Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, the consultant will provide technical assistance and oversight of the ongoing MIS work on social protection across 4 countries: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad & Tobago.
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.
How can you make a difference?
Location: Remote with the possibility of travel
Duration: 125 days over 11 months
Start Date: 20 January 2024
End Date: 20 December 2024
Supervisor: Social Policy Specialist
Background:
Please reference the attached full ToR for background information on this assignment. INT - MIS Consultant TOR FV Adv.pdf
PURPOSE/SCOPE OF ASSIGNMENT:
Goal and Objective: Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist, and in close collaboration with the rest of the Social Policy Social Protection team and the Technology for Development Officer, the consultant will provide technical assistance and oversight of the ongoing MIS work on social protection across the 4 countries: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Kitts & Nevis, and Trinidad & Tobago. The Consultant in all cases, will work to ensure effective and efficient problem-solving of ad hoc issues that arise and support development of robust solutions and strategies.
Anguilla: The consultant will work along the institutional firm that is tasked with the design, development and implementation of the MIS for social protection to ensure quality assurance and provide ongoing technical assistance as needed during this entire process, including support to the a Technical Working Group on MIS (TWG MIS), sensitization to the Ministry team on social protection MISs and co-facilitating specialized workshops to Government stakeholders on MIS. The Consultant is also expected to participate in key informant interviews (KIIs) with relevant Government stakeholders to ensure effective coordination of various Government entities during this process. The Consultant is also expected to provide new ideas and share best practices that can enhance the quality of the work and key processes in the design and delivery of the MIS and promote capacity building.
Antigua and Barbuda: The Consultant will lead on providing technical support in the development of the national MIS and support the Government, via the DSPRP, in its transition from HOPE to a nationally owned MIS.
Trinidad & Tobago: In Trinidad & Tobago, the Consultant is expected to perform any implementation troubleshooting related to HOPE in the cash transfer program to migrants and the NCR.
St. Kitts & Nevis: The consultant will support the analysis, design, and scoping of the MIS upgrades to be completed, considering the National Household Registry (NHR) and the programmes it currently serves. The consultant will provide recommendations for interoperability of the social protection programmes in both islands of St Kits and Nevis.
ACTIVITIES and TASKS: The main activities and tasks of this assignment include:
WORK RELATIONSHIPS: The consultant will work closely with the Social Policy Social Protection team, the Technology for Development officer of UNICEF ECA as well as the HQ HOPE team; in Anguilla, the Ministry of Social Development and Education as well as its MIS technical working group; in Antigua and Barbuda, the DSPRP, under the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation & The Environment and in Trinidad with the Trinidad & Tobago Red Cross Society.
OUTPUTS/DELIVERABLES:
WORK ASSIGNMENT OVERVIEW:
Reference the attached full ToR for the work assignment overview
TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:
This assignment is home-based but may require travel outside ECA Duty Station to: Anguilla for two weeks (10 business days), St Kitts and Nevis for two weeks (10 business days), Antigua and Barbuda for one week (5 business days) as well as potentially Trinidad & Tobago for one week (5 business days).
If travel is deemed necessary, the consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including bearing the costs visas and travel insurance. Accommodation, meals and incidentals costs must not exceed the UN daily subsistence allowance rates. The costs for approved travels will be reimbursed by the UNICEF ECA upon submission of receipts and based on applicable UN DSA rates. All approved travels to be conducted in accordance with UNICEF travel rules and regulations..
PAYMENT SCHEDULE:
Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables which receive satisfactory quality review. In general, individual contracts shall not allow for fee advances. However, a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value may be authorized by the Approving Authority in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.
MINIMUM EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS:
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS:
This assignment is home-based but may potentially require travel to Anguilla, St Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Trinidad & Tobago.
The Consultant is expected to work with his/her laptop and mobile phone and email address. The Consultant will report to the Social Policy Officer in close coordination with the Technology for Development officer, and he/she will work closely with the Ministry of Social Development and Education and the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation & The Environment. The Consultant will be expected to report regularly on progress being made on the contract to the Social Policy Officer. Periodic discussions will also be carried out during the consultancy period to monitor progress and constraints, support required and proposed solutions.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE:
Before commencing work, a consultant or individual contractor shall submit a statement of good health and take full responsibility for the accuracy of that statement, including confirmation that he or she has been informed of the inoculations required for the country or countries to which travel is authorized. Consultants and individual contractors shall assume all costs that may occur in relation to the statement of good health. Consultants and individual contractors are required to certify that they are covered by medical/health insurance.
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. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.
RECOURSE:
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. Performance indicators against which the satisfactory conclusion of this contract will be assessed include: timeliness/quality of submission and responsiveness to UNICEF and counterpart feedback.
TITLE RIGHTS:
All materials created by the Contractor which bears a direct relation to, or is made in order to perform, this contract and any intellectual property rights thereof, including but not limited to patents, copyright and trademarks, shall be jointly owned by UNICEF and the Contractor. At the request of UNICEF, the Contractor shall assist in securing such property rights and transferring them to UNICEF in compliance with the requirements of the law governing such rights. Any third party usage shall require written permission from both parties.
TRAININGS:
Refer to attached full ToR for required trainings.
HOW To APPLY:
Prospective consultants should apply through UNICEF jobs website using the following link here no later than 19 December 2023 (11:55 pm Atlantic Standard Time). The application package should include the following:
UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.
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.
[1] HOPE is UNICEF’s humanitarian cash transfer management information system. HOPE can (i) collect beneficiary data, (ii) associate data with cash programmes, (iii) create target populations (iv) manage payment lists (v) send payment lists to Financial Service Providers (FSP), (vi) reconcile payments, (vii) triangulate payment verification information directly from beneficiaries, and (viii) handle grievances and feedback, as well as reporting. While intended for the UNICEF internal use, HOPE is a digital public good whose software libraries will be published open source to make the product accessible and transparent.