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Research Consultant (Juvenile Justice Expert), Child Protection section, 3 months, ECARO O/P Rome, Italy (Remote)
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Full Description
Working arrangement: Remote with travels
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.
At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.
Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.
For every child, justice
How can you make a difference?
The assignment aims to strengthen the governance, coordination and operational effectiveness of Italy’s protection system for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) through the mapping and capitalization of existing good practices and interinstitutional coordination mechanisms developed within the juvenile justice system and its interaction with the reception system, with a view to supporting national authorities—particularly the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior—in enhancing the consistency and timeliness of child protection pathways across territories, in line with Law 47/2017 and the implementation priorities stemming from the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and Regulation (EU) 2024/1351.
The consultant will work under UNICEF supervision and in close coordination with relevant institutional stakeholders, including Juvenile Courts, Prefectures, Municipalities and reception actors, to:
•Conduct a structured desk review and mapping of existing territorial protocols, agreements and interinstitutional coordination mechanisms governing the reception and integrated case management of UASC, with a focus on their degree of formalization, operational implementation and effectiveness;
•Design and implement data collection tools and consolidate findings into a structured database of coordination models and practices across selected locations
•Conduct a targeted set number of targeted interviews with selected Juvenile Court professionals, as a complementary tool to validate the findings emerging from the desk review and to assess how formal procedures translate into practice in terms of referral pathways, timeliness of decisions and continuity of protection measures within the reception system;
•Identify and systematically document replicable good practices and operational gaps affecting interinstitutional cooperation between judicial authorities and reception actors, including Prefectures, Regional Ombudspersons, Police departments, Juvenile prosecutor’s offices, Local Authorities, social and health services and voluntary guardianship systems;
•Provide analytical outputs and evidence-based inputs and recommendations to support the strengthening of territorial governance models and contribute to national dialogue aimed at enhancing coordination and consistency of UASC protection pathways, in line with AMIF priorities, Law 47/2017, the abovementioned Vademecum, and the evolving EU framework.
If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here: TMC0002467 External ToR.pdf
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have:
Minimum requirements: (Qualification/Experience/ Knowledge/Expertise/Skills)
Education:
• Advanced University degree in Law, Political Science, Social Sciences, International Relations, Public Policy, Migration Studies or other relevant disciplines.
Work Experience:
• At least 6 years of proven professional experience in the field of child protection, migration, asylum and reception systems, with specific exposure to unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) and other vulnerable groups.
• At least 6 years of professional experience in justice sector work, public policy, governance, institutional strengthening, research and/or analysis related to migration management and protection systems.
• Demonstrated experience in working with national and territorial institutions, including ministries, judicial authorities, Prefectures, Local Authorities and/or public administrations, in the framework of coordination and multi-stakeholder processes.
Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:
• Proven experience in drafting analytical reports, mapping exercises, policy-oriented documentation and operational recommendations. Applicants are required to submit samples of relevant analytical
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