Individual Consultancy Reporting Specialist

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical expertise to UNICEF-Belarus in developing key products which include funding proposals/ concept notes, periodic donor reports and briefing notes, which meet a high quality standards and comply with specific reporting requirements and conditions.

Type of contract:              International individual consultancy

Duration:                             25 August 2017 – 31 July 2018

 

1. Background and Justification:

Belarus is a middle-income country with an educated society and significant progress in improving its Human Development Index between 2005 and 2013 – its growth was the highest among countries in Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was ranked 53^rd among 187 countries in the Human Development Report 2014.  Economically, the country experienced over the middle term a positive improvement with greater income equality, yet since 2014 Belarus has faced economic downturns that have created increased challenges.

Belarus continues to be a country with centralized decision-making processes and low inclusiveness as well as lack of feedback mechanisms of the population. These challenges do not go unnoticed by the Government. The Belarusian authorities recognize the need to engage with civil society. The Government of Belarus’ 2015 Action Programme included objectives to formulate recommendations on public procurement of social services; to strengthen youth and children's organizations, engaging them in the design and implementation of the national youth policy; and to ensure a greater role for public councils (comprising both state and CSO representatives), identifying national priorities and drafting laws and regulations.

In February 2015, the Government approved the National Strategy for the Social and Economic Development of Belarus through 2030. The strategy places special emphasis on civil society institutions, including the need to establish an enabling legal environment for civil society, improve mechanisms for systematic cooperation between CSOs and Government bodies, and develop proper infrastructure and mechanisms to support volunteerism and civic initiatives.

At the same time, there has been a more open dialogue between Belarus and the EU, with removal of EU political sanctions towards Belarus.  These opportunities create new entry points for collaboration and leveraging of resources to build stronger open and participatory governance as well as a stronger rule of law, with strong attention to the unique needs of children, young people and their families.

 

1. PURPOSE/ Objective:

The purpose of the consultancy is to provide technical expertise to UNICEF-Belarus in developing key products which include funding proposals/ concept notes, periodic donor reports and briefing notes, which meet a high quality standards and comply with specific reporting requirements and conditions.

Specific objectives within the scope of the consultancy would include:

• Resource mobilization: The consultant will provide technical expertise to UNICEF-Belarus staff to mobilize funding resources from donor governments and private sectors through the drafting and/or editing key proposals or concept notes to ensure succinct and strategic documents.
• Knowledge management: The consultant will provide strategic interventions to develop knowledge products to be integrated in to the office’s practices to improve overall communication among partners including donors, with specific inputs in design and production of knowledge products such as development of brief child rights briefings (“flash reports”), and other briefing/advocacy notes for potential and existing donors.
• Editing: The consultant will support in key donor reports across the sections, providing strategic editing inputs to ensure highest quality assurance.

 

1. Key Tasks:

• Task 1- Resource Mobilisation: To draft and finalize highly quality funding proposals and concept notes for strategic partners with the Partnership Officer as well as relevant officers.  This work will require the consultant to have direct and close communication with the Partnership Officer as well as the section heads and to consolidate technical narrative inputs and factual data into draft documents in line with respective donor conditions.  Through this work, the consultant is also expected to provide informal “capacity” development to the Partnership Officer to gain better understanding of how such proposals should be designed and key factors to consider in developing strategies.  Provided that the consultant receives timely and sufficient inputs from the sections, the draft proposals and concept notes are to be prepared in a timely manner.  Final clearance of products will be done by the Partnership Officer and Policy and Planning Manager.
• Task 2 – Knowledge Management: To design and develop in collaboration with Partnership Officer and Communication Specialist knowledge products such as section/policy briefings; advocacy information update formats for regular briefing highlights to key partners including potential and existing donors.  These documents will be designed to enhance the office’s advocacy interventions among bilateral and multilateral partners as well as to enhance knowledge interventions in leveraging resources.
• Task 3 – Editing: To provide strategic inputs to office editing of donor reports, such as Belmed project and potential good governance project, to ensure effective reporting and highlighting strategic inputs under the conditions of the donors.  Again, this work will require close collaboration with the Partnership Officer and other relevant section heads.

 

1. DELIVERABLES:

№	Deliverables	Consultancy Days
1	·         Development of EU donor proposal (UNICEF’s component) for the UN Good Governance Proposal; and review and potential recommendations for inputs on the overall document ·         Development of / strategic inputs to other key strategic donor proposals, as requested.	50
2	·         Development of policy briefings of section interventions to present effectively planned results and actions to key partners including donors ·         Design of communication “mechanism” for providing regular updates on child rights issues among key stakeholders as a means of advocacy and resource mobilization ·         Development of other knowledge products, as requested.	20
3	·         Technical inputs on EU reporting for “Belmed” project and other strategic donor reports	15
	TOTAL	85

 

1. Supervision, Work Relations & Oversight

The direct supervisor for the consultancy will be by the Partnership Officer, though close coordination and communication will be maintained with the Policy and Planning Manager.

 

1. TRAVEL

If UNICEF determines that the Contractor needs to travel in order to perform his or her assignment, that travel shall be specified in the contract and the Contractor’s travel costs shall be set out in the contract: In cases where travel costs have not been set out in the individual contract, the consultant and individual contractors are expected to submit, within ten days of completion of a specific travel, a voucher for reimbursement of travel expenses to the Operations section. Reimbursements shall only be processed if travel was duly authorized in the individual contract or by an authorized manager of the contracting section, in writing and prior to the travel. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

1. PAYMENT CONDITIONS:

Payment is based on invoices of consultancy days, in line with deliverables.  Payment will be on the number of consultancy days actually reported.

 

 UNSATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE:

Payment of fees to the Contractor under this contractor, including each installment or periodic payment (if any), is subject to the Contractor’s full and complete performance of his or her obligations under this contract with regard to such payment to UNICEF’s satisfaction, and UNICEF’s certification to that effect. 

UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/outputs is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.  All materials developed will remain the copyright of UNICEF and that UNICEF will be free to adapt and modify them in the future. This ToR is an integral part of the contract (SSA) signed with the consultant.

 

1. QUALIFICATIONS OR SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE/ EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• At least 7 years of experience in development work, with a particular understanding to EU mechanisms and approaches
• Strong understanding about UNICEF results-based programming
• Strong strategic thinking with superb writing and communication skills
• Understanding of the regional context.

• Fluency in English