Consultancy, Mapping the existing services/ partnerships/projects for adolescents and youth in Angola

UNICEF Angola seeks a consultant to support mapping of the existing services/ partnerships/projects for adolescents and youth in Angola.

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Background

Africa’s demographic transformation is an overarching issue with critical implications for the work of UNICEF and partners in Sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the youngest population in the world. Currently, adolescents and young people make up approximately one quarter of the population of most countries in the region; the numbers are growing rapidly, projecting adolescents and young people (AYP) will increase by 83%, from 257 million to almost half a billion by 2050.[1] This rapid and consequential growth poses enormous challenges and opportunities for harnessing political, social and economic stability and growth across the continent.

This is pivotal moment, with unlimited potential, to transform the lives of millions of adolescents and young people across Eastern and Southern Africa, by consolidating current gains in social and economic progress and turning more than half of the continent into a hub of equitable, inclusive and sustainable action and prosperity. Or, this rapidly growing population could endure an era of mass unemployment, increasing poverty, migration, climate change and insecurity.  Africa’s young people risk being unable to compete globally and locally, unless there is a radical transformation of engagement, protection, participation, learning and skills.[2] Not only is there an urgent responsibility for stakeholders to invest with and for adolescents and young people within the region, but also a timely opportunity, particularly for governments with UN agencies and the private sector to leverage much needed skills, resources and capacities of millions of adolescents and young people.

Despite the considerable gains and progress achieved for children in the first decade in the region, such as: doubling the number of children with access to primary education in Africa; and, reducing the number of child marriages, there are still extensive challenges and issues, especially facing the growing number of adolescents and young people, in the second decade.

During adolescence, gender disparities in social, education and health outcomes among boys and girls intensify, resulting in adolescent girls and young women being one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged demographic groups. In the region, gender inequalities affect almost every aspect of life for adolescent girls and young women. They experience: high rates of pervasive violence, including harmful practices, such as child marriage and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C), limited access to reproductive health services, and are more likely to be affected by unequal traditional barriers to fulfilling their potential, including as active citizens in their communities and throughout adulthood to employment.

Angola’s demographic profile is characterised by rapid population growth, youthful age structure, and rapid urbanization.  The high population growth rate and high dependency burden have been created by a long period of high and slowly declining fertility in the midst of rapidly declining child mortality rates.

The recent Angolan Multiple Indicator and Health Survey (IIMS) estimates a total fertility rate of 6.2 children per woman. The adolescent fertility rate is 163 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19 years. The population is projected to increase to 44.7 million in 2030, and to 114.4 million in 2010.  As a result of the high fertility rate, Angola’s population is profoundly youthful, with 47% being under age 15 years. Overall, 66 percent of the population is below age 25 while only 2.3% is aged 65 years and above. This represents a high dependency burden for the country with 100 persons in the working ages of 15 to 64 years supporting 98 dependents. 

This high child dependency burden has significant implications for the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Essentially, parents with many children usually have difficulties in providing for education, health and other needs of their minors, undermining the quality of human capital of the next generation.

High fertility is also associated with low levels of female education and limited participation of women in the labour force.

Angola has committed to the adoption of the African Union Demographic Dividend and is currently reviewing its profile.  The AU calls on countries to harness the dividend by investing in the following four interrelated pillars:

1. Employment and Entrepreneurship
2. Education and skills Development
3. Health and Wellbeing
4. Rights, Governance and Youth Employment.

Angola is preparing its first National Youth Policy with a focus on addressing the specific challenges and immediate needs of the country’s youth.

Adolescence is not only a time of vulnerability, it is also an age of opportunity. They are part of a vibrant generation that can bring solutions and help to build the future of their communities and countries. This is especially true when it comes to adolescent girls. Education enables girls to fulfil their potential to transform their lives, families, and communities. Girls who had access to education have better employment opportunities, have to opportunity to chose if and when to marry, and go on to have fewer, healthier children and more educated children. By giving all young people the tools they need to improve their own lives, and by engaging them in efforts to improve their communities, we are investing in the strength of their societies.

Justification and Methodology

Maximising the potential of the UN system, governments, CSOs and private sector, and in line with and contribution to the SDGs and the UN Youth Strategy, UNICEF and a group of partners are developing a new global partnership dedicated to expanding opportunity for young people, ages 10-24.  The Young People’s Agenda (YPA) is centred on finding new ways to ensure that every young person is in school, learning, training or employment by 2030 — with a focus on those in the greatest danger of being left behind, including girls, the poorest, those with disabilities, young people on the move and those affected by conflict and natural disasters.   

The business model of the Young People’s Agenda focuses on bringing together public and private partners – as well as young people - to identify and scale solutions, unlock investments, and unleash the voice and participation of young people to achieve the YPA goals, thus contributing to the SDGs and creating synergies across the mandates of all involved partners. New and existing models that are promising in their potential will be identified and distilled through an inclusive co-creation/curation process both with partners and with youth organizations at different levels -global, regional and country-based. Once curated and quality-assured with the support of an independent external review and on based on criteria agreed upon by key partners, a selected number of these solutions will be packaged in a portfolio that will be presented and discussed with investors and potential allies. The best and most promising solutions will be matched with adequate financing and technical support for their implementation at country level; investors will find viable solutions to invest in and strong accountability mechanisms will be in place to provide adequate assurance of results as well as performance and financial management; and young people will participate meaningfully in the cocreation of solutions, informing, advising and helping implement

In light of development of the new UNPAF for 2020-2023 and the new UNICEF Country Programme Document 2020-2024 as well as in line with the UN Youth Strategy, UNICEF and UNFPA aim to conduct a rapid analysis of the existing legal framework, services and partners who work in the area of adolescents to inform programming in this area.

Objectives/Tasks:

1. Desk review of existing legal and strategic framework covering adolescents and youth:

1. Review of the State Programmes and Strategies; National Development Plans; relevant sector strategies (in education, health/reproductive health/HIV/AIDS, WASH and social protection) to identify gaols, targets and indicators aimed at adolescents;
2. Review relevant strategies and programme documents of UN Agencies, bilateral and multilateral actors, international and national NGOs and private sector;  
3.  Develop 10-page summary on the results of the desk review.

2. Analyse ad map existing services/interventions/projects focused on adolescents and youth:

1.  
1. Analysis and mapping of available sectoral services, including but not limited to: health, education, protection, culture and sports and employment;
2. Mapping of UN system, civil society and private sector initiatives and intervention (geographical scope of the projects; content of interventions; results and lessons learned);
3. Mapping of existing adolescents or youth networks or organizations. Prepare comprehensive report with the results of mapping exercise.

3. Develop a data-base of cooperation, youth networks and civil society;

1. Based on the results of the desk review and mapping, develop a data-base with comprehensive information about the key partners to promote dialogue on adolescents’ and youth agenda and intensify partnership and coordination among all involved actors, including the following information of the organizations mapped: summary of the area of intervention, geographic scope of interventions, main partners in the government (in case of the civil society organizations) and contact details.

Outputs/Deliverables:

Management arrangements

Under the supervision of UNICEF and UNFPA focal points, the consultant will conduct the desk review and mapping exercises and ensure the quality of deliverables.

The consultant will work with relevant government partners, especially (but not limited to): the Ministry of Social Action, Family, and Women Promotion (MASFAMU), the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, The National Child's Institute (INAC), UN, NGOs and private sector. During this assignment, the consultant will focus specifically on three tasks detailed above. As detailed under the section “Conditions” below, UNICEF and UNFPA will facilitate the contact between the consultant and key stakeholders and will help consultant have access to documentation or data he or she needs to successfully execute this consultancy.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience

1. Master in Social Science, Education, Political Science or another field related to the rights and development of the child.
2. Knowledge of the social, political, economic, and educational contexts in Angola, including the current situation of Angolan children and youth.
3. A minimum of eight (5) years of experience in working in development programmes, strategic planning, partnership.
4. Good analytical, negotiation and advocacy skill along with demonstrated experience in liaising with government agencies.
5. Excellent ability to communicate, facilitate and coordinate a participatory discussions processes.

6. Excellent reporting skills in Portuguese and English.

Conditions

• UNICEF and UNFPA will facilitate the contact between the consultant and key stakeholders/informants and will help consultant have access to data/ information he will need for this assignment;
• Consultant will have access to UN transport only when on official missions related to this assignment;
• All domestic travels, if necessary, will be covered at the standards economy rate from Luanda to elsewhere;
• Consultant will not be entitled to DSA but will rather be paid a lump sum that will be negotiated with HR;
• As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment to consultant will be made against approved deliverables as outlined in the Table of Deliverables. Note that the selected consultant will receive his/her final payment only after submission and approval of the final product.
• The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

The technical competencies required for this post are….

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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.

Remarks:

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