International Individual Consultancy for Technical support, to implement the integrated Mother and Early Childhood Grants pilot in Lao PDR

Contract

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UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. In Lao PDR, UNICEF is working with its partners to support the Government to realize children’s rights on survival, development, protection and participation.

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, support

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UNICEF in Vientiane, Lao PDR, is looking for an International Individual Consultant to support the implementation of the integrated Mother and Early Childhood Grant pilot in Lao PDR. The pilot is part of the United Nations Joint Program on social protection in the country. The duration of this consultancy is 8-months, starting from 1 September 2021 to 30 April 2022. The consultant will be based in Vientiane Capital, Pilot Province and District Lao PDR (Sanamxay and Phouvong in Attapeu, Nong in Savannakhet).

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Strengthening social protection (MECG) coverage and impact for children

Supports the development of social protection policies, legislation, and programs with attention to increasing coverage of and impact on children, with special attention on the most marginalized. Identify, generate, and present evidence to support the objective of the MECG and social protection in Lao PDR in collaboration with partners.

Promote and strengthen an integrated social protection system, while providing technical support to partners to improve the design of cash transfers and child grants in the country. Improve linkages with other social protection interventions such as health insurance, public works, and social care services as well as complimentary services and interventions related to nutrition, health and nutrition, education, and child protection.

Undertake and improve monitoring and research around social protection impact on child outcomes and the use of data and research findings for strengthening program results. Support the identification of policy options for improved domestic financing of child-sensitive social protection interventions.

Improving the use of public financial resources for children

Supports budget analysis to inform UNICEF’s advocacy and technical assistance to Ministries of Finance, Ministry of Planning and Investment, and social sector ministries to improve equitable allocations for social protection initiatives and essential services for children. Works with sector colleagues to build capacity to conduct the costing of intervention and cost-effectiveness analysis on priority interventions to help inform policy decisions on child-focused investments.

Builds the capacity of partners to improve the monitoring and tracking of public expenditure to support transparent, accountable, and efficient financial flows for essential service delivery, including social protection initiatives.

UNICEF Programme Management

Coordinate and provide technical support to government partners on social protection, especially on the MECG pilot's linkages reducing child poverty, improving human capital assets, and linkages with cross-sectoral social services. Liaise with section colleagues and sectors to ensure that the pilot achieves the result of improving nutrition, immunization, ANC, and PNC and birth registration objectives at the village level. Ensure that risk analysis and risk mitigation measures are embedded into the overall management of the pilot, in close consultation with UNICEF program sections, Cooperating Partners, and governments.

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

Education

• Advanced University Degree in economics, Social Policy (planning, economics, social sciences, public policy and/or international development policy) or related field.

Experience

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional work eexperience in designing, implement and monitoring of social protection initiatives is required and experience in social service integrated child grants program is an asset.
• Good understanding of monitoring and evaluation of social protection initiatives.
• Excellent organizational and workshop skills, attention to detail and ability to contribute in an open team environment.
• Familiarity and prior experience with the UN system, or with the international development/ humanitarian/ emergency community highly desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English is required.
• Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner.

Submission of applications

Interested candidates are kindly to submit the following document:

• CV or Resume
• Performance evaluation reports or references of similar consultancy assignments (if available)
• Financial proposal: All-inclusive lump-sum cost including travel and accommodation cost for this assignment as per work assignment.

The deadline for applications is 8 August 2021

Assessment Criteria:

A two-stage procedure shall be utilized in evaluating proposals, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared.

Applications shall therefore contain the following required documentation:

1. Technical Proposal, including a cover letter, updated CV,

2. Financial Proposal: Lump-sum offer with the cost breakdown: Consultancy fee, travel costs (economy class), per-diem to cover lodging, meals, and any other cost related to the consultant's stay in Vientiane, including transportation inside the city and other costs. The travel (if involved) shall be based on the most direct and economy fare.

No financial information should be contained in the technical proposal.

Assessment Criteria for Consultant

I) Technical Qualification (max. 100 points) weight 70 %

Education Degree will have a maximum of (30 points)

• Advanced University Degree in economics, Social Policy (planning, economics, social sciences, public policy and/or international development policy) or related field.

Knowledge of the below will have a maximum of 20 points

• Good knowledge of designing implement and monitoring social protection initiatives including its linkages to child poverty.

Experience in the below will have a maximum of 30 points

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional work experience in designing, implement and monitoring of social protection initiatives is required and
• Experience working on social service integrated child grants program is an asset.
• Excellent organizational and workshop skills, attention to detail and ability to contribute in an open team environment.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English is required.

Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner Quality of past work (e.g. understanding, methodology) in the below will have a maximum of 20 points

• Advance skills on management government partners and community level stakeholders
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English are required
• Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner

II) Financial Proposal 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.

The applicants should provide medical insurance covering medical evacuation for the whole duration of the assignment -as part of the financial proposal submission.

Please find attached the TOR here: ToR Social Preotection technical support MECG_Lao PDR for VA.pdf

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.

View our competency framework at 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 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.