Review Facilitator Consultant for Refugee & Migrant Response Review; Senior-Level Professional; home-based, with multi-country travel visits throughout Europe

UNICEF Refugee and Migrant Response Team in Europe is looking for a Review Facilitator Consultant, Senior-Level Professional, home-based, with multi-country travel visits throughout Europe

BACKGROUND

In 2015, over a million refugees and migrants entered Europe, one third of which were children. In face of the gravity and complexity of the situation, UNICEF launched a humanitarian response for affected children and the Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia was appointed as Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe.

The UNICEF response initially focused on three Western Balkan countries – Croatia, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia –, as previously documented in the report “Lessons Learned from the UNICEF Response to the Refugee and Migrant Crisis”. It has since been scaled up in partnership with UNICEF National Committees to address the needs of refugee and migrant children in an additional eight countries. UNICEF deployed international staff members in five countries – Greece, Italy, Germany, Austria and Slovenia – and new modalities of support were identified with National Committees in another three – France, United Kingdom and Hungary.

Two years on in the response and recognizing that migration issues in Europe are here to stay, the Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) wants to take stock of the experience so far, as a whole and in each specific country context, and adapt its approach for future engagement on these issues. To this end, a participatory review of the response over the course of 2015-2017 is being considered.

The review will be conducted by a team of two consultant review facilitators recruited by ECARO. A Reference Group will be established to oversee and coordinate the review process. It will be composed of the Special Coordinator for the Refugee and Migrant Crisis (Chair), PFP Directors’ Office, National Committees Representative, EMOPS, ECARO Refugee and Migrant Response Team Coordinator, ECARO Monitoring & Evaluation, ECARO Knowledge Management, and the consultant review facilitators. The Reference Group will meet three times, during the kick-off, reporting and wrap-up phases. 

PURPOSE 

The purpose of the review is threefold. Firstly, it will inform the future engagement of ECARO on migration issues in Europe, as a whole and in each specific country context. Secondly, it will inform the future role of National Committees on these issues. Thirdly, it aims to contribute relevant experience to UNICEF’s global engagement on these issues.

In line with the purpose, the four specific objectives of the review are to:

1. Document the contribution to results for children of the UNICEF response to the evolving Refugee and Migrant Crisis in Europe, as a whole and in each specific country context, including achievements, successes, challenges and lessons learned.
2. Define priorities and opportunities for the future engagement of ECARO on migration issues in Europe, as a whole and in each specific country context.
3. Identify lessons learned and recommendations to inform the future role of National Committees on migration issues in Europe.
4. Identify modalities to ensure cost-effective and sustainable support of UNICEF to National Committees, national authorities and partners in Europe according to needs of each specific country context and in line with relevant global frameworks

TIMELINE

1.     Kick-Off Phase

18-29 September

–     Reference Group meeting in Geneva (22 September)

–     Kick-off meeting in Geneva (29 September)

2.     Implementation Phase

2-27 October

–     Collection of the data (multi-country travel)

3.     Reporting Phase

30 October-17 November

–     Analysis of the data

–     Draft of the intermediate summary (3 November)

–     Reference Group meeting in Geneva (6 November)

–     Draft of the review report (17 November)

4.     Validation Phase

20 November-1 December

–     Internal validation of the review report

–     Finalisation of the review report (1 December)

–     Draft of the PowerPoint Presentation (1 December)

5.     Wrap-Up Phase

4-15 December

–     Reference Group meeting in Geneva (4 December)

–     Wrap-up meeting in Geneva (11 December)

–     Dissemination of the review report (15 December)

DELIVERABLES 

Consultants will be provided with the Inception Report which sets out the final scope, design and methods to be used. Additional supporting materials will be provided as a resource. Following multi-country field visits (Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Germany, Greece) and online interviews with the various stakeholders, the consultants will be expected to provide the following deliverables; 

• Intermediate Summary (5-10 pages). Content: the summary should highlight key emerging elements. Audience: Reference Group. Deadline: 6 October, to be discussed during the second Reference Group meeting (9 October). Note: the document can be drafted in a bullet-point format.
• Review Report (30-50 pages). Content: the report should include inter alia an Executive Summary (3-5 pages) and Country Case Studies (1-2 pages each). Audience: All stakeholders in UNICEF and National Committees and wider dissemination in UNICEF. Deadline (draft version): 13 October, to be submitted to stakeholders for the internal validation process. Deadline (final version): 27 October, to be shared during the third Reference Group meeting (30 October) and the wrap-up meeting (6 November).
• PowerPoint Presentation (10-15 slides). Content: the presentation should focus on key findings, conclusions and recommendations. Audience: All stakeholders in UNICEF and National Committees. Deadline: 27 October, to be presented during the third Reference Group meeting (30 October) and the wrap-up meeting (6 November).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

• 8-10 years of relevant experience in the area of monitoring and evaluation
• Experience working with UN Agencies and active involvement in a humanitarian crisis response preferred
• Institutional knowledge of UNICEF is required, direct experience in UNICEF evaluation exercises is an asset
• Advanced university degree in social sciences, statistics, planning development, or in related field; A first university degree may also be accepted.
• Fluency in English is required. Language skills in either Italian, German, French, Greek, Slovene are desired

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONAL AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES 

• Working with People
• Drive for Results
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts, including analysis
• Strong writing skills
• Analyzing
• Good interpersonal skills
• Sets high levels of quality and productivity
• Planning and Organizing

TRAVEL 

• All UNICEF rules and regulations related to travel of Consultants/ Individual Contractors apply.
• All travels shall be undertaken only upon the prior written approval by UNICEF.
• An amount for travel will be specified in the contract (travel lump sum).
• The consultant is responsible for his/her for travel arrangements. The most economic and direct route is authorized.
• Travel costs will be reimbursed after the completion of the mission. UNICEF will pay applicable/negotiated DSA and other official travel related expenses upon submission of the invoice together with the supporting documentation.