Home-Based Consultancy (with Travel) to Finalize Guidance Development and Technical... Tender

Procurement Summary

Country : Switzerland

Summary : Home-Based Consultancy (with Travel) to Finalize Guidance Development and Technical Advisory Services including Coordinated Engagement with Authorities in Situations of Armed Violence

Deadline : 17 Mar 2019

Other Information

Notice Type : Tender

TOT Ref.No.: 31369395

Document Ref. No. :

Competition : ICB

Financier : United Nations Secretariat

Purchaser Ownership : -

Tender Value : Refer Document

Purchaser's Detail

Purchaser : THE UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S EMERGENCY FUND (UNICEF)
5 - 7 avenue de la Paix 1202 Geneva Switzerland Tel: +41-909.5111 Fax: +41-909 59 00 / 909 59 01
Switzerland
Email :genevaliaisonoffice@unicef.org/ genevaask@unicef.org

Tender Details

Tenders are invited for Switzerland: Home-Based Consultancy (with travel) to finalize Guidance development and technical advisory services including coordinated engagement with authorities in situations of armed violence (20 days over 3 months)

Organization: UN Children's Fund
Country: Switzerland
Closing date: 17 Mar 2019
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

1. Background

The IASC Operational Guidance for Cluster Lead Agencies on Working with National Authorities (2011) notes that the Cluster System should work collaboratively with national authorities wherever these authorities are able to lead or contribute to humanitarian responses. This collaboration should include joint planning, response and monitoring and should seek to build national capacity throughout. Where national authorities cannot, or will not, provide an equitable response or respect humanitarian principles, “Cluster Lead Agencies should continue to try and coordinate the response for their sector, to the extent that the security and political situation allows (p3).”

In their review of the literature, Wall and Hedlund (2016) noted that there is an ongoing tension within the broader humanitarian system, about the role that local governments can, or should play in emergency response. Harkey (2014) documented a series of successful examples where governments were able to improve disaster preparedness capacities and concluded that in these contexts, the Cluster system needs to be more flexible and aligned with national systems. Others, have noted that context is important, as there are instances where national or local authorities may use disasters to restrict the autonomy of civil society, may benefit from neutral brokering, or may be a party to conflict (ALNAP, 2010[1]), compromising their ability to fully adhere to core humanitarian principles[2]. Despite these challenges, the World Humanitarian Summit confirmed a global commitment to move towards humanitarian responses that are “as local as possible, as international as necessary.”

Despite the political, geographical and other complexities, there is limited guidance available for UNHCR, UNFPA and UNICEF as Cluster Lead Agencies, NGO co-leads and the other UN and civil society members who work, or seek to work more closely, with national and local authorities, especially in conflict settings or contexts where the government is responsible for protection violations. This role is expected to support the Child Protection Area of Responsibility, on behalf of the Global Protection Cluster and the GBV AoRs, finalize and validate the guidance note drafted earlier, provide both global and country specific guidance for Cluster Lead Agencies, co-leads and the broader interagency membership of the GPC and AoRs, who are already working with national authorities, or who need to transition towards greater leadership and coordination by national authorities. This work will also support the Cluster Lead Agencies to better understand the competencies required for coordination, which will, in turn, improve recruitment of, and training and ongoing support to coordinators.

The Global Protection Cluster (GPC), led by UNHCR, coordinates and provides global level inter-agency policy advice and guidance on the implementation of the cluster approach to Protection Clusters in the field, supports protection responses in non-refugee situation humanitarian action as well as leads standard and policy setting relating to protection in complex and natural disaster humanitarian emergencies, in particular with regards to the protection of internally displaced persons. The Global Protection Cluster also includes four additional Areas of Responsibility (AoRs) - Child Protection, GBV, Mine Action; and Land, Housing and Property. Together with these AoRs, the GPC is committed to finding and promoting ways to work effectively with local authorities, both in the short and the longer term, and in ways which are consistent with humanitarian principles. This work is being led by the Child Protection Area of Responsibility, on behalf of the whole Cluster, as part of a broader localization initiative.

The Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CP AoR) led by UNICEF, ensures clear leadership, predictability and accountability in international responses to humanitarian emergencies. It convenes and coordinates a range of UN, NGO and other actors, produces key interagency tools; builds capacity and develops shared advocacy and policy. It aims to make the international humanitarian community better organised and more accountable and professional, so that it can be a better partner for the affected people, host governments, local authorities, local civil society and resourcing partners.

Many Child Protection AoR Country Coordination Groups are already working with national and local authorities in a variety of contexts. For example, in 2016, 48 per cent of country coordination groups were co-led with government. Coordination efforts remain highly context specific - protection responses often require coordination across multiple government ministries/sectors[3]. Even within national government systems or across the operational contexts within a country, there is often diversity in the willingness and/or ability to deliver an emergency response in line with humanitarian principles. Many current contexts also have regional characteristics where governments and the Cluster System are required to work on multiple cross-border coordination efforts.

The work on developing guidance on working with authorities forms part of the CP AoR workstream of localization. As such there will also be work undertaken to document and elevate learning from localization, including co leadership with national partners, as well as promoting new forms of partnership. This will support advocacy for global events including a global donor conference in quarter four 2019.

2. Purpose

This role will continue and finalize guidance development on behalf of the Global Protection Cluster, to develop both general and context-specific interagency guidance for country coordination groups including Cluster Lead Agencies and co-leads, in relation to working with national authorities.

3. Main responsibilities and tasks

4. Minimum qualifications and competencies

More than 10 years in child protection is required (including child protection, general protection and GBV)
Direct experience coordinating with government in complex emergencies, including when government is part of the conflict is highly desirable.
Understanding of international protection policy and extensive experience working with multiple governments is required.
Excellent interpersonal skills
Demonstrated capacity to effectively engage with national authorities, civil society and other actors, including at technical, senior management and political levels.
Fluency in English is required.
Fluency in at least one of either Spanish, Arabic or French is highly desirable.
5. Reporting and Supervision

The consultant will report to the Global CP AOR coordinator for day to day work and the CP AoR/SAG for technical guidance.

6.Travel and Insurance

The work is to be completed off-site at the awarded consultant-s location. Only remote surveys/ calls / webinars etc. should be conducted, except when the consultant will be expected to travel. All travel expenses will be paid by UNICEF. The consultant will travel by the most direct and economical route in economy class. UNICEF will pay the daily subsistence allowance as per UN-approved rate. The consultant must be fit to travel, be in a possession of the valid UN DSS Security certificate, obligatory inoculation(s) and have a valid own travel/medical insurance and an immunization/vaccination card. The dates for the travel will be determined in

7. To apply

Please complete your profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system.
Please provide (attach) a Personal History Form (P-11) highlighting previous engagements which meet the qualification criteria described above. Personal History Form (P11) can be downloaded from: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html
Please indicate your ability, availability and daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference above.
Applications submitted without a daily/monthly rate will not be considered.
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

Remarks:Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Documents

 Tender Notice