Re-advertisement: National Consultancy-Social Protection Inaction Study, Accra, Ghana (This is open to Ghanaian nationals only)

Contract

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For every child, Protection

Background Cost of Inaction -TOR .pdf

UNICEF Ghana Country Office (GCO) engages in strategic and high-level advocacy to achieve results for children and their families in Ghana, especially the most vulnerable. The new 5-year country programme (2023 – 2027) has been developed and will help to achieve these high-level results, among others: Decrease the percentage of children living in multidimensional poverty and to increase the proportion of Ghana’s child population covered by social protection systems.

Social protection plays a vital role in strengthening the resilience of children, families, and communities, achieving greater equity, and supporting national development, both human capital and economic. Its relevance is heightened in the face of persistent inequalities and recent trends in exclusion in national development.

Social protection instruments are critical for governments of both high- and low-income countries to ensure that citizens are holistically protected from shocks across the lifecycle that might cause them or their families to enter into multidimensional poverty. In recent decades, implementation of social protection programmes across Africa and around the world has helped to produce evidence that demonstrates that, far from being a charity or an ad hoc support system, is very much an integral part of any nation’s long-term social and economic development strategy, with a high return on investment.

Particularly in countries that struggle with large-scale poverty and vulnerability, effective and efficient social protection systems need to be put in place, ensuring complementarities, and adequately financing through the national budget. In times of complex and multivariate shock, as was observed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability of a set of social protection programmes to rapidly adapt and respond to emerging social needs can cushion poor households against the economic impact and spearhead long-term recovery.

Ghana has developed a comprehensive National Social Protection Strategy that governs the implementation of the core social assistance programmes such as the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) exemptions, Education Capitation Grants, and Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW). However, despite the successes that have been chalked in implementing some of these programmes, the existing system also reveals some weaknesses and challenges with respect to adequate and sustainable financing and administrative efficiency.

Ghana’s expenditure on SP is 0.2 percent of GDP compared to the average of 1.5 percent for Sub-Saharan Africa and for developing countries. It has influence on effective funding for the sector, impacting programme implementation and delivery, inability to reach those who need social protection. For example, the flagship targeted cash transfer program, LEAP, has proven to be efficient in reducing poverty. However, it only covers 50 percent of the extreme poor, has seen an erosion of the real value of the benefits it provides and has been disbursed with considerable delays.

The argument that spending on social protection is unaffordable is becoming less common in international development forums. Finding fiscal space for critical economic and social investments is necessary for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), for sustained human development of children and women, and for realizing human rights,

particularly during downtimes. The current macroeconomic challenges and budget constraints is affecting the need to scale-up and sustain SP programmes that effectively address the multiple and compounding vulnerabilities to poverty and deprivation faced especially by children.

It is against this backdrop that UNICEF Ghana, in partnership with the Government of Ghana, conducted fiscal space analysis of financing social protection in Ghana in the year 2020. This was an analytical study of the current state of SP financing in Ghana and seeks to effectively engage government to improve overall budget allocation to SP and prioritize well-functioning SP programmes. More specifically, the objective of the study was to assess the adequacy of government’s overall budget allocation to SP, identify opportunities for the government to create fiscal space and provide a basis for increasing budget allocation to SP programmes.

Purpose of Assignment:

The objective of this consultancy is to make an investment case for increased financing for Social Protection programmes in Ghana. Specifically, the paper seeks to do the following:

1. Provide background information on the situation of poverty, vulnerability, deprivation and document the current state of Social Protection in Ghana.
2. Undertake a comparative analysis on the potential impact of increased investment in social protection as against a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario (cost of lack of investment). (Cost the investment and estimate the rate of return on the investment).
3. Provide recommendations and key advocacy messages for engagement with government and other key stakeholders
4. Develop policy brief (max 5 pages) for advocacy and stakeholder engagement

The research should use a dynamic approach, looking at the 5 flagship SP programmes in different scenarios over the next 5-, 10-, and 15-year time horizons.

Scope of Assignment:

The scope of this assignment is to analyse the implications of not investing on Social Protection in Ghana, presenting recommendations for investment (including the possible sources of funds) and their cost implications. The analysis will focus on the following questions:

• What is the situation of Poverty, Vulnerability and deprivation in Ghana?
• How is it affecting children and young people and how are they responding?
• Given the projected population growth, what is the likely impact on young people if there is no increased investment in social protection in the next 5, 10 and 15 years?
• Develop probable scenarios on the impact of increased investment in social protection in the next 5, 10 and 15 years. Specifically consider the following types of investments:
  • a broad range of global, regional and country statistics on social protection coverage,
  • the benefits provided, and related public expenditure.
  • the protection gaps that must be closed, and
  • set out key policy recommendations for achieving the goal of universal social protection for all by 2030.
  • to pursue the high road to universal social protection as an ethical and rational choice, and one that paves the way to social justice for all.

Outcome:

It is increasingly important for having evidence and data on the impact of poverty, increasing disparity and covariate shocks and specifically on the cost of no action on children, families and their communities. The main findings/recommendations from the report will be used for purely advocacy purposes with government and other partners.

Methodology:

The analysis will be based on the review of existing literature and other data available on Social Protection in general, and specifically on SP financing in Ghana. The exact technical methodology will be proposed by the consultant.

The consultant will review existing sector policy/strategic documents, national documents, data/information/discussions with government officials (KIs), UN and UNICEF staff, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), NGOs, youth and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), academics and other stakeholders. The primary data collection can be done through interviews with government officials(within the MDAs and MMDAs), community members, young people and other community leadership (such as unit committees, and district assemblies). Both historical data and expert opinions from sector players will be used in generating possible scenarios. A child rights-based approach should also be followed when conducting the analysis.

At the initial stage, a concise and holistic overview of the social protection scenario in the country, including the systems, structures, budgets/resources and policies will be developed. Based on this analysis and demographic trends, projections will be developed with regards to the impact of social protection in the next 5, 10 and 15 years. Two sets of scenarios will be considered when developing the projections:

1) when there are no investments taking place (business as usual) and

2) when the investments increased significantly in the specified intervention areas.

The analysis will provide the basis to make recommendations regarding the future investment in social protection, implications for the northern regions and consideration of spill over from Sahel Crisis.

The analysis will include the type of investments and their rate of returns, which will make it possible to understand which type of investments will reap maximum returns.

Specific Tasks and Deliverables:

Tasks/Milestones:

Deliverables/Output:

Development of inception report and workplan

Inception report and work plan

Presentation to GCO and government focal persons to outline scope of work and engagement.

Conduct Desk review

Collection and review available publications, documentation, secondary data relevant to the scope of the study and submit report.

Conduct field research in Ghana

Primary data collection in field including key informant interviews and discussions in oPt and submit the report.

Conduct data analysis

Analysis of primary and secondary data and submit report

Development of draft report, policy brief and presentation

Report ( not exceeding 50 pages including all annexes) , 3–4-page policy brief and summary PowerPoint.

Present to relevant GCO and Government of Ghana social protection and finance and economic planning sector focals for feedback

Finalised package

Finalised report with PowerPoint and policy brief materials.

Estimated Duration of the contract:

The contract duration is for 45 days within 4 months, inclusive of field visit for around 8 days.

Reporting:

The Programme Specialist (Social Transfer) will serve as the primary contact for the consultant. Additional technical guidance will be provided by the Public Finance Management team, Social Policy specialists, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation team, including senior management from Regional and Headquarters social protection teams

Qualification and Experience Required:

The consultancy requires the following qualifications and experiences:

• Post graduate degree with a minimum of PhD in social sciences, especially economics, demography, public finance, public policy or other related fields
• At least 10 years in applied research, plus publications in peer reviewed journals
• Experience in similar or related assignment is an advantage
• Expertise in the economics of public finance an advantage
• A good understanding of how social protection programmes work
• Knowledge and experience in development issues in Sub Saharan Africa or Developing States a plus
• Excellent writing, communication, presentation and public speaking skills
• Ability to work in teams and in a multi-cultural environment
• Experience working or conducting research with young people a plus

Payment Schedule:

The payment will be made in three instalments- the first instalment when an inception report and work plan is submitted, the second instalment when a draft report is submitted, and the third and final instalment when the final report is submitted.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

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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.