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Application deadline 1 year ago: Friday 16 Dec 2022 at 21:55 UTC

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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, Care.

How can you make a difference?

Objective

The objective of the independent assessment consultancy of FGM programme 2018 – 2021 is to produce an independent and useful assessment report that fosters accountability and learning. It will assess effectiveness and efficiency, focusing on specific questions owing to assessing what is working and what is not with regards to the FGM JP’s community mobilization and outreach component, including but not limited to, moving convoys, community sensitization sessions, public declarations, intergenerational dialogue, engagement of men and boys, empowerment of girls and women, etc. The assessment should provide actionable recommendations, corrective measures, and lessons learned to inform future programming in UNICEF and UNFPA’s country programme cycles (2023-2027) and phase IV of the FGM JP.

The specific objectives of the assessment of learnings are as follows:

  1. To assess the effectiveness and efficiency of the community mobilization and outreach component, considering a gender-responsive and a human rights lens.
  2. To identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges/bottlenecks and new delivery modalities of the community mobilization and outreach component.
  3. To use assessment’s findings to draw lessons learned and propose corrective measures and recommendations for further improvement of the programme, including improving current responses and scale up.

Scope of work

The FGM Programme Assessment will examine UNICEF-UNFPA JP Phase III’s community mobilization and outreach component between 2018 and 2021, focusing on results achieved in key areas of programmme interventions. The assessment will draw from UNICEF and UNFPA’s country programme documents, results achieved during the country programme cycle including mid-term reviews, as well as the FGM assessments/evaluations already conducted. It will look to which extent the JP’s community mobilization component is on track in contributing to addressing FGM in the past four years while identifying factors that have facilitated or hindered achievement of results.

Assessment Questions:

  • The assessment will seek to answer the following core questions corresponding to criteria of programme effectiveness and efficiency, with a focus on gender and human rights lens. The contracted consultant can suggest changes to the assessment key questions, as long as the original rationale is present, and reasons of changes are included. The consultant will finalize these questions during the inception phase with a goal to explore other aspects, if any, given any contextual circumstances.
  • To which extent has the FGM programme community mobilization and outreach component’s response to-date achieved its expected results? Why?
  • What were the major factors that facilitated or hindered achievement of results?
  • What has worked and what has not worked in implementation of the programme? What worked well in achieving the results that should be replicated or scaled up at the design of the next phase? What are the main barriers and bottlenecks that have hindered the achievement of the planned results? What were the key accelerators for achieving the results? Which programmatic aspects should be capitalized on for programme effectiveness?
  • To which extent has the JP been using the appropriate modality and implementing the appropriate/efficient strategies for achieving the results? What strategies have been used to ensure the efficiency of interventions?
  • To which extent are programming and strategies - approaches and methods - responsive to the needs, context, circumstances and challenges?
  • To which extent have inputs (human, technical, and financial resources) been converted to results on the ground for affected population? To which extent have results met the rights-holders’ point of view/needs? Why? What are the other intervention areas/approaches that best cater for their needs?
  • To which extent have implementing partners’ capacities and support as well as implementation modalities on ground been sufficient in delivering results and in reaching/meeting the needs of the affected population?
  • To which extent have the programme management arrangements been efficient? What are the efficient synergies, governance and coordination mechanisms that were endorsed by UNICEF and UNFPA? What lessons from the programme management, institutional and implementation arrangements could be retained for future interventions? How could the identified positive or negative external factors be mitigated further for similar programming?
  • To which extent have gender and human rights dimensions been integrated in the response planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting?

Methodology

This assessment will be conducted using qualitative methods, including primary data collection through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs), to be triangulated with routine monitoring data and other available secondary data. The assessment consultant will conduct an initial desk review of programme documents (proposal, logframe – Annex A, baseline assessment report, monitoring data and tools, workplans, progress reports, monitoring visits reports, workshop reports, meeting minutes, etc.) and context-specific documents (such as the Joint Annual Work Plans).

The assessment findings will be discussed for feedback with different stakeholders (implementing partners and programme staff).

The consultant is expected to propose a robust methodology, including sampling plan for each tool that will enable collection of relevant information for conclusive learnings and recommendations, and analysis methods for qualitative data collected. To guide the sampling plan development, UNICEF and UNFPA will provide the consultant the with a list of implementing partners (location-wise) as well as contacts of other key stakeholders.

The assessment should be participatory, including implementing partners, key stakeholders and a wide cross-section of staff, as relevant and possible, incorporating gender equity. The opinion of partners and key stakeholders will be required and analyzed.

Further safeguarding measures can be proposed to ensure ethical and safe data collection for both the participants and data collectors. The data collection could include the organization of face to face and remote tele-meetings and consultations, as needed, establishing a process for verification of findings with key stakeholders and presentation of preliminary findings and recommendations.

Norms, guidelines and approaches guiding the assessment

This assessment will be held to the highest standards employed by UNICEF and UNFPA for the conduct of studies and research.

Based on United Nations Evaluations Group (UNEG) and UNICEF/UNFPA guidance on evaluation including the norms and standards, the guidance on how to integrate gender into evaluation, Ethical Guidelines for UN Evaluations and the UNICEF procedure for ethical standards in research, evaluation, data collection and analysis will guide the overall process. UNICEF/UNFPA adapted evaluation report standards and Global Evaluation Reports Oversight System (GEROS). The assessment should incorporate the human rights-based and gender perspective and be based on results-based management principles and logical framework analysis.

  1. The consultant will abide by the below guidelines:
  2. UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis
  3. UNICEF Procedures for Ethical Research Involving Children

Ethical considerations

It is expected that the proposal will include a section on the expected ethical challenges and issues that the assessment will need to overcome, as well as a description of ethical safeguards for participants. The consultant will also be responsible for the ethical protocol review, and the proposal should include a clause on how to deal with interviewing adolescent boys and girls.

The proposal will need to spell out how the UNICEF Procedure for Ethical Standards in Research, Evaluation, Data Collection and Analysis as well as the UNICEF Procedures for Ethical Research Involving Children will be followed/met, rather than only mentioning that the assessment will abide by them.

Gender and Human Rights

The assessment approach and data collection and analysis methods will be human rights based, including child rights based and gender sensitive. All data will be disaggregated by community (village), gender and age. The consultant is expected to abide by the UNEG Guidance on Integrating Human Rights and Gender Equality and the UN-SWAP Assessment of learnings Performance Indicator.

  1. The consultant will develop the detailed assessment design during the inception phase – in close consultation with FGM technical officers managing the assessment, CP EVAC Specialist, M&E personnel, and key assessment stakeholders. The assessment should rely on diverse quantitative and qualitative information that will need to be triangulated. The stakeholders for this assessment are relevant partners with whom UNICEF and UNFPA have programme documents/workplans with. Where possible and appropriate, the assessment should seek to obtain evidence as to what may or may not have occurred in the absence of the Joint Programme.

    The consultant will participate in meetings with UNICEF and UNFPA’s relevant sections (health, SRH, education and youth, communication for development, and external communication).

  2. The assessment will use data from primary and secondary sources, including desk review of documentation and information and interviews with key stakeholders. A participatory and transparent process will be followed to engage with multiple stakeholders at all stages of the assessment process. Key actors include NCW, NCCM, MoHP, MoJ, PO, MoETE, MoYS, NGOs, and UN agencies.

ACTIVITIES, DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES, PLUS BUDGET PER DELIVERABLE:

A proposed timeframe for the assessment is provided below. The entire assignment is expected to be completed within 2.5 months. This might be subject to change depending on the situation on ground at the time of the assessment implementation, and as per mutual agreement between the assessment consultant and UNICEF-UNFPA. However, the technical proposal should reflect this 2.5 months overall implementation period. The candidate should include a more detailed timeline in the proposal, including review and feedback periods.

TASKS/MILESTONES

DELIVERABLES

ESTIMATED DURATION TO COMPLETE

PAYMENT

  1. Preparatory and Inception phase
  • Desk review of key documents
  • Inception report with annexes of detailed methodologies of data collection and analysis, the assessment matrix and data collection tools, ethical protocols for discussion, scope (target districts/villages and sampling), work plan/ timeline of the data collection
  • Addresses questions and responses to the issues raised by UNICEF and UNFPA

Inception report

10 days

20%

  1. Data collection phase
  • Data collection from all identified target key stakeholders and population (online/face-to-face FGDs, interviews)
  • Preparation and delivery of emerging findings for community mobilization and outreach interventions

Presentation of preliminary findings and recommendations to UNICEF and UNFPA Team

24 days

40%

  1. Drafting and validation Phase
  • Comprehensive data analysis and drafting, considering the feedback received during the preliminary findings phase.
  • Draft Assessment Report for commenting.
  • Responding to all comments received in the comments’ matrix

Draft Assessment report including recommendations

14 days

  1. Presentation and Completion Phase
  • Presentation of draft assessment report/results to partners and stakeholders
  • Incorporating stakeholders’ feedback into the final report and discussing with them recommendations/way forward
  • Final assessment report submitted to UNICEF and UNFPA

Final assessment report including an executive summary and recommendations, meeting quality standards

12 days

40%

Conditions of work:

The consultancy will be home based, and the consultant will be using their own office equipment and resources. Missions to the selected governorates are planned, in accordance with UNICEF policies, and daily subsistence allowances during field missions

Periodic discussions with UNICEF and UNFPA will take place and comments will be incorporated into the products. The submission of products will be done electronically and according to the schedule indicated above.

In close collaboration with the UNICEF and UNFPA, the Child Protection Officer will be responsible for the overall management of the assessment. UNICEF will:

  • Oversee the organization and facilitation of all meetings with UNICEF and UNFPA
  • Organize teleconferences as required
  • Undertake quality assurance of all tools, documents, including deliverables and preliminary products before the submission of the final report. Quality Control will be carried out through a review of the TOR, methodology and reports.
  • Manage the assessment from a technical point of view. This will consist of contributing to the recruitment of consultants and the technical review of all assessment products in accordance with UNICEF norms and standards.

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

  • A Master’s degree in anthropology, development studies, social sciences or equivalent;
  • A minimum of 10 years conducting research (specifically on child protection or GBV would be desirable), and conducting the qualitative, qualitative and participatory research methodologies;
  • Proven track record in evaluating/assessing similar national programmes of donors, UN agencies or INGOs;
  • Strong analytical and conceptual skills, as well as ability to process qualitative and quantitative data;
  • In-depth understanding of issues in child rights and protection, equity and gender sensitive analysis, specifically related to harmful practices;
  • Demonstrated ability to network with national governmental and civil society stakeholders;
  • Familiarity with UN systems and procedures, management and monitoring tools is desirable; and
  • Fluent in English and Arabic.

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.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children.

Remarks:

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.

Added 1 year ago - Updated 1 year ago - Source: unicef.org