International Consultant - UNICEF partnership with ECCAS and ECOWAS:A review of data and evidence, to make policy recommendations, WCARO, Dakar Senegal

To fill a consultancy position

 TDR - ECCAs et ECOWAS FINAL_CLEAN signed.pdf

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, fair chance

How can you make a difference?

Purpose

This consultancy is twofold:

On the one hand, the consultant will examine ongoing initiatives developed within the partnership framework of UNICEF and the two Regional Economic Communities, with the aim to better understand expectations, capacities and common agendas between all actors involved.

On the other hand, it will review existing information and data on children, including around the effect of COVID-19 on children and households. The aim is to prepare a concise evidence-based summary of progress and expected challenges for the coming years, aligned to child-centered SDGs and regional / sub-regional priorities, with the intent to contribute to decisions regarding which social policies should be prioritized in each of the partnerships. With a view to accelerate progress and guide future partnership effort, the consultancy will present findings, including emerging trends from existing and ongoing analysis of COVID-19 effects, and it will propose options on courses of action for UNICEF and the two regional commissions, and distill lessons learned to provide policy advice.

The summary is expected to take the shape of a policy brief about children in ECCAS and in ECOWAS countries (one policy brief for each sub-region), presenting an analysis disaggregated at the sub-regional level (i.e. for the two groups of countries composing each community). The brief will use the most recent available data and information about child-focused SDGs, UNICEF strategic corporate goals, as well as regional frameworks of the AU and the two commissions. The briefs are not expected to require the collection of primary data, with the exception of a few interviews with key actors involved in the partnership. The briefs should highlight where there are significant data gaps, especially with regards to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

The objectives of these briefs are to:

• Better present and disseminate to regional and national audiences, including national and local governments, current knowledge of the state of children’s right in the respective geographical zones that ECCAS and ECOWAS cover,
• Help to understand the changes that COVID-19 is bringing, and what are the most urgent actions to take for the promotion of a relevant and prioritised gender-sensitive and child-centred regional agenda
• Identify areas where additional information is required, to help inform a regional research agenda
• contribute to a more focused children’s agenda led by ECCAS and ECOWAS in their respective geographical zones of influence.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Under the overall direction of the Senior Monitoring Specialist, the consultant will accomplish the following objectives:

• Review ongoing and past initiatives under the UNICEF partnerships with both ECCAS and ECOWAS: this work will consist primarily of a desk review, but it will also be accompanied by brief interviews with stakeholders, from UNICEF, ECCAS and ECOWAS.

  • Organized by areas of work / sector; aimed at understanding strengths and weaknesses of each partnership; and potential for further joint work;
  • Include a review of how COVID-19 would affect and/or has already been affecting these partnerships.

• Compile a summary of the state of children’s right pre- and post-COVID-19, vis-à-vis the strategic objectives of each partnership: this will consist primarily of a desk review and analysis of existing information and data. The outputs will include:

  • Tables with data around key indicators for each strategic objective (SDGs, KRCs – inputs provided by UNICEF)
  • Table / summary of what emerging evidence is showing around the effects of COVID-19, e.g. poverty increasing, nutrition decreasing, more kids out of school, etc. (not necessarily from robust statistics, but can be from small surveys and/or prelim results)

• Present recommended actions to strengthen the partnerships between UNICEF and each of the two communities, specifically to improve how these can be more evidence-based.

  • These documents – one for each of the two partnerships - is intended as an internal document for UNICEF and ECOWAS/ECCAS audiences, to improve how the partnership works.

• Produce two policy briefs, using a similar template and structure but each focused on a regional community  (ECOWAS and ECCAS), to provide a brief situation overview, including an assessment of how COVID-19, climate change, and conflict are impacting on this, going forward; and to make key recommendations around policy actions.

  • The briefs will serve as a vehicle for providing policy advice to policymakers at regional / sub-regional level.

Deliverables

As the result of his/her work, the consultant is expected to deliver the following products at the indicated point of time, after the start of the contract, as indicated in the below table.

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

Qualifications of successful candidate:

(1) Education

• An advanced university degree in social sciences, public policy, international affairs or related field with a focus on children’s rights and social policy data analysis. *A Bachelor’s degree with 2 additional relevant work experience might be accepted in lieu of the Master.

(2) Work experience

• Minimum of eight (08) years of progressively responsible professional work experience in children’s rights and social data analysis
• Strong familiarity with UNICEF’s organizational structure, WCAR programming and key partners strongly preferred
• Strong familiarity with data used for global monitoring of the wellbeing of children and/or experience working with household survey data (DHS, MICS, etc.) preferred
• Strong familiarity with UNICEF mandate and the child-centered Sustainable Development Goals

(3) Languages

• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills both in French and English is required.

(4) Competencies of successful candidate:

• A proven knowledge and experience in analyzing data and child-centered issues (CRC, SDGs, etc.) using a human-rights, gender, and equity perspective.
• Expertise in situational analysis strongly preferred
• Proven experience in developing effective reports, briefs, articles in the relevant social policy areas of work for monitoring and communication
• Good knowledge of the ECOWAS and ECCAS regions and their different contexts

Two written work samples should be submitted when applying for this consultancy.

For every Child, you demonstrate commitment

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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:

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.