Consultancy - Systematization of Complementary Cash Transfers in Response to Migration Flows in Ecuador - LACRO, Panama City (2.5 months)

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

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, a champion

How can you make a difference?

Background

The exacerbation of political, economic and social crises causes the forced displacement of populations. Currently, in the world, around 28 million children and adolescents have been forced to leave their countries and homes due to the conflicts and violence that surround them. The Convention on the Rights of the Child recognizes that, "it is the right of children and their parents to leave any country and enter their own to achieve family reunification." Likewise, this instrument recognizes that every child and adolescent has the right to reach their full potential and to have all their rights respected without any discrimination.

The changing dynamics and complexities of contemporary humanitarian crises highlight the need to change the modus operandi of interventions in contexts of human mobility and call for further strengthening the nexus in the humanitarian-development continuum. Social protection is seen as a window of opportunity to achieve this end. Although more research in this field is still necessary, this is an opportunity for the Ecuadorian State to move towards a shock responsive and universal social protection system.

Although the legal framework of Ecuador guarantees the access of the population in a situation of human mobility to health, education and justice, this population cannot effectively access national cash transfer programs, due to their condition of foreigners. Additionally, even when the legal framework recognizes the right of all migrants and refugees to access social services, in practice there are many barriers that stand in the way of effective access.

Since May 2018, UNICEF Ecuador, through the social inclusion program, implements an unconditional cash transfer to protect Venezuelan girls, boys, adolescents, and their families in situation of human mobility. Until July 2021, 26 thousand people have been assisted, of which more than half are Venezuelan children, adolescents, and their families. The programme, based on an integral approach to social assistance, combining cash transfers with counselling to access social services, has been modified to adapt to the needs of the target population. Since January 2021, the program has focused on assisting those families in a highly vulnerable situation with children and adolescents, who are in the process of settlement in Ecuador, and who have received initial (3 months) monetary assistance from UNHCR and food assistance from WFP. In this way, UNICEF´s intervention provides financial support while their settlement process in the host communities lasts. This financial assistance allows families to start their new lives, obtaining information and accessing services to which they are entitled. The program promotes the non-separation of families, family reunification and access to public and free services of education, health, nutrition, child development and child protection.

Building on the efforts to strengthen social protection system in the region, UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office has established social protection as an strategic programme for the 2022-2025 period and has made shock responsive social protection, including responses to migrant flows in the region, a focus of its upcoming strategic plan. However, the activation of social protection and use of cash transfers in response to migrant flows still lacks consolidated evidence that could contribute to programme improvement, policy dialogue for integration into social protection systems, visibility and funding for emergency responses. By developing this systematization on the complementary cash assistance provided by UNICEF Ecuador to migrant and refugee children and their families, this consultancy aims to contribute with new evidence for programme expansion, dialogue with Government and fund-raising.

The UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is based in in Panama, operating in 36 territories, including 24 country offices. UNICEF works to put the rights and well-being of the most disadvantaged children at the heart of the social, political, and economic agenda, in line with our equity focus, working across our organization and with our partners in government, civil society and the private sector to support shifts in public policy, fuel social engagement, and increase investment for children.

For more information about UNICEF and its work. (www.unicef.org/lac)..)

Purpose of the Assignment

UNICEF Latin America and Caribbean Regional Office is supporting Country Offices in adaptation and activation of social protection systems in times of crisis. This support encompasses social protection responses to the Venezuelan outflow, including the delivery of emergency cash transfer through, or in alignment, with national social protection programmes. Moreover, LACRO is now co-leading the Regional Cash Working Group, under the R4V Platform, adding to its role as knowledge broker on social protection and cash transfer programmes in emergencies in the region. For these reasons, LACRO is promoting the systematization in the form of case studies, lessons learnt reports and human-interest stories of cash transfer programmes implemented in response to migration flows, natural hazards and pandemics.

Under the overall guidance of the Regional Social Policy Adviser and in close coordination with the Social Policy Section of Ecuador Country Office, the consultancy has the objective to systematize and report on the lessons learned regarding the implementation of the complementary cash transfer in Ecuador in response to migrant flows, complementing the programme’s monitoring system with feedback from the families participating in the program.

Specific Tasks

The systematization is expected to address the following questions regarding the complementary cash programme in Ecuador (this is not an exhaustive list and the consultant may propose other questions if necessary):

• What are the lessons learned and good practices of the cash transfer programme as per the perspective of the different actors involved in its implementation (programme participants, implementing partner, UN agencies with whom the programme is coordinated under the UNCCS)?
• Are the services and transfers provided relevant to the needs of the population?
• Has the coordination with national and local government entities and other organizations been effective, particularly within the framework of the UNCCS?
• What are the effects achieved in households, based on the information available to the program and the feedback reported by programme participants? Is the current intervention aligned with the support provided by national social protection programmes and supporting integration of migrant and refugee populations into social services?

Expected activities are:

• Development of a methodology and outline for the systematization to be revised and approved by UNICEF. The proposed methodology must include the review of secondary information (desktop review of legal, operational and evaluative documents and databases, as available) and collection of qualitative data. For the latter, mobility and biosafety restrictions due to the current pandemic must be considered.
• Desktop revision of existing programme materials, including (but not limited to): programme design documents, technical reports, information boards, databases, evaluations and presentations. This is to be done in close coordination with UNICEF and implementing partners.
• Collection of primary data with key stakeholders of the cash intervention. Prior to data collection, the consultancy must develop a data collection plan, including a list of interviews/focus groups with key informants and programme participants, to be reviewed and approved by UNICEF.
• Systematization of the complementary cash transfer program in Ecuador, according to the guidance questions posed above, in the form of a case study.
• Presentation of findings

Expected Results [measurable]

1. Publishable document of the case study (max 100 pages including annexes)
2. Technical note with recommendations and findings (one pager)
3. Executive presentations
4. Document with internal recommendations for UNICEF to strengthen its advocacy and technical assistance at the national and regional levels.

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

• Relevant advanced academic degree (Social Sciences, Development Studies, Economics, Public Policy, Public Health, or related fields).
• Minimum 10 years of experience in a relevant role within social research, including the production of case studies and systematizations of social interventions.
• Substantive experience in Latin America, preferable in the Ecuadorian context.
• Demonstrated experience leading the design, targeting, implementation and assessments of social protection / social assistance systems, policy, and programming.
• Demonstrated ability to elaborate policy and technical notes to advocate and support policy makers decisions.
• Experience in migration is considered an asset.
• Experience working in Government will be considered an asset.
• Fluency in Spanish is required. Knowledge of English will be considered an asset.
• Professional technical knowledge and expertise in analysis of social assistance programmes including design, targeting and implementation in developing countries, especially in Ecuador
• Demonstrated experience in child-sensitive and/or shock responsive social protection, experience with UNICEF is an asset.
• Demonstrated track record of high-quality publications, including assessments and technical notes.
• Excellent analytical skills and strong track record of producing high-quality publications.
• Excellent writing and oral skills in Spanish (fluency required).
• Demonstrated ability to: (i) handle multiple tasks under pressure with short deadlines; (ii) work independently, seeking guidance on complex issues; and (iii) excellent interpersonal skills, proven team leader.
• Able to work effectively in a multicultural environment.

Administrative details

Supervision

The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Social Policy Specialist and the Social Policy Specialist from Ecuador Country Office.

Workplace

This is a home-based consultancy.

Duration

This consultancy will have a duration of 2.5 months.

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.

Travel

Mission travels will be required for data collection. When travel is confirmed, the following will apply:

Travel will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. • Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations. • For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering their own travel. UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts. • Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling. • UN Secretariat Administrative Instruction on Official Travel, ST/AI/2013/3: Sect. 4, para. 4.2, numerals (d) and (e) • For information on Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA), can be found on the International Civil Service Commission website (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map).

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.

Remarks:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.