Individual Technical expert (consultancy) to assist the ACERWC’s activities on children without parental care

1. Background

• The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) notes with concern that Children Without Parental Care (CWPC) in Africa are increasingly facing various challenges. The recently concluded report of the ACERWC finds that common risks faced by CWPC include exposure to sexual and other forms of abuse, delinquency, substance and drug abuse, hazardous work, mental health issues, limited access to education and healthcare services, and living in environments unsuitable for their emotional and physical wellbeing and development. Available secondary data shows that there are an estimated 35 million CWPC in Africa, drawn from categories such as children in child marriages, child-headed households, street-connected children, children on the move, children in detention, and children in institutional and residential care settings. Major root causes include wars and conflict, climate change, natural disasters, pandemics, poverty, maltreatment, orphanhood, child trafficking, and socio-economic and cultural factors.
• In response to these challenges, some Member States have established policies, laws, and institutions with programmatic responses in collaboration with various stakeholders. However, the Committee notes that national policies, legislation, frameworks, and practices to provide quality care and support for these children are inadequate. There is lack of leadership in developing family-based and family-like care settings, with a planned move, away from institutional and residential care. Noting that many CWPC in Africa face multiple challenges and higher risks of discrimination, abuse, exploitation, limited access to basic services, and inadequate care, the ACERWC established a Special Rapporteur on children without parental care as one of its Special Mechanisms. To assist the Special Rapporteur in executing her mandate, the ACERWC would like to collaborate with SOS Children’s Villages International (SOS CVI) to hire a qualified Technical Expert with extensive experience on CWPC issues in the African context.

2. Roles and Responsibilities of the Technical Expert

• The core objective of the technical expert is to assist to advance the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Children Without Parental Care. The specific roles include:
• Assist the development of the ACERWC’s General Comment on Article 25 by among others, reviewing drafts, coordinating validation workshops, and drafting presentations as required.
• Assist the development of a monitoring tool for Children Without Parental Care, including review of drafts, coordination of validation workshops as required.
• Assist the ACERWC Secretariat to produce and disseminate critical ACERWC documents, such as statements and briefs, adapting content as necessary.
• Support the ACERWC learning missions on CWPC, by among others, ensuring smooth execution and documentation of learnings.
• Contribute expertise across various ACERWC Secretariat activities as required.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Executive Secretary.

3. Required qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, public policy, International Human/Child Rights law/policy.
• 10 years of experience in child rights policies, and programmes.
• Excellent knowledge of international, continental, regional and national policy instruments and frameworks on child rights including the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) as well as the works of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC).
• Excellent conceptual, analytical, and writing skills.
• Fluency in spoken and written English is a requirement and knowledge of other African Union languages is an advantage.

4. Reporting/supervision

The Technical Expert reports to the Executive Secretary of the ACERWC Secretariat. The Expert will also share a monthly progress through the ACERWC Secretariat to the SOS Children’s Villages International.

The position holder will be seconded to the ACERWC and will sign consultancy service agreement with SOS Children’s Village’s International. The renumeration package will be based on experience, qualifications and as per the Terms and Conditions of SOS Children Villages International.

5. Duration

The contractual period is four months with possible extensions after approval of the ACERWC Secretariat and subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables.

6. Location

The technical expert will work remotely from their home, utilizing digital platforms for communication and collaboration. Travel may be necessary for occasional meetings or on-site engagements.