the fee will not be considered.

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 may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.