Coordinator, UN Inter-Agency Joint Programme on Child Marriage and Early Unions

PURPOSE: The Consultant will coordinate activities and deliver results related to the Inter-Agency Regional Joint Programme to End Child Marriage and Early Unions in Latin America and the Caribbean launched in 2017 by the Regional Offices of UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

THE UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND (UNICEF)

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INTERNATIONAL INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR/ CONSULTANCY

FOR

Coordinator, UN Inter-Agency Joint Programme on Child Marriage and Early Unions 

Level of experience:   Junior [  ] 1-3yrs         Medium [ X ] 4-10yrs Senior [ ] more than 10yrs

Location: Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean [LACRO]

Language(s) required: Spanish and English (Oral and written proficiency).  French and/or Portuguese proficiency considered an asset

Closing date for applying to this consultancy: 30 November 2018

Duration: 6 months (initial period)

Estimated start date of this consultancy: 17 December 2018    Estimated end date: 16 June 2019

BACKGROUND:

In the past 10 years, the average annual reduction rate of child marriage and early unions in Latin America and the Caribbean has been 12 times lower than in the region with the second lowest decrease (West and Central Africa).  To achieve the related goal (SDG 5, target 5.3) in the 2030 Agenda and achieve its elimination by 2030, the average annual reduction should reach 21.5%, that is, 200 times greater than the current 0.1%.  The Region has further particularities that require increased investment and action such as: 

• LAC is the only region in the world where child marriage and early unions are not decreasing.
• The region has the second highest rate of adolescent fertility in the world.
• More than 60% of married women in Latin America and the Caribbean before age 18 are from the lowest income quintiles.
• Early, non-marital unions are more frequent than formal and legal marriage.

The Joint Interagency Programme recommends, therefore, focused attention on adolescent girls, indigenous, rural, and middle- and low-income areas to end child marriage and early unions.  The Regional Programme Goals include:

1. Prevent and end CMEU by expanding options for girls and promoting gender equality through education, protection and social inclusion measures as well as access to key public services;  
2. Transform unequal gender norms, attitudes and practices, and
3. Set out a roadmap for Girls’ Empowerment in the Region.

  The regional joint programme involves three UN agencies in its leadership, a range of global and regional partners, 5 regional programme country teams in Latin America and incipient work in the Caribbean.  In this sense, the incumbent will support the technical team (comprised of the three agencies) in the overall coordination including strategic direction, management, support to country teams and resource mobilization. 

PURPOSE:

The Consultant will coordinate activities and deliver results related to the Inter-Agency Regional Joint Programme to End Child Marriage and Early Unions in Latin America and the Caribbean launched in 2017 by the Regional Offices of UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women.

SUMMARY OF KEY FUNCTIONS:

Under the direct supervision of the Regional Gender Advisor, and in support to the technical team, the incumbent will engage in the following key activities – the table below includes rolling tasks associated with each key activity: 

1. Programme support, governance and implementation;
2. Advisory services and technical support;
3. Advocacy, networking and partnership building;
4. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building, and
5. Resource mobilization and donor relations. 

DELIVERABLES:

Note that tasks are not chronological and will require simultaneous management.  Monthly reports will provide updates across the five key activities mentioned above. 

 DURATION, FEES AND PAYMENT SCHEDULE

The duration of the contract is estimated at 6 months starting on the date of the signature of the contract. The fee for this individual consultancy will be paid monthly against the submission of monthly progress reports. 

REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES/ SUPERVISION

The consultant will work under the supervision of the Regional Gender Advisor. As this consultancy is part of an inter-agency programme, reviews/comments will come from the interagency team through UNICEF, as Convening and Administrative Agency.  Initial, mid-term and final meetings with all three agencies will be conducted; ad-hoc meetings with all agencies will convened when and if deemed necessary among all parties.  

KEY QUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL BACKGROUND, AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

• Advanced university degree required in any of the following:  Social Sciences, Public Administration, International Relations, Public Health, Education, Gender or other related areas.
• Experience in coordinating multi-partner, multi-country initiatives required.
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in international development planning and management in gender required.
• A minimum of 3 years in child marriage and early unions, girls’ empowerment, adolescent pregnancy prevention and/or gender-based violence required.
• Demonstrated experience in synthesizing disparate points of information and concepts into succinct communication for senior managers and stake holders required. 
• Programmatic experience of field level implementation an asset.
• Experience within the UN System an asset.

Experience in resource mobilization and partnership (2 years) is an asset.

Required competencies include:

• Excellent organization and coordination skills.
• Highly self-motivated individual with strong initiative, organizational time management and multi-tasking abilities.
• Strong diplomatic and relationship management skills, and ability bring disparate interests together.

• Excellent communication skills

Language(s):

• Oral and written proficiency in Spanish is required.  Coordination with global partners as well as the English-speaking Caribbean also require competency in written and oral English.  French and/or Portuguese proficiency considered an asset. 

INDIVIDUAL CONTRACTOR’S WORKPLACE:

The consultant will work home-based, using their own personal premises, materials, and equipment’s and, when necessary, in UNICEF LACRO office.  It is preferable that the consultant is based in Panama City.

For this consultancy, the consultant may be required to travel: 2-4 field trips and 1 mission to UNICEF Regional Office [TBD]

Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined based on UNICEF Financial Rules and Regulations (if applicable)

FEES:

Qualified candidates are requested to submit a financial proposal. Proven past experience and financial proposal will be taken into consideration during selection process.

Travel (if applicable) will be covered by UNICEF as per policy. Travel costs will be estimated and added to the contract once they are determined.

EVALUATION METHOD AND CRITERIA:

Consultants and/or Individual Contractors (CIC) will be evaluated based on a cumulative methodology, being the award of the contract made to the CIC whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

1. Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and;
2. Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation.

Only candidates obtaining a minimum of 45 points (of the total technical points) would be considered for the Financial Evaluation.

Technical Proposal

Technical Evaluation    

Financial Proposal

In addition, separately from the technical proposal (as in another document), an economic proposal detailing the total costs of the assignment (not including costs for travel yet) must be submitted.

The total amount of points allocated for the economic component is 40. The maximum number of points will be allotted to the lowest price proposal and compared among those consultants which obtain the threshold points in the evaluation of the technical component. All other price proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price; e.g:

                                                Max. Score for Financial proposal * Price of lowest priced proposal

Score for price proposal X = ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Price of proposal X

Travel (if applicable)

Please note, for travel to countries - it will be decided based on agreements with UNICEF and contractor/consultant. For agreed country visits, the contractor/consultant will be responsible in administering its own travel.  UNICEF will reimburse travel related expenses based on actual costs or on the below criteria whichever is lower and upon presentation of receipts.

Any travel involved should be budgeted according to UN Travel Standards as a ceiling.

 -Travel (http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/AI/2013/3).pdf Section 4, paragraph 4.2 , numerals (d) and (e)

-Accommodation (Daily Subsistence Allowance, DSA): http://icsc.un.org/ (all countries and destinations can be found by navigating on the map)

Payment Provisions

UNICEF's policy is to pay for the performance of contractual services rendered or to effect payment upon the achievement of specific milestones described in the contract. UNICEF's policy is not to grant advance payments except in unusual situations where the potential contractor, whether an Individual consultant, private firm, NGO or a government or other entity, specifies in the bid that there are special circumstances warranting an advance payment. UNICEF will normally require a bank guarantee or other suitable security arrangement.  All fees will be paid upon full satisfactory delivery of services included in the contract. 

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must include:

1. Detailed curriculum vitae including a description of main achievements.
2. Brief technical proposal for the completion of the ToR;
3. Submission of a writing sample of a report of previous qualitative research;
4. Minimum of three client references that include the name of the contact person, title and contact information.

Qualified candidates may submit their application by clicking on either highlighted links, as shown in the example below:

The deadline to receive applications is 30 November 2018. The pre-selection of candidates will be done after closing date. Please note only selected candidates will be contacted.

Important: In the selection of its consultants, UNICEF is committed to gender equality and diversity, without distinction as to race, sex, or religion, and without discrimination to people with disabilities.