Consultancy: Consultant, Child Poverty and Social Protection advocacy - Social Policy and Social Protection, PG, NYHQ/Remote - Req

Contract

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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, hope.

Consultancy Title: Child Poverty and Social Protection advocacy

Section/Division/Duty Station: Social Policy and Social Protection/Programmes/New York

Duration: 11 months (December 1st 2021 to October 31st 2022)

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

UNICEF´s Social Policy and Social Protection section, housed in the Programme Group in UNICEF Headquarters, helps to frame and co-ordinate a range of social policy work at HQ, Regional and Country Offices. In particular the section focus is on child poverty, social protection, public finance for children (PF4C) and decentralization/local governance.

In supporting countries to formulate contextualized responses to address child poverty, the Child Poverty and Social Protection (CPSP) unit follows a blended approach that works to systematically integrate child poverty as a central issue in national development plans, national agendas, policies and programmes. This includes ensuring child poverty related policy commitments are better reflected in national budget processes, and advocating for safeguarding critical social spending and ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively. This work is carried alongside the development and strengthening of inclusive and shock responsive social protection systems as one of the key mechanisms to address child poverty.

As a part of the advocacy agenda, the CPSP unit:

1. Co-chairs (alongside Save the Children) and manages the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, a 20+ member organization advocating for addressing and ending child poverty,
2. Co-leads (alongside FCDO and IFRC) the Grand Bargain subgroup on linking humanitarian cash and social protection; and co-leads (alongside FCDO) the SPIAC-B Gender Working Group.
3. Active member of the SPIAC-B, and
4. Supports gender-responsive/transformative and age-sensitive social protection policies, programmes and systems-building

Terms of Reference / Deliverables

The purpose of the consultancy is to support the unit in developing outreach as well as advocacy approaches on child poverty and social protection, through a variety of policy advocacy and knowledge management initiatives. This includes managing an active Global Coalition to End Child Poverty, conducting outreach to member organizations, finding synergies between the individual work of the different organizations and providing more visibility to the work of the Coalition.

A focus of the consultancy is also to support dialogue, learning and advocacy on shock responsive as well as inclusive & gender responsive social protection – particularly in relation to the new Ireland-funded programme on climate-adapted social protection.

The consultant will support the unit on the following key advocacy related activities:

1. Support to gender inclusive and shock responsive related advocacy activities:

Cross-cutting global policy and advocacy work on shock-responsive, inclusive and gender-responsive social protection

• Map and maintain updated information on emerging opportunities for advocacy on shock responsive and gender inclusive social protection.
• Develop a broad-based advocacy strategy and support with its implementation.
• Building from the country-level, support the development of a series of policy and advocacy moments on gender-responsive and inclusive social protection, and what has been learnt to influence the social protection sector at large
• Provide dedicated support to the planning and implementation of a major global event/advocacy moment in this area.

Coordinate dialogue and dissemination of knowledge to promote evidence-based actions by stakeholders engaged in shock responsive and inclusive social protection

• Maintain and further strengthen coordination between existing platforms/groups, including if needed, support with organising regular meetings, maintaining mailing lists and learning materials produced by the platforms/groups.
• Facilitate south-south learning and knowledge exchange in different formats and forums, learning from best practice on what works to influence practice and build capacity globally.
• Transform/convert evidence and analysis and best practice from the shock responsive and gender inclusive social protection programme into appropriate learning and communications material and disseminate it with a wider network of stakeholders.
• Draw out the operational lessons learnt about effective approaches and specific gaps within social protection responses.

Support technical assistance on shock-responsive and gender-responsive social protection

• Reviewing policy briefs and learning material

2. Support to the Global Coalition to End Child Poverty activities:

Coordination

• Proactive engagement with all the member organizations on range of issues – to maintain an active Coalition
• Support quarterly Coalition meetings, including annual meeting
• Draft annual workplan and active follow-up with members on activities
• Explore establishing national coalitions to end child poverty in select countries

Advocacy and knowledge management

• Lead on Coalition advocacy efforts, maintaining an active advocacy sub-group
• Plan and execute Coalition webinars
• Support the Social Policy communications consultant with the Coalition social media channel and Coalition website

Technical support:

• Draft VNR Coalition brief on countries measuring and addressing child poverty
• Support annual high-level Coalition child poverty side event, in conjunction with VNR analysis
• Other ad hoc related activities, for example support other research and policy analysis work of the Coalition, draft briefs

Qualifications

(1) Education

• A Master’s degree in development economics, public policy, international relations or closely related field.

2) Work experience

• A minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in policy advocacy
• Knowledge and experience with web based knowledge management platforms desirable
• Knowledge of areas of work desirable (child poverty and social protection)

3) Competencies

• Strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and drive for results
• Fluency in English, & another UN language preferred

Requirements****:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
• your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.
  • Indicate your availability
• Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.