International Consultant for evidence-based final narrative report for the Joint Programming Financing SDGs in Tajikistan

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Application deadline 1 year ago: Wednesday 27 Jul 2022 at 18:55 UTC

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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,

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

How can you make a difference?

Estimated duration**: August – December 2022 (up to 40 days in total)

Duty station**: Home-based with travel to Tajikistan

On-site working days: travel to Dushanbe, Tajikistan (up to 12 days in September-October)

Off-site working days: 28 days

Supervisor: *S**ocial Policy Specialist*

Reporting to: Social Policy Specialist

Tajikistan is committed to achieving SDGs and accompanying targets as part of the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, which was approved by the UN member states in the 70th UN General Assembly in September 2015. The National Development Strategy (NDS) for 2016-2030 provides a coherent framework for aligning national priorities with SDG targets, and prioritizes social development in order to strengthen human capital. The 2030 Agenda requires mobilization of significant investment, and the government's response was to effectively link 78 percent of NDS with SDGs. However, the government is lagging behind in attracting financial resources required for implementation of NDS and SDGs. According to government projections, around $118 billion can be mobilized through 2030. However, the resources needed to achieve all the SDGs and national development targets will probably be even higher which is a challenging tasks owing to the reversals caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and global uncertainty arising from the conflict in Ukraine. Limited budgetary allocations, in particular for economic transformation and social sectors, compounded by inefficiencies in planning and spending make it even harder to realize the SDGs. If a business-as usual approach continues, the financing gap will grow become unmanageable, with long-term detrimental effects to Tajikistan's biggest asset - its human capital. Paradigm shifts in planning, budgeting, financing and implementing must start as soon as possible.

The Joint SDG Fund approved a programme "Financing SDGs in Tajikistan" to improve the development financing architecture. The programme was launched in July 2020 to create an institutional infrastructure, broaden policy space, and formulate an integrated resource mobilisation strategy for financing development in Tajikistan. The programme is implemented jointly by UNDP, UNICEF and UN Women, in partnership and close coordination with the government stakeholders, including the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Education and Science, the State Committee for Investment and State Property Management (SCISPM), and the Parliament.

The programme has already delivered several key outputs that have strengthened the national financial architecture, broadened policy engagement, and partnerships to promote the financing for development agenda. Under INFF, several important technical assessments were carried out including a fiscal space analysis, financial architecture, gender-sensitive budgeting, financing for the education sector, and flows of official development assistance (ODA). These assessments served as the basis for the development of a Roadmap for Financing the SDGs and NDS. The Roadmap for Financing SDGs and NDS is being considered for endorsement by the National Development Council (NDS), the highest multistakeholder policy platform in Tajikistan.

OBJECTIVES

Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) implementing the joint programme are currently seeking the services of a consultant to assess joint programme results and distil lessons learned, and based on this assessment, draft a follow up project to build on the results achieved, and to address emerging priorities and gaps in programming. Besides conceptualizing the programme design and drafting the project document, the consultant will also draft the final programme narrative report.

Specifically, the objectives of the assignment are to:

  1. Collect and present evidence to review the extent to which the JP achieved its overall objective to create the necessary framework that can unlock financial resources in the future towards the SDGs and catalyse sustained change in the way government and its partners seek to finance the SDGs.
  2. Review and provide evidence as to how the JP’s activities have contributed to foster SDG acceleration at the country level.
  3. Collect and present evidence to the extent to which the JP achieved its results as described in the JP document and result framework. This review should include the contribution towards the Joint SDG Fund’s Outcome 4 and Output 2.
  4. Review the extent to which the JP has contributed to strengthening the UN Development System (UNDS) reform and describe the level of coordination between relevant actors, especially PUNOs and the government.
  5. Review the extent to which the JP has contributed to creating sustainable partnerships and collaborations with local and international partners from public and private sectors.
  6. Review to which extent the JP has contributed to mainstream gender equality and human rights.
  7. Review the extent to which local capacity has been built; review the likelihood of sustainability of the JP’s results and carry out consultations to identify and conceptualize programm design for phase 2.
  8. Based on the above, present the findings, draft the project document for the follow up phase, and the final narrative programme report.

PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of the assignment is two-fold. The consultant will support the PUNOs to 1) design a project document as a follow up programme, and 2) prepare the final narrative report on the current programme. The assignment will be carried out in a phased manner based on desk review, stakeholder consultations, in-country visits, and evidence-based contribution analysis. The consultant shall review the extent to which the project results have been achieved, progresses made, partnerships established, systems changed, systemic changes that can potentially mobilise and align resources after the JP ends, capacities built, and cross cutting issues (i.e., gender, human rights) addressed. The consultant shall identify a niche for future programming through consultation with national stakeholders and development partners, stock-taking, and review of various strategies and programmes. This assignment requires an advanced aptitude for analyzing complex information from different sources, identifying most essential insights, and articulating multi-faceted and cross-sectoral findings in a clear and concise manner. It will also require the ability to quickly acquire optimal understanding of a complicated country context and undertake high-quality research using both quantitative and qualitative methods.

The programme proposal should include the following:

  1. Background

Discuss the development and financing landscape in Tajikistan, ongoing and planned initiatives supporting financing for development including current and pipeline project on public finance management, map actors involved, gaps in financing and implications for the country to realize its NDS and the SDGs.

  1. Justification for programme

Provide a strong rationale for the proposed programme; explain how it builds on the current programme and compliments the work of other development partners in the country. Explain its value-added and importance at the upstream policy level.

  1. Programme Strategy

Describe the overall strategic goal of the programme, explain the theory of change, and how the programme aims to achieve its objectives. Explain how best the strategy can be executed, the type of partnerships, and technical and financial resources needed.

  1. Implementation Arrangements

Provide an overview of the implementation arrangements, engagement of PUNOs, project team structure, oversight mechanism, and reporting.

  1. Results Framework & Indicative Budget

A coherent and timebound logical framework including project goal, results and activities, indicators and sources of verification. A brief risk matrix should be included. Also, prepare a summary budget.

The final/end of the programme report should include the following

  1. Contextual Analysis

A brief review of the scope and focus of the JP considering the development landscape, the contextual changes happening in the country as well as its contribution to strengthen the UNDS reform at the country level and to accelerate the progress on the SDGs.

  1. Overview of Strategic Results

Conduct a detailed review and analysis of JP progress reports, results framework, workplan, acceleration plan, communications materials, and any other relevant document. The consultant will also conduct consultations/interviews with key stakeholders both including PUNOs, government partners, private sector, and other stakeholders as relevant. This will lead to an overview of the JP's contribution to strategic results, including its progress toward an INFF, contribution to SDG acceleration, contribution to increased SDG financing flows, leverage of strategic partnerships, contribution to UN development system reform in terms of enhancing the role of the RC and facilitating UN coherence and efficiency in the country team, and contributions to cross-cutting issues including gender, human rights, and COVID-19 recovery.

  1. Results by Joint Programme Outcomes and Outputs

Based on the analysis of JP materials and consultations with stakeholders referenced above, the consultant will review and describe the JP’s progress toward its specific outcomes and outputs.

  1. Challenges and Changes

The consultant will provide a description of the challenges and risks faced by the JP during implementation and explain the appropriateness of the JP’s responses and risk mitigation measures.

  1. Sustainability and Local Ownership

The consultant will review and describe the next steps and sustainability of the JP’s strategy and results, with particular reference to local ownership and capacity building of key stakeholders.

  1. Lessons learned and best practices

Based on the review of materials and consultations with stakeholders, the consultant will identify lessons learned and best practices from the JP’s implementation, with the purpose of identifying recommendations for the successful implementation of future joint SDG financing programmes.

  1. Communications

The consultant will review the implementation of the communication strategy/plan of the JP and provide a brief description/highlights of the events organized as part of the JP.

  1. Annexes

The consultant/contractor will include the results framework of the JP and summaries of all stakeholder consultations and interviews, as well as any additional relevant material in the annexes.

KEY DELIVERABLES/TIMEFRAME/PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

Task/milestone

Deliverables

# Days

Timeline

Payment schedule

Review relevant documents and consultations with the PUNOs. The inception report should include the list of interviewees, key documents and materials to review for this process, methods, sources, and procedures for data collection and milestones and deliverables.

Inception Report (methodology and Work Plan 5 pages max)

5

August-September 2022

40%

Continue desk research, and consultations with relevant stakeholders including PUNOs, government, development partners, think tanks etc. First, prepare a concept note and submit it to the PUNOs for review; incorporate inputs received. Following that draft the project document.

Project Document, including a description of activities, logical framework, risk matrix, human and financial resources (30 pages excld annexes)

20

Sept-October 2022

Present key findings of the review and seek inputs on a. programme results delivered b. lessons learned and c. future programme

PowerPoint Presentation & Discussion in a workshop format

2

October 2022

60 %

Prepare the programme final report (programme completion review) and share with PUNOs for initial feedback; incorporate changes. Submit a revised report and, if needed. make additional changes based on feedback received.

Final report (max.30 pages)

13

November-December 2022

Total:

40 days

100%

FINAL KEY DELIVERABLES:

  1. Inception report, including methodology
  2. Concept note for new project document.
  3. Final project document
  4. Presentation of key findings
  5. Programme Final Report (programme completion review)

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

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

  • An advanced university degree in economics/finance, or related field.
  • At least 10 years of professional experience in international development and cooperation out of which at least 3years of professional experience in public finance management and development financing.
  • Successful track record of designing programmes, conducing prorgamme reviews, assessments or evaluations of development programmes,
  • Familiarity of Result-Based Management (or Result-Oriented Management).
  • Previous experience working with the UN development system is preferred.
  • Knowledge of human rights-based and/or Leaving No One Behind approach will be an asset.
  • Excellent research, drafting and reporting skills.
  • Fluency in English; knowledge of Russian desirable.

REQUIREMENTS

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

  1. Cover letter/application/CV.
  2. A technical proposal with the proposed methodology/approach to managing the project, showing understanding of tasks, risks and mitigation measures.
  3. Financial quote for the consultancy in USD per deliverable, stating also the timeframe for completion of deliverable and/or daily rate (as well as travel and subsistence costs, as applicable).
  4. Examples of previous, relevant professional written work.
  5. At least two professional references.
  6. Applications without technical and financial proposals will not be considered.

Interested candidates to submit their applications through online system on our website by 27 July 2022.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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 offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors 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.

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.

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.

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