Consultancy Title: Policy and Strategies Expert ( 8 months) Amman-Jordan ( Only for Jordanians)

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, Hope

In 2019, Jordan was the first country in the region to launch a National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) for the years 2019 and 2025. The Strategy included three main pillars known as Fursa, Tamkeen and Karama covering the three main components of social protection: social insurance and labour market, social services and social assistance. The strategy was instrumental in consolidating the social protection sector and enabled a coordinated and timely response by the sector to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, with the approaching end Strategy (NSPS 2019-2025), and the identification of clear gaps highlighted by the pandemic a key governmental priority is the update of the Strategy for the period of 2025 – 2030. Nonetheless as the government has embarked on high-level reform through the Economic Modernisation Vision, and the Public Sector Reform Roadmap, it is paramount that there is alignment and policy linkage between such high-level policies and the social protection strategy to ensure coherence between strategic directions at the sectoral level and national priorities.

UNICEF is engaging directly with the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD) to support the update of the strategy through the coordination and oversight of the Implementation Support Unit (ISU) at the MOSD, as well as the Higher Steering Committee headed by the Minister, and the technical working groups corresponding to the strategy’s pillars established for this regard.

Under overall guidance from the UNICEF team, the ISU and the Head of the Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD), a Policy and Strategies Expert is required to provide support to the process of updating the strategy by delivering overall policy guidance, technical expertise, and highlighting the linkage between the Economic Modernisation Vision, and the Public Sector Reform Roadmap and the updated NSPS and the overall direction of the MOSD. This includes identifying the linkage of the national policies to each of the Strategy’s pillars and showcasing how the overall impact the strategy contributes to ‘quality of life’ growth driver within the EMV to ensure higher living standards for the population.

The senior social policy and social protection expert will be working in close collaboration with the ISU Director, the Head of the Policy Directorate at MOSD and UNICEF, the Higher Steering Committee established for the Strategy update and the Technical Working Groups corresponding to the strategy pillars.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:

Strategy Development and Alignment • Provide overall technical support and guidance on strategic planning, policy development and implementation in the field of social protection for MOSD management, staff and stakeholders working on the update of the Strategy including the Higher Steering Committee and the Technical Working Groups • Support the process of updating the National Social Protection Strategy ensuring it reflects the national modernization priorities outlined in the Economic and Political Modernisation Visions as well as the Public Sector Reform Roadmap this includes the development of aligned recommendations and action areas for the National Social Protection Strategy • Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to align the update of the National Social Protection Strategy with the three modernization plans

Research and Analysis • Lead the assessment and analysis of social protection programmes and the National Social Protection Strategy 2019 – 2025 including the provision of recommendations based on identified gaps, trends and global best practices • Ensure usage of data-driven insights to inform the strategy and make evidence-based recommendations

Coordination and Facilitation: • Facilitate stakeholder meetings, workshops and consultations with governmental agencies, NGOs, international organisations and other partners involved in social protection initiatives to gather input and ensure a participatory approach in the alignment of the update of the strategy with the modernization visions

Capacity Building • Provide training and capacity strengthening to government agencies and partners involved in social protection including MOSD staff within the Policies and Institutional Development Directorate on strategic planning, policy analysis and development.

Duty Station

Amman- Jordan, home-based

Duration:

7 months

Insurance:

The Consultant is fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the Contract as he or she considers appropriate, taking into account, among other requirements.

Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered. The financial offer should be a lump sum for the whole assignment + Travel.

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

• Education: An advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations or equivalent field.
• Experiance: Extensive experience of more than 15 years in policy analysis and development in social and economic development A strong background in strategic planning and public policy making in Jordan Expertise in Social Protection sector Relevant work experience with the Jordanian government or National agencies with Proven contributions to the development sector. Relevant work experience with UN agencies and international development partners in Jordan with Proven contributions to the development sector. Strong organizational, writing, and communications skills. Strong leadership skills and ability to coordinate well with personnel within and outside the government Excellent English and Arabic verbal, writing, and editing skills. National candidates only.

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 competencies required for this post are…

1. builds and maintains partnerships
2. demonstrates self awareness and ethical awareness
3. drive to achieve results for impact
4. innovates and embraces change
5. manages ambiguity and complexity
6. thinks and acts strategically
7. works collaboratively with others

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.