Hardship Level (not applicable for home-based)H (no hardship)
Family Type (not applicable for home-based)
Family
Staff Member / Affiliate TypeCONS International
Target Start Date2023-11-06
Job Posting End DateOctober 27, 2023
Terms of ReferenceTitle of project: Development of technical guidance on Social Protection in forced displacement settings
Purpose of project: Strengthen knowledge and build capacities of UNHCR Regional Bureaus (RB) and Country Operations (COs) in the area of social protection and provide operational guidance on how to engage on inclusion of forcibly displaced populations in national social protection systems.
General Background of Project or Assignment:
Inclusion of forcibly displaced and stateless persons into national social protection programmes is one important step towards the realisation of self-reliance objectives as set out in the Global Compact on Refugees. With the aim to support its engagement with government social protection systems, UNHCR launched its Global Social Protection Roadmap (2022-2025).
As Social Protection is a relatively emerging area in UNHCR and fundamental to 1) alleviating vulnerabilities and building resilience, 2) ensuring smooth transition between humanitarian emergencies and development phases, and 3) contributing to sustainable durable solutions, there is tremendous utility in ensuring that relevant staff are aware of and capacitated on technical Social Protection norms, processes, and partnerships.
In an effort to address the gaps in knowledge and capacities as they relate to Social Protection in forced displacement contexts in UNHCR Country Operations and Regional Bureaux, additional support and capacity is needed to map and consolidate existing materials, link to other relevant thematic areas, and develop operational guidance and other technical materials.
As indicated by demand for technical support by UNHCR Regional Bureaux and Country Office colleagues on the ground, without this technical guidance, significant knowledge gaps will remain within UNHCR, potentially resulting in missed opportunities for inclusion as well as hindering the implementation and monitoring of country-specific social protection programs and roadmaps where relevant. The development and roll-out of technical guidance will also likely result in increased interest among Country Operations in social protection initiatives and potentially greater efforts in seeking funding for transition and inclusion, equipping Country Operations with the capacity and tools to help facilitate durable solutions.
To help frame how forcibly displaced people have been included in social protection systems, the external UNHCR webpage on social protection provides a set of studies that produce conceptual and strategic formulation of how inclusion of forcibly displaced persons often plays out, the enabling factors that promote inclusion and deliver a set of examples and case studies detailing this. These should be consulted as part of preparation for the study.
To this end, UNHCR, at both the Headquarters and Regional levels, would like to recruit a consultant who will work under the direct supervision of the Senior Social Protection Officer in UNHCR Division of Resilience and Solutions (DRS), and inputs from a larger steering committee including Regional Bureaux, to carry out the tasks listed under Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment.
Overall Purpose and Scope of Assignment:
Concise and detailed description of activities, including measurable outputs and delivery dates, impact indicators (what qualitative and quantitative results would be achieved upon completion of individual contract), performance indicators (timelines, value of the service rendered in relation to the cost, timeliness) and work plan:
The technical guidance aims to support UNHCR operations in advancing the inclusion of forcibly displaced populations in government social protection systems. It is intended to be a practical and flexible guide offering options that can be adapted to each operational context, recognizing varying needs and contextual nuances. The technical guidance should:
โข Combine best practice on social protection more broadly with its application to forced displacement contexts and the role of humanitarian work by UNHCR and other actors.
โข Build on existing operational tools, methodologies and guidance used by humanitarian and development actors on social protection;
โข Consolidate and build on existing materials, knowledge and best practice existing within UNHCR Division of Resilience and Solutions, Regional Bureaux, and certain Country Operations (which will be made available at the start of the consultancy);
โข Take into consideration UNHCR Programme Cycle phases โ from planning Multi-year Strategies to monitoring through COMPASS results management system โ as well as staffing structures/profiles, so as to ensure recommended steps are in line with UNHCRโs formal planning processes and structures;
โข Include step-wise and modular checklists of practical actions and tools that Country Operations can use to prepare for and advance inclusion in government systems and complementary actions to take outside of government systems where inclusion is challenging;
โข Demonstrate how to facilitate inclusion by adapting and reinforcing government social protection system building blocks (e.g. legislation, MIS, staffing, training, funding) and at each step of programme delivery chains;
โข Provide examples of operational entry points for the inclusion of displaced populations depending on the context, opportunities for inclusion and the level of maturity of the government social protection system;
โข Consider and build in possible pathways to best leverage and work with UNHCR agreements/ partnerships with other UN agencies working in the social protection space;
โข Adopt a modular approach that allows users/participants to select a pathway for engagement in line with their capacity building needs, context and nature/maturity of Social Protection systems;
โข Link with other relevant UNHCR thematic sectors where appropriate, including but not limited to Health, Cash-Based Interventions (CBI), Financial Inclusion (FI), Food Security, Livelihoods and Economic Inclusion (LEI), and Protection, illustrating how a Multi-Functional Team (MFT) approach can be leveraged, and the roles and responsibilities of the MFT.
Qualification and experience required (degree required, years of work experience, field of expertise, language required):
- Advanced university degree in international development, economics, finance or a related field;
- Solid knowledge of the Social Protection sector, demonstrated by at least 10 years of experience working with and leading dialogue with relevant institutions and agencies to develop and implement Social Protection strategies, policies and reforms for underserved populations;
- Significant technical experience in providing capacity support to development and humanitarian actors in the area of Social Protection, through training, policy papers, data analysis and field research;
- Experience working with UNHCR or other United Nations agencies on issues related to access to financial services;
- A solid understanding of the Social Protection needs of forcibly displaced and stateless persons;
- Strong research, analytical and writing skills and previous publications on Social Protection;
- Effective communication and public presentation skills;
- Excellent writing skills in English
Type of contract: Individual Consultancy
Working arrangement: Part-time
Location: Home-based with mission travel
Duration: 10 weeks, starting as soon as possible
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Additional Qualifications
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Other informationThis position doesn't require a functional clearance