National Consultancy on Cash Plus Pilot Coordination with Social Policy-Duhok, Iraq

The Iraq Country Office (ICO) is seeking the services of a national consultant to provide support to the Social Policy Portfolio in the areas of social protection and project management. Under the supervision of the Social Policy Manager, the Social Policy Consultant – Cash Plus Pilot Coordination will support the overall implementation of a Cash Plus Project in Dohuk. The assignment will include a range of activities, including but not limited to Technical and operational support to implementation; coordination of stakeholders, activity and budget monitoring; Analysis and reporting.

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

The Iraq Country Office (ICO) is seeking the services of a national consultant to provide support to the Social Policy Portfolio in the areas of social protection and project management. Under the supervision of the Social Policy Manager, the Social Policy Consultant – Cash Plus Pilot Coordination will support the overall implementation of a Cash Plus Project in Dohuk. The assignment will include a range of activities, including but not limited to Technical and operational support to implementation; coordination of stakeholders, activity and budget monitoring; Analysis and reporting.

Context:

UNICEF Iraq provides support to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in strengthening the social protection system. UNICEF supports the government of Iraq to respond to gaps facing children in accessing social protection and to make social protection responsive to the needs of poor and vulnerable children, including during shocks. This includes high-level advocacy and support for the reform of social protection policy framework and technical assistance to strengthen the social protection system (MIS, social workforce capacity, child grants). Further, UNICEF supports the integration of social protection and social services to ensure that poor families are supported to invest in their children.

In 2021, the GOI and KRG engaged in an ambitious Social Protection Reform Agenda supported by the EU and implemented in collaboration with UN agencies. As part of the programme “Social Protection Programme- Leveraging Effective Response and Accelerating Reform”, a Social Protection Strategic Framework is being developed, along with an implementation roadmap. The programme also seeks to support the design and roll-out of a child-sensitive cash transfer programme […] to address the disproportionate exclusion faced by the targeted group and to improve their access to education services and promote their human development”. Within this context, UNICEF has partnered with MOLSA to pilot a child-focused integrated social transfer with the aim to scale up.

The ‘Child Plus Benefit’ is the result of a collaborative effort informed by a series of assessments; it aims to address the current gaps and strengthen capacities for the institutionalization of Cash Plus models for children in Iraq. UNICEF, jointly with the KRG, is developing a Cash Plus Pilot project in KRI (Child Plus Benefit) aiming to support children transitioning from primary to secondary school. The development of the pilot included different phases and is informed by a series of assessments to develop an understanding of the environment and related challenges and gaps to operationalize cash plus models in KRI. Cash plus models are a critical step to support building systems and strengthening the linkages between income support and information, knowledge, and service. The pilot has a two-pronged approach: i/ Test the ability to respond to key challenges/ poverty/vulnerability for children; ii/ strengthen the enabling environment/ and contribute to developing a sustainable infrastructure for cash plus models, looking at policy, programmes, system and capacity levels.

How can you make a difference? 

 Scope of Work:

Under the supervision of the Social Policy Manager – the Social Policy Consultant – Cash Plus Pilot Coordination consultant will:

• Prepare, keep updated and monitor the implementation workplan of the “Child Plus Benefit’.

• Ensure the smooth implementation of the “Child Plus Benefit’ in collaboration with relevant stakeholders and partners and within the timeframe developed.

• Review regularly the risk analysis based on implementation and suggest risk mitigation in consultation with UNICEF Social Policy section, and key stakeholders

• Monitor the planning and tracking of payment to beneficiaries, in adherence to standard operating procedures (SOP), safety and security measures.

• Liaise with relevant stakeholders for the implementation of the Plus components (education, child protection, Social and Behaviour change).

• Organize and meet with the relevant working groups (internal task force, cash assistance committee) to monitor and track implementation of the “Child Plus Benefit’.

• Oversee project expenditure, and review budget in consultation with supervisor to ensure smooth implementation.

• Follow-up with the field teams, on the identification and selection of beneficiaries of the cash transfer pilot as relevant.

• Support the organization and implementation of missions for external partners (trainings, data collection for baseline, end-line assessment, and others as relevant…) • Conduct regular monitoring/ programmatic visits to the cash pilot implementation areas and field bases and support the field staff with the identification and solution of technical issues.

• Prepare a monitoring template and consolidate monthly reports.

• Prepare the minutes of key meetings, incl. cash assistance committee, coordination meetings…

• Draft TOR, concept notes, and agenda as relevant as part of the implementation of the pilot,

• Draft pagers, reports on the Child Plus Benefit to support internal and donor reports…

• Gather the lessons and provide inputs to the development of scale up of the Child Plus Benefit or other future cash transfer proposals.

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/share information on implementation issues with linkages to education and child protection, and suggest solutions on routine pilot implementation.

• Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.

• Support the strengthening of national and local capacities for partners in close coordination with other UNICEF sections.

• Compile information and documents on the overall cash transfer programming for knowledge sharing, support documentation of lessons learned on cash programming.

The Social Policy Consultant – Cash Plus Pilot Coordination will abide by UNICEF rules/ procedures:

1. Ethical Guidelines in research, evaluation, data collection and analysis.

2. Specific codes of conduct for staff and implementing partners, including governments, as well as protocols and mechanisms to prevent, identify and address any arising cases of sexual exploration and abuse and will ensure their implementation. Partners and all employees and personnel are trained and comply with the provisions of the “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse”.

3. The project will adopt a DO NO HARM approach.

4. Procedure on Cash Transfers to Beneficiaries, Financial Management Guidance for Cash Transfer Programming.

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

Minimum Qualifications required:

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, or another relevant technical field.

Bachelor’s degree in relevant filed with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• At least three years of relevant professional work experience in Social protection, Cash transfer programming and implementation is required
• Good communication and reporting skills.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills.
• Strong ability to work as part of a team.
• Experience with the UN is an asset.
• Fluent in English and Kurdish (spoken and written)

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.