Home-based Consultancy: Community Engagement Consultant

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.

For every child, Protection

Scope of work
In response to growing attention from the Italian Ministry of Interior and local authorities, UNICEF seeks to commission a comprehensive assessment to generate actionable evidence on the profiles, risks, and protection gaps affecting Bangladeshi unaccompanied and separated children (UASC) in Italy. The objective is to inform strategic programming, advocacy, and coordination efforts at both national and transnational levels. The scope of work will include profiling and documenting the experiences of Bangladeshi UASC along the entire migration journey—from pre-departure to post-arrival in Italy.

In this context, the consultancy at stake will add to the work of a researcher tasked with the assessment of effectiveness and limitations of current identification, age assessment, and referral systems in cases where children may be misclassified as adults through community engagement as well as involvement of Bangladeshi UASC. This will primarily include the search and translation of relevant sources informing the initial desk review (e.g. statistics, documents issued by the Bangladeshi authorities, UNICEF Bangladesh Country Office reports, etc.), as per the researcher's guidance, as well as support in the review of methodology and tools aimed at community engagement. Particular attention will be paid to the outreach of key representatives of Bangladeshi diaspora and youth, in the view of organizing focus group discussions on protection risks and service gaps, especially those impacting misclassified children for which linguistic and cultural mediation will be needed. Finally, the consultant will support the review of the final assessment report and recommendations aimed at strengthening cross-border coordination and enhancing programmatic responses to better protect Bangladeshi UASC.

• Work location: Home-based in Italy
• Payment schedule: The consultant will be paid based on satisfactory and timely submission of deliverables.
• Duration: 27 working days during 3 months between September 2025 and November 2025.
• Travel: The Consultant will be expected to travel within Italy. The Consultant will be responsible for organizing their travel. Travel expenses (tickets, accommodation, public transport, meals) will be reimbursed. The maximum amount allocated for travel will be EUR 3,000.
• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of mission upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSafe certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.
• Consultants are required to comply with locally applicable security measures, including obtaining security clearance from the UN Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) prior to any official travel, including in instances, whereby travel is arranged by the consultant and no Travel Authorization is raised in system. If applicable, the consultant will also need to reserve accommodation in pre-approved hotels/guest houses only, as per local DSS security advisory.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Education
High School Diploma is required.

Work Experience Required

• Prior experience working in community-based settings or with community development initiatives
• Prior experience in linguistic and cultural mediation

Knowledge Required

• Familiarity with Bangladeshi migration dynamics affecting the Italian context, with special regard to UASC
• Sound understanding of Bangladeshi community-based associations and/or cultural organizations in Italy

Language Required

• Fluent Bengali.
• Intermediate English.
• Proficient Italian.

Desirable

• Experience working with UNICEF or other UN agencies, particularly in the areas of child protection, migration, or identity systems.
• Familiarity with child protection standards, including the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS).
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage tight deadlines, and coordinate with cross-country teams.
• Experience working collaboratively with local stakeholders, including government entities, community leaders, and migrant communities.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

To view our competency framework, please visit  here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world's most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered "staff members" under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF's policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.