CFPs: Community-Based Child Protection and Adolescent Empowerment Partnership (Fiji)

UNICEF is inviting organizations in Fiji to apply for a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) to strengthen child protection through community-based approaches, positive parenting, social norms change, and adolescent empowerment. Organizations may apply for one or more outcome areas, focusing on violence prevention, gender equality, mental health, quality child protection services, and youth leadership.

About the UNICEF Fiji Child Protection Partnership

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is seeking partners to strengthen community-based child protection systems across Fiji. The initiative promotes positive parenting, challenges harmful gender and social norms, strengthens child protection services, and empowers children and adolescents to become leaders in preventing violence and promoting gender equality.

Organizations are encouraged to build sustainable, community-led approaches that improve child safety, mental well-being, and access to protection services.

Programme Objectives

The programme aims to:

• Strengthen community-based child protection systems.
• Promote non-violent parenting practices.
• Challenge harmful gender stereotypes and social norms.
• Prevent violence, abuse, exploitation, and harmful practices against children.
• Improve children’s mental health and psychosocial well-being.
• Strengthen the capacity of child protection service providers.
• Empower adolescents to become advocates for child rights and gender equality.
• Improve access to integrated and inclusive child protection services.

Priority Focus Areas

The programme supports projects that address:

• Child protection
• Violence prevention
• Positive parenting
• Gender equality
• Social norms transformation
• Mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)
• Adolescent empowerment
• Community engagement
• Child participation
• Referral systems
• Protection-focused community development

Outcome Area 1: Supporting Parents and Caregivers

Projects may include:

• Parenting education modules.
• Positive and non-violent parenting training.
• Parenting engagement sessions.
• Home visits.
• Parent support groups.
• Community-based parenting initiatives.
• Resources that strengthen caregivers’ knowledge and skills.

Outcome Area 2: Strengthening Communities and Social Norms

Activities may include:

• Child protection awareness campaigns.
• Community dialogue sessions.
• Gender equality promotion.
• Mental health awareness.
• Substance misuse prevention.
• Harm minimization education.
• Help-seeking behaviour campaigns.
• Engagement of community and faith leaders.

Outcome Area 3: Strengthening Child Protection Services

Eligible activities include:

• Mental health and psychosocial support counselling.
• Safe referral systems.
• Service mapping.
• Case referral mechanisms.
• Capacity building for frontline workers.
• Professional supervision and mentoring.
• Integrated child protection service delivery.

Outcome Area 4: Adolescent and Child Empowerment

Projects may support:

• Life skills education.
• Leadership development.
• Adolescent girls’ empowerment programmes.
• Child protection awareness.
• Sexual and reproductive health and rights education.
• Gender equality promotion.
• Substance misuse awareness.
• Peer educator initiatives.
• Youth advocacy programmes.
• Youth-led organizations.

Partnership Flexibility

Organizations do not need to implement every outcome area.

Applicants may:

• Apply for one outcome area.
• Combine multiple outcome areas.
• Design integrated child protection programmes.
• Allocate resources according to their expertise and capacity.

Applications should clearly explain:

• Selected outcome areas.
• Planned activities.
• Budget allocation.
• Expected results.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligible applicants include organizations working in Fiji on child protection and related sectors.

Suitable organizations may include:

• Civil society organizations (CSOs)
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Community-based organizations
• Faith-based organizations
• Youth organizations
• Child protection service providers
• Organizations working with children, adolescents, families, and communities

Why This Partnership Matters

The initiative helps:

• Reduce violence against children.
• Promote positive parenting practices.
• Improve children’s mental health.
• Strengthen community ownership of child protection.
• Build gender-equitable communities.
• Improve coordination among child protection service providers.
• Empower adolescents to become community leaders.
• Strengthen referral and protection systems across Fiji.

How to Apply

Step 1: Identify Your Area of Expertise

Determine whether your organization will focus on:

• Parenting support
• Community engagement
• Child protection services
• Youth empowerment
• Multiple integrated outcomes

Step 2: Design the Programme

Prepare activities that align with UNICEF’s child protection objectives and demonstrate measurable outcomes.

Step 3: Prepare the Expression of Interest

Include:

• Organizational profile.
• Selected outcome areas.
• Project objectives.
• Planned activities.
• Implementation approach.
• Resource allocation.
• Expected results.
• Monitoring and evaluation plan.

Step 4: Demonstrate Organizational Capacity

Explain your experience in:

• Child protection.
• Community engagement.
• Mental health.
• Gender equality.
• Youth participation.
• Partnership delivery.

Step 5: Submit the Expression of Interest

Complete the UNICEF application according to the published Call for Expression of Interest requirements before the submission deadline.

Tips for a Strong Application

To strengthen your proposal:

• Focus on measurable child protection outcomes.
• Demonstrate strong community engagement.
• Include gender-sensitive approaches.
• Show experience working with children and adolescents.
• Explain referral and safeguarding mechanisms.
• Include partnerships with local leaders and service providers.
• Present a realistic implementation plan.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid:

• Selecting outcome areas without demonstrating expertise.
• Providing vague implementation plans.
• Failing to explain community participation.
• Omitting safeguarding and referral mechanisms.
• Ignoring monitoring and evaluation methods.
• Submitting unclear budget allocations.
• Overlooking adolescent participation and leadership opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Who is organizing this opportunity?

The Call for Expression of Interest is issued by UNICEF for child protection partnerships in Fiji.

2. What is the main objective of the programme?

The programme aims to strengthen community-based child protection, improve parenting practices, promote gender equality, and empower adolescents while preventing violence against children.

3. Can organizations apply for only one outcome area?

Yes. Organizations may apply for one or more outcome areas depending on their expertise and capacity.

4. What types of activities are supported?

Eligible activities include parenting programmes, awareness campaigns, mental health services, referral systems, leadership programmes, youth engagement, and child protection capacity building.

5. Who are the primary beneficiaries?

Children, adolescents, parents, caregivers, community leaders, frontline service providers, and vulnerable families across Fiji.

6. Does the programme include mental health activities?

Yes. The programme supports mental health promotion, psychosocial support services, counselling, and community awareness activities.

7. What should organizations include in their application?

Applicants should clearly identify their chosen outcome areas, planned activities, implementation approach, resource allocation, organizational experience, and expected results.

Conclusion

The UNICEF Fiji Child Protection Partnership offers organizations an opportunity to strengthen child protection systems through community engagement, positive parenting, gender equality, mental health support, and adolescent leadership. By allowing applicants to focus on one or multiple outcome areas, the programme encourages flexible, locally driven partnerships that improve the safety, well-being, and rights of children and adolescents across Fiji.