Consultancy, Development of case studies on UNICEF programming in Shock Responsive Social Protection in Latin America and the Caribbean

Consultant Programme & Policy

Overview

Synthesize and document UNICEF's shock responsive social protection programs in LAC.

You have:

• Master’s degree in social sciences, development studies, economics, public policy, science journalism, communication for development or any other related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in writing and researching for flagship publications, with a strong research and/or science communication background.
• Minimum 5 years of experience working on international development issues.
• Previous experience, knowledge and understanding of social policy or social protection will be considered an asset.
• Previous experience with the UN or UNICEF will be a strong asset.
• Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese will be an asset.
• Expertise in the production of analytical/research-related publications on social protection/assistance programmes will be considered an asset.
• Technical knowledge and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean will be considered an asset.
• Strong experience with writing, summarizing, and presenting scientific data, both qualitative and quantitative.
• Outstanding writing and editing skills in English language and ability to convey advocacy and policy messages in a clear, succinct, yet accurate manner.
• Knowledge of UNICEF style guidelines or previous experience in writing for UNICEF and/or international development institutions will be considered an asset.

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, protection

Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) regularly faces the effects of both protracted and rapid-onset crisis and increasingly turns to social protection systems and cash transfer programmes to respond to the needs of the affected populations. In the last two years the region has faced natural disasters, like tropical storms Eta-Iota in Central America (2020) or the eruption of La Soufriere in the Eastern Caribbean (2021); and human-made disasters, such as mixed migration flows. To all these crisis Governments responded adapting social protection systems to a certain extent, but it was during the COVID-19 pandemic when practically all of the countries that UNICEF covers in LAC used cash transfer programs to respond to COVID-19, including the creation of 16 new grants for populations usually not covered by social protection systems.

UNICEF has supported the efforts led by Governments to respond to the pandemic and/or natural disasters in countries like Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, Belize, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Brazil. It has also worked aligned to the system to support migrant and refugee population in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia and Honduras. Our country offices (COs) in LAC have exponentially increased its work in social protection to deliver timely and at-scale cash transfers during emergencies. Both through national social assistance mechanisms or setting up parallel delivery mechanisms to complement or shadow-align to local capacities, UNICEF has technically and/or financially supported 25 cash-based responses between 2020 and 2021, representing an unprecedented increase from the initial 2 interventions in 2019.

The role of social protection and cash transfers in emergencies is recognized in UNICEF global mandate in emergencies and in its minimum preparedness standards. Specifically, the commitment is for all COs to promote, with support of Regional Offices and Headquarters, the use of unconditional and unrestricted cash transfers, prioritizing delivery through existing social protection systems when possible and complementing Government capacities with parallel mechanisms when necessary - supporting linkages to national social assistance programmes. The latter is of utmost importance in LAC, where social protection systems are in place in most countries albeit, with diverse coverage and levels of maturity, and where cash transfer programmes have been lifesaving for many years.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Assignment

Based on existing background material, this consultancy will synthesize and document shock responsive social protection and cash transfer programmes in which UNICEF provided technical and/or financial assistance to Governments in LAC, or complemented the public social assistance offer with direct implementation of a cash transfers scheme. It will do so by means of producing four (4) case studies.

The primary audience of the publication is UNICEF staff and partners, including policymakers, practitioners and other development actors, such as sister UN agencies. Secondary audiences are external partners and donors. The objective of the publication is to communicate to this public the breadth and quality of UNICEF work in support of shock responsive social protection in LAC and, most importantly, its impact on programmes and policies that protect and improve the lives of children and their families during crisis, enhancing our profile as Government partners with these key stakeholders. To this aim, the story of each research piece needs to be told in a succinct, engaging and accurate manner. The style should be accessible but technically solid. The summaries should draw attention to the special features of the interventions supported by UNICEF.

Specific Tasks

Specifically, the consultancy will:

1. Revise existing evidence (monitoring reports, evaluations, after action reviews and documentation exercises, both in Spanish and English) generated by COs on different social protection programmes implemented by UNICEF between 2020 and 2021, selected by the Social Policy Unit (SPU) at UNICEF LACRO.

2. Based on the existing evidence generated provided by UNICEF, write four (4) case studies of shock responsive social protection (including cash transfers) programmes, by means of summarizing information following a coherent structure that presents the background/context, the objectives of the programme, the intervention approach, the timeline, results, learnings and the next steps for each case.

3. Revise draft versions of the case studies in consultation with SPU and CO specialists that led the social protection interventions.

4. Write an introductory foreword on behalf of SPU.

5. Produce a final document that includes the foreword and the four case studies as a single coherent publication (in terms of writing styles and categories of analysis of each case) on shock responsive social protection.

Expected Results

The proposed methodology for this consultancy consists of a document review of background material for each UNICEF social protection programme selected, followed by the synthesis of each programme and final writing of a case study for each programme (2,000 words each). The product will have undergone revision by UNICEF SPU at LACRO and consultation with CO specialists that led the interventions before considering it final.

The contractor is expected to contribute to the design and application of an outline across the four case studies (on the basis of a draft outline provided by UNICEF) that captures the substantive information regarding the background, objective, approach, results, learnings, and next steps of the interventions in a succinct and comparable way.

The contractor will also produce the first draft of an introductory foreword (1,000 words) on behalf of SPU. Additionally, the contractor will identify existing visual components (e.g., data visualization, enhanced data tables, figures, charts, graphs, and photographs, etc.) from background materials of each programme to complement the story told in the case study. Where no suitable visual components exist, the writer will suggest best type of visual materials to outsource to support the case study.

In support of the consultancy, UNICEF will select the cases to be synthesized and provide both the relevant background documentation as well as the contact with CO programme specialists for clarification and revision of the final product.

The contractor is expected to deliver:

1. Four (4) draft summaries (.doc), following the application of the outline to summarize each programme. Summaries will be reviewed and fact-checked by UNICEF SPU at LACRO and UNICEF specialists at COs. The consultant will subsequently introduce any modifications, as appropriate, and produce the final case studies.

2. One (1) introductory foreword reviewed and fact-checked by UNICEF SPU at LACRO, and subsequently modified, as appropriate.

3. A final document on shock responsive social protection in LAC that presents the final introductory foreword and the final four case studies (approximately 9,000 words in total) summarized and communicated in a clear, succinct and engaging manner including selected graphic elements to illustrate them. The document must be delivered in editable format (.doc).

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

Education: Master’s degree in social sciences, development studies, economics, public policy, science journalism, communication for development or any other related field.

Experience: - Minimum 5 years of experience in experience in writing and researching for flagship publications, with a strong research and/or science communication background. - Minimum 5 years of experience working on international development issues. - Previous experience, knowledge and understanding of social policy or social protection will be considered an asset. - Previous experience with the UN or UNICEF will be a strong asset.

Languages: Fluency in Spanish and English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese will be an asset.

Technical knowledge: - Expertise in the production of analytical/research-related publications on social protection/assistance programmes will be considered an asset. - Technical knowledge and understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean will be considered an asset.

Other skills:

• Strong experience with writing, summarizing, and presenting scientific data, both qualitative and quantitative.

• Outstanding writing and editing skills in English language and ability to convey advocacy and policy messages in a clear, succinct, yet accurate manner.

• Knowledge of UNICEF style guidelines or previous experience in writing for UNICEF and/or international development institutions will be considered an asset.

• Excellent English writing skills is required.

Supervision: The contractor will report to the UNICEF LAC Social Policy Regional Advisor. The LAC Social Policy Specialist, will support supervision through the provision of background materials and the coordination of reviews.

Workplace: This is a remote home-based consultancy.

How to Apply: Application should be submitted online and should include: Resume, Cover Letter and Financial proposal. Qualified candidates are requested to submit daily and monthly fees in their financial proposal.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following core competencies: Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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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Potential interview questions

Added 3 years ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org