Consultancy: Gender-Responsive Social Protection Knowledge Management and Coordination Consultant, Social Policy Section, Programme Group, NYHQ: Req:#558926

To support the Social Protection and Gender Lead (UNICEF HQ) and relevant Social Policy and/or Gender colleagues in advancing an ambitious portfolio on gender-responsive and inclusive social protection through assistance on: knowledge management and dissemination, global advocacy and outreach, resource mobilization, and coordination support to internal and external communities of practice or working groups for UNICEF.

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, hope

Consultancy Title: Gender-Responsive Social Protection Knowledge Management and Coordination Consultant

Section/Division/Duty Station: Social Policy and Social Protection/ Programme Group/ NYHQ

Duration: 160 Billable days – February to August 2023

Home/ office Based: Remote/ Office optional

 About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Purpose of Activity/ Assignment:

This consultancy will support the incumbent Social Protection and Gender Lead to facilitate knowledge and learning for dissemination to UNICEF global teams; create resources for global advocacy and awareness-raising with partners and the public; develop prospecting and proposals for resource mobilization with potential donors; and coordinate activities, tools, and guidance for distribution to internal and external working groups, among other tasks.

Context:

Social protection must adequately consider the needs and realities of all marginalised groups and ensure their inclusion for effective and transformative systems change globally. As a turning point, 2021 was a critical year for UNICEF’s work on gender-responsive and transformative social protection. For the first time, there are concrete commitments in UNICEF’s new Strategic Plan to (a) increase the number of countries with social protection programmes that are gender-responsive or lead to transformative gender equality results, and (b) increase the number of country offices taking action on care work and family friendly policies. The number of UNICEF country offices with specific gender objectives in their social protection work continued to grow in 2021, with 101 country teams working on this agenda (up from 29 in 2019). Drawing on strong evidence on the effectiveness of social protection programmes in delivering results for girls and women - from girls’ education, to access to maternal, sexual and reproductive health services, to girls’ and women’s empowerment, to reducing gender-based violence - UNICEF country teams are now explicitly targeting results for gender equality in their social protection work.

However, despite the significant evidence suggesting the power of social protection to respond to girls and women’s needs, systems and even UNICEF’s own support to country governments are often not designed or implemented with gender considerations in mind – a huge lost opportunity. Given an impetus to expand its role in inclusive social protection including gender-responsive and transformative approaches, UNICEF must be equipped with the resources and knowledge to strengthen operationalization of gender-responsive and inclusive social protection.

 Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables:

1. Knowledge Management and Dissemination- due by May 31 (30 days)
   1. Bring Sharepoint up to date for Gender-Responsive Social Protection
   2. Draft dissemination plan for KEL products as developed by Lead and teams
   3. Consult with Social Policy colleagues to propose recommendations to align KM
   4. Circulate technical guidance and tools to regional offices, as requested
2. Global Advocacy and Awareness-Raising- due by June 30 (45 days)
   1. Support partner outreach for at least 4 upcoming events/opportunities in 2023
   2. Draft materials for internal and external webinars/ workshops (4 planned)
   3. Coordinate with communications consultant for key moments (2 planned)
   4. Provide recommended inputs to 2 thematic advocacy opportunities with partners
3. Proposal Development and Resource Mobilization- due by April 30 (30 days)
   1. Prepare donor prospecting summary and tool to track donor outreach to at least 10 potential donors or technical partners of the GRSP portfolio
   2. Support proposal development (3-4 donors) and donor reporting (2 donors)
   3. Record donor reporting expenditures to report to existing portfolio donors (2)
4. Working Group Coordination and Planning- due by March 31 (45 days)
   1. Draft agenda templates for core working group meetings the Lead co/chairs (4)
   2. Coordinate meeting logistics and compile notes for kick off 2023 working groups (4)
   3. Support follow up outreach and action items for kick off 2023 working groups (4)
5. Ad Hoc Support to Global Themes and Closing Summary Report- due by August 31 (10 days)
   1. Ad hoc support to global themes in gender-responsive social protection as needed and requested; and summary of completed progress during consultancy for future handover. Provide recommendations for potential future support needed to GRSP portfolio.

Qualifications

Education: Any relevant Bachelor’s degree: sociology, economics, public health, international development, or gender studies.

Language Proficiency: Excellent communication skills in English; French, Spanish, Portuguese or Arabic advantageous.

Knowledge/Experience:

• Knowledge of social protection or gender in developing country contexts, required.
• Experience working with a range of partners including donors, civil society, or UN agencies, required.
• Experience supporting coordination activities across an organization and within working groups, required.
• Experience providing administrative and facilitative support to technical experts, highly preferred.
• Experience assisting in proposal development, budget expenditure tracking, and operational support, highly preferred.

Skills:

• 2-4 years of experience, including internship or consultancy with a UN agency, highly preferred.
• Strong writing and communication skills especially in team environments, highly preferred.
• Exposure to developing country contexts in Africa and/or Asia, preferred but not required.
• Ability to work independently with confidence and self-motivation, necessary.
• Highly organized and proactive with timely production of materials, necessary.

Requirements:

• Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system; with copy of academic credentials
• Financial proposal that will include:
  • Your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference.
  • Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.
  • Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable. Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.
• Indication of your availability to undertake the terms of reference.
• At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.
• Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

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 and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

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. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, race, sexual orientation, nationality, culture, appearance, socio-economic status, ability, age, religious, and ethnic backgrounds, 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.