Job Vacancy at UNICEF – International Consultant

UNICEF is recruiting for an International Consultant to develop a framework for local governance programming in Sierra Leone.

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, results.

To learn more about working for UNICEF and our work in Sierra Leone, please visit the following link:www.unicef.org/sierraleone

How can you make a difference?

Background

According to UNICEF’s ‘Local Governance Approach to Programming; Guidance for achieving multisectoral results through working with local governments’ (2019): ‘Local governance refers to the way local decisions are made and implemented. This includes decisions regarding the prioritization, availability and delivery of local goods and services and ultimately – whether explicit or implicit – who will benefit. Local governance is shaped by formal national, regional and local government policies and by informal interactions and relationships among various levels of government and local actors (e.g., local government, private sector, civil society, communities, traditional or religious leaders). While decentralization is intended to formalize local governance, local governance takes place in both centralized and decentralized contexts.’

Purpose and objective

The overall objective of the consultancy is to create a local governance programme framework for the Sierra Leone Country Programme 2020-2023. UNICEF will not be advocating for any particular form of governance structure or increased/decreased levels of decentralization, but is rather seeking to understand how results for children can be more optimally achieved within the current model of local governance, how UNICEF can better support capacity strengthening and coordination at sub-national level, as well as how UNICEF can better integrate ongoing and planned activities at local level for enhanced convergence in capacity building and service delivery. An integral part of this will be to map out current discussions on local governance and the expected direction of decentralization, with its implications for children and communities.

Local government, along with other local stakeholders, plays a key role in ensuring access to social services, including for the most marginalized communities. Many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets are directly or indirectly related to the work of local actors. The overall goal of UNICEF engagement on local governance is: ‘To contribute to the realization of children’s rights by supporting local government, together with other local actors, to respond to the needs and priorities of children, adolescents and their families in an inclusive and equitable manner.’

Specific Objectives Will Be

• • Mapping the legal and policy framework which governs local governance in Sierra Leone, including the extent to which these have been implemented and the implications for achieving results for children
  • Mapping and analysing the current review processes of local governance policy framework, current stakeholder position, likely direction of decentralization, and implications for children and communities
  • Mapping the planning and budgeting processes at sub-national level and financing mechanisms for local governance, capacity of local government to undertake planning and budgeting, as well as implications for children and communities
  • Mapping the existing structures and entities at sub-national level and the level of coordination between them as well as existing coordination mechanisms, including the relationships between formal and informal structures (local council vs., traditional chiefs’ system)
  • Mapping the ongoing and planned activities of UNICEF programme sections at local level, the entities with which they work, the degree to which they work in synergy with each other to strengthen the capacity of local government entities
  • Identifying potential programmatic and geographic areas of convergence for UNICEF programming which would have a catalytic effect on programme implementation
  • Mapping development partners and stakeholders active at the sub-national level and their programme priorities
  • Conducting a mapping of capacity gaps at district level, particularly as regards planning and budgeting, to identify the most critical gaps which would enhance the achievement of results for children if met
  • Identifying the level of community engagement in local government, including planning and budgeting processes and providing recommendations for strengthening community engagement
  • Mapping out current social accountability mechanisms and providing recommendations for how to strengthen social accountability in local governance
  • Generating actionable recommendations for a comprehensive local governance programme which will strengthen capacity of local government to deliver sustainable results for children, enhanced social accountability and community engagement.

See attached ToR for detailed information. ToR - Framework for local gov. .pdf

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

• • An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Social Sciences, Public Policy, Public Administration, Economics or related field
  • A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

• At least 10 years’ experience in analysis and strategy development on local governance and children
• Demonstrated expertise on local governance and decentralisation models
• Demonstrated experience on strategic planning and capacity strengthening for local governments, particularly as regards planning and budgeting
• Previous experience working with UN agencies an asset
• Excellent analytical and writing skills
• Excellent communication skills
• Advanced computer literacy
• High level of proficiency in English
• Familiarity with Sierra Leone will be an asset
• Fluency in English is required.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

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 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.

How to Apply

Qualified and interested individuals should click on the button below to apply.