Consultancy for Scoping (phase 1) on the evaluation of UNICEF work in contributing to poverty reduction, Evaluation Office, New York, USA, 60 days, Remote Work

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, evaluate

As part of the Plan for Global Evaluations, the Evaluation Office (EO) has committed to assess UNICEF's work in the area of poverty reduction. The evaluation findings and recommendations will be submitted to the Executive Board in 2022. The main deliverable for this exercise is a short report detailing the scoping issues, options, and draft TORs for a full-fledged evaluation that would constitute phase 2 of the assignment.

UNICEF supports countries in measuring monetary and multidimensional child poverty and addressing it through government policies, programmes, and public budget (including social protection systems for children and basic services for children). UNICEF's child poverty work comprises four broad domains, often undertaken in sequence. These include:

1. National measurement of child poverty in all its dimensions. 2. Advocacy using child poverty measurement, where data exist but are underused. 3. Policy analysis and engagement to influence and resource policies and programmes, where child poverty is recognised but not addressed; and 4. Integrating policies and programmes by developing national action plans equipped with resources to put them into practice to achieve the SDG on poverty, where interventions are limited or fragmented. It would also be desirable to explore further the synergies or lack thereof- complementarity the work done under Public Finance for Children, and the strengthening national sector budget and leveraging of resources for children, including strengthening the national social protection system.

OBJECTIVES :

The objectives of this consultancy are to develop a scoping report, highlighting the relevant issues and detailed terms of reference for the planned corporate evaluation of UNICEF work in contributing to poverty reduction. The scoping report will guide the team recruited for the second phase (to conduct the evaluation). The scoping report will also help identify key stakeholders, including primary and secondary users, methodology and evaluation design, and understand better their stake with the view of the increasing use of the evaluation and ownership. The objectives of the scoping exercise are:

• To identify key issues in the existing literature on UNICEF work in poverty reduction, focusing on the four domains of UNICEF work in poverty such as Measurement, Advocacy, Policy making and integrating into national action plan and linkages with social protection intervention and public finance for children.

• To identify innovative strategies, elements, and aspects of UNICEF's work in this area; and take stock of promising models and practices that could inform a potential analytical framework. • To adequately assess the evaluation information needs of the different UNICEF stakeholders. • To adequately assess the evidence gaps with respect of UNICEF work contributing to poverty reduction. • To recognize the barriers and challenges that may complicate the evaluation process. • To identify countries in which the evaluation could potentially take place, and. • To define the Draft Terms of References for the evaluation of UNICEF work in contribution to the reduction of child poverty.

How can you make a difference?

Tasks: Under the supervision Senior Evaluation Specialist (SP Goals 2&5) and with the technical support of an Evaluation Specialist, the Team leader will be responsible for the following tasks

Phase 1

• Develop an inception report (September 2021) with the proposed methodology on how you would execute the assignment. Among other topics, the methodology could include stakeholder analysis and mapping, risk analysis, SWOT, evidence gaps, others. • Organize and conduct interviews with key informants within UNICEF and a few from outside (with the support of the EO). • Facilitate a discussion/workshop on the proposed draft terms of reference with key stakeholders (November/ December 2021). • Prepare a scoping report on the most relevant issues for the evaluation team to consider minding the users and stakeholder's preferences during phase 1 scoping of the evaluation (January 2022) . • Develop draft terms of reference for the global evaluation, including the scope and overall approach of the evaluation. This should include the purpose, objectives, thematic coverage, time and geographical frame, evaluation questions, criteria, analytical framework and design, methods, benchmarks for evaluative judgment and how a human rights and gender perspective will be incorporated in the evaluation design ; (February 2022)

Deliverables:

• Short inception report, detailing the final approach, methodology and timeline (by September 2021). • PowerPoint presentation to be delivered during a workshop about the Inception Report and the experience of piloting the approach (by end of 2021). • Scoping report, including initial Draft of Terms of reference for the evaluation describing the reviewed documentation, the inputs from the key informants interviewed, the various options for the evaluation scope and approach, the choices made, and their rationale (e.g., why some aspects have been included or excluded from the evaluation scope and methodological approach) (by January 2022). No longer than 50 pages, excluding annexes. • PowerPoint presentation to be delivered during a workshop on the findings of the scoping exercise and evaluation options and terms of reference for the evaluation (February 2022). • Final Draft of Evaluation Terms of reference (by February 2022).

Duty Station & Travels:

The team will be home-based, with travel possibilities to NYHQ and up to four countries, as may be required. The assignment is envisaged to take 60 days and should be executed between September 2021 and February 2022.

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

• Advanced university degree (Master or equivalent) in monitoring, evaluation, humanitarian project management, international development, public/environmental health, social sciences, civil or sanitation engineering, or related fields • At least 15 years of relevant professional work experience in international development related to evaluation and humanitarian action of child poverty and related topics • Prior experience with UNICEF's emergency work preferred • Skills in reviewing and analyzing a high number of documents rapidly and in conducting interviews • Mixed-methods evaluation skills and flexibility in using non-traditional and innovative methods • Facilitation skills, particularly the design of stakeholder consultations exercises • Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to collaborate with various people/teams • Computer literacy in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint • Solid organizational skills: the ability to work rapidly without compromising on rigour and quality • Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and 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 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.

How to apply:

Applications must be sent by 27 August 2021 along with the following documents:

• CV, which should include up-to-date contact details of at least three reference persons or P-11 form(filled in for each team member), which can be downloaded from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc . • Short cover letter with the following information: - Description of the applicant's interest and relevant qualification/work experience for this assignment. • 5 page proposal on their understanding of UNICEF work contributing to poverty reduction, and proposed team. • Daily consultancy rate(s) (in USD).

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.