Programme Assistant/Emergency, Individual Contractor, Manaus, Brazil

Contract

This is a Consultancy contract. More about Consultancy contracts.

Background & Rationale

Since early 2015, around 3 million Venezuelans have left their country due to ongoing social, economic and political turmoil. Of those, official figures estimate that approximately 117,000 Venezuelan asylum seekers and migrants are currently living in Brazil.

Amazonas is the Brazilian state with the third highest rate of asylum requested to the Federal Police, only being behind the states of Roraima and São Paulo. In the first half of 2018, the number of asylum requests for refugees exceeded the total number of 2017. Furthermore, the municipality of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, has received 15% of all Venezuelan migrants and asylum seekers that participated in the voluntary relocation programme, described as the interiorization programme.

As an additional number of Venezuelans continues to arrive in Manaus, there is an ongoing need for specific actions developed to support migrants and refugee seekers, whose are living in shelters and outside of the shelters managed by humanitarian actors at the city.

Similarly, to the challenges faced in other cities, at the Manaus municipality, Venezuelans also reported difficulties when accessing sustainable livelihoods and when accessing the labor market - most Venezuelans migrants are currently working in irregular labor activities, which may be deemed as an indicate of employment scarcity.

Migrants and asylum seekers occasionally have been given access to educational and health facilities, although considerable challenges were noted, such as the distance to facilities, the quality of health care services and the lack of documentation to access the mentioned facilities.

Many vulnerable groups of Venezuelan indigenous people were identified, being normally families under poor conditions and begging. Furthermore, more than a half of Venezuelan women reported risks of moral or sexual harassment and a lack of adequate WASH infrastructure (for hygiene purposes).

The current scenario in Manaus demands a timely and urgent response based on the Core Commitments for Children (CCCs) in Humanitarian Action - a global framework for humanitarian action for children undertaken by UNICEF and its partners, based on global standards and norms for humanitarian action effective and timely. Considering each group´s different needs based on their situation, UNICEF, working together with its partners, aims to ensure that migrant children and their caregivers are benefitted and integrated into Brazilian society, with increased access to existing services and programmes in sectors including, child Protection, education, health/nutrition and WASH.

The local team in Manaus face several challenges when working in the humanitarian needs of children and adolescents and they need administrative support to ensure a timely and effective response.

Purpose

Under the close supervision and guidance of the chief of office, the programme assistant/emergency, supports the humanitarian response, by carrying out a range of procedural, administrative, and operational tasks, to help develop, implement and monitor the humanitarian response interventions in Manaus ZO, ensuring timely and effective delivery that is consistent with UNICEF values, rules and regulations.

Expected results: (measurable results)

1. Support humanitarian response development, planning and execution

• Compiles, revise and translate data and information on subject matters relevant to the humanitarian response and supports the preparation of reports, working papers, and presentations;

• Prepares and maintains records pertaining to emergency planning and development;

• Organizes meetings, workshops, and training courses pertaining to humanitarian response, and provides support in making the necessary logistical arrangements;

• Follows up both internally with the supply section and externally with counterparts to ensure supplies for programme implementation are delivered in a timely and accurate manner;
• Provides support with the preparation of budgets and identification of funding sources and monitors financial transactions regarding humanitarian response, reporting back to Chief Field Office.

2. Support monitoring and reporting of humanitarian response results

• Prepares and maintains records, documents and control plans for the monitoring of the humanitarian response implementation;
• Gathers and shares information as needed in support of improving the processes and daily operations of the humanitarian response;
• Systematize and properly file records, meetings minutes, situation reports, and other relevant information regarding humanitarian response.

3. Contracting of consultants or other service providers

• Support the processing of contracts for consultants and external partners that provide a service to the section. This includes preparing and filing documents, completing necessary forms and templates and support the necessary logistical arrangements;
• Keeps vendor lists, partners, and consultant rosters up to date;
• Support the purchase and timely distribution of office supplies.

4. Support Events and Conferences

• Supports capacity development activities and conferences by making the logistical arrangements, through engaging with facilitators, caterers and hosts;
• Arranges times through liaising with participants over availability;
• Liaises with budget focal points and section over costs and needs;
• Prepares background materials for participants;
• Prepares and maintains agendas on meeting and events related to the work group commitments.

5. General Administrative Duties related to the emergency

• Maintain hard and electronic files and update data base systems ensuring timely and appropriate recording, safekeeping and disposal of confidential information;
• Maintain attendance records / act as a leave focal point;
• Monitor the utilization of all financial input requisitions and report to the supervisor for necessary adjustments (over-utilization, shortage of funds, etc.;
• Familiarize with programme monitoring related instructions/tools and report to supervisor for significant changes.

DELIVERABLES

Programmatic and humanitarian support activities carried out, with quality and within the established term of continuous form throughout the months of contract:

• Participation in, at least two meetings, preparing notes and/or minutes per month;

• Review and preparation of materials needed for at least two internal and external strategic meetings;

• Preparation of documentation and follow-up of processes for contracting services and purchases of material for at least two processes per month;

• At least one survey of information requested by area officials per month;

• Weekly contacts with UNICEF partners and colleagues, for the effective implementation of programmatic activities;

• Elaboration of at least two letters and other documents per month, when requested;

Payment at the end of each month based on satisfactory deliverables

Amount: R$ 6.000

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

• Punctuality in meeting deadlines
• Quality of the contents
• Timely provision of the deliverables,
• Full adherence to the monthly workplans and diligences as agreed with Supervisor,
• Satisfactory quality level of reports and actions (quality of inputs, analysis, register of activities, recommendations, etc).

Background, experience and competencies required

Completion of secondary education, preferably supplemented by degree related to social science, management, administrative, planning, or related areas.

A minimum of five years of progressively responsible programmatic, administrative or clerical work experience is required.

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• Expenses related to these travels will be covered by UNICEF and paid to the Consultant as per UNICEF travel rules and regulations.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or Contractor
• Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.

Restrictions

In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

UNICEF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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