Consultancy: Cash Transfers and its links with Nutrition, SIP Section, PD - NYHQ, Requisition #512437

The positive impact on children’s lives of a nutrition sensitive cash transfer programme will be a significant contribution in understanding how and to what extent cash plus approaches impact nutritional outcomes. The purpose of this assignment is to develop an evidence based paper on cash plus approaches and how and when they could be effective in addressing socio-economic determinants in complimentary to nutrition specific interventions. This would include defining what cash plus approaches are and what has worked in terms of meaningful impact on pathways and nutritional outcomes and how this could be translated into a programmatic guidance for practitioners at country level.

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Background & Rationale

UNICEF’s work on cash transfers has expanded rapidly in previous years, and in many parts of the world there is growing interest from governments on the potential of cash transfers to make a significant difference in the lives of children living in poverty, and vulnerable to poverty. Relatedly, the growing global interest about multiple impacts of cash transfers on child outcomes including nutrition has caught attention of policy makers and practitioners. To magnify the impact of cash transfers, one of the practical programmatic approach is cash plus - linking cash transfers to sectoral outcome which has generated a lot of interest from practitioners and academicians recently, mostly stemming from Latin America experience. Many cash transfer programme in Africa and elsewhere have also increasingly linked cash transfers with child outcomes in health, nutrition and education. While all of this is encouraging for the social protection world and other sectors, what needs to be further examined is what are the ‘plus’ components that have shown clear impact on nutrition. Some literature points towards programmatic components such as transfer size, access to water and sanitation services, care and hygiene practices could improve child nutritional outcomes, if complimented together with cash transfer programmes. One of such evidence is from Zambia where impact of cash transfers was noticed only among households with access to protected water source at homes.  While in Mexico, Columbia and Philippines, where the impact on stunting was noted, the cash transfer size was significantly higher.  

As the evidence on pathways of how cash transfers can impact nutritional outcome of children is emerging, its timely for UNCIEF to produces an evidence based paper on what and how cash plus approaches impact underlying social-economic risks to and determinants of malnutrition such as food poverty, access to services including water and sanitation, dietary diversification and behavioural change.

Purpose

The positive impact on children’s lives of a nutrition sensitive cash transfer programme will be a significant contribution in understanding how and to what extent cash plus approaches impact nutritional outcomes. The purpose of this assignment is to develop an evidence based paper on cash plus approaches and how and when they could be effective in addressing socio-economic determinants in complimentary to nutrition specific interventions. This would include defining what cash plus approaches are and what has worked in terms of meaningful impact on pathways and nutritional outcomes and how this could be translated into a programmatic guidance for practitioners at country level.

Expected results: (measurable results)

The expected results, which are extremely closely related to the delivery schedule below, are:

1. A conceptual framework on cash plus and nutrition clearly articulating what cash plus components are relevant for nutritional outcomes.
2. A literature review on the evidence and programmatic approaches of cash plus and links to nutrition
3. Annotated outline of the paper  
4. Final paper on evidence of cash plus and nutrition

Duration

Start date: 15 May 2018
End date: 15 October 2018

Duty Station : NYHQ

Key competences, technical background, and experience required Deadline

• An advanced university degree (PhD or Master's) in the social sciences (i.e. economics, international development or related fields) or directly related technical fields, in combination with an academic background/ research experience in cash transfers
• Significant experience (10+ years) conducting research at national and international level in cash transfers and it’s links to nutrition, health and child care;
• Strong analytical research skills and demonstrated experience in organizing complex data and information into logical conclusions and pathways by which cash plus approaches impact nutritional outcomes;
• Experience with and understanding of designing and scaling up cash transfer programmes; understanding of Government mechanisms and systems and links between social protection and other sectors such as nutrition.
• Experience working in the UN or other international development organizations an asset.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills

Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above (including travel and daily subsistence allowance, if applicable). Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.

Remarks

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.  

At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

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