Consultant : Accountability to Affected Population Community Engagement and Participation (Gaza Field Office)

Result of Service The Consultant will be hired to conduct a participatory assessment and develop a comprehensive framework for Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), Community Engagement (CE) and Participation for the Gaza Field Office. The consultant will assess the already existing accountability mechanisms and propose improvements to current practice for AAP and CE. He/she will prepare related costed structure to implement the AAP and CE operational framework for Gaza field office. The consultant will also propose ways to build the ability and skillsets of UNRWA Gaza Field Office staff to achieve the overall objective of enhancing accountability to affected populations and strengthening community participation and engagement across UNRWA Programmes.

Work Location Gaza Field Office

Expected duration 11 Months

Duties and Responsibilities The consultant will handle the following:

- Conduct a thorough participatory assessment based on consultation with Palestine refugees and with UNRWA staff, including an analysis of existing AAP and Community Engagement mechanisms in GFO. The findings of this assessment would be the basis for then developing the AAP and CE operational framework for GFO. The consultant will complement a wider agency-wide assessment on AAP and development led by the HQ protection division.

- Develop an operational framework for the field office for AAP, community engagement and participation, including clear goals, aims, and outcomes.

- Streamline complaints and feedback mechanisms to ensure prompt and effective response to issues raised by beneficiaries and communities.

- Propose a cost plan to implement a comprehensive and two-way community engagement and feedback system, including modules that support programme and service delivery to beneficiaries.

- Streamline beneficiary/community participation in agency programming and activities, including identifying and addressing barriers to participation.

- Propose improvements to current systems for community engagement, including developing clear protocols for staff and beneficiaries.

- Propose ways to build the ability and skillsets of frontline staff and the whole field office to achieve effective AAP and community engagement.

- Develop a comprehensive training program: The consultant will develop a comprehensive training program that equips UNRWA staff with the knowledge and skills needed to implement AAP and community engagement initiatives. This activity should include a range of training materials, such as manuals, presentations, and workshops, which are tailored to the needs of different UNRWA departments, as well as pre and post training assessments.

- Create a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for AAP and CE: The consultant will design a monitoring and evaluation framework that enables UNRWA to track the progress and impact of their AAP and community engagement initiatives. This framework should include indicators that measure the effectiveness of the initiatives, as well as a system for collecting and analyzing data. The consultant will also provide training to UNRWA relevant staff on how to use the framework and interpret the data collected.

- Data Protection: the consultant will assess UNRWA's data protection requirements (gap analysis and risk analysis) to comply with UN Personal Data Protection and Privacy Principles and UNRWA's internal policies and identify recommended improvement areas for existing processes related to AAP and CE.

- The consultant will identify potential partnerships with key stakeholders, such as local NGOs, community leaders, and other humanitarian organizations, to support the sustainability of AAP and community engagement initiatives. The consultant will also provide guidance and support to UNRWA staff on how to engage and collaborate with these stakeholders effectively.

Qualifications/special skills- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in Social Science, Communications, Humanitarian Affairs, Development Studies, law, business administration, economics, or a related area is required.

- A minimum of six years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian affairs, emergency preparedness, crisis/emergency relief management, rehabilitation, development, peacebuilding, or other related area. A minimum of three years of specific experience in accountability to affected people (AAP) at the field level, is highly desirable.

- Programmatic country experience with accountability to affected populations, social accountability, and community engagement (feedback and complaints mechanisms, participation, information provision) mandatory.

- Experience in using technological tools related to AAP and community engagement is desirable.

- Experience of working in coordination in UN and inter-agency settings is desirable.

- Proven understanding of data management, including data collection, aggregation, analysis as well as data sharing and data protection.

- Preferably work experiences with a UN agency, ideally in a country office.

- Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently.

- Excellent English communication and writing skills. Samples of previous relevant work from the past two years will be required.

- Working knowledge of Arabic language will be considered an asset.¿

- Experience liaising with governments, clusters and donors at field and global level is desirable.

Languages Working knowledge of Arabic language will be considered an asset.¿

Additional Information The Consultant will report to the GFO Deputy Director Programmes (DDUA/Programmes).

Deliverables and Timelines:

* Month 1:

- Inception report and roadmap to complete key assignment tasks and deliverables.

- Identification of tools needed to conduct analysis of data collected.

- Identification of the rest of the AAP team members to complete key assignments and deliverables.

* Months 2 - 4:

- Plan, organize and conduct a participatory assessment based on consultation with affected populations and with staff, focusing on, among others, preferred ways of community members (women, men, girls, boys, older persons, persons with disability) to share feedback and complaints, to receive information, to engage with UNRWA, potential barriers to participation etc.

- Submit a report outlining the findings of the participatory assessment including, among others:

1. Current practices and gaps in AAP and CE in the context of Gaza

2. Community preferences of two-way communication channels with UNRWA

3. The current accountability mechanisms (in GFO)

4. Proposed improvements and ways to streamline beneficiary/community participation in agency programming and activities to ensure prompt and effective resolution of issues raised by beneficiaries and communities.

- Propose a cost plan to implement a comprehensive and two-way community engagement and feedback system, including modules that support programme and service delivery to beneficiaries. The solution should include refugee and beneficiary self-service. The solution will be piloted in Gaza, lessons will be systematically documented to complement work agency wide led by the protection division.

- Develop Terms of Reference for the recruitment of a national consultant responsible for the mapping of business processes related to AAP and CE.

* Month 5 - 6:

- Develop a consolidated AAP and Community Engagement operational framework for Gaza, ensuring participation by all the necessary stakeholders.

- Develop, test and finalize the development of common tools, standards and guidance for collecting and safely sharing community feedback data across departments to ensure and promote the safety, protection, and inclusion of those sharing community feedback, as well as improve effective usage and response to community feedback. This includes standards for collecting, organizing, and classifying the information to ensure inter-operability and therefore more effective analysis and use of the information.

- Identify needs in the capacity and skillsets of frontline staff and the whole field office to achieve effective community engagement.

- Develop a capacity building plan aimed at building the capacity and skillsets of UNRWA GFO staff at various levels and functions to achieve effective AAP and community engagement.

* Months 7-11:

- Deliver a Training of Trainers for the AAP and CE area focal points and other key staff on AAP and CE global standards and on the new AAP and CE framework of UNRWA GFO.

- Develop work plans with the GFO Programmes and units field office to implement the AAP and CE operational framework.

- Provide ongoing support and advice to the field office on community engagement and participation.

- Support the M&E team to develop tools to measure the effectiveness of the implemented improvements and provide progress reports to the taskforce.

- Develop training tools (including pre and post tests) to strengthen AAP approaches and identify capacity strengthening opportunities.

The recruitment and finalization of this appointment is dependent on securing the necessary funding.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.