Partnership Consultant

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
The main goal of the assignment is to contribute to and support the UNICEF Country Office’s approach and strategies on systematic engagement with community systems and structures, with a focus on, and links to, the key areas identified in UNICEF’s Programme priorities: Health, Nutrition, Education, WASH, Child Protection, and social Policy/Protection.

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, Chang 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbkJiMmvKqk

How can you make a difference? 

Scope of Work:

Afghanistan has strong informal community systems with an array of community-based institutions and structures that play various roles. Their power and ability to mobilize resources varies across regions and communities. These structures provide an important opportunity for the bottom-up approach and accountability that can contribute to the country’s effective humanitarian response and could be leveraged to support long-term results for the children and women of Afghanistan. To complement and directly support UNICEF ACO interventions, UNICEF would like to strengthen its work with these community systems/structures.

The national consultant will engage with various UNICEF program section teams and implementing partners and other relevant actors (e.g., other UN agencies) to carry out an assessment that aims to identify existing community structures and systems in Afghanistan. The consultant should also produce a detailed report on the strengths and weaknesses of each structure/network and subsequently develop a framework on how UNICEF should engage with structures to implement some of its activities. In the second phase of the consultancy and with support from UNICEF teams, the consultant should carry out targeted capacity-building activities to strengthen the capacities of these structures in areas of community engagement and program implementation and monitoring.

The consultant should travel to the provinces to meet and discuss with the relevant teams/partners and conduct training when needed.

Work Assignments Overview	Deliverables/Outputs	Delivery Deadline
Review the work of existing community structures/systems in Afghanistan through a desk review and interviews with key informants.  The review should identify: 1) map existing community structures/networks and systems in Afghanistan and identify linkages within these structures when possible. 2)  Identify strengths and weaknesses of each structure/network and outline the current gaps for capacity building 3) Highlight potentials for strategic partnerships and identify risks and how to mitigate them.	A detailed report that covers the areas mentioned is produced.	Estimated number of working days is 30 days. (March 1 – April 15, 2024)
Facilitate regular meetings with various UNICEF program section teams on the role of these community structures and get their views/insights. Engage with internal and external partners, including DfAs, civil society partners, youth-led organizations, and other UN agencies to discuss and incorporate their views on this topic.	A detailed report that will feed into the following deliverable (the framework) is produced.	15 working days (April 1 – May 15, 2024)
Develop a framework on how UNICEF should engage with structures to implement activities.  The framework should also identify potential partners serving as on job -/in-service training agents/institutions that will continue building capacity, engaging, and empowering these systems.	A framework which outlines the modes of operandi for UNICEF to engage with these structures is developed.	15 working days (May 1 – 30, 2024)
Develop training and capacity-building material to support the building capacities of selected community structures in various areas related to program implementation.	Training and capacity-building materials are developed.	30 working days (June 1 – July 15, 2024)
Carry out targeted capacity-building activities to strengthen the capacities of these structures in areas of community engagement and program implementation and monitoring.	At least 10 trainings are conducted across the country.	60 working days (June 1 – July 31, 2024)
Final report	Summary report on the overall assignment and way forward	7 working days (August 1 – 7, 2024)

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

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Science and Community Development or relevant field.
• A minimum of five years’ experience in working with community systems/ structure development, community development in general in Afghanistan.
• Good knowledge on community development and child rights.
• Background/familiarity with development, child rights issues and working with development partners is considered as an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.

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:  

Interested consultants are required to apply online, indicating availability and all-inclusive lump sum fee to undertake the terms of reference.

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.