International Consultant, SITAN - UNICEF Ghana

UNICEF Ghana seeks the services of an expert who has passion to deliver results for children. The individual will be engaged as an International Consultant to conduct a Limited Scope Situation Analysis of Children and Women in Ghana and Support UNICEF Ghana’s Mid-Term Review (MTR) Process of the 2018 – 2022 Country Programme (CP). The period will be April–November 2020: 16 weeks spread within 8 months. The consultant will work partly from home base (remotely) and partly located in Accra, Ghana. Only non-Ghanaians are eligible to apply

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Background

The Situation Analysis of children’s rights and wellbeing is a UNICEF flagship product designed to inform policy dialogue, partnerships and interventions to improve the lives of children. It is an assessment and analysis of the country situation, with respect to children's rights and critical issues affecting their realization. The Situation Analysis is a crucial part of the Child Rights Monitoring (CRM) framework and represents a key UNICEF programmatic output that helps focus on knowledge gaps related to inequities and child deprivations or vulnerability. By promoting the broad engagement of all stakeholders, the Situation Analysis is expected to inform policy dialogue in the country and child-focused policy advocacy to make an important contribution to accelerating the achievement of child-related goals with equity.

Role

The Situation Analysis reflects UNICEF’s role to urge all levels of governments and all key stakeholders to use the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a guiding mechanism in policy making and legislation to

• Develop a comprehensive national agenda;
• Develop permanent bodies or mechanisms to promote coordination, monitoring and evaluation of activities throughout all sectors of government;
• Ensure that all legislation is fully compatible with the Convention and, if applicable the Optional Protocols, by incorporating the provisions into domestic law or ensuring that they take precedence in cases of conflict with national legislation;
• Make children visible in policy development processes throughout government by introducing child impact assessments;
• Analyse government spending to determine the portion of public funds spent on children and to ensure that these resources are being used effectively;
• Ensure that sufficient data are collected and used to improve the situation of all children in each jurisdiction;
• Raise awareness and disseminate information on the Convention and the Optional Protocols by providing training to all those involved in government policy-making and working with or for children;
• Involve civil society – including children themselves – in the process of implementing and raising awareness of child rights.

The Situation Analysis provides UNICEF with the opportunity to sharpen and refocus its strategy towards achieving the rights of children based on emerging trends, opportunities, risks and changing socio-economic context. It is a critical process that comprehensively assesses UNICEF’s approach and progress towards results outlined in the Country Programme Document (CPD).

Purpose, Scope and Objectives

The main purpose of this assignment is to conduct a limited scope Situation Analysis of children and women in Ghana. The analysis should examine the progress, challenges and opportunities for achieving child rights, well-being, KRC’s and assess the patterns of deprivation that children and women face as well as their associated causes. The Analysis should be objective and verifiable and is expected to be used by all partners and stakeholders in Ghana in addressing key challenges preventing children and women, especially the most disadvantaged, from enjoying their rights enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and other international obligations of the country.

The Situation Analysis is to highlight the strategic priorities for the country to reduce disparities and address vulnerabilities, and hence make a contribution to further shape the national development agenda, and to accelerate achievement of national and international development goals regarding children and women, including Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS). It should look critically at the progress that policy and programme interventions have made towards at-scale coverage of all vulnerable groups; the adequacy of policy delivery, particularly in terms of budget; and the resources for leaving no child behind.

The Situation Analysis is expected to present robust evidence and highlight opportunities for socially inclusive development. It should unpack and examine the bottlenecks to realization of child rights, as well as the interrelated roles of duty-bearer institutions. It should highlight inequalities between groups, socio-economic characteristics, urban/rural and intra-urban disparities, genders, geographic locations and other dimensions. The Situation Analysis should pay special attention to looking at disaggregated data and unpacking national and/or subnational averages. Besides presenting an analysis of why inequities exist, it should also present contextualized recommendations on what could be done by key stakeholders to attain/ sustain inclusive social development that guarantees equal inclusion and participation of all groups of children and women. The Situation Analysis should be grounded in the country’s political, economic and social realities, review progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and regional and global issues that affect children’s rights and well-being. In the core of Situation Analysis should be national issues but, it should also explore global and regional issues that affect the national agenda.

Objectives

The overall objectives of the Situation Analysis are the following:

• Conduct a summative analysis of the situation of children and women through disaggregation of data to highlight trends (including relevant groups of young people in a particularly vulnerable situations) by analyzing the policies and strategies, social and economic trends affecting them (data disaggregated by age, gender, urban/rural, ethnicity, socio-economic status and other relevant factors).
• Identify and analyze the barriers and bottlenecks that prevent children and especially the most disadvantaged children and families from benefiting from social services across sectors and enjoying their rights.
• Assess the current or potential presence of emergency risks (disaster risks, conflict in the Sahel and other potential shocks); the likelihood of their occurrence, the underlying vulnerabilities and the capacities and coping mechanisms of families, communities and local and national institutions.
• Assess how business affects outcomes for children, looking particularly at how children’s rights deprivations can stem from or be significantly influenced by business practices, action or inaction
• Capture new or emerging area of concerns regarding children and women, such as mental health issues, artificial intelligence, environmental issues affecting them etc.
• Undertake a programme assessment of UNICEF’s work vis-à-vis the situation analysis, especially with the aim to identify programmatic gaps and priorities for future engagement, based on UNICEF’s comparative advantage
• Highlight variance between SDG goals and actual situation within country development context
• Review existing data on children and women using primary and secondary sources as well assessing indicator values
• Inform the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Ghana Country Programme 2018 - 2022

• Tasks, Deliverables and Timeframe
  
  
• Conceptual and analytical framework for the limited scope Situation Analysis and programme assessment Prepare and present a final and agreed conceptual and analytical framework for the Situation Analysis and programme assessment

Within 2 weeks after contract signing

(1 week in country for scoping) Consultant

• Draft inception report Review all relevant data sources and prepare a draft inception report which summarizes
• Availability of data sources, clustered by thematic focus areas and information gap analysis
• Availability of programme evaluations and assessments clustered by thematic focus areas and information gap analysis
• Methodology (including for further situation and programme analysis and recommendations, costing and financing options)
• Availability of drafted data collection tools for primary data collection
• Schedule of activities and timeline
  
  

Within 2 weeks after contract signing (to be drafted and presented remotely – 2 weeks in tandem with deliverable one)

• Final inception report Finalize, present and submit final inception report which also incorporates comments from consultations. The inception report should not exceed 40 pages, including data visualizations or graphs or illustrations or pictures and annexes.
  
  

Within 2 weeks after contract signing (to be drafted and presented remotely – 2 weeks in tandem with deliverable one)

• Draft Situation Analysis and programme assessment report available for review by UNICEF Ghana. Two reports will be produced, a comprehensive report to be used by UNICEF internally and a Summary Situation Analysis document that will be shared with stakeholders Produce complete draft of Situation Analysis and programme assessment report (Comprehensive and Summary), based on research and analysis as required, including quantitative and qualitative research, bottleneck and capacity gap analysis and analysis of disparities/deprivations, and assessment of UNICEF’s programmatic fit vis-à-vis the Situation Analysis results, according to methodology agreed in conceptual and analytical framework. The comprehensive report will have a maximum of 70 pages, excluding annexes. The Summary report will not exceed 40 pages, including annexes.
  
  

Latest by May 2020 (3 weeks, to be drafted remotely)

• Final Situation and Programme Assessment and Analysis report (Comprehensive and Summary version) Produce final report of the situation analysis, programme evaluations and assessments integrating inputs and comments discussions with stakeholders, with accompanying background papers according to an agreed format.
  
  

To be done before June 2020 (1 week – working remotely)

• Updated Programme Strategy Notes (PSN)

Support Sections with review and update of Programme Strategy Notes (PSNs)

To be completed July 2020 (2 weeks)

• Facilitate the Strategic Moment of Reflection (SMR) Reflection meeting to allow for collective and frank discussions between members of the CO, Regional Office and HQ.
  
  

Latest August 2020 (1 week in country)

• Strategic intent memo The conclusions of the Reflection meeting are summarized into a 2-3 -page Strategic Intent Memo that provides an agreed perspective on UNICEF Ghana’s evolving role and positioning
  
  

Latest August 2020 (1 week - working remotely)

• Facilitate Mid-Term Review (MTR) Workshop in Accra

Support implementation of 1-2 days MTR workshop (indicative). The workshop will involve participants from UNICEF GCO, GoG, other UN Agencies, CSOs, implementing partners and other key stakeholders

Before September 2020 (1 week in country)

• MTR Report drafted / finalized and discussed in Country Management Team

Develop draft for the MTR report and work with UNICEF to finalize. Present a summary of the report to Country Management Team (CMT)

Latest November 2020 (4 weeks - working remotely)

Please refer to attached TOR for details.

TOR MTR Consultant.pdf

• Expected Background and Experience
  
  • Advanced degree in the social sciences (sociology, anthropology, development studies), Economics/Statistics or related fields relevant for the assignment
  • Knowledge of statistics, macroeconomic development and financing in social sector
  • At least 10 years of research and other relevant professional experience and demonstrated excellent experience in conducting participatory approaches
  • Demonstrated ability to deliver quality reports/analysis and results in line with established deadlines
  • Excellent facilitation and coordination skills and process, planning and change management skills
  • Experience in presenting/communicating complex trends and concepts in clear, engaging language
  • In-depth knowledge of children’s rights, including CRC, CEDAW and other international legal instruments the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and SDGs
  • Knowledge of human rights-based approach to programming
  • Experience in facilitating consultations with government representatives, NGOs, academia, children, adolescents and other stakeholders
  • Institutional knowledge of the UN and UNICEF
  • Knowledge of strategic planning and experience of use of Theory of Change
  • Strong analytical skills and proficiency in writing in English
  • Experience of having participated previously in a UNICEF Situation Analysis will be is an asset
  • Excellent writing skills
  
  Other Competencies Of Proposed Team
  
  
• A high level of organizational and coordination skills;
• An excellent command of the English language – both written and oral
  
  

• Criteria for assessing applicants
  
  Interested candidates are required to apply on-line through the link provided with an updated CV, together with a technical and financial proposal in USD (outlining how the assignment will be undertaken within the allocated timeframe, including the quality assurance aspect of the assignment).
  The Consultant should also include two (2) examples of previous, completed related work done, including evidence of completion (i.e. final report, certificate of completion, strategic documents, photos, edited work, videos as applicable).
  
  The consultant will be selected based on relevant experience, knowledge and skills and cost efficiency.
  
  Proposal Submission
  
  Please submit the technical and financial proposals in USD
  
  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.
  
  The functional competencies required for this post are...
  
  Analyzing
  
  Formulating Strategies and Concepts
  
  Learning and Researching
  
  Planning and Organizing
  
  Adapting and Responding to Change