RECRUTEMENT D’UN CONSULTANT NATIONAL Early Recovery Cluster Coordinator

Consultant Crisis & Emergency Response

Contract

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Background

Cameroon is facing three parallel crises with different causes and consequences. First, the Far North Region continues to be impacted by the Boko Haram related armed conflict and Cameroon remains the second most-affected country by the Lake Chad Basin emergency. About 1 million people living in the region need urgent assistance. Second, Cameroon’s eastern regions are still home to over 270,000 vulnerable refugees from the Central African Republic. The influx of refugees is exerting significant pressure on natural resources and basic social services in host areas and exacerbating pre-existing vulnerabilities. A third challenge arose in November 2017 when the socio-political crisis in the North West and the South West regions turned into a situation of violence with increasing reports of human rights violations and abuses, including extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests and destruction of property, and rising humanitarian needs. Almost 680,000 Cameroonian are now internally displaced due to this crisis mainly in the North West and the South West regions, but also in West and Littoral.3 An additional 52,000 persons have sought refuge in neighboring Nigeria. In accordance with the commitments made at the 2016 World Summit Humanitarian Summit, humanitarian partners will continue to strengthen a multisectoral approach to mainstreaming protection throughout humanitarian action and promote accountability to affected populations. Communication with people affected is central to the effectiveness of the humanitarian response and it is imperative that the response be guided by people in need.

B. Rationale for Early Recovery

While in a crisis situation life saving relief is undeniably the most important priority, affected populations simultaneously start looking for ways to rebuild their lives. Support to stabilisation of the situation in the first instance can reduce further setbacks for the affected population and pave the way towards an eventual recovery. This requires of all actors that they focus not only on saving lives but also on stemming further loss of livelihoods and security that are fundamental to the survival of the affected population, even during humanitarian operations. From the outset it is also vital to support, sustain, and begin to rebuild the essential national capacities that are necessary to manage the situation in the longer term.

Early Recovery (ER) is the application of development principles to humanitarian situations. It is intended to stabilise local and national capacities from further deterioration so that they can provide the foundation for full recovery and stimulate spontaneous recovery activities amongst the affected population. If such national capacities are used and strengthened, they are likely to reduce the overall burden of humanitarian support more rapidly.

This can be achieved through distinctive early recovery activities to stabilise the situation, while identifying opportunities for longer term recovery and eventually development. Early Recovery aims to bring development principles into relief and seize opportunities to go beyond saving lives and contributes to the restoration of national capacity, livelihoods and human security. Early recovery and humanitarian efforts occur in parallel and use the same mechanisms, but their objectives and expertise are different. Early recovery aims to:

• Augment on-going emergency assistance operations through measures that foster the self-reliance of the affected population and meet the most critical needs to rebuild livelihoods;
• Support spontaneous recovery initiatives by the affected population and mitigate the rebuilding of risk;
• Establish the foundations for longer-term recovery.

C. Coordination context

United Nations agencies and partners are using the cluster approach to support the Cameroonian government's efforts. The following structure is being used:

Sector/cluster Lead agency (UN and partners)

• Coordination OCHA
• Early recovery UNDP
• Education UNICEF
• Food security WFP
• Health WHO
• Nutrition UNICEF
• Protection UNHCR
• Refugee Response UNHCR
• Shelter and NFI UNHCR
• WASH UNICEF

There are also two sub-sectors under Protection, Child protection (UNICEF) and Gender Based Violence (UNFPA) while the working group of Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance has been established. There are two levels of a coordination mechanism: at the national level (Yaounde) and the regional level (e.g. the Far North, the Northwest and the Southwest). At the national level, clusters are called sector groups co-led with concerned ministries of the government. At the regional level in the North West and the South West regions, cluster remain cluster co-chaired with CSOs if possible. One of challenges is the good linkage between national and regional coordination. The second challenge, in particular Early Recovery in the North West and the South West regions is the clear differentiation between Early Recovery (humanitarian) and Recovery (development) due to the current situation of security in the regions.

D. Early Recovery Coordination

UNDP has the responsibility to lead a coordinated approach to ER planning together with key partners. The Humanitarian Coordinator has the lead responsibility for coordinating the ER efforts of international organizations in cooperation with national actors. Given the multi-dimensional nature of ER, an Early Recovery Network will be established: a network of ER focal points from each of the other clusters, to work together on the integration, mainstreaming and coordination of early recovery issues. The ER Network makes ER a common concern and avoids limiting it to the work of one cluster, with each of the other IASC Clusters on the ground (such as Health, Protection, Education, etc), systematically planning and implementing early recovery interventions within the context of their own specific areas of work. The HC will oversee the work of the Early Recovery Network.

Early Recovery Network ensures that: a) early recovery is effectively mainstreamed throughout everyone’s work and becomes a collective responsibility ; and b) no gaps are left uncovered that are considered essential for the success of the collective early recovery effort.

E. Role of the Early Recovery Cluster Coordinator

In general, the Cluster Coordinator enables cluster partners to be more effective by working together in accordance with the principles of partnership than they could be individually. The Cluster Coordinator provides accountable leadership and works on behalf of the cluster as a whole, facilitating all cluster activities and maintaining a strategic vision. He/she also ensures coordination regarding the areas covered, e.g. governance, infrastructure and livelihoods, with other clusters in relation to inter-cluster activities and cross-cutting issues.

The Cluster Coordinator is based in the UNDP country office in Cameroon and reports to the Assistant Resident Representative (Governance, Crisis prevention and Recovery) under the supervision of Resources Mobilization and Advocacy Specialist (a focal point of Early Recovery). UNDP as the Cluster Lead Agency is accountable to the HC for ensuring that the tasks below are carried out effectively. The Cluster Coordinator also has a duty, to all partners within the Early Recovery Cluster, to act as a representative of the cluster as a whole rather than solely as a representative of UNDP.

The Cluster Coordinator will be responsible for developing of the Early Recovery Cluster’s action plans and monitoring their implementation. The Cluster Coordinator will ensure that the action plans are coherent with the priorities outlined in the overall early recovery strategic framework developed by the ER network such as ER Sectoral Response under the Humanitarian Response Plan.

The Cluster Coordinator is responsible for facilitating a process at the sectoral level aimed at ensuring the following:

• Establishment and maintenance of effective coordination mechanisms
• Preparedness and capacity development
• Needs Assessment and analysis, prioritization and planning
• Integration of cross-cutting issues
• Application of standards, guidelines and good practice
• Information management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• Advocacy
• Resource Mobilization

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Establishment and maintenance of effective coordination mechanisms

1. Ensure appropriate coordination with national authorities, to the extent the political situation allows. This will involve liaising with relevant government counterparts and ideally, working with them to support or complement existing coordination mechanisms. Depending on the situation, the Cluster Coordinator will either represent the cluster at sectoral meetings led by national authorities or co-chair cluster meetings with national authorities.
2. Identify and establish contact with all other relevant sector stakeholders including national and international organizations, and representatives of affected populations. Invite these stakeholders to participate as partners in the work of the cluster as appropriate.
3. As appropriate, convene and facilitate meetings of the cluster and ensure that they are well-managed and action and results-oriented, with decisions clearly communicated to relevant cluster partners and stakeholders. Ensure that meetings are managed in line with the Principles of Partnership.
4. Facilitate agreement on an efficient division of labour and the assignment of responsibilities amongst cluster partners which takes account of their comparative advantages and complementarities. Designate focal points or working groups for specific issues where necessary.
5. Help establish and maintain appropriate inter-cluster coordination mechanisms, adapting them over time to reflect the stage of the emergency and the changing capacities of local actors. Represent the cluster in inter-cluster coordination fora, especially the ER network, as appropriate.

6. Depending on the specific country situation, lead on the design of appropriate transition strategies for the cluster including how coordination mechanisms and cluster membership will change during the transition from the emergency to recovery and development.

7. Work closely with national counterparts, the World Bank, donors and other stakeholders to ensure that the ongoing ER activities tie in with common recovery strategies and with the UNDAF and develop a clear hand-over strategy.

2. Preparedness and capacity-building

1. Lead early warning, contingency planning, emergency preparedness and pre-crisis recovery planning efforts for the cluster; ensure adequate cluster participation in inter-cluster early warning, contingency planning and emergency preparedness activities.
2. Together with cluster partners, undertake national capacity mapping and gap identification exercises to develop a capacity-development strategy for the sector.
3. Identify training needs of cluster partners and communicate them to the UNDP ARR (Governance, Crisis prevention and Recovery) and the global Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery Coordinator. Support resource mobilization efforts aimed at strengthening the capacity of the national authorities, civil society and other local humanitarian partners.

3. Needs assessment and analysis, prioritization and planning

1. Ensure that the cluster covers all the identified sector needs of the affected population, and not only those that relate to the mandate of UNDP.
2. Facilitate cluster needs assessments and analysis and participate in joint inter-cluster needs assessment exercises as appropriate. Promote and contribute to the overall cluster and inter-cluster analysis and prioritization of humanitarian needs.
3. Lead the cluster’s analysis of sector-specific gaps and priorities and facilitate the development of strategies and tools to address them. Ensure that cluster strategies are adequately reflected in overall country strategies such as the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP).
4. Lead the development of Response Plans for the sector under Humanitarian Programme Cycle (HPC).
5. In terms of inter-cluster coordination, identify issues of mutual interest and identify information which (i) should be proactively shared with other clusters, and (ii) should be acquired from other clusters to ensure a more effective response overall. Identify potential areas of duplication between clusters so that they can be avoided, and identify potential gaps which may fall between clusters so that they can be addressed through the clear assignment of responsibilities.
6. Inform the UNDP ARR (Governance, Crisis prevention and Recovery) of any critical gaps in the response that cannot be covered by any cluster partners and that require UNDP to intervene as Provider of Last Resort; advocate for UNDP to take the necessary action in its capacity as Provider of Last Resort.
7. Advocate for the utilization of participatory and community-based approaches in the planning and implementation of projects. Promote measures which increase accountability to affected populations.

4. Integration of cross-cutting issues

1. Raise awareness of and promote the integration of agreed priority cross-cutting issues (e.g. age, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS and human rights) in cluster/inter-cluster needs assessments, analysis, planning and monitoring. Work with cross-cutting issue focal points (if they have been designated) or, if necessary, call upon global cross-cutting issue focal points to support the effective mainstreaming of these issues within the response.
2. Ensure that cluster partners are aware of relevant commitments that the Government has made under international human rights and humanitarian law and promote a response which is in line with these commitments.

5. Application of standards, guidelines and good practice

1. Facilitate discussion and agreement on the use of common standards and tools among cluster partners. Promote awareness of and adherence to relevant policy guidelines, codes of conduct and examples of good practice by all cluster partners, taking into consideration the possible need for local adaptation. Request support from the global Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery where necessary to share tools, practices, standards and guidance from elsewhere.
2. Ensure to the extent possible that cluster partners use common standards and tools for information collection and data management, including in needs assessments and monitoring.

6. Information management, monitoring, evaluation and reporting

1. Facilitate adequate reporting and information sharing, both within the cluster and with other clusters through inter-cluster coordination mechanisms. This will involve collecting 3 or 4W information (Who/What/When/Where) from partners and ensuring it is shared with the inter-agency coordination body so that it can be processed and redistributed at the cluster level and to other stakeholders.
2. Ensure that updated and relevant cluster-specific information is included in general reporting including common web platforms, inter-cluster Situation Reports and the Humanitarian Dashboard.
3. Facilitate cluster agreement on what monitoring activities will be undertaken to review the impact of the sector’s response and ensure they are implemented. Make adjustments to the overall strategy and programming as appropriate. Regularly review the functioning of the cluster and encourage an atmosphere conducive to raising and addressing concerns.

7. Advocacy

1. Together with cluster partners, identify core advocacy concerns for the sector and contribute key messages to the broader advocacy initiatives of the HC, UNDP and other relevant actors.

8. Resource Mobilization

1. Act as a representative and facilitator for the cluster as a whole and provide leadership and strategic direction in the assessment and prioritization of project proposals for inclusion in Consolidated Appeals, Flash Appeals, CERF requests and other inter-agency funding appeals; ensure that agreed cluster strategies and priorities are adequately reflected in appeal documents.
2. Establish mechanisms for accountable and transparent financial resource allocation within the cluster for pool funded projects; where possible work at the inter-cluster level to promote coherence amongst clusters.

Competencies

Corporate:

1. Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
2. Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN and UNDP;
3. Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Communication

1. Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
2. Excellent interpersonal and networking skills.

Client Orientation

1. Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors
2. Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback
3. Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with UN Agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies.

Planning and Organizing

1. Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
2. Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
3. Promotes knowledge management and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
4. Sound time management and organizational skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks
5. Capacity to work under tight deadlines, manage stress and adapt to rapidly evolving situations

Managerial competencies:

Leadership

1. Ability to advocate and provide policy advice
2. Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of joint work plans
3. Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills

Building Trust

1. Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts
2. Able to establish trustful relationships with governments, donors, non-government and international development organizations

Judgement/Decision-making

1. Demonstrated substantive experience and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives
2. Clear conceptual and strategic thinking - understanding the big picture, the wider knowledge context and the UN’s and UNDP’s strategy within it.

Required Skills and Experience

Recruitment Qualifications :

Education :

Advanced degree (masters level) in political science/international relations, or other relevant field; or the equivalent combination of education and the extensive relevant professional experience in a related area.

Experience :

• A minimum of 5-7 years work experience in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance and considerable experience in the field of early recovery.
• Included in the above: minimum of 3 years specific substantive and technical experience in inter-agency coordination, needs assessment, policy development, strategy formulation, programme planning and monitoring & evaluation in crisis and post-crisis settings
• Experience working in an international organization is an asset
• Knowledge of UNDP/UN regulations, rules, policies, procedures and practices is desirable

Language Requirements : Fluency in written and spoken French and English is required for this post.

Application Process

Interested individuals must submit the following documents as proposals in order to demonstrate their qualifications. (NOTE: The system does not allow multiple uploads of document. Applicants must make sure to upload all documents in one PDF file.)

All applications must contain the following information:

• Cover letter with a summary statement of competencies in relation to this Terms of Reference (TOR);
• Curriculum Vitae and current contacts of three referees

Evaluation Method Applicants will be evaluated based on the following methodology:

• Technical Evaluation Weight - 70% points
• Financial Evaluation Weight - 30%

Evaluation criteria :

• A minimum of 5-7 years work experience in the field of international development and humanitarian assistance and considerable experience in the field of early recovery.............. 20 points
• Included in the above: minimum of 3 years specific substantive and technical experience in inter-agency coordination, needs assessment, policy development, strategy formulation, programme planning and monitoring & evaluation in crisis and post-crisis settings........................... 20 points
• Experience working in an international organization is an asset.................... 30 points
• Knowledge of UNDP/UN regulations, rules, policies, procedures and practices is desirable.................. 20 points

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Added 3 years ago - Updated 3 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org