International Consultant : Develop a child friendly guide to support the digitalization of Cameroon’s Decentralization Code

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 in life!

The Constitution of January 18, 1996 made the Republic of Cameroon a decentralized unitary state, provides the framework for regions and communes as the two types of decentralized local authorities or collectivites territoriales decentralisees (CTD). These territorial authorities are mandated by the law pursuant to Article 26 (2) of the Constitution. It is within this framework that the law n°2019/024 of December 24, 2019 on the General Code of Decentralized Territorial Collectivities, which aims to bring together, in a single document, the main legal provisions that intervene in the organizational arrangement and functioning of the CTDs.Perceived by the public authorities as the fundamental axis for the promotion of development, democracy and good governance at the local level, the decentralization process is everyone's business and oversight responsibility fall under the involvement of the State, the CTDs, citizens and all actors in life. The Ministry of Decentralization and Local Development is the main public government body that has been mandated to support the implementation of the decentralization policy and is the main authority for the CTDs to ensure they meet their objectives for the decentralization process. Such a process will require ensuring CTDs are equipped with knowledge and resources to translate into action the 2019 Code of Decentralization. To realize this objective, digitalization of the Code is critical to reach the wide array of audience such as programmers, policymakers, planners and community representatives, to name a few, where they can extract the legal terms into practical actionable solutions.Digitalization of the CODE will include the use of New Information and Communication Technologies (NICTs) to convey the messages of the legal instrument effectively and in a user-friendly approach. Timing to digitalize the code is appropriate in Cameroon's current internet penetration rate is around 30 to 35 % of households and it continues to grow. In addition, out of the 360 municipalities in Cameroon, 210 municipalities are already connected to CAMTEL's optical fibre, and the State is continuing to invest in order to reach the 100% coverage rate of municipalities.These figures are indicators showing the potential of NICTs for the popularization of texts on decentralization. NICTs constitute an effective basis for generalized access to the legal framework of decentralization. The digitalization of the Code of CTDs will also seek to reach children as one of the important audience members to promote meaningful and sustainable participation of children as part of the decentralization process. In addition, the digitalization of the CODE will indicate how children's needs and well-being can be achieved as communes and regions move towards implementing the Plans Communaux de Developpemente (PCD) and regional level plans.

Below are the anticipated phases on the digitalization of the code lead by MINDDEVEL:

Phase 1: Translate the Code legal language into sectoral groups to develop user friendly content including a guide for children to promote meaningful participation but also inform actors on the role of the CODE to promote safe and child friendly cities.

Phase 2: Develop and identify the digital platform (i.e website, mobile application) to upload the user-friendly content.

Phase 3: Integrate the use of the digitalized Code into existing and/or new policy dialogues, programme development processes as well as enhanced efficient and effective delivery of public services for the respective targeted population groups.

How can you make a difference?

Under the guidance of the Chief of Social Policy, UNICEF Cameroon and the focal point government partner of MINDDEVEL, the consultant will be responsible for the following tasks and results:

Development of an inception report:

• Review and list good products developed on decentralization guides from other regions, in particular West and Central African regions, that promote child friendly approaches including child participation.
• Identify and review existing UNICEF and international guidance documents, policy papers, tools and strategies on decentralization and local governance.
• Conduct a desk review of existing resources in Cameroon to inform the development of the guide for children and user-friendly content from the CODE based on the identified sectoral categories agreed upon by the technical working group chaired by MINDDEVEL.
• Outline the proposed methodology and approach to the development of the guide for children.
• Proposed an annotated table of content for the guide for children to be presented and consulted with not only central level partners but selected representatives from the CTDs and adolescents and youths.

Development of user-friendly content for the CODE based on the sectoral groups to promote safe and child friendly neighborhoods/quartiers/communes:

• In close coordination with the selected national consultant in Cameroon, provide on-line advice and technical inputs on the message around the sectoral categories/headings of the CODE.
• Develop and finalize the messages and content from the CODE, focus on promotion of safe and child friendly neighborhoods/quartiers/communes in coordination with the MINDDEVEL working group and UNICEF.
• Conduct online consultation and group meetings to present and validate the content from the CODE specifically on promotion of safe and child friendly neighborhoods in close alignment to the overall user-friendly content for the digitalization of the CODE.

Development of a guide for children on the Code of Decentralization and final report on the consultancy:

• Draft the guide based on good practices from the immediate and outside West and Central African region building on the proposed timeline during the inception report development.
• Present the draft guide to the working group, review and edit as needed the content based on comments and inputs provided by government and UNICEF.
• Propose and incorporate an approach to consult on the guide by using the U-report platform or others that are available to collect inputs and information from youth and adolescents
• Finalize the guide
• Develop a 20pionts maximum slide power point presentation to be presented to MINDDEVEL and other partners.

Develop a final consultancy report that provides key recommendation on how UNICEF and partners can ensure the decentralization process and maximize the returned of investment for children within the framework of not only the CTD and the CODE but also the National Growth and Employment

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

EDUCATION

Advanced university degree in Social Policy, Public Law, Public Policy and/or Public Administration, Economics or relevant discipline.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in the area of public administration, decentralization, local governance, legal affairs, public policy development.
• Expertise and understanding of public administration planning and budgeting cycles
• Familiarity with UNICEF local governance programming is an asset.
• Strong legal language skills and ability to develop user friendly legal language.
• Strong research skills, especially to analyze qualitative information.
• Proven ability to work under tight deadlines and coordinate tasks with multiple partners and actors.
• Establish diplomatic and collaborative relationships with government and public policy makers.

LANGUAGES /SOFTWARE

LANGUAGES

READ

WRITE

SPEAK

Basic

Fluent

Basic

Fluent

Basic

Fluent

English

X

X

X

French

x

x

x

BASIC

MEDIUM

ADVANCED

Word

X

Excel

X

PowerPoint

X

Zoom/Microsoft teams online consultation/webinar devices

X

CONDITIONS OF WORK

Home based and should have her/his own laptop, and he will work from his home and no travel is planned

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Application shall be submitted to UNICEF Cameroon before the deadline containing the following required documentation:

1. Technical Proposal: Consultant shall prepare a proposal in response to the ToR, ensuring that the purpose, objective, scope, criteria and deliverable of the assessment are addressed. Draft work plan and timeline for the assessment should be included. The technical Proposal shall also include updated CV and personal history Forms (P11) of the consultant, and copies of 2 assessments performed previously by the consultant.
2. Financial Proposal: Offer with cost breakdown: Consultancy fees, travel costs, Daily Substance Allowance (DAS) other costs. The Financial Proposal shall be submitted in a separate file, clearly named Financial Proposal

NOTE:

The Financial Proposal should contain the following information

• Fee for services to be provided based on the deliverables in the Terms of Reference
• Wherever possible, indicate the itemized cost of the travel (air tickets etc.) if an international consultation, and subsistence costs for your stay in the country.
• Please submit the Technical and Financial Proposal SEPARATELY

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.

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.