Home-based: Consultant to support the IASC Task Force on Localization – documenting good practices (71 working days between Dec 2023 and June 2024) - Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS)

Contract

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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, a chance.

Purpose of Activity/Assignment

The IASC Task Force on Localization enables the meaningful engagement and leadership of local and national actors (with a special focus on women-led organisations and organisations representing vulnerable populations) in humanitarian response, enhancing capacity exchange and increasing direct funding.

Its role is to strengthen the engagement and leadership of local and national actors in humanitarian coordination mechanisms and humanitarian response by:

• Engagement: Operationalizing the IASC guidance on the engagement and leadership of local actors in humanitarian coordination including by: (i) delivering on benchmarks for the engagement of local actors in humanitarian coordination structures (including through setting targets in various operations, where possible), (ii) reporting annually on progress made in the meaningful engagement of local actors in coordination structures (including reporting on progress against agreed targets set at the country-level), and (iii) Compiling good practice on the participation, representation and leadership of local actors in coordination mechanisms (including women-led organisations) and approaches to engage affected populations in humanitarian response.
• Capacity Sharing: Agreeing on minimum standards/arrangements to strengthen the sharing of capacity and risk management between international actors and local NGOs.
• Resourcing: Supporting efforts to increase and channel more direct funds to local NGOs including by (i) advising on concrete steps to be taken to strengthen the channeling of funds to local NGOs, particularly women-led organizations (including in complement to Grand Bargain efforts and agreed targets); (ii) Reporting annually on progress in getting funds to local NGOs, and (iii) Stepping up advocacy with donors, UN agencies and INGOs on increasing direct funding to local partners.

Under the direct supervision of the AAP Section Chief, EMOPS and with guidance and oversight from the Co-Chairs of the IASC Localization Task Force (from Near Network and UNICEF), the consultant will work in close cooperation with the Co-Chairs, the members of the Task Force and relevant local, national and international humanitarian organizations, the Grand Bargain ambassadors as well as donors and academic institutions as appropriate.

Scope of work

The mandate of the IASC Task Force on localization has been extended until June 2024 with a stronger focus on documenting good practices at country level, with a view to identifying progress as well as remaining bottlenecks regarding the operationalization of collective localization commitments. The Task Force Co-Chairs have also committed to ensuring that remaining gaps and challenges are shared with IASC members to inform the future engagement of the IASC with the localization agenda.

The consultant will support the following areas:

1. Support the set-up of a series of webinars and the documentation of good practices emerging from those and other events to pull out key lessons.
2. Contribute to the work on capacity sharing (workstream 2 of the Task Force) with the addition of good practices examples and relevant initiatives from different country examples and support the dissemination plan.
3. Identify synergies in relation to localization, AAP and the nexus based on practical country examples and develop a theory of change which brings elements of these commitments together as well as some recommendations on practical steps to strengthen the links between these issues.
4. Based on the above, contribute with relevant documentation and papers which will inform the work of the localization task force as well as reflections within the IASC at the end of the Task Force.
5. Support the task force in its engagement with donors on localisation by contributing to drafting key messages based on the TF input and in collaboration with other task forces.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks / Milestone******Deliverables / Outputs******Timeline / Deadline1. Support the set-up of a series of webinars and the documentation of good practices emerging from those and other events to pull out key lessons.- Develop system to collect data from the webinars2 working days;

By December 2023

• Support the preparation for 6 events12 working days;

By April 2024

• Produce learnings and recommendations from these events6 working days;

By June 2024

2. Contribute to the work on capacity sharing (workstream 2 of the Task Force) with the addition of good practices examples and relevant initiatives from different country examples and support the dissemination plan.- Engaging the different TF members and beyond to identify good practices2 working days;

By March 2024

• Engage and draft good practices recommended5 working days;

By March 2024

• Finalize the capacity sharing document – including time for consultations2 working days;

By March 2024

• Dissemination strategy3 working days;

By March 2024

3. Identify synergies in relation to localization, AAP and the nexus based on practical country examples and develop a theory of change which brings elements of these commitments together as well as some recommendations on practical steps to strengthen the links between these issues.- Engage and review work from AAP and Nexus3 working days;

By December 2023

• Engage with Task Force members and better understand the different organisations’ priorities and stand3 working days;

By January 2024

• Lead the ToC development on co creation principles8 working days;

By March 2024

• Review, engagement with other TF and IASC3 working days;

By June 2024

• Development and finalization of the recommendations8 working days;

By June 2024

4. Based on the above, contribute with relevant documentation and papers which will inform the work of the localization task force as well as reflections within the IASC at the end of the Task Force.- Contribute to knowledge management in cooperation with the co-chairs and UNICEF team5 working days;

By June 2024

• Draft and finalise a learning document on the IASC localization TF3 working days;

By May 2024

5. Support the task force in its engagement with donors on localisation by contributing to drafting key messages based on the TF input and in collaboration with other task forces- Collaborate with TF members and co-chairs on drafting key messages4 working days;

By January 2024

• Engage with other TF and support planning2 working days;

By March 2024

Estimated Duration of the Contract

71 working days between December 2023 and June 2024.

Consultant’s Work Place and Official Travel

The Consultant will be home-based.

As part of this assignment, two (2) travels to Geneva, Switzerland is foreseen. The consultant will arrange her/his travel as and when they take place, and related costs will be reimbursed per UNICEF travel policy.

Travel Clause

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN BSAFE certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card.

Estimated Cost of the Consultancy & Payment Schedule

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of an invoice and satisfactory completion of the above-mentioned 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.

Please propose a lumpsum professional fee (in USD) based on 71 working days to undertake this assignment. Please do not include travel fees as this will be reimbursed as and when they take place.

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

• Master’s degree in public health, data and analytics, humanitarian field or another relevant field, with at least 8 years of professional experience in development and humanitarian response and/or international development.
• Familiarity with the localization agenda and how it connects with other humanitarian priorities such as AAP and the nexus.
• Strong experience with leading research in humanitarian action, with particular experience with localization as well as AAP and the nexus.
• Experience with managing and conducting multi-stakeholder consultations at different levels, UN/UNICEF experience is considered an asset.
• Excellent analytical skills with strong drive for results and capacity to work independently.
• Proficiency in written and verbal English language.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

Please include a full CV and a Financial Proposal in your application by indicating your availability and professional fee (in USD) to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a proposed professional fee will not be considered. 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.