Modernization of the Social Protection System in Jamaica, Towards an Adaptive, Shock Responsive, Inclusive System, Kingston Jamaica, 4 months

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, opportunity

UNICEF JAMAICA goal is to help to fulfil the rights of every child.

We pursue this goal by partnering with stakeholders such as the government, non-governmental organizations, change-makers in civil society and the private sector to influence and improve laws, policies, and programmes which will impact how children access quality services. We are in a unique position to collaborate with everyone including advocates and service providers who work closely with children and their families, as well as the elected leaders who are responsible to ensure that laws and policies are in line with children's rights. Most importantly, we integrate the voices of our children and adolescents by engaging them on the issues that affect their lives.

Focusing our attention on children in vulnerable situations, we have five priority areas in the Jamaica country programme document (2022 to 2026):

1. Child protection 2. Climate action and resilience 3. Education 4. Social policy 5. Survive and thrive

Everything we do is guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Jamaica ratified in 1991.

Modernization of Social Protection Systems in Jamaica 2 Ad.pdf

How can you make a difference?

To achieve the objectives outlined, the Consultant will be required to undertake the following actions:

1. Develop a work plan outlining the schedule and description of activities to be undertaken, provide a report outline, determine the estimated level of effort and support required.
2. Conduct a desk review of existing policies, and reports and examine and assess the Social Protection System’s maturity and current roles/objectives vis-à-vis shock preparedness and response, carefully.
   1. Identifying gaps and opportunities in policy/strategy in relation to:
   2. the role of existing social protection programmes, and especially cash transfers.
   3. the potential role of ad hoc emergency programmes.
   4. complementarities and synergies with the Disaster Risk Management and Humanitarian Sectors- leveraging responses via other sectors.
   5. risks and opportunities in terms of upholding the Humanitarian Principles, especially in contexts of fragility and forced displacement.
   6. Provide an analysis of routine approaches for registration and eligibility verification and determine the extent to which the Social Protection System, capacities and data generated via routine approaches can be leveraged in shocks.
   7. Reviewing routine communications and make recommendations to promote service continuity during and after an emergency or covariate shock.
3. Develop a framework for the provision of in-kind and cash-based transfers informed by the type of covariate shock, hazard and stress. guided by the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) approach.
4. Develop an appropriate tool to calculate the type of response and where appropriate the benefit level/value of cash or in-kind transfers during times of emergency or shocks, informed by household representation, with an emphasis on child sensitive needs.
5. Assesses the flexibility/ scalability of current social protection programmes to provide timely responses and expand in emergency contexts.
6. Develop a schema to provide an outline of the instructions to be followed in computing and classifying emergency-related response.
   1. Develop a Guidance with Standard Operating Procedures for suggested emergency transfer modality, frequency and duration.
7. Review general communication procedures and make recommendations for improvement to support the timely dissemination of information, especially within emergencies.
8. Facilitate stakeholder consultation and feedback/validation sessions to improve the relevance and alignment of the framework and recommendations to the needs of the GOJ stakeholders.

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in any of the following disciplines: International Development, Social or Public Policy, Development Economics, Child studies, or other relevant social science
• A minimum of 7-10 years of relevant professional experience in designing and costing, implementing, and evaluating large scale and diverse designs, government social protection programmes at global level and in diverse settings.
• Demonstrated experience in designing or managing targeting algorithms of social protection programmes.
• Demonstrated experience working with governments at national and sub-national levels in low- and middle-income countries is required.
• Demonstrated experience in designing or managing programme-based Management Information Systems of social protection programmes, would be an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

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.