Re-advertised: National Consultant – Social Services Expert

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, hope

How can you make a difference?

Background:

Ten months after the scalation of the military invasion of Ukraine, the UN HC/RC, key donors supporting Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) and the largest UN MPCA implementing agencies (including UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and IOM) agreed that the MPCA caseload (5.6 million beneficiaries reached with 1.2 billion USD in 2022) will need to be partially transitioned into national shock-responsive social protection systems, including cash and services. This approach will contribute to ensure that humanitarian cash transfers become more targeted and context-specific, while opening-up opportunities for human capital investments with a medium to long-term perspective.

The Perekhid Initiative aims to link humanitarian cash transfers to the national shock-responsive social protection system in Ukraine, and is driven by the UN, key donors, NGOs and the Ministry of Social Policy. Specifically, the two objectives of Perekhid are to:

1. Pave the way for the transition and partial absorption of humanitarian caseloads into a more shock-responsive social protection system.

2. Bolster national systems and supporting the government’s agenda to reform the social protection system to make it more adequate, adaptive and shock responsive to the current context and ongoing crisis.

The Perekhid Initiative will be operationalized through the deployment of a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF), which will be composed of 10 experts, including a Team Leader. The Social Services expert will report to the TAF Team Leader and to the Chief of Social Policy (UNICEF). The main focus of the consultancy will be on the delivery of key analytical products related to social services with a humanitarian-development nexus approach, thus contributing to Perekhid and the National Recovery Plan.

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

Education: Bachelor's degree (or higher) in Social work, education, psychology, social sciences or related field.

Professional experience:

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional work experience in social work, education, psychology, local governance or social services.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work in diverse work environment and build effective relationships with colleagues and clients.
• Experience working with Government on social work or social services is desirable, either on central or local level.
• Previous experience in coordination, strategic planning and networking with stakeholders from different fields and levels.

Language:

• Ukrainian: Advanced [C1] ;

• English: Intermediate [B1].

  Skills and competencies:

• Work in diverse work environment.

• Build effective relationships and work in team.
• Good coordination and planning skills.
• Understanding of collaboration with Government and local governance entities.
• Computer literacy (including Word and Excel), and able to produce briefs and strategic notes.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to interact with a wide range of interested parties.
• Good time management skills and the ability to achieve the best result in a short time.
• Provide expert advice on strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for social services sector.

Work assignment overview:

Deliverable

Deadline

# of w/days

Deliverable 1. Lead the ‘social services’ chapter of the Situation Analysis for the Perekhid Initiative, and support other chapters as needed. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Mapping of humanitarian social service initiatives and analysis of social services provided by partners during the current response, and estimate who have been the main recipients of such social services.
• Analyze the needs of beneficiaries of humanitarian cash assistance in in the area of social services.

31 August 2023

56

Deliverable 2. For the Strategic Roadmap for linking humanitarian cash transfers and shock-responsive social protection, provide recommendations, an operational implementation strategy and activities for the ‘social services’ component.

30 September 2023

31

Deliverable 3. Prepare objectives and activities for the Workplan related to social services, with inputs from relevant partners and actors.

1 November 2023

15

Deliverable 4. Draft a report on the integration of social services and cash assistance based on global experience with recommendations for Ukraine. Additionally, draft a briefing note on future programming with strategic and operational recommendations.

31 December 2023

35

Deliverable 5. Work closely with stakeholders across the Government of Ukraine and humanitarian actors on the development of a people-centered social support system; and provide analysis and evidence pieces to advise the Steering Committee on issues under the consultant’s area of expertise.

15 February 2024

36

Deliverable 6. Prepare a compilation of key lessons learnt from the humanitarian response for the development of a more comprehensive social support system, including links between cash programmes and relevant social services.

31 March 2024

37

Deliverable 7. Act as primary focal point and expert for all issues related to the development of social services for Perekhid Initiative. This includes representing the Technical Assistance Facility in meetings and coordination related to the social services component of the Perekhid Initiative, conduct strategic sessions and gather inputs from the other TAF members.

31 May 2024

30

Sub-total:

240

Travel plan****: The consultant will be based at the Ministry of Social Policy, and is expected to conduct 4-6 travel trips inside Ukraine for the duration of the consultancy contract.

Please provide an all-inclusive financial proposal including travels to carry out the deliverables listed above.

i Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow the “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee. Consultants will be asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable.

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

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.