Home-based Individual Contractor: Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation (PME) COVID-19 Lessons Learned (6 months)

During 2020, UNICEF and its partners were forced to innovate and adapt their programme planning, monitoring and management processes in order to meet new needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic within radical limitations. While guidance was provided, we understand that these were implemented in diverse ways and many local solutions had to be found and many innovations made. Based on the premise that ‘best practice exists on the ground’ the consultant would reach out to identify good practice and innovation that other country offices and the broader organisation can learn from. These are to be scoped, documented and presented in relevant forums including webinars.

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.

For every child, results

How can you make a difference?

The purpose of this consultancy is to identify and document good practices in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation by UNICEF and its partners in response to COVID-19.

During 2020, UNICEF and its partners were forced to innovate and adapt their programme planning, monitoring and management processes in order to meet new needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic within radical limitations. While guidance was provided, we understand that these were implemented in diverse ways and many local solutions had to be found and many innovations made. Based on the premise that ‘best practice exists on the ground’ the consultant would reach out to identify good practice and innovation that other country offices and the broader organisation can learn from. These are to be scoped, documented and presented in relevant forums including webinars.

The specific objectives of this contract are as follows:

1. Based on consultation with HQ technical advisors and ROs emergency teams, create a list of country and regional offices to follow up with to explore good practices and lessons learned;
2. Build upon existing lessons learned and good practice documentation, develop a template for this exercise to ensure consistency in information gathering and documentation across examples;
3. Using various methodologies (including desk review, bilateral interview etc.), identify and document good practice and lessons learned examples from UNICEF country offices around pre-identified themes;
4. Where necessary, further develop through communication with technical expert in HQ and CO, and establish adequate detail on reasons of success, what didn’t work, and what needs to be further explored;
5. Subsequently, finalize a fully documented selection of good practices, supported by hyperlinked reference catalogue, and prepare a summary overview for publication on corecommitments.unicef.org;
6. Present findings to EMOPS and wider UNICEF audience and provide feedback to respondents and relevant new stakeholders through a limited number of virtual sessions and by way of written replies during the assignment.

Tasks, deliverables and expected timeline:

Conditions of contract

• Duration: The contract is expected to be for 6 months, between December 2020 and June 2021.
• Duty Station: The individual contractor will be home-based. 
• Payment: The individual contractor will be paid monthly based on satisfactory and timely delivery of outputs. 
• Supervisors: the individual contractor will report to the Emergency Specialist (Assessment, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation).
• Travel: The individual contractor may be expected to travel. UNICEF will cover the costs, based on the most direct and economical route.  UNICEF will pay the daily subsistence allowance as per UN-approved rate. The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid BSAFE Security certificate, have a valid own travel/medical insurance and if required have obligatory inoculation(s) and an immunization/vaccination card. The dates for the travel will be determined in consultation with the supervisors.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in public health, applied social sciences or related disciplines; PHD an asset;
• At least 5 years of experience in in the humanitarian sector including management or implementation of knowledge management, evaluative work, operational research or studies, or other forms of documentation of field practice;
• Field experience in humanitarian PME an asset;
• Strong quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills;
• Strong writing skills, in presenting complex information in a succinct and engaging manner;
• Knowledge of industry standards around documentation of lessons learned and good practices;
• Exposure to/knowledge of UNICEF work in the humanitarian sector (directly or as a partner);
• Strong communication skills, especially in writing and presentation.
• Strong planning, organizing, networking and related skills, and a drive for results.
• Fluency in the English language is required; fluency in one or more other UN official languages is an asset.

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.

To apply: 

Interested candidates are invited to submit: 

1. Letter of interest, including your approach to the assignment and proposed fees (monthly) to undertake the above TOR. Please note that applications without a proposed fee will not be accepted.
2. A CV and/or Personal history form with three most recent references (downloadable from http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/P11.doc). Alternatively, if a candidate profile in the UNICEF Talent Management System is available, you may download it and submit it as part of application.
3. A list of relevant previous works such as reports, presentations, and publications.

Remarks:

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.