International Consultant On Rapid Assessment South Sudan Helpline Functionality Referral Pathways

The Position: International Consultant On Rapid Assessment South Sudan Helpline Functionality Referral Pathways

The objective of the engagement is to ensure that survivors of GBV across the country have access and referred to quality, timely and integrated survivor-centered services, including access to a safe house for temporary shelter.

UNFPA South Sudan Country Office is seeking the services of two consultants, one international consultant as the lead consultant and a national consultant as the team member, to assist with the data collection through conduct the field missions, support in finalisation of the tool, prepare the list of organizations for the interview and prepare the list of all states and Administrative Areas’, undertake the analysis and propose recommend dations for the design of helpline. a national consultant to conduct a helpline rapid needs assessment of personnel and materials for the establishment, expansion, and gradual transition plan to the MoGCSW

The Consultant will be required to provide weekly updates through emails, tele-conferences and participate in UNFPA’s office meetings as required, to monitor adherence to the tight schedule. The Consultant may be required to present the updates to the Project Management Unit as and when required.

Reporting: The Consultant will operate under the overall guidance of the Deputy Country Representative and be directly supervised by the Gender Specialist- UNFPA South Sudan Country office and shall work in close collaboration with the Project Manager for the national helpline project.

How You Can Make a Difference

UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose

The Government of South Sudan has received funds from World Bank towards the cost of implementing the South Sudan Women’s Social and Economic Empowerment Project (SSWEEP), a four-year project effective until 12 December 2026; in line with an approved World Bank Project Appraisal Document (PAD). The SSWEEP will (1) provide essential social and livelihood skills for women and adolescent girls in communities; (2) support women to grow their businesses; (3) provide services for survivors of GBV; and (4) strengthen the institutional environment for women’s empowerment.

Pursuant to the PAD, the Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare has contracted UN Women to administer the received funds and implement the project in 10 states and 2 administrative areas (Pibor Administrative area and Ruweng Administrative Area) over a period of four (4) years.

The contract between the Government of South Sudan, Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare (MoGCSW) and UN Women have engaged with UNFPA on implementation of Component 3, Services for survivors of GBV. The component is targeted specifically at survivors of GBV and will have two subcomponents. One subcomponent will support the establishment of a functioning national GBV helpline with a new hotline number, and the other subcomponent will set up a new safe house (shelter) in Juba. The current consultant contract is requested for output 3.1 “a national hotline is established to facilitate timely reporting and management of SGBV cases”.

You Would Be Responsible For

• Conduct a mapping of the currently functioning helplines across the country (10 states and 2 Administrative Areas: Pibor Administrative area and Ruweng Administrative Area) and develop an action plan for the coordination, scale up and functionality of the referral pathways across the country.
• Assess the functionality, reach, and effectiveness of existing helplines, considering factors such as responsiveness, confidentiality, language accessibility, and cultural sensitivity.
• Analyze the referral pathways of the national helpline, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
• Benchmark the national helpline against established international standards and best practices.
• Prepare a comprehensive report detailing findings, recommendations, and an action plan for immediate support and the scale up and functionality of the referral pathways across the country.
• Make recommendations on an interim model for the management of emergency GBV cases arising from the hotline operations.

As a team, the two consultants are expected to produce the following deliverables –

• The inception report eliciting the overall strategy for the assignment to do the mapping, including designing the data collection, analysis and synthesis methodology
• Review existing literature, policies, and guidelines related to helplines and referral pathways in South Sudan and global good practices of at least two other countries that can be related to the context of South Sudan.
• Data collection (including the field travel for the National Consultant for data collection
• Analysis of the mapping data
• Prepare a report providing the details about each state-wise numbers and types of existing hotlines, how they operate currently, by whom, and what is their existing coordination/ referral systems, how the government is engaged in management of the helpline
• Prepare a report of mapping, analysis and recommendations on the interim model for the national toll-free helpline to be managed by the Government of South Sudan.

The responsibilities of the international consultant, who will work in close collaboration with the National Consultant are as below –

• Responsible for the overall management, oversight and completion of the assignment
• Ensure meeting all the accountabilities of the assignment.
• Undertake the review of literature and existing helplines and their operations from at least two relatable countries.
• Lead the designing the strategy for undertaking this assignment, including data collection, designing the tools, overseeing the data collection
• Work closely with the national consultant – design the tools, methodology for data collection and support the national consultant for data collection to assess the functionality, reach, and effectiveness of existing helplines, considering factors such as responsiveness, confidentiality, language accessibility, and cultural sensitivity.
• Undertake the data analysis from the quantitative and qualitative data received from all the 10 states and AAs
• Produce the final report, including the recommendations on the interim model for the management of the helpline to support the GBV survivors
• Incorporate the recommendations and suggestions made by Project Management Unit of MoGCSW, MoGCSW, UNFPA and UN Women.
• Produce the final report, four page synthesis paper and a presentation about the rapid assessment findings.
• Present the findings of the rapid assessment to the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, PMU, World Bank, UNFPA, UN Women and other stakeholders.

Education

Qualifications and Experience:

Minimum a master degree in the field of Gender studies, sociology, public health and other relevant field of enquiry

Proven experience in conducting assessments or social audits and benchmarking exercises related to helplines or similar or AOR GBV support services.

Knowledge And Experience

• At least 7 years of work experience in the field of GBV response and/or prevention
• Extensive knowledge and experience of working on gender issues, women’s empowerment, and social protection in South Sudan.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to gather and synthesize information from diverse sources.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Understanding of international best practices and standards for helplines and referral pathways and GBV support services.
• Knowledge of the South Sudanese context
• Experience in carrying out UN assessments will be an added advantage

Languages

Fluency in English is required. Arabic is desirable.

Values

Required Competencies:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change

Core Competencies

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,

Functional Competencies

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda.
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnerships
• Delivering a results-based programme
• Internal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilization

Managerial Competencies (if Applicable)

• Providing strategic focus
• Engaging internal/ external partners and stakeholders
• Leading, developing and empowering people/ creating a culture of performance
• Making decisions and exercising judgment

Compensation And Benefits

This position offers only consultancy fees and DSA incase of travel to the field.

UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA’s workforce – click here to learn more.

Disclaimer

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements.

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants’ bank accounts.

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.