Senior Social Protection International Consultant, Damascus, Syria, 132 working days in 12 months (Remote)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

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For every child, an advocate.

UNICEF Syria was established in 1970 and has been working with partners to help empower children to fully claim and enjoy their rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UNICEF works with partners across Syria to deliver supplies, services, and expertise in areas of Child Protection, Education, Health, Nutrition, Water, Hygiene and Sanitation for every child. UNICEF also provides humanitarian assistance when needed.

Syria continues to face one of the most complex emergencies in the world. Unprecedented humanitarian needs are compounded by displacement inside the country and across its borders, extensive destruction of civilian and social services infrastructure, devastating impacts on the economy, and most importantly, the breakdown of the social fabric that stitched the country together for decades.

Today, 90% of people in Syria live in poverty, most are unable to make ends meet or bring food to the table. Families have had their resources depleted, with limited employment opportunities, skyrocketing prices, and shortage of basic supplies. For most people, the current socio-economic challenges represent some of the harshest and most challenging circumstances they have faced since the beginning of the crisis in 2011.

The February 2023 earthquakes in north Syria and Türkiye have added agony to an already catastrophic situation, increasing the strain on services, causing displacement, and inflicting widespread damage. Many families lost their main breadwinner due to death or injury, at a time when the economic situation was already dire, resulting in millions of people unable to meet their basic needs.

In 2024, 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance[1]. This is the highest number of people in need ever recorded in Syria since 2011. The number of children in need – more than 6.5 million – has increased by seven per cent in the past year alone. This is largely due the ongoing conflict, continued displacements, the unprecedented economic crisis, deepening poverty, and unemployment. The COVID-19 pandemic, the hike in price of commodities triggered by the overall global economic situation and the impact of sanctions are further compounding the dire situation.

For information of the work of our organization, please visit our website: UNICEF Syria  

Background on the Assignment:

Every child in the Syrian Arab Republic has the right to equitable and adequate social protection and basic services, such as health, education, nutrition, WASH, and child protection.  The Social Policy team in UNICEF Syria Country Office focuses on four key areas – social protection, cash transfers, public finance and general financing for children, and child poverty. In these four priority areas, UNICEF Syria CO provides different levels of technical assistance and support to national counterparts ranging from system strengthening, capacity building, policy analysis and evidence generation, and advocacy with particular focus on social protection systems, large-scale cash-based transfers (both humanitarian and non-humanitarian), and public finance management.

On 8 December 2024, Syria witnessed a monumental political shift with the fall of the long-standing Al-Assad government. In response to this new context, the UNICEF in Syria is working on developing information and is strategizing on supporting the national social protection reform to support Syria’s recovery and transition.

To address the long-term impact of conflict as well as this transition, the UNICEF Social Policy programme will work to strengthen national statistical, public financial management, and social protection systems and coverage, in addition to building decentralized capacities for the effective, equitable and integrated provision of services, especially in geographic areas with pockets of higher vulnerability and more significant disparities. This effort will specifically focus on three primary objectives:

1. Enhancing Data on Child Poverty and Vulnerability: By improving the quality and accessibility of data, UNICEF SCO aims to enable better-informed policy and programme actions. Accurate data will help identify gaps and direct resources to the areas that need them most, ensuring that vulnerable children are prioritized.
2. Strengthening Social Protection Coverage and Impact: UNICEF SCO is committed to strengthening social protection systems, not just in terms of coverage but in their ability to make a tangible impact on child outcomes. This involves comprehensive monitoring, research, and the application of data to inform programme design and results.
3. Strengthening Programme Management: The programme seeks to develop well-defined concept notes for project implementation, coordinate with partners around specific Social Policy Section projects, and ensure that the delivery of other social policy work aligns with the broader goals laid out in the Rolling Work Plan (RWP) under the guidance of the Chief of Section.
4. Supporting the development of the National Social Protection Strategy: UNICEF has agreed to technically support UN efforts to develop a National Social Protection Strategy. This will require the support and expertise to facilitate consultations around the different social protection blocks related to contributory and non-contributory schemes.

The international consultant will play a critical role in advancing these objectives. Therefore, to ensure evidence-based planning, implementation, and improvement of social services delivery, UNICEF Syria is looking for an international consultant to provide technical support and assistance in social policy programming and related advocacy, from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of concrete, inclusive and sustainable results. Moreover, current technical discussions with other UN agencies, alongside the development of a National Social Protection Strategy, require specialized and experienced expertise to effectively articulate and shape the final strategy. The consultant’s expertise will be instrumental in navigating these conversations, ensuring that the strategy reflects both global best practices and local needs.

Under the general guidance and direction of the Chief Social Policy, the consultant will work to improve (a) evidence generation, policy and practice on child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; and (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management. This encompasses both direct programme work with government at federal and local levels and development partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, humanitarian response, nutrition, water and sanitation. 

 

How can you make a difference? 

The international consultant will play a pivotal role in providing critical support to UNICEF in several key areas related to the Social Policy programme. Their expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the successful integration of global best practices, strategic planning, and child poverty monitoring within the national context. The specific areas of support are outlined as follows:

• Integration of Regional and International Case Studies into the National Social Protection Strategy:
  The consultant will support UNICEF in enhancing the National Social Protection Strategy by integrating relevant regional and international case studies, providing expert advice on how lessons from other countries can be applied to strengthen Syria’s social protection framework for children and vulnerable populations.
• Development of Child Poverty Studies and Positioning Papers:
  The consultant will be tasked with developing specific child poverty studies and positioning papers that can inform and support the monitoring of child poverty in Syria. This will involve conducting thorough research and data analysis, identifying key drivers of child poverty, and proposing evidence-based recommendations for interventions. The consultant will help UNICEF establish a strong knowledge base that allows for continuous tracking of child poverty trends, ensuring that policies and programmes are data-driven and focused on improving the welfare of children living in vulnerable conditions.
• Support Strategic Planning and Data Analysis for Social Policy including Cash Post Distribution Monitoring Reports development: The consultant will provide ongoing support for strategic planning and data analysis for UNICEF’s Social Policy programme. This will include advising on the programme’s alignment with broader national and international goals, contributing to the development of long-term strategies, and ensuring that UNICEF’s work remains responsive to emerging trends and challenges in the socio-political environment. The consultant’s expertise in data analysis will be crucial in shaping actionable insights from available data, guiding the design and implementation of programmes that are both effective and sustainable.

If you would like to know more about this assignment, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:

 ToR_Senior Social Protection Consultant (final) VA 2.pdf

 

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

Minimum requirements:

I. Academic qualifications:

Advanced university degree or equivalent in public policy, economics, social policy, development studies, political science, or related field. 

II. Work experience / Technical competencies:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in Social Policy or relevant professional work experience is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with humanitarian response and emergency is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated experience with planning, design and implementation of social protection, policies and legislation including social assistance, and/or social insurance.

• Capacity building of stakeholders including government, civil society, payment service providers and UN staff.
• Understanding of the humanitarian context in MENA is a strong advantage, experience in protracted crises is an asset.
• Analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, ability to facilitate, consult and negotiate with a broad range of government and non-government partners;
• Experience working on child poverty or any of the specialized areas in one or more countries in MENA is a strong advantage.
• Experience working and coordinating with cash working group, national government actors on coordination or system strengthening (e.g., improving implementation capacity though transfer of knowledge or skills; implementation through national systems; transfer of emergency programme beneficiary information to government) is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills.

III. Language requirement:

Fluency in English is required, Arabic Language is desirable.

 

IV. Competencies:

For every Child, you demonstrate..

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

 

Qualified candidates are requested to submit:

1. Applications through UNICEF’s Talent Management System (TMS)
2. CV and Cover letter describing your qualifications and past experiences (maximum 2 pages), which very clearly indicates your current indicative daily fee rate in USD (Note: contracted daily fee will be contingent upon assignment scope and duration, final agreed rate will be negotiated with requesting office at time of contracting)
3. At least 3 References from previous Direct Supervisors

Shortlisted applicants may be invited for further technical assessment. Final recommendation will be made based on “best value for money”, i.e. the hiring section/office shall normally select the individual who quoted the lowest fee from among the candidates who are assessed as suitable for achieving all tasks on time, as per the criteria stipulated in this ToR, and based on the outcome of the evaluation/assessment conducted.

 

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.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, including paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

General Remarks:

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.