Readvertisement - Individual International Consultant for Child-centred Risk and Impact Analysis for peaceful and resilient development in Niger

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, a champion.

Many of the most vulnerable children face increasingly high levels of risk. Shocks and stresses, such as violent conflict, natural hazards including the effects of climate change, epidemics, economic downturns and food price hikes, are compounding vulnerability and reducing resilience of children and their communities. In the current COVID/SARS2 pandemic, these vulnerabilities are exacerbated at practically affected all social sectors and most vulnerable communities.

UNICEF is committed to a risk-informed and conflict-sensitive programming approach. This requires a comprehensive analysis not only of shocks and stresses but also the vulnerabilities, capacities and levels of exposure that determine the risk and design deliberate programme strategies to reduce risks for children and their communities To enhance the safety and resilience of children, communities and social service delivery systems, the findings of the analysis inform design and implementation of humanitarian and development programmes of UNICEF and its partners to achieve and preserve development gains and lessen the likelihood of humanitarian crisis.

In the case of the present analysis in Niger, the results are expected to inform the next UNICEF’s Country Programme Document, which intends to apply a risk-informed programming approach to deliberately mitigate the impact of shocks and stresses on children through its humanitarian and development programming, and support resilient, peaceful development. Importantly, UNICEF conflict and risk analysis findings will feed into the UN Common Country Analysis and the upcoming UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) and eventually the country’s Economic and Social Development Programme ensuring UN-wide and national strategies are child sensitive.

How can you make a difference?

Objectives:

The consultant will deliver a Child-centered Risk analysis and Impact Analysis (CRIA) for Niger. The analysis will include all relevant risk factors to peaceful and resilient development for children, their communities and social delivery systems. It will also consider how risks affect girls and boys differently and will take into consideration the specific perspective of adolescents and youth.

The analysis will be used to inform participatory workshops with UNICEF and partners on risk-informed and conflict-sensitive humanitarian and development programming in Niger. It will Increase the capacity of the UNICEF Country Office to support governments and partners to reduce risk and strengthen resilience and social cohesion in the context of increasing shocks and stresses. It will form a key UNICEF contribution towards the CCA- Common Country Assessment and joined up planning with partners leveraging humanitarian, development and peace nexus.

Activities:

• Conducting an initial desk review of existing hazard, risk and impact and conflict analyses conducted by the Government of Niger, by UNICEF or other UN agencies, Institutions and other relevant documents related to the Niger country context;
• Based on the initial desk review of existing literature, producing a short inception report that identifies the questions to be answered by the exercise and revise if needed the scope of the risk and impact and conflict analysis, the process and timeline for it, the sectors and geographic areas it would cover, and an outline of the report itself (draft provided in the expected results section);
• Coordinating and supervising the field work of 2 to 4 national consultants who will focus specifically on the Diffa, Maradi/Zinder, Tahoua/Agadez, Tillaberi/Dosso regions each and be in charge of region-specific desk reviews of relevant studies and of organizing focus group discussions with key actors including children, adolescents and youth to collect additional evidence and local perceptions by various stakeholders;
• Conducting a field mission to Niger (Niamey and if necessary Diffa, Maradi/Zinder, Tahoua/Agadez, Tillaberi/Dosso ), to support consultations and validations with relevant stakeholders and share the key elements and process of the Risk and Impact Analysis with UNICEF staff and focal points involved in the exercise;

• Producing a draft Child-centered Risk Conflict and Impact Analysis report based on the outline agreed upon in the inception phase, including key recommendations to:

  • UNICEF Niger for developing the new country programme and ongoing humanitarian response;
  • UN System to enhance the common country analysis and integrate findings in the upcoming UNSCDF;
  • Government counterparts to inform the Niger 2022 - 2027 Economic and Social Development Programme;
• Conducting quality assurance and cross referencing of information and data throughout the process and as required;
• In collaboration with WCARO RO, CO (Country Office) and UNICEF HQ (Head Quarter), deliver a 3 days risk informed and conflict sensitive humanitarian and development programming workshop with UNICEF and key partners in Niger to validate findings from the analysis and prepare UNICEF staff as well as its partners and government counterparts for integrating a risk and social cohesion perspective in the country programme planning process through resilience and social cohesion oriented programming;
• Finalizing the GRIP-Guidance on Risk-Informed Programming workshop report and recommendations.

Integrating findings from the GRIP workshop and any other further consultations with partners to produce the final Child Risk, Conflict and Impact Analysis (CRIA) report.

Supervision:

The consultant will be under the supervision of the Chief Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation in close coordination and collaboration with the Principal Advisor Resilience

Expected results (measurable results):

1. Multi-hazard and multi-sectoral Child Risk and Impact Analysis (CRIA) (Pre-Workshop Analysis) A succinct multi-hazard Child Risk and Impact Analysis (approximately 25 pages) – considering multiple shocks and stresses, conflict causes, actors and dynamics directly and indirectly affecting children and women in Niger. This Pre-Workshop Analysis will inform the GRIP workshop participants, who shall enhance the findings during this event. This draft report shall reveal child and social service delivery systems’ exposure to various hazards, vulnerabilities and capacities for resilience, both at national and sub-national levels. This analysis will consider both natural and man-made hazards including epidemics and conflict and armed violence, considering ongoing social, political and economic dynamics that present challenges to social cohesion. The report will present a systematic study of conflict context, causes, stakeholders, dynamics and peace capacities. It shall integrate adolescent and youth perspectives and be gender sensitive.

2. Region focused multi-hazard Risk, Conflict, and Impact Analysis Taking into account the specificities of the risks faced in different regions of the country, the international consultant will review and as supervisor support finalisation of 4 regional multi-hazard Child Risk and Impact Analysis (indicative length 10 – 15 pages) in Diffa, Maradi/Zinder, Tahoua/Agadez, Tillaberi/Dosso . These will be conducted by national consultants and will feed the overall national narrative while highlighting regional specificities and mainstreaming the adolescents and youth perspectives.

3. Risk-informed conflict sensitive humanitarian and development programming workshop Deliver a 3-day risk informed programming workshop to deepen and validate the multi-hazard Child Risk, Conflict and Impact Analysis and identify options to adapt UNICEF supported and government programmes to mitigate the impact of shocks and stresses and address their root causes. To this end, the consultant will contribute to planning, co-facilitate and report on after furthering the analyses and fostering a common understanding of key issues, the workshop will thus contribute to developing specific inputs to address risks and actual challenges to the realisation and sustaining of child rights due to various natural and man-made hazards. The consultant is expected to collaborate with UNICEF CO, RO and HQ staff to deliver the workshop and document the workshop proceedings with help for the national consultant team.

4. Child Risk and Impact Analysis (CRIA)

Integrating additional evidence and inputs for programme adaptation received during the CRIA/GRIP workshop and beyond, enhance the “Pre-Workshop Analysis” report and draft a Child Risk, Conflict and Impact Analysis (CRIA) report. This report will provide details on risks, observed and expected impact of hazards, conflict causes, actors, dynamics and peace capacities and include as an annex proposals to adapt UNICEF supported Government programmes to build resilience and social cohesion and maintain service delivery while reducing direct impact of hazards on children, deliberately reducing the risk of humanitarian crisis or deepening of deprivations. The document will inform the finalisation of the UNICEF Situational Analysis (SitAN) document and produce specific action points for ensuring UNICEF programmes are increasingly risk-informed, conflict sensitive and contribute to resilience and social cohesion, including identification of primary and secondary objectives for strengthening linkages between humanitarian and development programme and contributions to vertical and horizontal social cohesion. It will provide recommendations to inform the UN’s Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF) incl. its Common Country Assessment and the Government of Niger 2022 - 2027 Economic and Social Development Programme and multilateral partners initiatives.

Work Assignment Overview

Tasks/Milestone:

Deliverables/Outputs:

Timeline

Multi-hazard and multi-sectoral Child Risk and Impact Analysis (CRIA) (Pre-Workshop Analysis)

first multi-hazard Child Risk and Impact Analysis

by end of September 2021

Region focused multi-hazard Risk, Conflict, and Impact Analysis

review the 4 regional multi-hazard Child Risk and Impact Analysis

by mid - October 2021

Risk-informed conflict sensitive humanitarian and development programming workshop

3-day risk informed programming workshop

By end – October 2021

Child Risk and Impact Analysis (CRIA)

Child Risk, Conflict and Impact Analysis (CRIA) report

Mid - November 2021

Evaluation Criteria:

a) A Technical Proposal which should include the following documents (70 points)

- An up-to-date CV

- A letter of motivation

- Copy of diploma

- Proposed methodology and timetable

b) A financial offer (30 points)

The proposed financial offer should include fees, logistics (DSA and travel expenses) and indirect costs

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

• Master’s degree or advanced post-graduate degree in Social Sciences, Management, Earth sciences or engineering or other relevant field with specialized knowledge and experience of DRR and climate change programming.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant work experience in international development and/or DRR-Disaster Risk Reduction and/or conflict sensitive programmes with a focus on high-risk contexts. Experience of working with national/regional government partners involved in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climatic Change initiatives is desirable, especially in programme design, planning, and implementation, monitoring and evaluation or administration.
• Excellent understanding of concepts, normative frameworks and other tools for disaster risk reduction/ climate change adaptation and/or conflict sensitivity and peacebuilding and their application in high risk countries.
• Knowledge of global humanitarian issues, specifically relating to children and women, and the current UNICEF position and approaches. Knowledge of the principle of gender parity and equality.
• Excellent research and analytical skills applied in the areas of risk, resilience, fragility or conflict.
• Excellent communication skills including proven capacity for multi-sectoral outreach to drive results.
• Excellent overall and report writing skills.
• Excellent presentation skills, with previous experience in training/ capacity building efforts an asset.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Proven ability to work in a team and intercultural environment, with minimal supervision.
• Enthusiasm for and commitment to development work.
• Highly proficient in French and English (verbal and written).
• Knowledge of the Sahel region context and previous experience in Niger is highly desirable.
• Experience working for UN and/or UNICEF and its engagement in WASH, Education, Nutrition, Health and Child Protection, Social Protection and beyond is an asset.
• Excellent computer skills (MS-Office application software (MS Word, Excel, Power Point).

A part of their application package on the UNICEF online portal, interested candidates should submit:

• A cover letter (letter of motivation);
• An up-to-date CV;
• A financial offer;
• A copy of the highest obtained academic diploma.

Payment schedule:

Payment will be made upon submission and acceptance of the specified deliverables and submission of an invoice according to the following payment schedule:

• 15% upon submission of inception report (Pre-Workshop Analysis);
• 15% upon desk review and submission of field visit plan and comments to Regional (Diffa, Maradi/Zinder, Tahoua/Agadez, Tillaberi/Dosso ) multi-hazard risk and impact analyses;
• 30% upon completion of the Risk-informed programming workshop (incl. workshop report);
• 40% upon submission and validation of the Child Risk and Impact Analysis (CRIA).

Candidates should clearly state their ability and availability to fulfill these terms of reference, as well as provide their proposed financial compensation. The financial offer should be all inclusive (expected salary as well as any subsistence allowance and/or travel costs).

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 for oral interview.

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.