Re-advertised: Consultancy for the Humanitarian Review – Midterm Review (Office of Emergency Programmes EMOPS)

Consultant Crisis & Emergency Response

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, hope

Background & Rationale

The Humanitarian Review was initiated in 2019 in response to the evaluation of the Coverage and Quality of the UNICEF Humanitarian Response and was designed to answer the questions: Does UNICEF’s current business model prepare it for an effective response to a rapidly evolving landscape of crisis, and how can UNICEF adapt its model to ensure it can respond to future humanitarian contexts and needs quickly and effectively?

UNICEF undertook the Humanitarian Review to understand how its work in emergencies could be strengthened to ensure that it is a reliable and consistent partner in delivering results for children and their families. The Review is now the organization’s change management tool for implementing actions to enable a humanitarian response that fits the needs of children today and tomorrow.

The final Review document was issued in October 2020, and actual implementation started in early 2021.

The Review identified 20 desired end states with 71 recommendations across the following four areas that could enhance UNICEF’s humanitarian action – all to be implemented within five years (before the launch of the next global Strategic Plan for UNICEF):

1. Preparing for future emergencies
2. Humanitarian Capacity and Leadership
3. Corporate Commitment to Humanitarian Response
4. Accountability to Results for Children in Humanitarian Settings

The findings and the recommendations produced by the Humanitarian Review outline both ‘quick wins’ for improved humanitarian action in the short term and the required strategic shifts in UNICEF’s response to humanitarian situations in the medium term/longer term.

As we are halfway into the five-year implementation period (2021-2025) allocated to complete all the recommendations, UNICEF is seeking a consultant/institution to undertake an independent midterm review of the implementation of the Humanitarian Review. Based on the Review’s findings, the consultant will provide actionable recommendations for reinforcing accountability for implementation, scaling up progress and impact thus far, and addressing outstanding challenges. The midterm review results will be released before the February 2024 UNICEF Executive Board Meeting.

How can you make a difference?

Objectives and Scope of Work

The mid-term review (MTR) of the Humanitarian Review will assess the progress of implementation and the achievements of results during the first half of the implementation period (2021-2023), as well as the governance/management structure of the Review. Specific objectives include:

• Assess and analyse performance in relation to the implementation of the 71 recommendations and the 20 desired end states to date (2021-2023),
• Analysis to which degree the Humanitarian Review has stimulated change in the efficiency and effectiveness of UNICEF’s humanitarian action.
• Identify major lessons learned from the first half of the implementation, most notably in relation to bottlenecks and actions that are accelerating or slowing progress.
• Provide actionable recommendations for reinforcing accountability for implementation, scaling up progress and impact thus far, and addressing outstanding challenges.
• Suggest synergies between initiatives/different results areas, identify barriers and enablers, and highlight good practices and areas which require additional effort.
• Propose corrective action and strategic priorities for the remaining five-year implementation period across thematic result areas and cross-cutting issues (governance/management, coordination, monitoring, and knowledge management).
• Be the basis for mid-term revisions/adjustments of the Humanitarian Review.

Methodology

The consultant/institution should propose a methodology that they consider suitable to the scope of work, but it is expected to include the following:

• Desk study:
  • Document review, including analysis of internal UNICEF progress reports on status of implementation and background material.
  • Review of Governance/Coordination Structure
  • Review of Implementation & Monitoring Structure
• Interviews:
  • Semi-structured interviews, based on questions designed for different stakeholders/business owners
  • Interviews with Regional Emergency Advisors
  • Interview with selected Country Representatives
• Surveys and questionnaires – covering key thematic areas of the Humanitarian Review

The final methodological approach including interview schedule, field visits and data to be used in the MTR must be clearly outlined in the Inception Report and be fully discussed and agreed UNICEF and the consultant.

Activity/Tasks

Deliverables/Outputs

Timeline

Prepare a brief inception report outlining agreed methodology, tools, and timeline/work plan for conducting the MTR

An endorsed Inception Report

3 weeks

Desk Review - based on existing documents and progress reports prepared since 2021

Summary Report on key findings

4 weeks

Survey Preparation

Survey templates

4 days

Consultations with business owners

Consultations completed

6 weeks

Consultations with non-business owners - HQ, Regional Offices and Country Offices

Consultations completed

3 weeks

Analysis outcome of the surveys and various consultations

Survey Report

2 weeks

Presentation of initial findings

Presentation

1 day

Prepare draft report - including feedback on UNICEF comments on initial draft

Draft 1 Report

4 weeks

Validation Meetings

2 weeks

Final Revised Report

Final Report

Nov-23

Expected Results, Timeline and Deliverables

The consultant will work closely with the EMOPS Deputy Director (New York), the Emergency Specialist (Humanitarian Review), and the business owners of the recommendations in different divisions. Outputs and deliverables are as noted below.

1. An inception report - outlining the design criteria, scope, methodology, data collection method and tools, and time frame, including a Draft Report Template.
2. Analytical Report on progress of implementation of the Humanitarian Review: a full report, with 2–3-page executive summary. The report should be logically structured, contain evidence-based findings backed with credible data, conclusions, lessons, and recommendations, and be free of information irrelevant to the overall analysis.
3. Validation Meetings - The Consultant will facilitate meetings with key stakeholders to interactively present and discuss the draft final report. Stakeholders will provide comments on the Draft Report, and the Consultant will finalize the report in view of these comments.
4. Infographic, PowerPoint Presentations and other communication tools for broader audience and presentation at the Executive Board Meeting in February 2024
5. Official travel Required – Nairobi & Amman

Contract Supervisor:

The supervisor of this assignment is the Deputy Director, EMOPS, New York.

Type of Supervision that will be provided:

The supervisor will ensure the consultant’s compliance with the TOR and progress being made as per agreed work plan and provide regular feedback through regular online and face-to-face meetings.

Consultant’s Workplace/Any facilities to be provided by office:

• Office space in EMOPS/Second Floor

Nature of ‘Penalty Clause’ to be stipulated in Contract:

Penalties for Unsatisfactory Performance or Incomplete Assignment: Final payment of fees for this assignment will only be affected upon satisfactory completion of services to UNICEF’s satisfaction and certification to that effect by the Supervisor of this assignment.

Cost Estimations

Please include the financial proposal in USD (inclusive of all taxes).

The financial proposal shall be submitted in USD and must include the consultancy fee, the communication costs and all other individual expenses or applicable costs. The financial proposal must be broken down per deliverable.

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

• An advanced university degree in Social Sciences or similar background
• A minimum of 15 of relevant professional experience in emergency programming at field level, humanitarian policy and understanding of the global humanitarian ecosystem, including the Grand Bargain.
• Experience in conducting and managing independent assessments, including knowledge of relevant methods and techniques.
• Technical Knowledge - Monitoring and evaluation/ Results-based Management and Change Management.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent English language writing skills.
• Knowledge of and working experience with UNICEF or other relevant UN-agency an advantage.

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.

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Added 8 months ago - Updated 7 months ago - Source: unicef.org