Consultancy on UNICEF Humanitarian and Refugee Response Programme Assessment in Iran (for non Iranian national)

Contract

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For every child, a hero

Consultancy on UNICEF Humanitarian and Refugee Response Programme Assessment in Iran (100% remote)

BACKGROUND

UNICEF has been contributing to the interagency refugee response in Iran since 2021 by leading the WASH, Education, Child Protection, Health and Nutrition responses. In addition to the immediate response, UNICEF supported the enhancement of the capacity for response to shocks and emergencies in the sectors and areas under its leadership, while ensuring harmonization and avoiding an overlap of interventions. UNICEF invests in its partners’ technical knowledge and implementation capacities to ensure better service delivery and protection of children’s rights. Guided by its dual humanitarian and development mandate, UNICEF leverages its established arrangements with partners to address the needs of Afghan and host-community children, adolescents, and their families in Iran.

The purpose of this consultancy is to conduct a comprehensive assessment of UNICEF's humanitarian and refugee response programmes in Iran from 2021 to 2023, specifically focusing on UNICEF’s contribution to the interagency Refugee Response Programme (RRP) and interagency disaster response to Khoy Earthquake. The assessment will be carried out through desk research and interviews with key informants, including representatives from other participating organizations. The consultant will be required to deliver a report with identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, along with clear recommendations for the next programming cycles.

How can you make a difference?

OBJECTIVE / SCOPE OF WORK,

General Objective:

The general objective of this consultancy is to assess the UNICEF humanitarian and refugee response programmes in Iran and its contribution to the interagency Refugee Response Programme. The assessment will address the overall effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, and sustainability of the programmes and feed into future programming in this area.

Specific Objective:

The specific objectives of the consultancy are as follows:

• Review the existing policies, strategies, and frameworks guiding UNICEF's humanitarian and refugee response programmes in Iran.
• Assess the alignment of the programmes with international standards and best practices in the field of refugee and humanitarian response, including UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Humanitarian Actions.
• Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the programmes, including the areas where UNICEF has made significant contributions and areas that require improvement.
• Identify opportunities for innovation and partnership to enhance the impact and reach of the programmes.
• Identify gaps in the programme, as well as potential threats and challenges that may hinder the achievement of desired outcomes, including the outlines of a donor mapping exercise for continued humanitarian actions.
• Assess the “risk-informed programming” and “humanitarian-development nexus programming” aspects of UNICEF’s humanitarian programmes, including coherence and connectedness of the programme design (clear reference should be made to UNICEF’s policies on Risk-Informed Programming and Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus)
• Develop clear and actionable recommendations for the next programming cycles, focusing on areas of improvement and innovation.

ACTIVITIES, DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES, PLUS BUDGET PER DELIVERABLE

The consultant will undertake the following activities as part of the assessment. The desired start date is ASAP (no later than 1 August 2023):

1. Phase one (Inception step): Deliverable: An inception report outlining the methodology, work plan, and data collection tools à Estimated days to complete: 20 calendar days + 10 days for UNICEF review and endorsement à Payment: 20%

Activity 1.1: Provide the methodology using a mixed-methods approach to assess the programmes, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis by Applying a participatory and consultative approach, engaging with relevant stakeholders throughout the assessment process. Also Utilize internationally recognized frameworks and methodologies to ensure rigor and objectivity in the assessment

2. Phase two (Desk review, interviews and analyses): Deliverable: A first draft of the assessment report to be submitted to the UNICEF Iran Country Office à Estimated days to complete: 60 calendar days + 15 days for UNICEF review and comment à Payment: 40%

Activity 2.1: Conduct an extensive desk review of relevant documents, including project reports, assessments, and policy documents related to UNICEF's humanitarian and refugee response programmes in Iran,

Activity 2.2: Conduct interviews with key informants, including UNICEF staff, representatives from beneficiaries and communities receiving UNICEF support, partner organizations, and other stakeholders involved in the interagency Refugee Response Programme

Activity 2.3: Analyse data collected from the desk research and interviews to identify key findings, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

3. Phase three (Syntheses and Recommendations (Final Report)): Deliverable: Incorporate UNICEF's comments and feedback to produce the final assessment report à Estimated days to complete: 10 calendar days + 5 days for UNICEF final review à Payment: 40%

Activity 3.1: Develop the final report and apply the recommendations and comments by UNICEF office

Total days: 90 calendar days for the consultant + 30 days for UNICEF review

N.B. All reports and presentations must be submitted in English.

CONDITIONS OF WORK

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the UNICEF Emergency Officer at the UNICEF Iran Country Office, with overall oversight provided by the Deputy Representative for Programmes. UNICEF will facilitate access to assessment participants. The consultant will be expected to utilize their own facilities and resources to complete the assignment.

The consultancy will be conducted remotely, with no requirement for the consultant to be physically present at the UNICEF Iran Country Office. The consultant may however be requested by UNCIEF to attend certain meetings and sessions in person in line with the assessment requirements. No travel is expected for this consultancy work. All working arrangements and related costs will be coordinated and covered by the consultant.

Budget:

The budget for the consultancy should be proposed by the consultant, taking into consideration the scope of work, expected deliverables, and the duration of the assignment. The budget should include all costs associated with data collection, analysis, report writing, and any necessary travel or communication expenses.

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

The consultant should possess the following qualifications and experience:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field, such as international relations, development, law, human rights, refugee studies, humanitarian assistance, social sciences, or other related fields of study.
• Proven expertise and at least five years of experience in conducting assessments of humanitarian or refugee response programmes.
• Sound knowledge of international standards and best practices in refugee response and child protection and wellbeing.
• Strong analytical and research skills, with experience in qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Previous experience working with UN agencies or international organizations is desirable.
• Knowledge of refugee and humanitarian context in Iran (and the region) is a strong advantage.

The selection process will involve a review of submitted proposals based on the qualification criteria mentioned above as well as the financial offer. Shortlisted candidates may be invited for an interview to further assess their suitability for the consultancy. Applicants are hence requested to submit a proposal including technical details on the assessment methodology, workplan and a financial offer.

The evaluation team will assess the quality and relevance of the consultant's proposal based on the following criteria:

• Clarity of the proposed methodology, work plan, and data collection tools.
• Relevance of the proposed approach to the assessment objectives.
• Demonstration of understanding of the interagency Refugee Response Programme and its specific challenges in Iran.
• Feasibility of the proposed timeline and resources.
• Ethical considerations and potential risks.

Please note that the evaluation criteria may be subject to adjustments based on UNICEF's internal processes and requirements.

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.