Armenia: Terms of Reference for Contractors International Consultancy on the Rapid Assessment of the Situation of Refugees and Syrian-Armenian Re-Settlers

1.Program information:

UNICEF is mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. The UNICEF staff and experts/consultants should act in accordance with the UN Code of Conduct and UNICEF Mission.

2.Background and Context:

Armenia acceded to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol in 1993. Armenia is also party to a number of international and regional human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture, the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. The second national Law on Refugees and Asylum adopted in 2009 incorporates most of the basic principles of refugee protection enshrined in the 1951 Convention and is overall of an acceptable standard. However, there are also a number of deficiencies in the Law, including in the area of child protection.

The refugee population in Armenia comprises of the following groups: ethnic Armenian prima facie refugees from Azerbaijan, refugees from Iraq and Syria the majority of whom are of Armenian background, refugees from Ukraine and a handful of refugees from other countries recognized through an individual Refugee Status Determination procedure (Iran, Turkey, Lebanon and a few African countries).

Since the start of the conflict in Syria until autumn 2015 over 18,000 persons displaced due to the conflict have at some stage sought protection in Armenia of whom some 16,000 are currently hosted in the country, according to the official data. The Government continues, in principle, to take a very generous approach in offering Syrian Armenians a choice between three protection options namely by way of (i) simplified acquisition of citizenship, (ii) accelerated asylum procedures which resulted in a 100 per cent recognition rate, or (iii) privileged granting of short, mid-term or long-term residence permits. UNHCR Armenia treats Syrian Armenians arriving in Armenia, who did not apply and receive de jure refugee status, as ‘persons in a refugee–like situation’ who, notwithstanding their individual legal status and opportunity to be granted citizenship, continue to experience displacement-related vulnerabilities, requiring an emergency humanitarian response. The overall vulnerability levels continue to increase as most funds brought to Armenia by earlier arrivals are exhausted, while the new arrivals reach destination in destitute conditions.

The majority of refugee, asylum-seeker and displaced children live in urban settings, in particular Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and are accommodated in a mixture of private apartments/individual accommodation, government-run communal centers and dormitories. Refugees, including refugee children, mostly have the same rights as Armenian nationals. However, in actual practice, refugees face many obstacles in achieving self-reliance and meaningful integration.

Refugee children and youth are particularly vulnerable, for which reason they need special care and assistance. Based on participatory assessment and direct service provision by UNHCR NGO partners, a number of child protection concerns and cases have been identified. These protection concerns include inter alia some difficulties accessing or continuing education, experience of trauma or violence pre-flight, unmet psycho-social needs and limited response capacities, separation of families, as well as possible unidentified cases of separated children, some cases of child abuse, exposure to domestic violence and possibly exploitation, and refugee children with disabilities facing challenges in accessing appropriate assistance and support.

According to UNICEF Core Commitment for Children (CCCs) guidelines, addressing child protection in humanitarian action requires quickly restoring and strengthening a range of child protection mechanisms to prevent and respond to various forms of violence, abuse and exploitation including separation of children from their families; association with armed forces and groups; exposure to GBV; and psychosocial distress. In order to effectively address child protection issues, it is important to recognize that CP is not only a stand-alone programme but also a cross-cutting issue that must be integrated into all aspects of humanitarian response. Beyond the specific CP sectoral response, the effectiveness of other sectors’ response should be strengthened through the integration of CP considerations: (e.g. ensuring all programmes include referral mechanisms for individuals requiring psychosocial support, or for potential victims of abuse and exploitation; support training of health workers on clinical management of sexual violence, facilitate delivery of key prevention messages as well as on location and access to services for survivors of GBV through different sectoral community workers, etc.). According to CCCs in Emergencies, emphasis should be laid on strengthening existing community based mechanisms for child protection. An inter-agency plan should be developed and implemented for prevention of and response to child recruitment; advocacy against illegal and arbitrary detention for conflict affected children should be conducted. All unaccompanied and separated children should be identified and placed in family-based care or an appropriate alternative and provided with counselling for mothers/caregivers on child development, psycho-social needs in case of emergencies.

Protection of children from all forms of violence, abuse and exploitation has been one of the priority areas of UNICEF engagement in Armenia for many years. Despite its hidden nature, violence against children exists and many studies show that victims of physical and sexual abuse during childhood have an increased risk of becoming violent offenders themselves. The same refers to refugee children and youth who are among vulnerable groups in Armenia due to a lot of psychological and mental anxieties and various forms of violence and abuse they are at risk of being exposed to and/or exposed due to their unstable status and persisting intolerance by locals to accept them to their country.

UNICEF in Armenia together with its sister agency UNHCR will partner in a project to address violence and abuse issues among refugee children and youth in Armenia and support implementation of mechanisms to foster a protective environment for them. This will be realized through:

1. Rapid assessment of the situation of refugees and persons displaced from Syria, with a specific focus on refugee children and youth in Armenia, including in some dormitories and social houses where refugees reside, and
2. Provision of recommendations to UNICEF and the Government of Armenia for required interventions both at national and local levels to address those issues.

3. Overall purpose of the assignment

UNICEF in Armenia is looking for an international consultant that will review and undertake rapid assessment of the situation of child protection issues among refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria to Armenia, including in the urban setting living in private apartments, Government dormitories and reception centres, and develop a package of recommendations for UNICEF, UNHCR and the Government of Armenia and all involved parties with the goal of improving the situation of refugee children and youth in Armenia. The assessment methodology and scope of engagement should be in line with UNICEF CCC in emergencies. The consultant will work with a local expert and will undertake rapid assessment of the situation of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria to Armenia through in-depth interviews and face-to face meetings and will also look into the existing legislation, bylaws and key procedures relevant for refugees and asylum seekers in Armenia.

The obtained and analyzed information will result in a final report with recommendations for improving the situation of refugee children and youth in Armenia. The recommendations for the improvement of the situation of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria will be presented at a workshop at a later stage.

4. Duty station: Yerevan, Armenia

5. Supervisor: The consultant will be supervised and report to UNICEF Deputy Representative and UNICEF Representative about the progress of the consultancy. The consultant will work on a daily basis with UNICEF Child Protection section and will remain in close contact with UNHCR Protection Officer. The Child Protection section will interact with the chosen consultant in negotiation and communicating through e-mail correspondence while outside of Armenia as well as support the consultant in the country.

6. Major tasks to be accomplished:

1. Develop research methodology and conduct desk review: Develop timeline, description of tasks and outline of the report. Conduct a desk review of international standards, (regional) good practices, available national studies, evaluations and reports, and data from relevant ministries and agencies. The assessment methodology and scope of work should be in line with UNICEF CCC in emergencies.

2. Conduct analysis of Armenia’s legal and policy framework, as well as mechanisms and procedures and undertake field assessment:

Undertake rapid assessment of the situation of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria based on existing legislation and policies; conduct in-depth interviews and face to face meetings with refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria, in order to identify child protection concerns including inter alia:

• difficulties accessing or continuing education
• need for and availability of child-friendly spaces
• experience of trauma or violence pre-flight;
• experience of the asylum procedure and its impact on refugee children health (physical, mental) and welfare
• psycho-social needs and response capacities;
• prevalence of child abuse, exposure to domestic violence and exploitation (including labour, sexual etc.)
• prevalence of separated families and protection impact on children;
• mechanisms for identification of unaccompanied and separated children and available systems for access to the asylum procedure and appropriate accommodation/care-system including option of refugee foster-families
• capacity of relevant partners (government and non-government) to undertake best interest assessments
• protection of refugee children with disabilities
• gender awareness
• protection of sexual minorities and gender identity issues
• integration within the local community, self-perceptions and evidence of links with local population, main challenges to integration of children Organise meetings with refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria to Armenia; community-based organisations; NGOs working with refugees including social workers, psychologists and case-workers; NGOs within the child protection network; State Migration Service; Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Integrated Social Services and Social Protection Units; Management of social housing and reception centre; UNHCR and other international organisations to collect and synthetize information for assessment of the situation.
  3. Produce a final assessment report on the situation of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria to Armenia:
• Draft the report based on the comprehensive assessment related to the situation of refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria
• Provide concrete recommendations to UNICEF, UNHCR and the Government of Armenia on relevant amendments, including on legal amendments, policy development and project activities
• Undertake validation of the findings during workshop, which would be reflected in the final report
• Consult the research results with Armenian authorities, UNHCR and UNICEF. Finalize the report, based on comments and recommendations received.

4**. Deliver a workshop and present key findings and recommendations, as well as share best practices:**

Produce a brief presentation of the key findings and recommendations of the final report and present it to key Government counterparts, NGOs, community based organisations and youth representatives and experts, undertake validation of the findings and share best practices at a workshop.

7. Deliverables:

1. Research methodology developed and desk review conducted in line with UNICEF CCC in emergencies.
2. Assessment conducted: Field work completed and information collected from informants.
3. Final report with recommendations drafted and presented to UNICEF.

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines (fees reduced due to late submission: 20 days - 10%; 1 month-20%; 2 months-50%; more 2 months – payment withhold). This ToR is an integral part of the contract (SSA) signed with the consultant

8.Time-Frame:

The selected consultant will work a total of 36days: 14 days remotely to undertake desk review and analysis of existing documentation, 14 daysin the country mission, 5 days out of country for preparing the report, then 3 days back in the country to present the report to stakeholders during the month of end October-November, 2015. The exact schedule of the activities will be agreed with the contractor based on the project implementation progress. The deadline for submission of final deliverables to UNICEF is mid-December, 2015.

9. Qualifications or specialized knowledge/experience required:

• Advanced degree in Human Rights, Child Rights and Child Protection, Social Science and Psychology;
• At least 5 years of experience in conducting assessments, in particular similar assessments for UNICEF is an asset, with a particular focus on refugees, in particular children and youth, analysis of legal framework and provision of policy-level recommendations that can be practically applied in the national context.
• Ability to conduct in-depth assessment with refugee children and youth of many different backgrounds and profiles, in particular those being victims of violence (sexual, physical, etc), LGBT, analyses and synthetize information and keep professional confidentiality due to sensitivity of the issue
• Proven track-record of successful situational analysis and policy development strategy;
• Proven sufficient capacities that ensure a successful completion and high quality of deliverables
• Experience in working with or in the field of refugee protection and asylum is an asset
• Experience in working in CEE/CIS region is an asset
• Fluency in English (written and spoken)
• Profound communication skills to interact with refugees, asylum-seekers and persons displaced by the conflict in Syria to Armenia , in particular children and young adults and cope with emotional situations
• Excellent listening, observational and verbal communication skills Sensitivity, empathy and rapport

10. Procedures and logistics:

UNICEF will cover the international travel costs and DSA for the period spent in the country. Whenever the consultant will be required to travel within Armenia a travel authorization (TA) will be issued to the consultant and travel expenses provided on the basis of UNICEF standards. UNICEF does not provide or arrange health insurance coverage for consultants, but will cover the injury costs if those happen during the duty through a partner insurance company (in a separate attachment).

Interested individuals are requested to express their interest to UNICEF in Armenia within 2 weeks from the date of the publication of this announcement, by 2 November, 2015 specifying:

• The methodology they intend to use in implementing the assigned tasks;
• A detailed workplan (with activities and timeframe) for the completion of the assigned tasks;
• Detailed budget for completing the assignment;
• CV, UN P11 form and a letter of motivation.

All necessary documents should be provided in English to the following e-mail address: mmovsesyan@unicef.org.

The final selection of the consultant will be conducted by UNICEF in Armenia based on the qualifications of the candidates, their relevant experience, and the quality of the proposal presented.

UNICEF does not provide or arrange life or health insurance coverage for consultants and individual

Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the period of their services as they consider appropriate. The responsibility of UNICEF is limited solely to the payment of compensation for service-incurred death, injury or illness as per the provisions detailed below. UNICEF Armenia reserves the right not to pay the Contractor or withhold part of the payable amount if one or more requirements established for this assignment is not met or deadline set for the accomplishment of the tasks is missed.