Consultant – HAC Project Coordinator (2020 Humanitarian Action for Children)

UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes is seeking to identify a consultant to coordinate, review and provide quality assurance of inputs across offices to its annual Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for 2020. The Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) has been produced by UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) on an annual basis and examines crises that require exceptional support – where urgent action is imperative to save lives, protect children against the worst forms of violence and abuse, and ensure access to water and sanitation, health care, nutrition and education. The HAC provides an overview of the humanitarian situation affecting children and women in a given context and UNICEF's response to those challenges. It includes country appeals which are part of interagency Humanitarian/Strategic Response Plans (HRPs/SRPs) and countries outside this inter-agency framework. Regional and global support are highlighted in dedicated chapters.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

Background and Rationale

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) responds to an average of over 285 humanitarian situations each year, ensuring that resources are in place to support millions of children affected by conflict or disaster. In nearly all these emergencies, the organization’s response is based on existing programmes, partnerships and resources.

The Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) has been produced by UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) on an annual basis and examines crises that require exceptional support – where urgent action is imperative to save lives, protect children against the worst forms of violence and abuse, and ensure access to water and sanitation, health care, nutrition and education.

The HAC provides an overview of the humanitarian situation affecting children and women in a given context and UNICEF's response to those challenges. It includes country appeals which are part of interagency Humanitarian/Strategic Response Plans (HRPs/SRPs) and countries outside this inter-agency framework. Regional and global support are highlighted in dedicated chapters.

Previously paper and publication/PDF-based, the HAC now resides largely online (see www.unicef.org/appeals), allowing for a more dynamic presence with regular updates of country information.

Objective and Targets

The consultant will work closely with Emergency Specialist (Reporting) in UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes (EMOPS) supporting the production process of the Humanitarian Action for Children 2020, which will include the following:

• A 16-page printed ‘Overview’ synthesizing the funding requirements, children to be reached, and results achieved across countries;
• 2-page PDF & online country and regional chapters on the HAC online platform. In addition, a ’global’/HQ chapter is included to create awareness of the investment needs to provide cluster leadership, technical programmatic excellence, preparedness and early warning functions, and immediate emergency response capacity;
• A web site tying these elements together, and linking to regularly-updated country information (via reports, funding updates, etc.); and
• Lessons learned to improve the planning process going forward.

Expected Results: (Measurable Results and Deliverables) 

The consultant will support the Emergency Specialist (Reporting and HAC), who is the overall coordinator/manager of the HAC in the planning and production of the document including country chapter compilation, design, editing, copy-editing, printing, donor launch event, printing and dissemination. The consultant will work alongside other consultants as needed. Specific tasks under the supervision of Emergency Specialist include:

• Ensure timely collection of information from country and regional offices and relevant HQ divisions (for 2019 this included chapters on 34 countries, 3 multi country crisis, 7 regions, Global Support and an Overview document);
• Prepare adequate follow-up mechanisms and systems for daily tracking to ensure the completion of all chapters within deadlines;
• Review the submissions with technical focal points as necessary, flag issues to be addressed in terms of technical substance as well as writing style, format, etc. and work with the concerned offices to revise the submissions until the final clearance is obtained from the Director, EMOPS.
• Support CO and Regional teams for any HAC platform system related issues, track and coordinate with ICTD focal persons to resolve these in a timely manner;
• Oversight and coordination of the online HAC platform;
• Ensure consistency with provided country/regional information with HRP or other inter-agency appeals;
• Consolidate funding requirements by country and sector for HAC 2020, and compare with HAC 2019;
• Track funding received in 2019 versus funds requested in 2020, tracking both HQ and field figures and flagging discrepancies for attention;
• Consolidate results tracking in a table comparing planned versus achieved numbers reached in 2018, and projections for 2020;
• Analysis of humanitarian context and situation in countries and identifying major patterns and trends to inform an outline and first draft of the Overview;
• Support production of the HAC 2020 website and Overview document; and,
• Support drafting of talking points, presentation and briefing pack for the 2020 HAC launch.

Duty Station:

Consultant will work at EMOPS, UNICEF Headquarters, New York.  Work is office based and cannot be performed remotely.

Travel:

• Consultant is expected to travel to NYHQ. Travel plans to be pre-approved and agreed to by UNICEF EMOPS. Travel paid for by UNICEF shall be based on economy class travel, regardless of the length of travel. Costs for accommodation, meals and incidentals shall not exceed applicable daily subsistence allowance (DSA) rates, as promulgated by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC). Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for assuming costs for obtaining visas and travel insurance.

Time Frame:

Estimated Start Date: 1 August 2019 through 31 January 2020

Duration: 6 Months

Key Competencies, Technical Background and Required Experience:

Education

• University degree in International Relations, Public Administration, Humanitarian Affairs, Development, Social Sciences, journalism/communication, or a related technical field.

 Experience

• Five years progressively responsible professional work experience at national and international levels in emergency coordination and reporting

Technical knowledge and skills

• Proven ability to conceptualize, plan and execute complex processes across a wide range of stakeholders.
• Advanced ability to express clearly and concisely ideas and concepts in written form: specific skills in report writing and editing.
• Excellent analytical skills.
• Fluency in both written and spoken English (English must be the native language).
• Strong inter-personal and communication skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of computer systems and applications. Experience of working and managing online information management platforms. Fluency in using Excel is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships both  within and outside the organization.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s programmes in emergency contexts preferred.

Call for Proposals:

Applications should include:

• Past experience of the consultant (CV).
• 3 references with updated contact information.
• Sample of similar work undertaken.
• A writing sample in which applicant was the primary author.
• Daily/Monthly rate

Please indicate your ability, availability, financial request and suggested payment schedule to undertake the terms of reference above. Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.

Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.

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.

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.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:

With the exception of 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/individual contractor and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the individual contractor/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.

In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well-qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.