Consultancy – Social Policy Consultant

tendersglobal.net

JOB DESCRIPTION

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, Protection. 

Consultancy title: Social Policy Consultant (Social Protection).

Duration: 11 months (231 working days)

Social Protection is one of the five priority acceleration areas for UNICEF in the MENA region. Social protection responses to COVID from governments have been critical in providing much needed support to mitigate socio-economic impacts and UNICEF has worked closely with governments across the region with both policy and operational technical assistance.1 However, social protection systems in MENA face challenges and weaknesses that need to be addressed to move towards the principles of UNICEF’s Global Social Protection Programme Framework (2019), the relevant Strategic Plan indicators, as well as the SDG commitments around expanding Social Protection Floors. This acceleration area aims to:

• Advocate and credibly push for (progressively) universal coverage of social protection for children in MENA countries
• Strengthen national social protection systems, including to make them more inclusive, integrated, and shock-responsive

Working closely with the Regional Adviser and team, the Consultant will support the Social Policy Section’s efforts towards these goals by working on a series of output deliverables. A key component of the work on the Accelerator relates to the second phase of the PROSPECTS partnership. At the regional level such activities will be related to the coordination and facilitation of progress review calls, and the development of a Concept Note on the development of capacity building material related to the inclusion include refugees and people on the move in national social protection systems.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work

Under supervision of the Regional Adviser for Social Policy working closely with the Social Policy Specialists, the Consultant will be responsible for the following:

Regional initiatives:

• Issue-based Coalition on Social Protection:
  • Support in the organization of three Issue-Based Coalition on Social Protection calls (scheduling, invites) and in the production of minutes.
  • Support in the organization of the follow-up event to the 2021 Ministerial Forum (a partnership with UNESCWA and ILO).

• TRANSFORM Arab Region Initiative – jointly with ILO
  • Organization of four Advisory Group calls (draft agenda, prepare presentations, facilitate the call, finalize and share minutes)
  • Draft and present to the AG the updated rolling workplan for 2024-2025
  • Provide guidance to six country offices in the organization of TRANSFORM trainings (kick-off call, provide clarity on the structure/content/processes related to the training, share TOR template, contact with trainers, selection of trainers)
  • Coordinate other Workplan activities such as material adaptations and accreditation of trainers.

• • Lead in the development of capacity building material on the expansion of social protection coverage to refugees and people on the move.
    • • Organization of Country Office and inter-agency calls to coordinate PROSPECTS activities (draft agenda, prepare presentations, facilitate the call, finalize and share minutes)
      • Coordination with HQ on knowledge management and global research products

Technical support to Country Offices:

• Support COs in the update of their Accelerators milestones and in their monitoring.
• Knowledge Management:
  • Organization of four quarterly regional SP network calls (draft agenda, organize call, share minutes)
  • Propose restructuring of the MENARO SP KM site.

• Deliver MENA’s contribution to HQ’s 4 quarterly social policy and social protection newsletters, by seeking and reviewing input from Cos and MENA SP team.
• Coordinate the review of regional evidence pieces for PROSPECTS programmes.

Production and sharing of knowledge products on social protection

• Coordinate the study “Assessing social protection programmes for impact on nutrition outcomes in MENA” – manage the timeline, organize the review of deliverables, organize calls with partners (Nutrition RO Colleagues, Institutional Consultants, CO teams, WFP).
• Gather and provide technical inputs to the deliverables of the Technical Assistance on the “Consultancy to Strengthen CP and SP Service Integration”. Attend meetings organized by the CP Section, review deliverables, provide input on activities.

Planning and reporting activities of the MENARO Social Policy section

• Coordinate the 2023 reporting, the 2023 Country Offices CSIs review (RO quality assurance) and 2024 planning of MENARO Social Policy section by drafting a timeline for internal discussion and review, receiving and consolidating input by team members, organize discussion sessions, and sharing with the team agreed next steps and action points.

Deliverables

Coordination of regional initiatives:

• 2-4x Minutes of Issue-Based Coalition on Social Protections calls.
• Reviewed agenda of the follow-up event to the 2021 Ministerial Forum.
• 2-4x Minutes of TRANSFORM Advisory Group calls
• TRANSFORM updated rolling workplan for 2024-2025
• 3-6x short completion reports on country-level TRANSFORM trainings.
  • Coordinate other Workplan activities such as material adaptations and accreditation of trainers.
• Concept Note outlining options for the development of capacity building material on the inclusion of refugees and people on the move in national social protection systems

Technical support to Country Offices:

• Report on the update of CO Accelerator Milestones.
• 4x Minutes of Quarterly Regional SP Network calls.
• 4x edited MENA contributions to the HQ Quarterly Social policy and social protection newsletters. (Note: for direct contribution to the HQ newsletter folders, a UNICEF email and access to Sharepoint will be necessary).
• 2-4x Minutes of CO/Inter-agency coordination calls on PROSPECTS
• 1 Summary report on status and quality assurance of regional evidence generation products under PROSPECTS 2.0

Production and sharing of knowledge products on social protection

• Final study “Assessing social protection programmes for impact on nutrition outcomes in MENA” with compilated comments by all stakeholders.
• 2x short progress reports on the “Consultancy to Strengthen CP and SP Service Integration”.
• Restructuring and quarterly update of the MENARO SP KM site. (Note: for this deliverable a UNICEF email and access to Sharepoint will be necessary).

Planning and reporting activities of the MENARO Social Policy section

• 1 Social Policy Team 2023-2024 reporting and planning timeline
• 1 Consolidated CSIs review report
• 1 Consolidated minute of planning and reporting SP team meetings

Work Assignment Overview Task/Milestones Deliverables/Outputs Timeline

• Review and plan interventions and activities

Workplan December 2023

• First Issue-Based Coalition call completed
• First TRANSFORM Advisory Group meeting completed.
• TRANSFORM rolling workplan updated
• CSIs review report.
• Consolidate minute of planning and reporting SP team meetings.
• 1st progress report on the “Consultancy to Strengthen CP and SP Service Integration” completed.
• 1 CO/Inter-agency coordination calls on PROSPECTS completed.

Quarterly Progress Report 1 February 2024

• TRANSFORM rolling workplan approved by AG.
• At least 2 country-level TRANSFORM training reports.
• 2nd progress report on the “Consultancy to Strengthen CP and SP Service Integration”.
• MENARO SP KM site restructured and updated.

Quarterly Report 3 May 2024

• Report on the update of CO Accelerator Milestones.
• At least two TRANSFORM Advisory Group completed.
• Study “Assessing social protection programmes for impact on nutrition outcomes in MENA” is completed.
• Agenda of the follow-up event to the 2021 Ministerial Forum is finalized.

Quarterly Report 4 August 2024

• At least x4 TRANSFORM trainings reports (in total).
• All HQ SP newsletters have received quality input from MENA.
• Quarterly regional SP Network calls have been organized regularly.

Final Report – including summary of the status of all deliverables. October 2024

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or other relevant disciplines is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development programme planning, public finance, public advocacy or another related area.
• Analytical and/or programmatic experiences (especially at country level) on social protection will be considered a key asset.
• Previous experiences of working in MENA countries will be considered an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic or French) is considered an asset.

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 here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

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.

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