WCARO Consultancy for the development of third-party monitoring tools, home-based, 4 months

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 Hope

Background: In the contexts where access is constrained and presents significant risks to UNICEF staff, and/or where UNICEF’s capacity is insufficient compared to the scale of programmes, third party monitoring (TPM) is used as one of the modalities to conduct systematic field visits and ensure independent and objective feedback on programmes implementation.

In 2020, UNICEF commissioned research to review UNICEF’s experiences of TPM across three regions: West and Central Africa Region (WCAR), East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) and Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to synthesize existing knowledge of and experience with TPM, to capture country-level adaptations and to identify challenges, risks, opportunities and lessons learned.

Building on the findings and recommendations of this research, the purpose of the current assignment is to consolidate and adapt existing tools/templates into practical TPM tools to support country offices.

Objectives:

WCARO seeks a Consultant to analyze existing guidance and tools available for planning and managing third-party monitoring (TPM) across different regions (WCAR, MENA, ESAR, ROSA), and consolidate these resources for easy discovery and reference. The consolidated tools will be available to UNICEF country offices in the form of a collection of curated tools and templates to support different steps of the TPM implementation. Specifically, the consultant is expected to:

1. analyze current TPM tools, templates such as orientation package, SOPs, contracting TORs, reporting templates and TPM report quality assurance checklist, etc. in line with the recommendations of the TPM research of 2020 along with relevant monitoring guidance (including UNICEF Guidance on Field Monitoring, UNICEF HACT procedure).
2. propose revisions and adaptation of the tools/templates for validation by UNICEF
3. design/adapt generic TPM tools
4. produce a TPM tools catalogue describing validated tools.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Works: The consultant will work under the direct supervision of the WCARO Implementing Partnership Specialist and the technical oversight of the Senior Advisor on Monitoring and Research and the Humanitarian Performance Monitoring Specialist. A TPM working group composed of headquarters, regional and participating country offices focal points will review and validate key outputs of this consultancy. The consultant is expected to carry out the following tasks:

• Analyze existing country-specific SOPs, tools, and templates for TPM planning/implementation/management and identify strengths and weaknesses in line with global guidance on implementation monitoring and TPM recommendations (TPM research of 2020). The list (non-exhaustive) of documents will include:
  • Long Terms agreement (LTA)
  • Orientation Package
  • TMP SOPs and guidance, TPM code of conduct
  • TPM Terms of reference (ToRs)for RFP and contracting against LTA
  • TPM report templates
  • TPM staff profile ToRs to be part of RFP TOR
  • TPM reports quality assessment check List
  • TPM performance assessment
  • Simple and adaptable TPM monitor training package and orientation package
• Consult with key informants from selected country offices and regional offices for clarification of in-country adaptation needs and gathering of any additional resources.
• Consult with headquarters Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring (DAPM) unit and the Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) to clarify requirements for greater compliance with principles, standards, ethics, etc. and links with existing global policy, procedure, guidance and other monitoring resources.
• Develop/adapt generic tools (orientation package, SOPs, TORs, reporting template, report quality assessment checklist, TPM performance assessment template, etc.) for TPM in line with existing guidance for UNICEF validation.
• Develop a brief catalogue of the generic TPM tools that describes the purpose of each tool.
• Present the consolidated tools to the TPM Working group for further discussion, refinement, and validation.
• Produce a final assignment report which includes recommendations on the dissemination.

The Work Plan (Key deliverables, Tasks, Timeframe and Payment Schedule): The expected outputs are:

1. A brief inception report, which will clarify the scope of work, methodology and the work plan (Week #2)
2. Draft generic TPM tools with agreed adaptation if any (week #10)
3. A draft catalogue of the generic TPM tools (Week #10)
4. Presentation of draft catalogue and generic tools (week #11)
5. Validated generic TPM tools and catalogue (Week #14)
6. Participate in dissemination webinars on the results of the assignment (week #15)
7. Final assignment Report (week #16)

The assignment is planned for 4 months or 16 weeks, with an option of a two-week break to allow internal UNICEF consultation and validation if required (TBC).

Reporting Requirements and Key Responsibilities

• Inception Report - scope of work, methodology and the work plan
• Progress updates (by email and through regular calls) highlighting any bottleneck or support needed (every two weeks)
• PowerPoint Presentations summarizing critical parts of the work.
• Catalogue of generic TPM tools validated.
• Generic TPM tools and templates
• Final assignment report (English).

Administrative Requirements:

The consultancy will be supervised and administratively managed by WCARO Regional Implementation Partnerships Management Specialist.

The consultant will be home-based and will furnish his/her own IT equipment (laptop and internet). UNICEF will provide a list of resource persons with whom the consultant will interact directly and organize working sessions.

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

Education:

• Education - A university degree in social sciences, business administration, planning or another related technical field is required.
• An undergraduate degree with 5 years of additional relevant work experience (planning, monitoring & evaluation, knowledge management ) will be considered instead of an advanced degree.

**Experiences***:*

• A minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in programme development and implementation including specific experience in monitoring and evaluation of programmes in development and humanitarian contexts.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Good knowledge of results-based programme management and field monitoring systems.
• At least two years prior experience in UN Humanitarian Response; knowledge of the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers (HACT) is an asset.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English and French.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are...

[insert competencies]

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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:

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.