READVERTISEMENT: Cash and Voucher Assistance Consultant

UNFPA, United Nations Population Fund Turkey County Office in Ankara seeks candidates for the short term assignment of Cash and Voucher Assistance Consultant to be hired under International Individual Consultancy Contract – Application deadline is 21 April 2022:

Click on the “Terms of Reference” for detailed information.

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Hiring Office: UNFPA Turkey Country Office, Ankara

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Purpose of consultancy:

Background:

In 2016 as part of the Grand Bargain, UNFPA joined donors, other UN agencies and NGOs in its commitment to scaling up high quality, well-coordinated cash and voucher assistance (CVA) that maximizes results for women, girls and youth during crises, leaving no one behind. In terms of programming, CVA has been shown to contribute to women’s feelings of safety and self-reliance, their access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services, and in cases of imminent risk of gender-based violence (GBV), their life-saving urgent needs, all of which support UNFPA’s mandate and strategic goals of eliminating gender-based violence and maternal mortality. UNFPA has begun institutionalizing and scaling up CVA programming in the Arab States Region and the refugee-hosting countries of the Syria Regional Crisis.

UNFPA is uniquely positioned as both an operational UN agency, working closely with local and national partners, and as the coordination lead of the Gender-Based Violence Area of Responsibility (GBV AoR) and national GBV coordination groups to promote quality cash and voucher assistance within its humanitarian programming. The GBV AoR has committed to advocating for GBV risk prevention and mitigation across all CVA, and for the application of a GBV and protection lens in multipurpose cash assistance.

Traditionally, humanitarian aid to people affected by conflict and disaster has been delivered as in-kind aid – physical goods such as food staples. In contexts with functional markets, an alternative to in-kind aid is the provision of cash transfers directly. Cash-based programming may offer a number of benefits, including providing greater choice in how money is used to meet household needs, stimulation of local markets and greater cost-efficiency. Cash-based programming has been successfully used in various humanitarian contexts to meet basic needs and can be restricted to certain types of spending (vouchers or conditional cash transfer), or given without conditions (unconditional or multipurpose cash transfer). In 2020, an estimated US$6.3 billion was spent on cash transfer programming in humanitarian emergencies which translates to 19% of international humanitarian response spending.

Over ten years of war and protracted humanitarian crises in Syria has taken its toll on local populations. As of 2021, 13.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, including 6.7 million internally displaced people from the war that has been ongoing since 2011.The COVID-19 pandemic, drought, and economic deterioration throughout Syria have all exacerbated these needs. In northwest Syria, where 97% of the population lives below the poverty line and 2.8 million people are displaced, humanitarian needs continue to outpace the response. The conflict and ensuing disruptions have caused 3.2 million people to become acutely food insecure, while 3.1 million people need health assistance, and 2.2 million people need shelter assistance. The situation in northwest Syria continues to pose serious protection concerns for the civilian population. A lack of resources has continued to cause people to resort to negative coping mechanisms, and gender-based violence (GBV) is a dominant feature of the crisis, affecting the lives of millions of women and adolescent girls.

In northwest Syria, cash is considered acceptable and is a preferred modality to deliver aid. Given the cross-border approach of the humanitarian response in northwest Syria, UNFPA’s program is implemented through established local Syrian NGOs. Responding to the complex situation on the ground, UNFPA has been engaged in a long-term humanitarian emergency response providing lifesaving and life-sustaining Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) and GBV services to those most in need through static and mobile service delivery points, including distribution of both in-kind and cash and voucher assistance. UNFPA provides integrated SRH and GBV services to over one million women and girls in northwest Syria on an annual basis.

UNFPA and its partners implement a number of CVA interventions in NWS that are tailored to meet protracted humanitarian needs including Cash assistance for GBV case management, Individual Protection Assistance in the form of one-off, unconditional, cash or cash voucher to reduce broad protection needs and is designing a pilot cash assistance project to enhance uptake of PostNatal Care (PNC) and nutrition among pregnant and lactating women with malnutrition.

Purpose:

The Cash and Voucher Assistance Consultant will build capacity, lead strategic decision-making and oversee technical roll-out and scale-up of CVA programming in North West Syria. The incumbent will be required to contribute to building CVA within UNFPA in region and globally, working closely with the Regional CVA Specialist at UNFPA’s Hub.

Scope of work:

(Description of services, activities and outputs)

Under the overall supervision of the UNFPA GBV Programme Specialist (Programme Manager) and in close coordination with the Technical Units (GBV, SRH, Youth) and Finance/Admin Unit, the incumbent lead the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the UNFPA Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) programme interventions in North West Syria. The incumbent ensures that CVA is implemented according to standards and best practices and contributes to the learning and cross seeding across countries and the region. S/he supports the implementing partners in the implementation of CVA.

Strategic and scaled-up CVA programming

● Support the strategic and coherent use of CVA in NWS as part of GBV, SRHiE, access to dignity items and nexus/ economic recovery activities. Ensure linkages with social protection as relevant and feasible.

● Lead the development of CVA programming and support the technical teams and senior management to ensure that CVA approach is fully, effectively integrated into the Office’s plans for reaching the UNFPA transformative results.

● Ensure that CVA is included in preparedness and response planning and be a first responder to new emergencies, ensuring consideration and feasibility analysis of CVA (operational, partnership, capacity) in new or scaled-up UNFPA programming.

● Lead strategic partnerships development at country level with UN sister agencies, and relevant coordination bodies to build upon existing structures and reach appropriate scale.

● Support the development and strengthening of CVA, operational arrangements and procedures based on existing UNFPA and global guidance and standards.

● Coordinate with Operations and Finance teams to ensure relevant agreements with implementing partners.

● Assist with the documentation and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned.

● Establish and maintain a network of strategic and operational partners (e.g. UN agencies, NGOs, research institutions, private entities) to ensure complementarity and efficiency gains in the assessment, design and implementation of CVA.

Technical Support and Implementation

● Support and collaborate with technical teams to increase the use of CVA in GBViE, SRHiE, access to dignity items, and other relevant humanitarian-development programming.

● Provide technical lead on assessments, planning and budgeting, technical choices, legal and regulatory aspects, implementation modalities and coordination in line with UNFPA’s CVA guidelines and associated policies and procedures.

● Draft, review and provide technical feedback on CVA Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), reports and proposals.

● Liaise with all relevant units to ensure coordinated planning and implementation of CVA.

● Collate and review information on financial infrastructure and available delivery mechanisms, including specifically financial and fiduciary risks and donor policies, and advise on related opportunities and constraints.

● Draft, negotiate and establish agreements with implementing partners and financial service providers, in collaboration with relevant units.

● Support the establishment of standardized data management, data sharing and data protection arrangements.

Monitoring, Reporting and Programme Development

● Support the establishment of a sound monitoring process for CVA, with proper collection, use and monitoring of baselines, standards and indicators as per UNFPA guidance and generate data for evidence-based decisions.

● Develop or adapt monitoring tools to Country context(s) and contribute to UNFPA’s Regional CVA Community of Practice as appropriate.

● Lead CVA-related internal and donor reporting requirements for the office.

● Support the use of UNFPA corporate tools and systems and policies.

● Contribute to NWS and knowledge management products, programme development and resource mobilization.

● Circulate relevant training opportunities and provide on-site capacity building, coaching and training in CVA for technical specialists (GBV, SRH, Humanitarian, Operations/Finance, etc.).

● Support inter-agency coordination mechanisms on CVA such as CWG, GBV and CVA task forces; CVA and health. Lead and maintain strong relations with partners and Country/ Regional entities and represent UNFPA in CVA coordination at country level.

● The incumbent will carry out any other duties that may arise as needed by the supervising office.

Duration and working schedule:

8 months from 1 May 2022 to 31 December 2022.

Place where services are to be delivered: The consultancy will be home based.

Delivery dates and how work will be delivered (e.g. electronic, hard copy etc.): The IC will provide monthly activity reports (electronic).

Monitoring and progress control:

The acceptance of services at the end of each completed month will be certified through a Certification of Payment to be counter signed by both parties (IC and UNFPA) and a monthly activity report to be submitted by the consultant including the details of completed tasks and progress.

Supervisory arrangements: The Consultant reports to the UNFPA GBV Programme Specialist.

Expected travel: N/A

Minimum Qualification and experience:

· Education: Relevant advanced degree in international relations, humanitarian affairs, economic development or social science.

· Experience: 5 years of relevant international professional experience working on CVA programming in humanitarian or early recovery settings including at least 2 years of international working experience with CVA.

· Language: Excellent level in written and spoken English and Arabic.

· Computer Skills: Microsoft Office, Windows-based applications, integrated web-based management systems, spreadsheets and databases

Skills and Competencies:

• Proven experience and technical skills in set up, design, implementation and monitoring of CVA from a multisectoral and/or protection perspective is an asset.
• Understanding of gender and protection considerations in CVA and global issues/trends in this area is a strong asset.
• Knowledge of and work experience in the Syria context is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in interagency coordination is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience in humanitarian programme management in CVA or sectoral areas is an asset.
• Expertise in gender, protection, GBV and/or health is an asset.
• Strong communications skills. Experience advocating for the use of CVA is an asset.

Core Competencies:

· Achieving Results

· Developing & Applying Professional Expertise

· Thinking Analytically & Strategically

· Working in Teams/Managing our-selves and relationships

· Communicating skills.

Functional competencies:

· Delivering results based on programs

· Providing a technical support

Inputs / services to be provided by the requesting party: N/A

Other relevant information or special conditions, if any: NA