Consultancy: Joint Social Protection Programme Coordination Support Consultant (National consultancy)

The Iraq Country Office (ICO) is seeking the services of a consultant to support the EU-UN Joint Programme on Social Protection to facilitate elements of coordination among all programme stakeholders to strengthen synergies among different interventions of the three partners, through facilitating coordination mechanisms, operational support in enhancing reporting, monitoring, and communications, and facilitating protocol and event interaction with government and donors. The duration of the consultancy is from April 2024 to March 2025 for a total of 160 working days. The consultancy will report to the Managers of the Joint Programme in each agency. This consultancy is open to Iraqi nationals only.

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Background:
The Government of Iraq engaged in an ambitious Social Protection Reform, with the support of the European Union. Implemented by the 3 UN agencies ILO, UNICEF and WFP, the Joint Programme (JP) Social Protection Programme for Iraq: leveraging effective response and accelerating reform aims to support the expansion of social protection, and to reinforce capacities of federal and regional authorities to deliver quality child, age and disability sensitive, and gender responsive social protection programmes and services.

Scope of Work:
The national consultant will be expected to support the EU-UN Joint Programme on Social Protection to facilitate elements of coordination among all programme stakeholders to strengthen synergies among different interventions of the three partners, through facilitating coordination mechanisms, operational support in enhancing reporting, monitoring, and communications, and facilitating protocol and event interaction with government and donors.

Main tasks:
Coordination amongst a range of stakeholders is critical to achieve progress with expected outcomes, especially in the context of a large programme. The assignment will focus on support elements of the coordination of the implementation of the EU-UN Joint Programme. UNICEF Iraq is looking for a consultant to facilitate event, protocol and operational coordination across all programme primary and secondary stakeholders, to ensure structured and effective coordination at three levels: agencies-Government-donor:
- Support to Inter-agency coordination (i.e. between (UNICEF, ILO, and WFP), including ensuring synergies and linkages between the different streams of work as outlined above;
- Facilitate consultative processes for the delivery of joint activities under EU-UN JP Social Protection.
- Support convening of regular technical meetings to update on JP progress and facilitate coordinated actions, document outcomes, and follow up on actions.
- Support the inter-agency communication group and meetings in line with JP communication and advocacy activities and contribute to the development of joint messaging.
- Support the facilitation of the inter-agency communication and M&E group with required documents.
- Support the development of joint reporting requirements.

- Support to Coordination and reporting to Government (both Federal and Regional levels) on joint programme progress, including the Coordination within the JP governance structure as well as the sector wider committee; and Coordination with the wider UN and development partners when relevant (organization of Sector Wide coordination meeting…)
- Support the logistics of organization of regular meetings with government counterparts
- Proactively facilitate reporting requirements to government with the respective focal points
- Support the Ministry of planning to regularly convene the Social Protection Sector-wide Coordination Committee (SPSCC) at Federal and regional levels.
- Support the facilitation of the Steering Committee meeting at Federal and regional levels (supporting MoP on preparations, logistics, minuting the meetings, tracking actions)
- Provide support to agencies in the organization of the Technical Working Groups

- Support to coordination and reporting to the donor (EU)
- Support the logistics of preparation of meetings with the EU
- Support the timely completion of the SharePoint through administrative activities (calendar of events, dashboard, …)

- Follow up on action points, emerging from consultations and coordination with partners.
- Keep abreast of Joint Programme social protection context, activities and interventions in Iraq (represent the Joint Programme in key meeting, incl Iraq cash forum).
- With guidance from UNICEF, ILO, and WFP participate in key workshops and events.

Duration and Reporting Line:
The duration of the consultancy is from April 2024 to March 2025 for a total of 160 working days.

The consultant will have a reporting line to the Managers of the Joint Programme in each agency who will be accountable to ensure that the work of the consultant is equally dedicated to ILO, UNICEF and WFP and to ensure neutrality.

Deliverables: Inception, document review and analysis (Work Assignments Overview, Deliverables/Outputs, Delivery deadline)

Inception: document review, meetings, preparation of working modalities
Introduction meetings with stakeholders
Inception report, workplan and dashboard
15 days by 15/05/2024

Sector wide coordination meetings and Steering committee meetings are organized and documented
Agenda and PowerPoints
Opening remarks and talking points
Minutes and attendance sheets
31 days by 30/07/24

Joint programme coordination facilitation meetings
Participate/coordinate Committee facilitation meetings
Participation in/contribution to social protection national agenda
Liaison with government stakeholders at national and governorate level
Reports from key meetings
Talking points
Dashboard up to date
Meeting minutes
Annual programme report
48 days by 10/11/2024

Joint programme coordination facilitation meetings
Participate/coordinate Committee facilitation meetings
Participation in/contribution to social protection national agenda
Liaison with government stakeholders at national and governorate level
Annual Report consolidated
Calendar of meetings
Dashboard up to date
Meeting minutes
38 days by 05/01/2024

Joint programme coordination facilitation meetings
Participate/coordinate Committee facilitation meetings
Participation in/contribution to social protection national agenda
Liaison with government stakeholders at national and governorate level
Produce information about the programme in various formats
Report
Dashboard up to date
Meeting minutes
Communication brief, external papers
Script for visibility material
28 days by 15/03/2025

Travel requirements:
Domestic travel within Iraq, with applicable DSA provided as applicable.

Minimum Qualifications required:
- An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required:, Social Sciences, programme management, logistics, 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.
- A minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience is required.
- Previous work in programmes coordination is an asset, including a variety of stakeholders
- Previous work with a UN agency would be an asset,
- Excellent communication skills and reporting skills.
- Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills.
- Fluency in English and Arabic is required. Knowledge of Kurdish is a strong asset.

Remarks:

UNICEF's values are Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Candidates must submit an all-inclusive fee for the assignment. UNICEF will provide travel for the assignment and in-country travel if required.

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 consultant 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 consultant 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. The vaccine mandate, 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.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants 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.