Senior Social Protection International Consultant

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Description

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Under the general guidance and direction of the Chief Social Policy, the consultant will work to improve (a) evidence generation, policy and practice on child poverty; (b) social protection coverage and impact on children; and (c) the transparency, adequacy, equity and efficiency of child-focused public investments and financial management. This encompasses both direct programme work with government at federal and local levels and development partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, humanitarian response, nutrition, water and sanitation. 

The international consultant will play a pivotal role in providing critical support to UNICEF in several key areas related to the Social Policy programme. Their expertise will be instrumental in ensuring the successful integration of global best practices, strategic planning, and child poverty monitoring within the national context. The specific areas of support are outlined as follows:

Integration of Regional and International Case Studies into the National Social Protection Strategy:

The consultant will support UNICEF in enhancing the National Social Protection Strategy by integrating relevant regional and international case studies, providing expert advice on how lessons from other countries can be applied to strengthen Syria’s social protection framework for children and vulnerable populations.

Development of Child Poverty Studies and Positioning Papers:

• The consultant will be tasked with developing specific child poverty studies and positioning papers that can inform and support the monitoring of child poverty in Syria. This will involve conducting thorough research and data analysis, identifying key drivers of child poverty, and proposing evidence-based recommendations for interventions. The consultant will help UNICEF establish a strong knowledge base that allows for continuous tracking of child poverty trends, ensuring that policies and programmes are data-driven and focused on improving the welfare of children living in vulnerable conditions.
• Support Strategic Planning and Data Analysis for Social Policy including Cash Post Distribution Monitoring Reports development: The consultant will provide ongoing support for strategic planning and data analysis for UNICEF’s Social Policy programme. This will include advising on the programme’s alignment with broader national and international goals, contributing to the development of long-term strategies, and ensuring that UNICEF’s work remains responsive to emerging trends and challenges in the socio-political environment. The consultant’s expertise in data analysis will be crucial in shaping actionable insights from available data, guiding the design and implementation of programmes that are both effective and sustainable.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree or equivalent in public policy, economics, social policy, development studies, political science, or related field. 

 Work experience / Technical competencies:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience in Social Policy or relevant professional work experience is required.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with humanitarian response and emergency is considered an asset.
• Demonstrated experience with planning, design and implementation of social protection, policies and legislation including social assistance, and/or social insurance.  
• Capacity building of stakeholders including government, civil society, payment service providers and UN staff.  
• Understanding of the humanitarian context in MENA is a strong advantage, experience in protracted crises is an asset.  
• Analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, ability to facilitate, consult and negotiate with a broad range of government and non-government partners;
• Experience working on child poverty or any of the specialized areas in one or more countries in MENA is a strong advantage.
• Experience working and coordinating with cash working group, national government actors on coordination or system strengthening (e.g., improving implementation capacity though transfer of knowledge or skills; implementation through national systems; transfer of emergency programme beneficiary information to government) is a plus.  
• Excellent interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills. 

 Language requirement:

• Fluency in English is required, Arabic Language is desirable.

Source: https://jobs.unicef.org/cw/en-us/job/578533

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