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For every child, RIGHTS Under the supervision of the Regional Emergency Advisor and the COsโ Representatives, the incumbent will work with LACROโs teams and the COs teams in Belize, Jamaica, Eastern Caribbean Area (ECA), Guyana/Suriname, Dominican Republic and Cuba, to advance on the national preparedness agenda in the Caribbean region. When relevant, the incumbent can support COsโ actions related to non-CPD countries under their coverage.
How can you make a difference?
1.ย Lead the work with CDEMA and other subregional key stakeholders: Provide strategic guidance and technical support and enhance the partnership with CDEMA and other relevant stakeholders (e.g., CEPREDENAC), to strengthen subregional child-centered emergency preparedness and response in the Caribbean. In particular:
1.1.ย ย ย Lead the technical collaboration between CDEMA and Belize, Jamaica, ECA, and Guyana/ Suriname COs, enhancing their leadership and capacity to boost child-centered EPR at regional and national level, by supporting:
1.1.1.ย ย the implementation and audit of the Comprehensive Disaster Management (CDM) framework
1.1.2.ย ย the high-level coordination platforms and mechanisms, e.g., the Caribbean Development Partners Group for Disaster Management (CPDG-DM), ii to monitor hazards and impact analysis.
1.1.3.ย ย the activation of the CDEMA Regional Response Mechanism (RRM), including the civil- military coordination, mobilizing UNICEF support and private sector engagement wheneverย required.
1.2.ย ย ย Collaborate with the humanitarian learning centres and academia (e.g., the CDEMAโs Regional Training Center, the UWI, INTEC, UNESCO) in the definition, development and roll-out of child- centred EPR trainings, to produce studies and evidence for child-focused humanitarian action and advocacy at different levels, including for the operationalization of the CDEMAโs Regional Protocol for the Integrated Protection of Children and Adolescents in Emergency and Disaster Situations.,.
1.3.ย ย ย Support technical and strategic alliances with UNETT, UNCT, and key partners in the Caribbean (e.g., IFRC, Red Cross Societies, Caritas, and other relevant NGOs and CBOs), to build a joint/ multi- country EPR programmes implementation, involving joint early warning systems, supplies & logistics strategies, joint information management (e.g., for data readiness, and through platforms such as the Caribbean Risk Information System, GeoCRIS or CCRI-DRM), capitalizing on joint advocacy and networking, resource and human resources sharing.
2.ย ย ย ย ย ย Guide and support the work of the COs with National Disaster Offices (NDOs): Strengthen collaboration networks and procedures for enhancing inter-sectorial coordination for child-centered emergency preparedness and response. In particular:
2.1.ย ย ย Assist NDOs to consolidate the strategic and operational linkage with CDEMA through the implementation of the CDM framework, the development and audit of national work plans in relevant countries (only for Belize, Jamaica, Guyana/Suriname, and ECA COs).
2.2.ย ย ย Support national inter-sectorial coordination by establishing coordination platforms and thematic working groups as needed, and by enhancing their Information Management tools and mechanisms.
2.3.ย ย ย Enhance child-centred inter-sectorial contingency and emergency planning, including meaningful preparedness and Anticipatory Actions to mitigate the disaster impact.
2.4.ย ย ย Encourage the exchange of experiences and south-south cooperation, including outside the LAC region, to enhance private sector engagement (e.g., Philippine experience and the work through the Chambers of commerce) and ensure the integration of cross sectorial approaches such as the Accountability of the Affected Population (AAP), Gender equity, and inclusion of people with disabilities, among others.
3.ย ย ย ย ย ย Guide and support the work of the COs with Line Ministries: Enhance national preparedness for more shock-responsive systems in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection and Social Protection with line ministries. In particular:
3.1.ย ย ย Strengthen sectoral coordination, capacities, processes, and tools, to consolidate line ministriesโ sectorial leaderships on emergency preparedness and response work.
3.2.ย ย ย Institutionalize bridging mechanisms to facilitate inter-sectorial coordination through NDOs, including the revision /update of emergency and contingency plans, the development and testing of standard operating procedures (SOPs) and activation protocols for the implementation of anticipatory actions and early actions.
3.3.ย ย ย Support the operationalization of the CDEMAโs Regional Protocol, carrying out sectorial bottlenecks analysis and establishing institutional arrangements required for national preparedness strengthening, monitoring and evaluation.
3.4.ย ย ย Identify opportunities for business engagement and capacity building in WASH, Education, Child Protection and other UNICEF-led sectors, to support sectorial preparedness and response.
4.ย ย ย ย ย ย Lead the work with the private sector and other partners, at regional and subregional levels: Develop existing and new partnerships to boost collaboration, knowledge and resources sharing, capacity building, resource mobilization, and policy influence, at subregional and country levels. In particular:
4.1.ย ย ย Promote strategic engagement of business in child-centered EPR, leveraging on existing national and subregional networks in the Caribbean, to enhance joint planning, communication and advocacy capacities, innovation, experience sharing and knowledge management.
4.2.ย ย ย Leverage successful business engagement experience in the Caribbean, but also in BCR pilot countries (ECA, Guatemala & Peru), to accelerating similar engagements across LAC (including with sub-regional mechanisms).
4.3ย ย ย Promote operational partnership with business for child-centered EPR, aiming to both financial and non-financial resource sharing and contributions to UNICEF, including supplies, logistics assets and capacities, human and technical resources, focusing on joint multi-sectorial and multi-level EPR on Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection and Social Protection, along with early warning, early actions, and anticipatory actions (e.g., ICT, media, communication and tourism).
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will haveโฆ
โข Education: Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, international relations, Business Administration, Social Sciences, Economics, Marketing, Fundraising or other related fields. Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields.
โข Work Experience:ย Five years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration. โข Language Requirements:ย Fluency in English and proficiency in Spanish are required. ย The following desirables:
โข Developing country work experience (for IP) or field work experience (for NO). Specialized training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable.ย
โข Language: Knowledge of French or Portuguese is considered an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEFโs Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values
The UNICEF competencies required for this post areโฆ
(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others, andย Nurtures, leads and manages people
Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.
UNICEF is here to serve the worldโs 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.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.
UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.
Remarks:
As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.
Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.ย
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicantsโ bank account information.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.
Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.