International Consultancy : Floods Response and Recovery Specialist (Open to Non-Malawian Nationals Only)

The main purpose of this assignment is to provide technical assistance to UNICEF Malawi Country Office to finetune and effectively implement its early recovery efforts to ensure that their outcomes become assets for long-term development and thereby foster the self-reliance of affected populations and help rebuild livelihoods. The assignment also aims to establishing the foundations of longer-term recovery through the identification of risk reduction and building back better initiatives for inclusion in the CO Rolling work plan.

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, Health...

On 21 January 2022, a tropical depression formed in the northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean and moved into the Mozambique channel. It intensified, developing into a moderate tropical storm (named Ana) that hit the southern parts of Malawi on 24 January 2022. The President of Malawi declared a state of disaster on 26 January 2022 and UNICEF immediately launched a response with other UN agencies in support of Government efforts. A series of flooding events have been experienced since then including Cyclone Gombe and sporadic flooding occurrences.  

Over 1 million people were affected by the flooding events. Tropical Storm ANA alone affected 995,000 people including 130,000 children. Of those affected,  about 190,000 were displaced and sheltered in 187 displacement sites mostly in schools. The floods caused extensive damage to infrastructure including schools, health facilities, roads, power transmission infrastructure and crop fields thus seriously affecting access to social services. Children have been heavily impacted with learning disrupted for 400,000 learners due to damaged school infrastructure and sheltering of displaced people in some schools.  As the rain season progressed, the country experienced other flooding effects, including those due to tropical storm Gombe which affected 35,383 households (159,226) and displaced 11,008 people with 67 camps established for temporary shelter.

The floods occurred in the context of a continued fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2021, Malawi experienced its fourth wave of COVID-19, brought on by the Omicron variant. The fourth wave was officially announced by the government on 29 December 2021. As of 29 March 2022, Malawi conducted 560,820 tests, of which 85,625 tested positive for COVID -19. Since the pandemic started, 2,626 fatalities have been registered. Malawi has recorded the highest Case Fatality Rate of 3.07 per cent globally. The impact of COVID-19 is being further exacerbated, especially in the southern districts of Malawi, by the recurrent floods. 

Further complicating the COVID-19 and emergency flood response is the first reported case of wild polio in Malawi in 30 years. On 17 February, the President of Malawi declared a public health emergency after a case of wild poliovirus was discovered in Lilongwe. Reaching children with polio immunization is a challenging undertaking considering that access to routine immunization for children compromised by COVID-19 and access to healthcare facilities nearly impossible in some areas due flood waters, and bridges, swept away due to the heavy rains.

Cholera is the third public health emergency that Malawi is experiencing. On 2 March 2022, Malawi confirmed the first case of cholera in the current cholera season (November 2021-October 2022). As of 28 March 2022, 35 Cholera cases were registered with two deaths.   This pauses an additional strain to the already overstretched health system.

The current situation in Malawi poses multiple threats to child survival and development, with the most vulnerable children from the poorer southern districts at extreme risk of preventable childhood diseases.

How can you make a difference?

The individual contractor will report to the Chief of Community Development and Resilience. Under his/her direct supervision, s/he will carry out the tasks as follows:

1. Provide technical assistance in the effective implementation of the response and recovery plan.

1. Facilitate the identification innovative approaches for effective  implementation of the response and recovery plan ensuring continuity between the humanitarian response, recovery and development phases and disaster risk reduction activities
2. Facilitate effective implementation of the response and recovery plan

2. Facilitate effective transition from response and early recovery to long-term  recovery, reconstruction and livelihood restoration programming by

1. Leading the analytical work for the identification of risk reduction and building back better initiatives for inclusion in the CO Rolling work plan.
2. Assisting in the determination of emergency preparedness measures to be incorporated in the rolling work plan to minimize impact of similar disasters in future
3. Leading in cross sector dialogue to ensure a multisector approach in the recovery, reconstruction and long term programming

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

Academic qualification:

• Advanced University degree in one of the following fields: social sciences, public administration, international law, public health, nutrition, international relations, business administration or other related disciplines.  Preferably a combination of management, administration, and relevant technical fields. ·

Work experience:

• 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration.
• Experience in recovery/resilience or disaster risk reduction/management
• Experience coordinating deliverables with interdisciplinary teams
• Experience in leading cluster coordination; and high frequency reporting (HPM, sitreps, etc).
• Experience of working with UNICEF on Emergency coordination/programme management
• Field work experience

Technical skills and knowledge and Competencies:

• Specialized training/experience in emergency response management highly desirable
• Proven success in facilitating interagency processes in an emergency response; including liaising with Government partners; stakeholders and implementing partners.
• Substantive knowledge in UNICEF areas of practice
• Knowledge of the core commitments for children, humanitarian standards and principles including accountability to affected populations, centrality of protection and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)
• Knowledge of risk-informed programming approaches that build and strengthen national and local capacities and systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

 Languages:  

• Fluency in English (verbal and written skills) is required.

Please refer to the attached full Terms of Reference   TOR_EME_Emergency Response and Recovery Specialist .pdf for more details on the consultancy and requirements.

How to apply...

Interested consultants should provide the following:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Brief technical proposal (no longer than five pages) demonstrating the consultant’s understanding of the assignment and approach/methodology to the assignment
3. Financial proposal including a breakdown of their all-inclusive fees (including professional fees, travel, living cost, visa and other costs). Complete the attached form  Financial Proposal for Consultancy.xlsx.
4. References details - at least 3 references with whom the candidate has worked closely, including the current supervisor.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

To view our competency framework, please visit here.

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.

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. The candidate may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).