UNV Jobs - 64745- Consultant to Draft Regional Post-Ebola Recovery P

Consultant to Draft Regional Post-Ebola Recovery Programme

Advertised on behalf of

UNV

Location :

Home-Based

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

18-Apr-2016

Application Deadline :

31-Mar-16 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

33 Days

Languages Required :

English French

Expected Duration of Assignment :

33 Days

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity. UNV engaged 6,351 UN Volunteers in 2013, on a total of 6,459 assignments. UNV is headquartered in Bonn, Germany and has Field Unit presence in about 69 countries.

In the effort of strengthening UNV programmatic engagement, the 2014-2017 UNV Strategic Framework established a clear result structure for UNV along with five global programmes, each capable of providing priority seed funds and targeted technical expertise for integrating volunteerism in select substantive areas. The programmes were identified where there is the largest evidence and potential that the integration of volunteers and volunteerism can contribute to concrete development impact. These five programmes are: Securing Access to Basic Social Services; Community Resilience for Environment and Disaster Risk Reduction; Peace building; Youth, and National Capacity Development through Volunteer Schemes.

To support engagement and increase strategic programming capacity in the field UNV opened three regional offices at the end of 2014 in Panama (Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Office), Nairobi (Africa Regional Office), and Bangkok (Asia-Pacific Regional Office) and the fourth Regional Office has been opened in Dakar, Senegal for West and Central Africa in December 2015. With the mandate of developing and strengthening programmes and programme partnerships, the regional offices will ensure strategic, focused and high-quality programmatic UNV partnerships to respond to country and regional needs. At the same time, the offices will seek to mainstream the role and the impact of volunteers and volunteerism in the five areas of global programmes. Each regional office is headed by a Regional Programme Manager supported by a team of at least five UN Volunteers with thematic profiles and a programme assistant.
It is against this background that UNV is developing a recovery regional programme for the Ebola affected countries (Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea) and seeks to recruit a home-based consultant to formulate the project document.

During the Ebola outbreak, volunteers and UNV played a critical role in bringing the disease to a halt. In this recovery programme, UNV would like to consolidate on those lessons learned and experiences together with governmental and non-governmental partners as well as with sister UN agencies. To achieve this goal a regional post-Ebola recovery programme is under formulation and a home-based consultant will be recruited to draft the joint project document.

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will work under the overall supervision of the Regional Manager of the UNV Regional Office (RO) for West and Central Africa in close collaboration with the Thematic Expert on Basic Social Services (BSS) based in the Nairobi Regional Office and with inputs from colleagues based in the Field Units (FU) in the three respective countries.

Research phase – 8 working days:

Familiarization with all materials made available which include a detailed mission report of the BSS expert to all three countries (29 February – 18 March 2016); country strategies; research documents; project documents of sister UN agencies and NGOs; evaluations; background reports etc.;
Identify and conduct additional research in case gaps have been identified in available documentation;
Consult with RO, UNV FUs, identified potential partners and BSS expert on any questions

Output Research phase:

Annotated outline of project document based on joint UNDG project document format in English;
Work plan including timeframe for project formulation phase.

Project document formulation and Finalization phase – 20 working days:
Formulation

Drafting of full draft project document based on exchange with RO, three FUs, identified partners, BSS expert and selected colleagues at UNV HQ in Bonn;
Allow one formal round of feedback from RO, BSS expert, identified partners, three FUs and selected colleagues at UNV HQ in Bonn;
Resubmit project document based on feedback received;
The RO and the BSS expert are available for questions at any moment throughout the project document formulation phase.

Finalization – 5 working days:

Revised project document will be shared and discussed by FUs in the three countries with relevant project stakeholders such as Government, non-Governmental organizations and other organizations during a formal validation meeting. Any possible feedback will be shared with the consultant who is expected to integrate it into a final version of the project document;
The RO and the BSS expert are available for questions at any moment throughout the project document finalization phase.

Output Project Document Formulation phase:

Satisfactory project document must be written according to UNDP project document template and must include the following:
Articulation of conceptual linkages of activities, outputs and outcome with clear baseline, activities, targets and indicators as per RBM;
Clearly define the institutional arrangements that will best ensure the smooth implementation of the project;
Clear annual work plan with a detailed budget over the complete project duration;
Clear and concise project Logical Framework,
A clear monitoring and evaluation strategy;
Detailed management arrangement with TORs for the project team (staff & volunteers);
Clear and user friendly management and reporting tools;
A clear strategy for participating States ownership and management and exit strategy for the partners;
Identification of opportunities for resource mobilisation (resource mobilization strategy) and partnerships;
Identification of UNV’s niche in volunteerism in the field;
Attention given to cross cutting issues in different outputs (community engagement and volunteerism to enhance post-Ebola recovery initiatives) and activities with clear and precise indicators;
Project document to be in line with how volunteerism contributes through tangible results for the achievement of SDGs (and beyond) and adapted to the regional context;
Strategy and activities should be reflective of the existing structures that could be tapped into/scaled up to support the proposed interventions;
Identify and outline exit/sustainability strategies;
Project design should build up on existing initiatives in the region with a view to see how the project outputs and activities can contribute to the growing policy and research in this area;
Project design should propose mechanisms for south-to-south cooperation and gender results.

Impact of Results

The finalized project document will serve as a tool for resource mobilization and partnership management for UNV and participating partners such as Government, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations. Ultimate aim is to start implementing the project as soon as possible after completion of the project document.

Competencies

A good knowledge of the international aid environment as well as bilateral and non- traditional donors’ policies and funding practices is required, as is a sound understanding of best practice with regard to aid effectiveness;
Familiarity with the UN and the way in which UN country level operations are currently funded is also essential;
Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills;
Demonstrated ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor tasks to achieve result;
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural environment;
Proficiency in the usage of computers and office software packages;
Demonstrates integrity by respecting the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, national and age sensitivity and adaptability;
High professionalism;
Strong writing skills;
In-depth familiarity with Results Based Management, budget formulations and results frameworks;
Familiarity with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures a strong asset.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advance University degree in International Relations, Social Science, Sociology, Public Health or a related field experience.

Experience:

At least 6 years of working experience in developing countries;
Experience in West Africa is considered to be an advantage;
Proven experience in writing of projects documents, proposals, grants for donors.

Language:

Fluency in written English and proficient in French.