Research Consultant (Juvenile Justice Expert), Child Protection section, 3 months, ECARO O/P Rome, Italy (Remote)

Organizational Context

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. We are committed, passionate, and proud of our work, viewing the promotion of every child's rights as a calling. UNICEF fosters diverse opportunities for professional and personal development.

Job Purpose

The consultancy aims to enhance the governance, coordination, and operational effectiveness of Italy's protection system for unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). This will be achieved by mapping and capitalizing on existing good practices and interinstitutional coordination mechanisms within the juvenile justice system and its interface with the reception system. The objective is to support national authorities, specifically the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior, in improving the consistency and timeliness of child protection pathways across territories. This aligns with Law 47/2017, the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, and Regulation (EU) 2024/1351, ensuring a more robust and coherent approach to child protection.

Responsibilities

The consultant will work under UNICEF supervision and in close coordination with relevant institutional stakeholders, including Juvenile Courts, Prefectures, Municipalities, and reception actors. Key responsibilities include conducting a structured desk review and mapping of existing territorial protocols, agreements, and interinstitutional coordination mechanisms for UASC reception and case management, assessing their formalization, implementation, and effectiveness. The consultant will design and implement data collection tools, consolidating findings into a database of coordination models. Targeted interviews with Juvenile Court professionals will be conducted to validate findings and assess how formal procedures translate into practice regarding referral pathways, decision timeliness, and continuity of protection. The consultant will identify and document replicable good practices and operational gaps in interinstitutional cooperation between judicial authorities and reception actors. Finally, the consultant will provide analytical outputs, evidence-based inputs, and recommendations to strengthen territorial governance models and contribute to national dialogue on enhancing UASC protection pathways, in line with AMIF priorities, Law 47/2017, and the evolving EU framework.

Work Experience

Minimum of 6 years of proven professional experience in child protection, migration, asylum, and reception systems, with specific focus on unaccompanied and separated children (UASC). Additional 6 years of experience in the justice sector, public policy, governance, institutional strengthening, research, or analysis related to migration management and protection systems. Demonstrated experience working with national and territorial institutions in coordination and multi-stakeholder processes.

Skills

Drafting analytical reports, Mapping exercises, Policy-oriented documentation, Operational recommendations, Child protection systems, Migration and asylum, Reception systems for UASC, Juvenile justice, Interinstitutional coordination, Data collection and analysis, Stakeholder engagement, Knowledge of Italian institutional framework for UASC

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