Unicef Job Vacancy For National Consultant (Social Protection Advocacy Stretegy)

Applications are invited from suitably qualified Ghanaian nationals for a consultancy services as follows: National Consultant (Social Protection Advocacy Stretegy)

Job Number: 516917 | Vacancy Link
Locations: Africa: Ghana
Work Type : Consultancy

Background

The social protection sector has evolved over the years and continues to play a key role in the socio-economic development of the country. The sector has also seen some major achievements, notably the development of a social protection policy that aims to ensure a well-coordinated, inter-sectoral social protection system to ensure effective implementation and coordination and enabling people to live in dignity through income support, livelihoods empowerment and improved systems of basic services. It aspires to close the inequality gap and ensure total inclusion for all Ghanaians.

In spite of the successes in recent years, the sector is still faced with various challenges emanating from policy directions and commitments, programme implementation and delivery, as well as perceptions of the public on poverty and inequality. The aspirations of the social protection policy cannot be fully achieved without a deliberate effort to increase awareness on the incidence of poverty and inequality in the country and its effects on national development, generate better understanding on the role and responsibility of the government in social protection and fostering complementarity between programs to maximize impacts on beneficiaries. In a quest to ensure there is an enabling environment that ensures support for the sector and improvements in programme delivery, UNICEF seeks to design an advocacy strategy to systematically guide our entry points for influencing government policies and programmes.

Purpose of the Assignment

The purpose of this assignment is to provide expert support to UNICEF social protection unit to:

• Facilitate engagements with both internal and external partners to develop and finalize key elements/components of the strategy;
• Support the drafting and the finalization of the advocacy strategy document;
• Support the operationalization of the advocacy strategy (Short term activities).

Specific Tasks to be Completed

• Organise and facilitate a session with selected stakeholders to develop and finalize key components of the advocacy strategy;
• Conduct a desk review (intelligence gathering) on key strategic targets, influencers, and allies under each key advocacy objective to ascertain if the identified targets and influencers are the right stakeholders;
• Collaborate with UNICEF to develop advocacy messages for key targets and allies in line with the key advocacy objectives;
• Organise and facilitate bilateral meetings (up to 4) with key targets and influencers (relationship building);
• Submit a complete draft advocacy strategy for validation with both internal and external stakeholders;
• Submit a final version of the advocacy strategy document inclusive of an M&E framework and an implementation plan;
• In collaboration with UNICEF plan for strategic entry points and opportunities for intervention;
Support UNICEF to roll out planned advocacy activities for 2018 and first quarter of 2019.

Supervision and Reporting Arrangement

• The consultant will be formally supervised by the Social Protection Specialist with the support of the Social Policy Officer and would work very closely with the social protection team.

Payment and Payment Schedule

The consultant will be paid professional fees based on expected deliverables and in 3 instalments;

• Deliverables 1&2: (5 working days)
• Deliverables 3, 4: (6 working days)
• Deliverable 5& 6: (9 working days)

Timeframe

• It is expected that the assignment will be completed within 6 months.

Expected Qualifications, Experience, Specialised Knowledge/Skills and Competencies

• Advanced degree in communications and advocacy, social sciences or other relevant fields of study;
• The candidate must have at least 8 years of professional and proven experience in designing and developing strategic documents for government institutions and large corporations including advocacy strategies;
• The candidate must have extensive experience in successfully leading/managing the implementation of advocacy strategies (in the areas of governance, social development or other relevant fields);
• Excellent command of written and spoken English, and outstanding facilitation and consultation skills and experience is required;
• Good knowledge of Ghana’s social protection landscape is required;
• Strong analytical, networking and coordination skills is required.

General Conditions: Procedures and Logistics

• The consultant will be expected to use his/her own computer/software and office;
• The assignment will be based in Accra;
• Total calculated professional fees will be paid in 3 installments based on deliverables as indicated above;
• The consultant will have access to UNICEF transport fitted with Security Radio when out to conduct official workshop/meetings outside Accra.

Location: Ghana