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,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, advocacy, and operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

UNICEF has consistently supported the Government of Tajikistan in reforming the justice system to ensure it is childfriendly and fully respects the rights of all children in contact with the law—whether they are offenders, victims, or witnesses. This vision prioritizes the protection and well-being of all children involved in judicial proceedings, at every stage of the process. UNICEF has been providing technical assistance to the Government of Tajikistan focusing on policy development, capacity-building for law enforcement and justice professionals, and strengthening the role of social workers within the broader child protection system.

Central to this approach is the recognition that social workers and the broader social service workforce (SSW) play a crucial role that extends beyond the traditional boundaries of the social welfare sector. Their work is integral across a range of systems –including health, education, and justice – where they help identify, reach and support individuals and families who are most at risk of marginalization, neglect or abuse. Their involvement becomes particularly essential when children come into contact with the justice system—as victims, witnesses, alleged offenders, or those in need of protection. SSWs conduct individual assessments, provide psychosocial support during investigations and court proceedings, and promote child-friendly justice approaches. These include diversion programs and alternatives to detention, which help prevent further harm and foster rehabilitation. Recognizing children's developmental, emotional, and educational needs, these approaches shift the focus from punishment to rehabilitation and reintegration.

International frameworks strongly support this shift. Article 40 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) affirms children's right to be treated in a way that promotes dignity, self-worth, and social reintegration. It also obliges States Parties to establish measures for addressing children's cases outside the formal judicial system whenever appropriate.

General Comment No. 24 (2019) further emphasizes that diversion should be a core component of child justice systems, with full respect for children􀀲s rights and legal safeguards.

While the value of social service workers in justice systems is well established globally, Tajikistan is only beginning to integrate these professionals into its justice processes. This marks a significant and positive step toward building a more holistic, rehabilitative, and child-sensitive justice system in the country.

Policy Environment in Tajikistan:
Tajikistan has made important progress in recent years to strengthen the protection of children in contact or conflict with the law. A number of national programs, legal frameworks, and reform initiatives demonstrate the country's commitment to developing a child-friendly justice system aligned with international standards:

• The Juvenile Justice System Reform Programme for 2023-27 and its Action Plan; Within the framework of this programme, the Ministry of Justice has established an inter-agency working group to coordinate the efforts of various state ministries and agencies involved in the reform process.
• The social reintegration and rehabilitation of children in closed and semi closed institutions for 2020-24.
• The Law of the Republic of Tajikistan on prevention of offences by children and adolescents of 2020, and the subsequent National Programme on Prevention of Offences by Children for 2020-2024.

In 2024, with support from UNICEF, the Ministry of Justice and the Inter Agency Working Group (IAWG) conducted preparatory work to introduce a diversion programme that included development of a national Diversion Programme (1) and an analysis of “building blocks” for diversion, such as availability of services for children and the status of social service workforce (SSW) (2). The analysis has revealed that SSW is absent in the field of justice system. This presents a major challenge, as a strong SSW is a core component of diversion mechanisms in line with international best practices and is integral to the diversion scheme already endorsed by IAWG.

How can you make a difference? 

DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

Duration: 30 working days between June - October 2025
Supervisor: Child Protection Officer, UNICEF Tajikistan

UNICEF is seeking an individual international consultant to support the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Population (MoHSPP), the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan (MoIA) in strengthening the SSW in the justice system.

TOR with detailed deliverables and concrete timeframes as at the following link  TOR International Cons SSW Justice.docx

The consultant will play a key role in:

• Developing a comprehensive concept note that clearly defines the:
• Role and responsibilities of the SSW in the justice sector.
• Required qualifications and competencies.
• Formal status and placement of the SSW within the broader system.
• Formulating methodological guidance for SSW practices while working with children in contact and in conflict with the law in line with international standards and child rights principles in the area of juvenile justice.
• Designing and delivering training programmes to enhance the capacities of the SSW to work effectively with children in contact with the law.

This assignment aims to ensure that SSW are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to support prevention, diversion, rehabilitation, and reintegration efforts for children in conflict with or in contact with the law.

The consultant is expected to work closely with the MoHSPP, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice and the inter-agency working group on juvenile justice system reforms. Direct supervision will be provided by the Child Protection Officer with technical oversight from Chief Child Protection.

The consultant is expected to perform and accomplish the following tasks:

• Developing a comprehensive concept note that clearly defines the roles and responsibilities of the SSW in the justice sector (1), necessary qualifications and competencies (2), formal status and placement of the SSW within broader system (3).
• Formulating methodological guidance for SSW practices while working with children in contact and in conflict with the law in line with international standards and child rights principles in the area of juvenile justice.
• Conduct an analysis of existing training modules, tools for case management for children in contact and conflict with the law.
• Based on the analysis, develop assessment tools and case management forms. Using these, create training modules (separately for prevention and diversion) in line with international best practices to enhance the capacities of social workers.
• Conduct training of trainers for selected professionals on the social service workforce in the justice system, specifically during the diversion process and the role of social workers in the child offence prevention work.
• Conduct sensitization meetings/workshops with MoJ, an Inter-Agency Working Group on Juvenile Justice on the role of social workers in the justice system, as well as to present elaborated case management tools.
• Develop recommendations to the Inter-Agency Working Group, MoJ and the MoHSPP on the placement of the social service workforce and collaboration arrangements with the justice system.

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

• Education: Advanced degree in law, criminal justice, child development, child protection, social work, social welfare, psychology, social research or related field.
• Working experience: At least 10 years of professional work experience in Social Service Workforce, Social Work, psychology, mental health and psychosocial support, or related areas.
• Demonstrated knowledge and technical capacity in justice for children, especially child offence prevention and diversion as well as child protection programming
• Expertise: Proven track record in providing technical guidance and assistance in justice for children, diversion, child offence prevention, mediation and linkages between social welfare and the justice sector.
• Skills: Strong coordination skills, analytical and conceptual thinking. Ability to work with large teams and guide policy discussions.
• Ability to provide effective training sessions to frontline professionals.
• Demonstrated skills in working with multi agency groups, including law enforcement, judiciary, and prosecutors. Excellent writing,
  communication, and presentation skills with stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure and commitment to work to tight timeframe.
• Language: Fluency in Russian and English are required.

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

• CV.
• Technical proposal describing approach/methodology to achieve the tasks of the TOR, workplan with concrete timeframes
• Financial proposal in USD-all inclusive, indicting fee per day and cost of the travel: 1 roundtrip air ticket and DSA 5 days (one in-country mission) Annex 3 to be completed. Annex 3 at the link  Annex 3.docx
• At least 2 papers / concept notes previously developed by the candidate or when candidate provided substantial inputs to the documents.
• Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.

Applications must be received in the system by 8 June 2025 on UNICEF website.

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

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.