Consultancy: Inclusive Social Protection Strategy Development, UNICEF Iraq (National consultancy)

Contract

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment: The national consultant for social policy and inclusion will (1) support UNICEF’s upstream advocacy to advance child responsive planning and budgeting. And (2) feed into UNICEF’s technical assistance to the GoI in the reform of social protection and advancing child responsive planning and budgeting at federal and local level.

Scope of Work: Children in Iraq are disproportionately affected by poverty. As a result of several socio-economic impacts, 2 out of 5 children live in monetary poverty and 1 in 2 suffer more than one deprivation in their basic rights to health, education, nutrition and water and sanitation. Against this situation, UNICEF is expanding its support to the Government of Iraq to mainstream evidence on and enhance response to children’s multidimensional poverty. UNICEF’s engagement covers the support to the Government of Iraq in reforming social protection including a new national strategy and strengthening the child focus of the social safety net with special focus on disability inclusive social protection. Additionally, UNICEF is increasingly engaging in the government planning and budgeting and public financial management processes to ensure that national commitments for children, as captured in policies and laws, are translated into actual government plans, programs, and spending for children and to ensure that the child multidimensional poverty index (MPI) and analysis is utilized in the development of policies and plans. In that direction, the National Consultant for Social Policy and Inclusion will support UNICEF’s upstream advocacy and feed into its technical assistance to the Government of Iraq. The work will cover a continuum of supporting the generation of evidence and roll out of strategies and interventions on social protection reform and system strengthening, while ensuring a child responsive planning and budgeting approach.

This is a remote, home-based consultancy for a period of 125 days until June 2024 which involves some travel under applicable UNICEF rules and regulations

Work Assignment Overview 1 Social Protection: Support and facilitate the engagement of all stakeholders in the development of the SP strategy in KRI. Deliverable 1 1.1. All stakeholders are engaged in developing the Policy option papers on (1) child sensitive social protection, unified national registry, (2) poverty targeting, and (3) public financing for social protection. 1.2. Critical stakeholders further engaged in the development of the social protection strategy. 1.3. Support the data collection for Public Expenditure review of social protection sector and costing of SP strategy. 1.4. All relevant documents reviewed to ensure alignment with government official language Timeline: 29 working days to be completed on Sep 30th, 2023

2. Social Protection: Support the review and facilitate engagements with key stakeholders during the situation analysis of Children with Disabilities in KRI to Inform Disability Inclusive Social Protection System. Deliverable 2 2.1. All critical stakeholders relevant to the situation analysis of children with disabilities consulted. 2.2. Advocacy events facilitated and organized with relevant high level government stakeholders (Parliament, Prime Minister Advisory Committee, and Reform Management Cell) 2.3. Update Report on the deliverables achieved Timeline: 27 working days to be completed on November 15th, 2023

3. Social Protection: Support the engagement of all stakeholders in the development of the National strategy for persons with Disabilities and facilitate key meetings and workshops in collaboration with the consulting firm to ensure smooth development process. Deliverable 3 3.1. Strategic consultations facilitated leading to the development of National Strategy for Persons with Disabilities. 3.2. All meetings and workshops are arranged with the consulting firm to ensure smooth development process.

4. Social Protection: Continue to support the rollout of the social protection strategy and implementation of the roadmap Deliverable 4 4.1. Social Protection strategy approved and launched by the government. 4.2. Critical stakeholders further engaged in the finalization and rollout of the social protection strategy. 4.3. All relevant documents reviewed to meet standard and ensure alignment with government official language. 4.4. Advocacy events facilitated and organized with relevant high level government stakeholders (Parliament, Prime Minister Advisory Committee, and Reform Management Cell). Minutes and action points of the meetings are taken 4.5. Update Report on the deliverables achieved Timeline: 28 working days to be completed on April 28th, 2024

5. Social Protection: Support the roll out of the child Grant pilot at KRI level Deliverable 5 5.1. Meetings and engagement facilitated with all critical stakeholders. 5.2. Support is provided to kick off the child grant project in Duhok governorate 5.3. Support provided to ensure development of social service workforce training manuals and training conducted towards integration of ECD into the grant. 5.4. All relevant documents reviewed to meet standard and ensure alignment with government official language 5.5. Advocacy events facilitated and organized with relevant high level government stakeholders on the child grant programme. Minutes and action points of the meetings are taken 5.6. Update Report on the deliverables achieved

6. Social Protection: Provide support and inputs in the development of disability curriculum including facilitating the uptake of the curriculum by key institutions (High institutions and key social protection programmes) Deliverable 6 6.1. Support is provided to the Disability Sensitive Curriculum, training manuals & guidelines developed in a consultative approach 6.2. All Critical stakeholders further engaged in the development of the curriculum. 6.3. Advocacy events facilitated and organized with relevant high level government stakeholders (Parliament, Prime Minister Advisory Committee, and Reform Management Cell) minutes and action points of the meetings are taken 6.4. Update Report on the deliverables achieved Timeline: 26 working days to be completed on March 30th, 2024

7. Support the MoP and MoLSA and Academia to increase research capacity on poverty and child-sensitive social protection and to institutionalize training on poverty and inequality, integrated child sensitive social protection, social workforce, and human development including system delivery and public financial management. 7.1. Support is provided to increase research capacity of MOP and MOLSA’s in collaboration with the academia on child poverty and child-sensitive social protection 7.2. Support provided to academia to institutionalize trainings on poverty and inequality, integrated child sensitive social protection, social workforce, and human development including system delivery and public financial management. 7.3. Advocacy events facilitated and organized with relevant high level government stakeholders (Parliament, Prime Minister Advisory Committee, and Reform Management Cell)

8. Provide an end of consultancy report on the support provided to the disability reform agenda over the past 11 months with challenges experienced and clear recommendations forward 8.1. End of Consultancy Report provided Timeline: 15 working days to be completed on May 2nd, 2024

Minimum Qualifications required: Master’s in public administration, international development, social and political sciences or related field. Solid hand-on experience and proven professional record could be accepted in lieu of advanced academic background with 12 years of relevant experience 10 years of work experience with national and local governments in project support/ technical assistance projects in the area of social services and social protection, child/ human rights, social work and disability inclusion. Solid knowledge of social development and social protection agenda especially in disability programming in Iraq and Kurdistan region. Previous high level working experience with government, NGOs, UN agencies or other international agencies would be an asset. Good knowledge of computer applications. Fluency in English, and Arabic (written and spoken).

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

Remarks:

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed 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. Candidates must submit an all-inclusive fee for the assignment. UNICEF will provide travel for the assignment and in-country travel if required.

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.