Accountability to Affected Population Consultant - Home Based l Remote Job

Result of ServiceUNRWA in the West Bank has implemented actions to enhance Accountability to Affected Population in 2024. Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) is an important commitment by humanitarian actors to ensure that affected populations can influence the type, delivery, and quality of assistance they receive. For UNRWA the concept of AAP is key for the effective delivery of its mandate, services and efforts to uphold the humanitarian principles of impartiality, neutrality and independence. UNRWA defined its AAP commitments in the 2016 Framework for AAP, 2021 Protection Strategic Framework and 2023-2028 Strategic Plan. However, there is no comprehensive and streamlined framework for accountability, community engagement, and participation and the various existing AAP efforts both across the agency and at WBFO are fragmented. While UNRWA through its day-to-day operations communicates and interacts with Palestine, tailor-made messaging to the relevant target groups is lacking and participatory approaches are inconsistent. A mapping exercise conducted in the beginning of 2024 (via the GIZ seconded Development Advisor) for WBFO found that 1) information sharing and communication with communities is mostly done on an ad-hoc basis, and lacking a coherent and strategic approach (internally and externally); 2) Feedback and complaints are handled individually by the various programme teams and lack a unified system that ensures their timely and secure follow-up; 3) Participation and Community Engagement are often affected by lack of staff capacities and the agency’s clear guidance for refugees’ input to actually be strategically considered in the whole programming cycle. With generous financial support from the GIZ UNRWA seeks a consultant to guide UNRWA Area team to implement the AAP Action Plan developed in 2024. The engagement will be for a period of 11 months. Work LocationWest Bank Expected duration8 MONTHS Duties and ResponsibilitiesThe Consultant will be responsible for the activities described below and to assist the WBFO achieve the following AAP scope of work. 1) Implementation and operationalization of the AAP action plan a. Enhancing information sharing and communication to beneficiaries in collaboration with programmes and PIO (creating fact sheets, feeding information on WB programmes to HQ Department of Communication for the comms channel and the chat bot, materials for CCSOs and frontline staff, regular community Q&A sessions) b. Systematizing internal coordination for timely and accountable follow-up of cases (continuation of coordination of workshops between RSS, Education, Health, ICIP, Protection programmes and area staff; overseeing the development of SOPs and other guiding documents; following up on referral system between programmes) c. Improving Community Feedback and Complaint mechanisms (based on 2024 assessment work with programmes to improve hotlines, aggregate data systematically from various data collection of community feedback across programmes and integrate in programming) d. Establishing regular community engagement platforms with CCSOs and area officers (work with respective staff on facilitation of regular community meetings; ensure feeding community input back into the programming cycle; civil society and stakeholder coordination on joint issues) 2) Anchoring AAP at WBFO structures a. Oversight and further development of AAP action plan for WBFO (continuous consultations with programmes on further action points, updating the plan, reminders and follow-ups with programmes, monitoring and oversight of implementation) b. Leading of AAP task force (regular meetings and updates) c. Anchoring AAP in monitoring, evaluation and reporting structures with PSO (developing AAP checklist) 3) Coordination of AAP-related Capacity development a. Coordination of communication and conflict transformation trainings (started in 2024 with CCSOs, chiefs and area staff; follow-up on coaching/mentoring component ensuring quality control and putting training into practice via community meetings) b. Needs assessment for AAP-related capacity development for additional staff c. AAP learning materials (streamlined with other field offices and HQ) 4) AAP agency and inter-agency coordination a. Follow-up on AAP framework revision with HQ and align WBFO AAP activities with it; attend agency-wide AAP meetings and workshops b. Attend inter-agency AAP technical working group, keep track and exchange on WB developments Qualifications/special skills• A master’s degree, or equivalent in International Relations, International Development, Social Sciences or related fields. • Minimum 5 years of experience in humanitarian and development programmes participatory approaches • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. • Arabic and German language skills will be assets • International experience, particularly in the Middle East Region, is an advantage. • Minimum 5 years of experience in humanitarian and development programmes participatory approaches Languages• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English. • Arabic and German language skills will be assets Additional InformationNot available. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.