Consultancy Title: Social Protection sustainability and institutionalization support Consultant ( Jordanian Nationals only)

The individual consultant will support the UNICEF Makani programme team and be responsible for strategically guiding/advising, following up with and providing technical oversight to a consultancy firm that will be conducting a comprehensive review of the existing MOSD structure and preparing a roadmap with concrete actionable measures for the integration of the Makani programme within the national social protection system

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, Protection

The Makani programme currently operates through 114 Centres located in refugee camps, host communities and informal tented settlements (ITS) in all 12 governorates of Jordan. 14 of the centres are managed directly by the Ministry of Social Development (MOSD), which also co-chairs the Makani Steering Committee at the national level. The programme is reaching nearly 100,000 individuals (children, youth and caregivers) per year with multiple services, including learning support services, skill building, early childhood development and child protection sessions.
Aligned with global and national development strategies and the Country Programme 2023-2027 between UNICEF and Jordan and considering the lower‐resource‐high‐needs context of the country, the Makani programme is working on harmonizing / rationalizing processes to support sustainable service provision. As part of this effort, since 2018, UNICEF has been implementing a long-term sustainability strategy structured around seven pillars to strengthen and capacitate national institutions for delivering the Makani programme in the future.
As a further step of the Makani Sustainability strategy, UNICEF Jordan is currently working on a plan of institutionalization of the Makani programme through its progressive integration in the national social protection system from 2025 onwards. This plan would entail a continuation of the UNICEF technical support to the MOSD and national NGOs’ programmatic and institutional capacity to sustain the Makani programme implementation.
To prepare the institutionalization plan, UNICEF is hiring a consultancy firm which will undertake the functional review of the Ministry of Social Development for the integration of the Makani Programme in the national social protection system and develop the Roadmap for the institutionalization process.
As part of the institutionalization efforts, UNICEF is recruiting an individual consultant to work closely with the Makani team to guide the contracted consultancy firm and contribute to the quality assurance of the process and the quality and timeliness of the Institutionalization Roadmap deliverables.

How can you make a difference? 

The individual consultant will support the UNICEF Makani programme team and be responsible for strategically guiding/advising, following up with and providing technical oversight to a consultancy firm that will be conducting a comprehensive review of the existing MOSD structure and preparing a roadmap with concrete actionable measures for the integration of the Makani programme within the national social protection system.

The deliverables of the consultant will include the following:

The individual consultant will support the UNICEF Makani programme team and be responsible for strategically guiding/advising, following up with and providing technical oversight to a consultancy firm that will be conducting a comprehensive review of the existing MOSD structure and preparing a roadmap with concrete actionable measures for the integration of the Makani programme within the national social protection system.
The deliverables of the consultant will include the following:

• Conduct a review of the UNICEF assessment and mapping of existing sustainability measures, policies and procedures that support the current implementation of the Makani program and additional national interventions.
• Guide and support the consultancy firm in conducting a review of relevant laws, regulations, policies, and procedure related to the Social Protection system and social development in Jordan, delivery of social protection services, social contracting and partnership modalities.
• Review the methodology, workplan and schedule for the activities proposed by the consultancy firm.
• In coordination with the UNICEF commissioned consultancy firm, ensure quality of the technical reviews with relevant MOSD staffing structure at strategic and technical levels, UNICEF/UN and Makani NGO partners’ staff to collect insights on the institutionalization process and identify potential opportunities, gaps and risks.
• Provide strategic guidance and quality assurance to the development of the Findings report and the Roadmap for the integration of the Makani programme within the national social protection system. Ensure availability of concrete set of actionable and timebound measures, including highlights of gaps and additional needs for investment, costing and capacity building to support the process.
• Oversee and provide quality assurance for the creation of a toolbox of resources to support MOSD with the technical aspects of managing the integrated programme.
• Guide the planning and facilitation of the validation workshop to present the Roadmap to UNICEF, MOSD and development partners to ensure relevance and feasibility of the recommendations.
Under the guidance of UNICEF, the individual will be required to:
• Provide the Makani programme team with strategic guidance and technical input at each stage of the institutionalization efforts to integrate the Makani programme in the national systems.
•Follow up and coordinate with relevant stakeholders to support the functional review of the Ministry of Social Development to institutionalize the Makani programme in the national systems including government counterpart, national NGOs and a third-party consultancy company.
• Ensure proper documentation of the process and follow up to ensure adherence to timelines by facilitating access to information and data need to conduct a functional review.
• Ensure quality and timeliness of the deliverables produced by the UNICEF contracted third-party consultancy firm.

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

• Education: An advanced university degree in Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations or equivalent field
• Experiance: Over 15 years of extensive experience in policy analysis and social and economic development. A strong background in strategic planning and public policy making in Jordan. Demonstrated strong expertise in Social Protection sector. Relevant work experience with the Jordanian government or national agencies with proven contributions to the development sector. Relevant work experience with UN agencies and international development partners in Jordan with proven contributions to the development sector. Strong organizational, writing, and communications skills. Strong leadership skills and ability to coordinate with personnel within and outside the government.
• Jordanian nationals only. 
• Excellent English and Arabic verbal, written, and editing skills.

Applications submitted without a financial proposal will not be considered.  The financial offer should be a lump sum for the whole assignment + Travel if applicable. 

Insurance:

The Consultant is fully responsible for arranging, at their own expense, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the Contract as he or she considers appropriate, taking into account, among other requirements.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS). 

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

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 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. 

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. 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.