Individual Da Nang Based National Consultant on Child-Friendly Cities and Child-Sensitive Social Assistance, Viet Nam

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Tuesday 10 May 2022 at 16:55 UTC

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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, social protection

Background:

Social protection is a key policy instrument for reducing poverty and vulnerability, building human capital, empowering women, and girls, improving and safeguarding livelihoods from economic shocks, climate and environmental risks and pandemics.

Only 10 per cent of children and less than 1 per cent of children under 36 months of age in Viet Nam have access to cash assistance.[1] In addition, Viet Nam allocates only 0.04 per cent of annual GDP for regular cash support to children.[2] Furthermore, the coverage of social assistance is inadequate to produce positive outcomes due to its fragmentation, the inadequate financial resources allocated and the complex targeting system, resulting in high exclusion error and therefore not reaching those people most in needs (such as persons and children with disabilities, the elderly, or the poor single parents with children).

Insufficient recognition of covariate risks and lack of a legal basis for shock-responsive and gender transformative social protection challenge effective preparedness and response to economic, climate, environmental and health risks. This is further constrained by the limited capacity to generate evidence and use the data to inform decision-making. This requires the development of appropriate reforms to support the strengthening of the national social protection system for all children.

Over the past decade, the reform agenda of social protection in Viet Nam has seen significant progress. In 2017, Viet Nam marked a key milestone when the Prime Minister approved the Master Plan on Social Assistance Reform and Development (MPSARD) 2017-2025 and Vision to 2030, serving as the first comprehensive social assistance framework in Viet Nam. The plan envisages an ambitious scaling up of social assistance, with the overall aim of progressively realizing universal access.

In 2021, the Government issued the Decree 20/2021 replacing the Decree 136/2013 serving as the most important decree on cash assistance in Viet Nam. With the renewed focus in the first 1,000 days of life. As of 2021, more than 3.1 million people received regular benefit (about 3 per cent of the population) of which about 51,000 are orphans and 70,000 are disabled children (MOLISA, December 2021). The newly issued Decree 20 reflects an expansion in social assistance coverage for only a small group of children under 3 years old from poor households living in ethnic minority communities in mountainous areas. The Decree 20 also includes an important article allowing provinces and cities with an existing and potential fiscal space to have the flexibility to make decisions on the coverage and the value of the benefits to be transferred to beneficiaries. However, the revised Decree 20 is still categorical, narrowly targeted and without a roadmap for a progressive introduction of a universal social assistance for children, especially those aged 0-3 years old nor the inclusion of emergency and shock responsive cash assistance for children. Finally, the Decree 20 does not provide guidance to strengthen the linkages between social assistance beneficiaries and access to essential services.

The COVID-19 pandemic has showed that social protection system needs modernization. The support provided to households and children in response to the pandemic has been limited in terms of coverage, linkages to essential services, the adequacy of the benefits delivered, the complexity of targeting and limitation in the current management information system which have resulted in inclusion and exclusion errors in the identification of the people most in need.

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Assistance (MOLISA) is the government body responsible for the administration, implementation, and general oversight of social protection in Viet Nam. Over the past years, MOLISA and UNICEF have developed a strong partnership to promote and protect children’s rights in Viet Nam. Under the new Country Programme Document of 2022-2026, UNICEF Viet Nam Country Office continues its collaboration with MOLISA in strengthening the integrated and child-sensitive, shock responsive and gender transformative social protection systems.

At sub-national level, UNICEF Viet Nam has cooperated with Da Nang City since 2020 with a focus on evidence generation to inform the planning, development and implementation of child sensitive socio-economic development plans and City Programme of Action on Children. Da Nang is a vibrant economic hub and has been experiencing rapid urbanization and stable economic growth. Da Nang is one among few self-financing provinces in Viet Nam. In addition, Da Nang is one of the sub-national authorities to have increased the level of social assistance allowance, expanded the group of beneficiaries for social assistance, and added an education subsidy.

Da Nang City People’s Committee endorsed since 2017 the establishment of one social work collaborator[3] at each ward/commune.[4] While there has been existence of a social work collaborator at grassroot level in Da Nang and a linkage between the social assistance and the access to essential services including education, health and nutrition is still a major concern. Some contributing factors are the limited awareness and knowledge of social assistance clients, the capacity of frontline workers, the limited inter-sectoral coordination and the capacity to collect, analyse and take appropriate actions to respond to people’s needs.

Finally, the interventions on child-sensitive social protection will be linked with the already existing interventions implemented under the umbrella of the CFCI project in Da Nang. Therefore, the need to continue working in parallel and exploit potential synergies between these programmes..

Therefore, it is key to work at central and sub-national level to test child sensitive social assistance interventions which will help to address the different forms of poverty with particular focus on children and the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Purpose and objective:

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide support to coordinate and facilitate the implementation of the child sensitive social assistance programme in Da Nang, particularly to enhance UNICEF Viet Nam’s engagement with local partners in Da Nang.

In addition, with the starting of new CPD 2022-2026 between UNICEF and Da Nang, the local consultant is expected to provide continued coordination role at the initial phase to support day to day CFCI project implementation and networking with related stakeholders in Da Nang.

Location:

Home based in Da Nang.

Scope:

This assignment is expected to be conducted mostly in Da Nang. The consultant will play role as the coordinator for the implementation of child sensitive social assistance programme, networking with potential partner organizations based in Da Nang and supporting the international consultant on social protection with the initial phase of programme design, planning and implementation.

The consultant will attend relevant meetings, workshops and events with stakeholders related to programme activities in Da Nang to ensure sound and timely implementation of the activities that meet the objectives and standards set in the workplan.

The consultant is required for working full-time over the period of 7.5 months (15 May 2022 - 31 December 2022) in Da Nang City. A workplan with monthly deliverables will be developed upon onboarding of the incumbent.

Tasks, deliverables and workplan as attached TOR TOR Da Nang based local consultant child sensitive social protection.pdf

The Da Nang based local consultant is expected to work for a period of 7.5 months starting from 15 May-31 December 2022.


[1] UNICEF (2017) Assessment of Targeting Approaches and Mechanisms (Inclusion and Exclusion Errors) in Existing Social Assistance Schemes.

[2] UNICEF calculation based on the household survey data of 2019.

[3] The social work collaborator is responsible among other for consolidating assistance requests from people in community, providing suggestions on referrals to social protection and social work centers, health-rehabilitation facilities, educational-training institutions and other suitable establishments.

[4] Based on the Circular#07/2013 on the standards of social work collaborator at ward/commune level issued by MOLISA.

Reporting

The assignment will be undertaken under the supervision of Social Policy Officer, SPG Section, UNICEF Viet Nam. Additional guidance and technical inputs will be provided by Social Protection International Consultant and by the Chief of Social Policy and Governance and informed by UNICEF’s CFCI Taskforce. As this assignment is full-time, the consultant is not allowed to work on any contract/assignment commissioned by other agencies.

Payment Schedule:

Payment for the assignment will be made based on a monthly progress report against the interventions implemented on Child Sensitive Social Assistance and on CFCI workplan for 2022.

Performance indicators for evaluation:

- Quality of deliverables meet the standards set by UNICEF and specifications outlined in the contract.

- Deliverables are submitted in a timely manner as indicated in the contract.

- Technical assistance delivered in a contextualized and tactful manner, drawing on the inputs from the partners.

- Performance evaluation will be completed at the end of the assignment.

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

Expected background and Experience:

- Bachelor’s degree, ideally in social science, development economics, social protection or any related field. Master’s degree preferred but not essential.

- 5-7-years working experience in project management with UN agencies, international or local NGOs, global organizations focusing on adolescents and young people or youth-oriented organizations.

- Proven experience working in areas related to social protection sector at national or sub-national level in Viet Nam and in conjunction with local authorities in Da Nang.

- Have a good understanding of Da Nang’s socio-economic and partnership context.

- Excellent planning and monitoring skills.

- Excellent networking, communication and coordination skills.

- Strong analytical and facilitation skills.

- Professional command of English and Vietnamese.

Assessment criteria:

For evaluation and selection method, the Cumulative Analysis Method (weight combined score method) shall be used for this recruitment:

a) Technical Qualification (max. 100 points) weight 70 %:

- Qualifications and Experience (20 points)

- Knowledge and Skills (35 points)

- Competencies (35 points)

- Languages (10 points)

Financial Proposal (max. 100 points) weight 30 %

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened/evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 70 points score in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.

The Contract shall be awarded to candidate obtaining the highest combined technical and financial scores, subject to the satisfactory result of the verification interview if needed.

Submission of applications:

Interested candidates are kindly requested to apply and upload the following documents to the assigned requisition in UNICEF Vacancies: http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/

  1. Letter of interest and confirmation of availability;
  2. Technical proposal which clearly explains the outline on how to deliver the tasks and deliverables (preferably less than 3 pages);
  3. Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available);
  4. Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including consultancy fee, travel and accommodation cost for this assignment as per work assignment.
  5. CV/P11 form (UN Personal History Form) P 11 form.doc

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org