Consultant, Social Protection (Humanitarian Cash Transfer), Brasília, Brazil

Consultant Monitoring & Evaluation Programme & Policy Finance & Economy

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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, make a difference.

Brazil has a robust inter-federative social protection system and a well-focused national cash transfer programme (Bolsa Familia), benefiting mainly vulnerable families with children. Furthermore, Brazil is known for its experience in carrying out social protection programmes across the country through a broad social assistance network created over the years. However, even considering the existing and well-established Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse and prolonged socio-economic effects revealed gaps in its capacity, flexibility and capillarity to respond to humanitarian shocks and crises and to reach out to the most vulnerable groups properly.

Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Brazil, the country has been facing serious challenges in the social protection agenda. With the economic crisis that followed the health emergency, the Brazilian Government established, in April 2020, a national emergency cash transfer scheme ("Auxílio Emergencial") to tackle the fall in households' incomes. The emergency aid, active from April to December 2020, reached more than 67 million persons. In April 2021, the programme was resumed, yet benefiting fewer persons with lower amounts, even though there are no signals that economic recovery nor health crisis are lowering its effect on the most vulnerable.

To map out the social and economic impacts of the pandemic on the population and to better focus and improve UNICEF's emergency response, since the beginning of the pandemic in Brazil, UNICEF has been monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on children and adolescents implementing a series of nationwide surveys (July 2020, November 2020 and May 2021). The data collected shows that 56% of Brazilian households had their income shortened by the crisis throughout the period, impacting more families with children (64%). The poorest suffered the most, as 80% of the poorest families had their income shortened, against 31% of the richest ones. Complementary data shows that unemployment was also higher among families with children and adolescents.

With regard to food and nutrition security, the survey revealed that, since the beginning of the pandemic, despite the emergency aid, between 21% (July 2020) and 17% (May 2021) of the Brazilian population went through moments when food ran out, and there was no money to replace it. In the Northeast and North regions, this number reached 31% and 29%, respectively. Additionally, around 10% of families in both regions reported situations where they had to skip a meal due to lack of money. The national average for this indicator was 6%, while for families with children and adolescents, this average was 8%.

Recent analysis and studies show that the situation has been worsening since the beginning of 2021 due to increased COVID-19 cases, deaths, and the health system's collapse. On the other hand, unemployment, informality and the lack of economic opportunities for the vulnerable population nationwide create an unprecedented risk of pushing a large contingent of the population to poverty, with severe impact on families with children.

Figures demonstrate the massive social impacts of the crisis in the country and that regions have been affected differently, with higher incidence rates in the North and Northeast regions and in households with children and adolescents - especially those with lower incomes. Moreover, considering that in September 2020, the "Auxílio Emergencial" aid had its monthly instalments reduced by half and that it was resumed only in April 2021, benefiting fewer people with reduced monthly transfers, the possibilities of a more significant increase in the figures are worrisome.

In light of this situation and due to the current limited governmental responses at national and subnational levels, UNICEF identified the need to design a targeted humanitarian cash transfer (HCT). Therefore, it is proposed to carry out a cash-based intervention scheme to address vulnerable households' food insecurity. The programme will benefit vulnerable households with children already identified and enrolled in social protection services within the Social Assistance Reference Centers (CRAS). The HCT will be developed in "Hotspots" municipalities already identified by UNICEF in the North and Northeast regions of the country, part of continuous monitoring work and defined in its 2021 action plan in response to COVID-19.

The UNICEF HCT will build on already existing SUAS local structures, opening possibilities for strengthening the already settled public policy system, paving the way for structuring a better shock-responsive pillar of the Brazilian social protection system.

As a result, and within the framework of UNICEF's response plan to the humanitarian crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil (Humanitarian Action for Childre/HAC Covid-19), it is expected that the HCT scheme operates jointly with Centro de Referencia de Assistencia Social (CRAS) creating opportunities to stimulate a more shock-responsive system. In the future, this experience, together with the knowledge and technical capacity acquired, may subsidize and scale up structuring processes of these benefits both at the national and subnational levels.

The HCT will be essential to strengthen the "Beneficio Eventual", an existing but less structured emergency benefit already offered by CRAS. However, it is common that these provisions for rapid and unconditional food distribution are not locally regulated nor financed, as they depend on local resources. On the other hand, according to a UNICEF survey with 1,026 social assistance managers in July 2020, "Occasional Benefits" were the most demanded support during the pandemic. Carrying out the HCTs through the existing system will open the possibility to strengthen the installed public policy system, paving the way for structuring a better shock-responsive pillar of the system.

How can you make a difference?

Purpose of the Job

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation, the consultant will contribute to all steps necessary to design, implement and monitor the HCT scheme in the North and Northeast regions that will be part of the UNICEF's Covid-19 response in Brazil.

The target audience for this program may vary depending on available financial resources. Beneficiary families will be selected from those already under continuous monitoring by CRAS and about whom their staff members are already aware of the most critical living conditions and needs.

The consultant will provide technical support to UNICEF and partners to implement and monitor the HCT.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The consultant will be responsible to deliver the following results:

1. Participate in all internal efforts to design, implement and monitor the HCT, including:

a. Participation in the task force team, including social policy, operations, and RM&P staff members;

b. Participation at regular meeting of Brazil UN Cash Based Intervention/Humanitarian Cash Transfer working group;

c. Contribute to all HCTs internal requirements, including assessments, programme documents, Term of reference (TORs), and virtual missions;

d. Conduct risk assessment and propose risk mitigation measures for the use of cash transfers programmes in the country;

e. Support all the planning and definition stages related to registering beneficiaries, delivering benefits, overseeing procedures, and necessary reporting mechanisms;

f. Coordinate and work with the M&E- Monitoring & Evaluation team for the monitoring and evaluation of the HCT;

g. Liaise with LACRO and HQ teams that will be providing technical support to Brazil Country Office;

2. Participate in identifying and liaising with subnational UNICEF sub-national Offices, partners, providers, and government counterparts to plan, pilot, and implement HCT at the municipal level:

a. Participate in the coordination efforts to engage and establish cooperation instruments with social assistance subnational governmental counterparts, including their formal commitment to delivering and overseeing the process;

b. Participate in the definition and coordination procedures of the registering and data management standards and routines, including partnerships and/or contracts prospection, selection and management;

3. Participate in the definition and coordination procedures of the monitoring and evaluation strategies, including partnerships and/or contracts prospection, selection and management;

4. Provide technical advice and support to the team on specific topics related with the consultancy.

DELIVERABLES

1. Expected result: HCT effectively designed considering UNICEF standards and procedures and context-specific adaptations to the benefited municipalities.

1.1. Deliverable 1: Report on the characteristics, implementation and monitoring plan of the HCT programme, including government and private sector partners commitments.

1.2. Duration: 39 days

1.3. Deadline: 18 September 2021

1.4. Payment: 20%

2. Expected result: HCT effectively implemented in pilot municipalities (first wave)

2.1. Deliverable 2: Report on HCT pilot municipalities implementation, including challenges and bottlenecks analysis and mitigation plan for scaling it up for another municipality group.

2.2. Duration: 60 days

2.3. Deadline: 8 October 2021

2.4. Payment: 20%

3. Expected result: HCT effectively implemented in another group of municipalities (second wave)

3.1. Deliverable 3: Report on HCT second wave municipalities implementation, including challenges and bottlenecks analysis and mitigation plan for scaling it up for implementing it at the remaining municipalities.

3.2. Duration: 120 days

3.3. Deadline: 7 December 2021

3.4. Payment: 20%

4. Expected result: HCT effectively implemented in the remaining group of municipalities (third wave)

4.1. Deliverable 4: Report on HCT third wave municipalities implementation, including the monitoring and reporting scheme and final assessment of results of the HCT implementation in the defined municipalities

4.2. Duration: 214 days

4.3. Deadline: 11 March 2022

4.4. Payment: 40%

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Quality of deliverables, in terms of accuracy of technical content, relevance to the given assignment and responsiveness to provided technical feedback.
• Respect or given deadlines (i.e. timely deliverables).

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

KEY COMPETENCES, TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED DEADLINE

• Bachelor's Degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another related technical field.
• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience is required, including in the fields of social assistance, humanitarian response, technical cooperation and/or project management.
• Knowledge of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS) will be an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Fluency in English and Portuguese.

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and the following core competencies Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, Works Collaboratively with others, Builds and Maintains Partnerships, Innovates and Embraces Change, Thinks and Acts Strategically, Drive to achieve impactful results, and Manages ambiguity and complexity.

To view our values and competency framework please visit the following links: Our Values and Our Competencies.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultant will work from home using own equipment and stationery. UNICEF will provide office space for consultative meetings when needed.
• For Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or individual Contractor.
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants and individual contractors are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.
• The payment 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.

INSURANCE AND HEALTH COVERAGE

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

RESTRICTIONS

• Consultants and individual contractors may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF. Notwithstanding, consultants and individual contracts must complete the applicable mandatory trainings.
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government, or unless on leave without pay.
• UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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:

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.

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Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: unicef.org