Individual national consultant to support the development of the Child Guarantee National Action Plan and social policy programming (m/f)

UNICEF in Croatia is looking for an Individual national consultant (m/f) to support the development of the Child Guarantee National Action Plan (CGNAP) and related social policy programming aimed at reducing poverty and social exclusion. The focus of the European Child Guarantee (EUCG), a new initiative and framework of the European Commission, is to provide access to children at risk to the adequate child and social protection services, education, early childhood education and care, healthcare, adequate nutrition, decent housing, culture and leisure activities linked to schools. The multidimensional and highly interconnected nature of child poverty and social exclusion calls for the development of a wide spectrum of comprehensive policies and programmes, including integrated health, education, housing and social services that are designed to increase the access to support mechanisms for the most vulnerable. The CGNAP will address the needs of the most vulnerable groups of children, for the period until 2030. If you are a self-driven professional who is passionate about promoting and advancing child rights, have a minimum of 7 years of experience in the development of social policies, good knowledge of national and EU policies relevant for children and families, understand well the EU funding mechanisms, we invite you to consider applying for this opportunity and support UNICEF’s mission for ensuring better lives of girls and boys in Croatia. How can you make a difference? Under the general guidance of the Deputy Representative, the consultant is expected: - to provide technical support and assistance in all stages of the development and endorsement of the Child Guarantee National Action Plan, - to contribute to other aspects of social policy programming and related advocacy from strategic programme interventions. This may include assignments related to strengthening child-focused public investments, social protection measures’ coverage, quality and adequacy as well as governance and accountability measures. The consultant will provide direct technical support to UNICEF Country Office in Croatia, as well as indirect support to UNICEF’s Europe and Central Asia Regional Office and the Government of the Republic of Croatia in developing the Child Guarantee National Action Plan. Key tasks/Milestone: - Prepare technical inputs for the development of CGNAP and other relevant national plans. - Support finalization of deep-dive analyses and related policy brief and its dissemination. - Monitor and update the status of development of the key national plans, budgeting and spending patterns for social programmes and decentralization of social services. - Undertake needs assessment of the critical partners to develop capacity building plan that would ensure improved planning, monitoring, tracking of public expenditure and effective financial flows.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… - A university degree in social sciences, public administration or another relevant field - A minimum of 7 years of experience in the development of social policy strategic plans - Good understanding of children’s issues in Croatia - Good knowledge about national and EU policies relevant for children and families, particularly regarding social protection, child protection, education and health - Good knowledge of EU funding mechanisms and regulations and the Government’s budget processes - Excellent planning and communication skills - Good multi-cultural and interpersonal skills with experience in networking with partners at all levels (ministries, regional and local authorities, beneficiaries, implementing partners, NGOs and local organizations. - Excellent oral and written command of Croatian and proficiency in spoken and written English. - Commitment to adhere to UNICEF Code of Conduct. If you have the required education, skills and experience and want to make an active contribution to building a better world for children, we would like to hear from you! Kindly note that electronic application through the web portal is mandatory. Only complete applications will be considered. Only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted. 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. 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. 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. This post is re-advertised to expand the pool of eligible candidates. Candidates’ applications received during the previous advertisement period are valid and will be considered. Therefore candidates who have already applied are not required to re-submit their application.