TERMS OF REFERENCE
The social service workforce (SSW) is a cornerstone of an effective child protection system and plays a critical role in protecting children from violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and other protection concerns. A competent and well-supported workforce ensures that children and families can access timely, quality services and support. In Cambodia, social work remains a relatively young profession. There is currently no mandated body responsible for regulating social work education and ensuring compliance with national and regional standards. Most short- and medium-term training programmes are delivered on an ad hoc basis by government and non-government actors, resulting in fragmented and insufficiently coordinated capacity development efforts. To address these challenges, UNICEF has supported the Government to develop a standardized social service workforce curriculum and training packages, which have now been finalized and are being rolled out nationally.
At the same time, Cambodia is increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including floods, droughts, extreme weather events, and climate-induced displacement. These hazards can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and heighten risks to children, including family separation, violence, exploitation, child labour, trafficking, psychosocial distress, and disruptions to essential services. Children living in poverty, children with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups are often disproportionately affected. The ASEAN Regional Guidance for Member States on the Role of Social Workers and the Wider Social Service Workforce in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Resilience recognizes these challenges and highlights the critical role of social service workers in disaster risk reduction, climate adaptation, emergency preparedness, and resilience-building. Beyond responding to immediate protection concerns, social service workers are increasingly required to identify climate-related risks, support vulnerable households before, during, and after disasters, facilitate access to social protection and essential services, strengthen community resilience, and ensure that child protection considerations are integrated into climate and disaster response efforts.
In line with Cambodia's commitment to operationalize the ASEAN Guidance and its climate resilience agenda, which identifies child protection as a priority adaptation sector under the Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0), the National Institute of Social Affairs (NISA) has begun integrating climate change considerations into social service workforce development. With support from UNICEF, a pilot training for selected social service workers was delivered in November 2025 with a view to strengthening their capacity to integrate child protection into disaster risk management and climate action, promote climate adaptation approaches, and enhance preparedness, inclusivity, and resilience within child protection systems. While the pilot training demonstrated the relevance and demand for climate-responsive social service workforce competencies, these capacities are not yet systematically embedded within pre-service or in-service training programmes. To ensure sustainability and scale, NISA has requested UNICEF's support to contextualize and integrate climate change and climate-resilient child protection competencies into the existing social service workforce curriculum and training modules, thereby institutionalizing these skills across the workforce.
Minimum requirements
For every Child, you demonstrate...
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.
- An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
- Cover letter
Remarks
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.
All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.