UNICEF is hiring National Consultant (Adolescent and Youth engagement/ participation) 2022 in Dhaka.

UNICEF is hiring National Consultant (Adolescent and Youth engagement/ participation) 2022 in Dhaka.

Purpose Of Activity/Assignment

SBC section of UNICEF intends to hire a national consultant to assist the SBC section for cross sectoral coordination and collaboration for adolescent engagement withing BCO and relevant result area of UNSDCF. The recruitment will follow the competitive process.

The major duties and responsibilities of this consultancy are to:

• Conduct desk review of adolescent development and participation programme resources and analysis of the existing activities of programme sections of UNICEF Bangladesh through consultation with internal and external stakeholders including young people;
• Mapping of adolescent engagement activities and platforms of UNICEF Bangladesh
• Support the development of Youth Led Communication framework to address the social and behavioural change actions on climate crisis
• Prepare a Guidance Note and action plan on sustainable partnership with children, adolescents and young people including those with disabilities in Bangladesh that indicates key areas of internal collaboration and building linkages as per current CPD and global guidance.
• Support SBC team to contextualize and get endorsement of the ADAP guideline through wider consultation process and dissemination of the guide to the stakeholders that set standards of adolescent engagement programme.
• Work with SBC team to expand adolescent engagement at the national and local level, capacity building of respective partners in using ADAP guide and develop a monitoring checklist for adolescent engagement activities.
• Support in documenting at least 4 best practice case stories of effective adolescent engagement.

Background

Bangladesh has approximately 34.3 million adolescents (17.6 million males and 16.8 million females) in the 10-19 years age group (BBS, 2020 population projection). The country is also one of the fastest ageing societies in the world, while children and adolescents including those with disabilities are facing several challenges with significant numbers living under the poverty line, rapid urbanization, complexities of climate change and lack of access to basic quality services. Other challenges of adolescents and young people include sub optimal secondary education incompletion, malnutrition, child marriage, sexual harassment, abuse and exploitation, child labour and workplace hazards. Violence at home, in schools and in the workplace, as well as lack of reliable information and safe spaces to learn and discuss issues related to their own cognitive, emotional, social, behavioural and physical growth are prevailing

The government of Bangladesh and development partners are working jointly towards attainment of equitable results for all children, and adolescent in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 7th 5-year plan including improving human development indicators. The country has made significant achievements against its strong commitment to the implementation of the Convention of Child Rights (CRC), though significant challenges hampering progress survival, development, protection and empowerment of children and adolescents need to be addressed.

Participation is a fundamental human right (as per the CRC, CEDAW and CRDP), that builds the capacities and confidence, promote democratic engagement and the rule of law, and enhance policy making. Adolescent and Youth Engagement is in turn “The rights-based inclusion of adolescents and youth in areas that affect their lives and their communities, including dialogue, decisions, mechanisms, processes, events, campaigns, actions and programmes – across all stages, from identification, analysis and design to implementation, monitoring and evaluation.”

UNICEF is committed to providing technical assistance to relevant departments of government to ensure long-term change in the lives of young people through several sector and cross-sector initiatives including evidence generation, formulation of policies, programming with participation of adolescents and youth. The engagement of adolescents and youth stands to empower them to seek information, learn and express their insights, and act as ‘agents of change’ and motivating the families and communities to support adolescents appropriately in their development create room for them to participate in society. are also crucial to trigger social change.

Culturally young people in Bangladesh hardly get the opportunity to express their opinion, and therefore parents, caregivers and community need to be motivated as they are the decision makers and young people need their support. As per the Country programme document (CPD) 2022-2026, the Social and Behaviour (SBC) Section will foster the sustainable partnership with adolescents and young people that are being implemented by multiple sections. Hence, there is a need to collaborate with the adolescent programme focal and to support building the linkages of these diverse adolescent participation platform.

Given this context, UNICEF Bangladesh has been jointly working with government through diverse programme of adolescent development, participation and empowerment that are addressing the challenges with adolescents and young people.

About The Company

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.