Home Based Consultancy - Planning and Monitoring Specialist (Roving Field Support)

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the Humanitarian Evidence and Learning Section with support and capacity building of COs in planning and monitoring for humanitarian response.

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 & Rationale

More than 41 million children affected by conflict, disaster and other emergencies lack access to protection or other vital services. To help realize the rights of every child, UNICEF needs to be able to effectively respond to these challenges. In emergency responses across the board, from acute to protracted crises, and for the increasing number of populations at risk of disaster, UNICEF recognizes the need to strengthen its evidence more systematically for better informing its decision making. Amounts of data continue to grow and require better coordination and knowledge management. Generating more in-depth evidence, driven by more performance monitoring capacity and by focused research and analysis, will boost humanitarian learning, and increase the opportunities for innovation.

This position will be within the Humanitarian Evidence and Learning Section (HELS), recently established with the aim to contribute directly to preparing, saving and protecting more lives and livelihoods of children and their families through better, and better available, evidence and learning in support of emergency programmes.

In humanitarian situations, UNICEF is accountable for making a difference in the survival, care and protection of children and women, in line with the strategic results in the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. In these contexts, managing for results requires quick analysis and decision-making, often in politicized contexts and with significantly increased resources; as well as managing different and sometimes disconnected inter-agency planning processes. Country Offices (COs) are also required to demonstrate accountability to communities and people affected by humanitarian crises, especially from the most vulnerable groups, women and wherever possible, engaging adolescents and youth.  These accountabilities and the management of risks require COs to have access to and use adequate information on the situation of children and women, the progress and results of programmes, including analysis and use of inputs and feedback from affected people, as well as supporting key operations functions. Appropriately adapted results-based planning and monitoring approaches are critical to ensuring that COs have the information required for effective Results-Based Management (RBM) of humanitarian response.

UNICEF has established an approach to adapted planning and monitoring for humanitarian situations. As part of a broader effort to strengthen the availability and use of evidence to inform strategic direction, management and oversight of humanitarian action, EMOPS provides support to priority COs to apply key RBM processes and tools adapted for humanitarian action.  This includes direct mission support, remote support, as well as learning programmes to strengthen CO capacity. The required support spans needs assessment, humanitarian planning and set up of adapted monitoring approaches as well as introduction of IM systems to support these work processes, both for ongoing and new humanitarian situations.

Objective and Targets

The objective of this consultancy is to support the Humanitarian Evidence and Learning Section with support and capacity building of COs in planning and monitoring for humanitarian response.

Expected Results and Delivarables: (Measurable Results) 

• COs are provided with on-demand intensive Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation (PME) mission support (>60%)
• COs provided with remote support to strengthen Humanitarian PME
• Contribute to the development of a Humanitarian PME network strategy and training materials

As PME support you will:

• Providing technical support to UNICEF programmes and clusters/sectors to prepare humanitarian response plans, programme strategies and integrated M&E plans.
• Developing programme monitoring systems (tools, guidance, protocols, workflows and staff training) with a focus on field monitoring of programme implementation.
• Providing remote technical support to Country Offices (CO’s) for planning, data analysis, programme monitoring and reporting.
• The management of Planning and M&E functions.
• Leading overall PME functions and the management and supervision of PME staff, consultants and field monitors.
• On-the-job capacity development, coaching and training of UNICEF national and international staff and of Implementing Partners as well as verification of performance.
• Providing technical input to strategic planning exercises.
• Formulating advice for the development of policies, procedures, guidance and tools related to humanitarian programme planning and performance monitoring.
• Leading the analysis of Strategic Management Questions (SMQs) for the assessment of UNICEF Strategic Plans.
• Contributing to the revision of the Results Assessment Module (RAM) system as appropriate, as well as Work Planning Procedures and E-Tools modules, the Programme Monitoring toolkit and Results-Based Management (RBM).
• Reviewing of Humanitarian Needs Overviews, Humanitarian Response Plans and Humanitarian Action for Children Appeals.

Duty Station:

This Consultancy is home-based with frequent travel to the field.

Travel:

• Travel is required for this position, including to active humanitarian duty stations and the consultant will be reimbursed for actual travel cost and DSA.  Deployments are most likely to be to countries experiencing Level 3 or Level 2 Emergencies as listed here.

Time Frame:

Estimated Start Date: 1 December 2019 – 31 May 2020

Duration: 130 working days

Key competences, technical background, and experience required

Education

• University degree in social sciences, relevant humanitarian sector, conflict studies, public health or epidemiology. Relevant Advanced degree is an advantage though not essential for the candidate with the right experience

Experience

• 8 years of progressively responsible relevant experience, preferably within the development and/or humanitarian sector.  Demonstrated experience in programme planning and monitoring (i.e. development of results frameworks and monitoring plans, design and implementation of needs assessments, design and implementation of field monitoring systems, survey design and implementation).

Technical knowledge and skills

• Exposure to/knowledge of UNICEF work in the humanitarian sector (directly or as a partner).
• Exposure to ensuring that gender is reflected and incorporated into data collection and analysis.
• Strong excel skills and competence with digital data collection and data visualization software (eg. ActivityInfo, KoBo Collect, ONA,or PowerBI)
• Strong analytical skills; planning and organizing skills; networking and relating skills; communication skills especially writing and drive for results
• Language Proficiency: Fluency in English is required, Fluency in French is strongly desired.  A working knowledge of Spanish is an asset.

Call for Proposals:

The proposal will need to include at least the following elements:

• Updated CV or United Nations P-11 form
• 3 references with updated contact information
• Budget: Daily rate, travel expenses 

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.

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.

View our competency framework at

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

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/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.