For every child, the right to safety!
The Maldives Police Service (MPS), the Fuvahmulah City Council and UNICEF Maldives, are partnering to implement the Fuvahmulah: City of Excellence in Child Protection initiative, a national demonstration model for integrated child protection. The initiative aims to transform Fuvahmulah into a city where children are protected, families are supported, institutions safeguard children, and vulnerable children receive timely intervention through a coordinated and community-owned child protection ecosystem. The model seeks to bring together police, schools, health services, social services, local government, parents, civil society and community stakeholders around a shared vision for child wellbeing and protection.
A key component of the strategy is the strengthening of neighbourhood policing as the operational backbone of prevention, diversion and community-based child protection. Police officers are expected to engage proactively with children, families, schools and community members to identify risks early, facilitate referrals, promote community ownership and prevent children from entering pathways leading to offending, violence, abuse and exploitation. The strategy specifically identifies the need to strengthencommunity engagement, awareness raising, communication and relationship-building capacities among neighbourhood police teams.
To support strengthening the capacity of the Neighbourhood Police Team as part of the implementation of the City of Excellence initiative, UNICEF seeks to engage an individual consultant to design and facilitate a practical capacity-building programme focused on communication, public engagement, community mobilization, child-sensitive interactions and partnership building for neighbourhood policing personnel in Fuvahmulah.
How can you make a difference?
Specific objectives are to:
- Assess training and capacity development needs related to communication and community engagement among neighbourhood policing personnel.
- Deliver 3 day face-to-face capacity building programme on community engagement and communication for neighbourhood police officers.
- Strengthen capacity in child-sensitive communication, family engagement, community dialogue, public speaking, stakeholder engagement, conflict de-escalation and risk communication.
- Develop practical tools and guidance materials that neighbourhood police officers can use during implementation of the City of Excellence initiative and beyond.
- Produce a Community Engagement and Communication Guide for Neighbourhood Police.
Qualifications required
- University degree in Communications, Community Development, Social Work, Psychology, Education, Child Protection or a related field.
Technical Experience
The consultant shall demonstrate:
- At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in communication, community engagement, social development, policing, safeguarding, behaviour change communication or related fields.
- Proven experience in designing and facilitating adult-learning programmes.
- Experience in working with community level stakeholders
- Experience in working with police services, government agencies, local authorities or frontline service providers.
- Demonstrated experience in community level stakeholder engagement and training.
- Experience working with child protection, juvenile justice, violence prevention, safeguarding or related sectors.
- Experience in developing practical guidance materials, curricula and training materials and toolkits.
Ethical Standards and Safeguarding Capacity
The consultant shall demonstrate:
- Familiarity with child safeguarding principles and ethical engagement practices.
- Capacity to comply with UNICEF Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
- Experience working with vulnerable populations in a rights-based manner.
Language and Local Context
The consultant shall demonstrate:
- Excellent written and spoken English.
Desirables
- Knowledge of Dhivehi is highly desirable.
- Familiarity with the Maldivian context, child protection system, juvenile justice framework and community engagement approaches is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
(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
This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.
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. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.
Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service
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.
UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.
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.
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 applicants’ bank account information.
Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.
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.