Consultancy - Facilitator of the Yemen Inter Agency Beneficiary Data System Interoperability Assessment ( 6 Months)

The objective of this consultancy is to coordinate the technical and programmatic agencies’ staff who will contribute to the interoperability assessment of the UN cash delivery and management. The consultant will facilitate and drive this assessment, collaborative/ multi-agency interaction and process.

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The Statement by the four UN Principals on cash-based assistance (issued on 05 December 2018), committed UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR and OCHA to pursue common cash systems to ensure that affected populations receive the adequate assistance and services in a cost-effective manner. Yemen has been selected as one of the seven pilot countries for the roll out of the UN common cash system and is currently seeking to demonstrate these efforts more practically.

As part of this roll out, the identification of entry points for interoperability of beneficiaries’ data management systems between UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP and FAO, has been put forward as a priority.

The agencies have agreed to jointly conduct an assessment aimed at reviewing the different agency specific data systems being used or systems that will be used to host and manage the data of the beneficiaries. This assessment is expected to achieve the below objectives:

1. Mapping information on available and planned modules of the agency specific MISs: Internal agency experts will analyze the features of each UN agency’s MISs/ data management systems and their functions and develop a list/mapping of their similarities.

2. Examine the use of technology and interoperability levels: Following the presentation of each agency on their current existing MISs, the tools, processes and technologies being used to implement each MIS will be examined to get insights on the possibility of the systems “communicating” with each other. Additionally, APIs, or other integration protocols, will be analyzed to determine capabilities and technical configurations needed to access/ send/receive data between systems.

3. Examine data protection approaches used in the different systems against General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): Compile a list of good practices being implemented by different agencies on data protection, map these against the criteria set by GDPR and highlight any inconsistency.

4. Leverage available resources and technologies to establish parameters for interoperability with other projects/agencies and share lessons learned. As a result of this exercise, a list of interoperability parameters will be developed and shared with participating agencies interested in carrying this forward.

5. Provide recommendations on integration requirements, dependencies and constraints for successful interoperability among UNCCS agencies. Recommendations are to be provided on methodology to be used (process, data flow, technology), type and level of integration, and added value to the overall process.

While the technical expertise to undertake this assessment will be provided by each of the agency, this role seeks to provide facilitation and project management support to coordinate the different agencies’ technical teams and drive the process.

How can you make a difference?

The objective of this consultancy is to coordinate the technical and programmatic agencies’ staff who will contribute to the interoperability assessment of the UN cash delivery and management. The consultant will facilitate and drive this assessment, collaborative/ multi-agency interaction and process.

This will require, in support of the technical teams, developing a workplan (with specific outputs and timelines to track progress) and ensuring its timely implementation. Close tracking of the work plan will ensure that deliverables of the assessment are met, but also identify solutions to report on roadblocks that may arise. Solutions to these bottlenecks shall be identified and discussed with all participating agencies.

Responsibilities:

The main responsibilities of the facilitator will be to:

• Facilitate meetings and workshops to ensure the interaction between the technical teams.
• Drive the implementation of the technical assessment in close collaboration with the different agencies’ technical teams (at country and HQ level)
• Organize the assessment work while leaving the technical work to each agency’s technical team.
• Support the technical teams’ efforts in meeting the objectives and outputs of the assessment.
• Coordinate the multi-agency assessment team to ensures that options are proposed with regards to integration of inter-agency beneficiary information management and cash delivery systems following the technical team’s review of existing/ upcoming beneficiary/ assistance management systems.
• Assist the assessment team to ensure that government systems are reviewed for integration with any cash beneficiary/ information management system introduced/ proposed by the interagency assessment can ideally operate with their systems (where/ as possible).
• Ensure that joint financial service provider (FSP) mapping is considered so that any information management system proposed can be linked to the different (or one) financial service provider (FSP) existing and/ or being used by the different agencies to provide cash transfers/ assistance in country.

As such the specific tasks include:

• Help the assessment team structure itself and manage its day-to-day/ weekly activities.
• Engage assessment team to devise a workplan and schedules to meet assessment team’s objectives.
• Ensure communication with team members at all times (identify focal points within each team etc).
• Organize meetings for the interagency assessment team to meet and discuss/ agree on workplan.
• Keep minutes of the meetings and ensure follow up to action points agreed.
• Maintain the team focused and coherent with the assessment TORs
• Facilitate discussions, feedback and bottlenecks resolution on issues that may arise between technical teams.
• Ensure that discussions and outputs are aligned with planned the outcomes and follow-up on action points.
• Report back to the steering committee composed of UNCCS agencies country and HQ colleagues as frequent as required/ agreed.

Expected Results: (Measurable Results and Deliverables) 

The following deliverables are expected:

• Inception report to be cleared by all the participating agencies. (start date + three weeks)
• Assessment workplan with clearly defined outputs, agency responsibilities and timelines. (start date + three weeks)
• Schedule for meetings and updates. (throughout contract period)
• Frequent communication and exchanges (via emails, calls, reports, etc) to each agencies’ Headquarters. (throughout contract period)
• Structure of assessment report being submitted, discussed and agreed with steering committee. (start date + three months)
• First draft of assessment report (start date + four months and two weeks)
• Final assessment report. This should include programmatic and technical feedbacks from each agency and cover all objectives of this ToR. (start date + six months)

Performance Indicators for Evaluation Result

• Workplan with clear outputs and responsible agencies (and schedule of meetings).
• Meeting minutes.
• Email/ written/ oral/ verbal reporting to the steering committee.
• Inception report.
• Final report
• Timely submission of suitable deliverables

Duty Station:

Amman, Jordan (home based until covid-19 travel restriction is lifted)

Travel: Possible travels to agencies HQ (Rome, Geneva, NY)

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: 1st September 2020 through 28th February 2020

Duration: 6 months

Key Competencies, Technical Background and Required Experience:

Education

Master’s degree in Economics, Social Science, Database management, data analytics or related field is required. Bachelor's degree complemented with relevant industry certifications and work experience can be considered

Experience

Minimum 7 years of data and information management system experience, including with multiple stakeholders

Technical knowledge and skills

• Strong people management and networking skills.
• Demonstrated experience of facilitation and coordination of sectors/ cash/ assessment/ monitoring/ evaluation teams in challenging humanitarian/ conflict contexts.
• Understanding of beneficiary management systems and humanitarian cash transfers.
• Previous work experience with UN/ NGO/ Government agencies working in the aid environment.
• Good writing and oral/ verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work under stress and with tight deadlines.

 Language

Excellent knowledge of English (both spoken and written) is essential. Knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Call for Proposals:

Applications should include:

• Past experience of the consultant (CV).
• 3 references with updated contact information.
• Budget: Monthly/Daily 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 values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) 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 be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

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.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.