INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION
ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technologies, with the mission to connect the world. To achieve this, ITU manages the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits at the international level, works to improve communication infrastructure in the developing world, and establishes global standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communication systems.
ITU applies a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of harassment. ITU is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. Achieving gender balance is a high priority for ITU.
Child Online Protection Consultant Roster
Vacancy notice no: 1359
Sector: BDT
Department: DNE
Country of contract: Remote
Duty station: Home Based
Position number: [[positionNumber]]
Grade: [[PositionGrade]]
Type of contract: Roster
Duration of contract: n/a
Recruitment open to: External
Application deadline (Midnight Geneva Time): 31 December 2026
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT
The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT) is responsible for the organization and coordination of the work of the Telecommunication Development Sector of the Union. BDT deals mainly with development policies, strategies, programming, projects, as well as technical cooperation activities to enable and foster universal access to affordable, high-quality and secure telecommunications/ICTs and Foster equitable and inclusive use of telecommunications/ICTs to empower people and societies for sustainable development. To effectively and efficiently serve the needs of Member States, BDT is organized into four functional areas:
- Operations Coordination Department (Office of the Deputy to the Director) (DDR)
- Projects, Partnerships & Digital Skills Department (PPS)
- Digital Networks & Environment Department (DNE)
- Digital Knowledge Society Department (DKS)
The Digital Networks & Environment Department (DNE) is responsible to assist the Member States, especially the G77 countries, in a wide range of ICT development challenges, as basic connectivity, spectrum management, evolution of current to future broadband networks and technologies, enabling universal and affordable access, and strengthening the security through the cybersecurity support. In addition, the DNE Department provides expertise and needed support for emergency telecommunications and the increasingly important and urgent aspects related to the environment and climate change.
The increasing digitalization of today's world has heightened the opportunities children and young people have access to online. At the same time, it has created new challenges to children's safety digitally and protecting children online has emerged as a significant challenge to be addressed.
The Child Online Protection Guidelines devised by ITU outline recommendations for all relevant stakeholders on how to contribute to the development of a safe and empowering online environment for children and young people. In partnership with the National Cybersecurity Authority of Saudi Arabia, ITU launched a global child online protection programme, implemented through the three-year project entitled "Creating a Safe and Prosperous Cyberspace for Children". The project covers the implementation of the 2020 Child Online Protection Guidelines through digital skills development with all relevant target audiences (workstream 1) and policy support on child online protection (workstream 2). Activities of the first workstream include the translation and dissemination of the Child Online Protection Guidelines into national languages, the development of face-to-face trainings for children and youth, and train the trainer's programmes for parents and educators, and ICT professionals. Activities of the second workstream include the provision of support to member states in their development of national frameworks for Child Online Protection, capacity building for ICT professionals and government stakeholders, enhanced cooperation amongst Child Online Protection stakeholders and support in the creation of Youth Taskforces on Child Online Protection.
All related activities undertaken by ITU on Child Online Protection may include efforts on strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, communications and promotions and event organisation. ITU is looking for talents to support the implementation of the activities within the ITU Child Online Protection Global Programme and Initiative.
The selected applicants will be included in a roster.
Depending on the areas of intervention, identified candidates with the necessary knowledge, skills and local expertise will be contacted to complement ITU's work on child online protection at the global, regional, or country level.
Under the guidance of the ITU Project Manager and focal point on Child Online Protection and in close collaboration with the relevant ITU Regional Offices, the consultant will provide technical support to the implementation of the project's activities at the national, regional and global levels.
He/she will provide technical support throughout the programming processes to facilitate the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable ITU contribution to national and regional efforts to create a protective online environment for children against all harms and to protect their rights to survival, education, development, participation and well-being as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/framework and UN intergovernmental bodies. Furthermore, depending on the expertise and experience, the consultant will support ITU’s global efforts related to Child Online Protection.
To this extent, depending on the areas of expertise, the consultant will:
- Manage administrative tasks relating to the area of intervention.
- Support capacity building activities with relevant target audiences at the national and regional level.
- Coordinate the validation and implementation of Child Online Protection strategies and/or roadmaps at the national level.
- Design, coordinate and facilitate child participation related activities at the national level.
- Identity, develop and support partnerships and working relationships with partner institutions at the national, regional and /or global level.
- Support communications on project related activities, events and outcomes.
- Coordinate work reports of the various member states and centralize these updates with the ITU Project Manager and focal point on Child Online Protection.
- Monitor and regularly report on relevant national, regional and/or global activities.
- Carry out research, collect relevant best practices, success stories and case studies as appropriate.
- Contribute to the communication and promotion of ITU products, activities and efforts related to Child Online Protection
- Oversee multi-stakeholders development of national curriculum on online safety.
- Support activities about specific child right implications, including but not limited to accessibility, inclusion, play, privacy, well-being and mental health.
- Other related activities as may be defined according to ITU needs.
Concrete deliverables will depend on the area of intervention of the consultant (Capacity building, Child (Online) Protection, Child participation, Child rights, Cybersecurity and Digital inclusion, Education, ICT, Pedagogy, Policy development).
Below listed working documents are requested to be delivered:
- Submission of draft work plan.
- Issue regular reporting to ITU.
- Mid-cycle and end-of-project PowerPoint presentations summarizing implementation of relevant activities.
- Work reports containing summaries of key observations during meetings, and regular progress reports - via email, online meetings, or progress report documents (Word or PowerPoint slides).
- Quarterly reports on advancement of activities responsible for within the national implementation of the child online protection global project.
- Elaboration of an end-of-project case study (max. 5 pages) presenting the results of the project, lessons learned and best practices.
- Other related deliverables may be required according to ITU needs.
Core competencies: Applying Expertise; Effective Communication; Learning and Knowledge Sharing; Organizational Commitment; Results Focused, and; Teamwork and Collaboration.
Essential Functional competencies: Analysis, Judgement and Decision- Making; Client and Service Orientation; Innovation and Facilitating Change, and; Planning and Organizing.
Essential Technical competencies: Excellent ability to coordinate activities and communicate. Excellent editing skills and ability to produce high quality reports and documentation in English.
Education:
University degree in Telecommunication, Computer Science, Engineering, International Relations and Diplomacy, Child Rights, Education OR education from a reputed college of advanced education with a diploma of equivalent standard to that of a university degree in one of the fields above.
Experience:
At least two (2) years of experience in the field relevant to the Special Service Agreement (SSA), including at least two at the international level. A Doctorate in a related field can be considered as a substitute for two years of working experience.
Experience and/or knowledge in at least ONE of the following subjects is required:
- Capacity building, through developing content for, and/or delivering trainings and other capacity building activities to one or more of the following stakeholders: children, parents/carers/guardians, policymakers, law enforcement, social workers, ICT professionals.
- Child (Online) Protection, through a degree or research focus, or a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a relevant field or organization.
- Child participation, through direct work with children supporting their right to participation.
- Child rights, through a degree or research focus, or a minimum of 2 years relevant professional experience.
- Cybersecurity and Digital inclusion, through experience in supporting the development of a safe and inclusive digital environment and/or cybersecurity community.
- Education, through developing educational content, curricula or programmes for children and young people.
- ICT, through a degree or research focus, or a minimum of 2 years' experience in a relevant organization.
- Pedagogy, through experience in pedagogy either through a relevant degree or a minimum of 2 years professional experience to work with children and young people.
- Policy development expertise through supporting government stakeholders in the development of policies, frameworks and / or roadmaps for implementation.
- Regional expertise through a degree or research focus, or a minimum of 2 years professional experience at the international level, in one of six ITU regions: Africa, Americas, Arab states, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States OR Europe.
- Project Management through a degree or a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a relevant field or organization.
- Partnerships and resource mobilization through experience in partnerships either through a relevant degree or a minimum of 2 years professional experience.
- Communications through a degree or a minimum of 2 years’ experience in a relevant field or organization.
Languages:
Knowledge of English or French at advanced level.
Daily rates salary to be defined according to the work experience of the consultant in the field of expertise (1 to 2 years of experience: USD$ 145 / 3 to 4 years of experience: US$ 185 / 5 to 6 years of experience: US$ 230 / 7 to 9 years of experience: US$ 280)
INFORMATION ON RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Please note that all candidates must complete an on-line application and provide complete and accurate information. To apply, please visit the ITU career website. The evaluation of candidates is based on the criteria in the vacancy notice, and may include tests and/or assessments, as well as a competency-based interview. ITU uses communication technologies such as video or teleconference, e-mail correspondence, etc. for the assessment and evaluation of candidates. Please note that only selected candidates will be further contacted and candidates in the final selection step will be subject to reference checks based on the information provided. Messages originating from a non ITU e-mail account - @itu.int - should be disregarded. ITU does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
