Social Policy Specialist (Social Transfers and Evaluation)

Position Title:     Social Policy Specialist (Social Transfers and Evaluation)

Level:              NOC

Type of Contract:   Temporary Appointment

Location:        Kisumu (with designated days per week in Kakamega County)

Duration:        Nine Months (with the possibility of extension)

Start Date:     1^st January 2014 to 30^th September 2014

Reporting to:  Senior Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Kenya

Date of Issue:                        5 December 2013

Closing date:                         11 December 2013

Justification

Based in the UNICEF Kisumu Field Office, the proposed position will support Kakamega County, District, Facility, and community levels for the programme response in ‘Setting the Foundation in the First 1000 Days of Life – Accelerating Maternal and Child Survival in Kakamega County’.  This support will particularly guide the design and related processes to establish mechanisms for the social transfers related to this programme response and the related elements/components of evaluation (including the design for the evaluation of this programme).

Kakamega contributes a high burden of child deprivation in the country, due to its high population.  It also contributes significantly to national under five mortality.  It has above-average under five mortality, with the largest difference being in the child mortality rate (i.e. deaths between one year and five years).  However, more than half of mortality is within the neonatal and infant period.  Factors potentially contributing to the high neo-natal and infant mortality include the low rate of skilled delivery, low rate of ante-natal care, and low rate of contraceptive prevalence.

Distinct platforms within the first 1000 days of life are the focus of improving maternal and child survival outcomes in this initiative.  This focuses on the prenatal period with related platforms including antenatal care, community health strategy (addressing barriers including transport, community maternal and newborn health information and health seeking behaviours, food/nutrition security, community monitoring/scorecard), skilled delivery (addressing barriers of transport, social cultural, incentive based package for input – mother and baby items), postpartum and young child period from birth to 24 months including a focus in improved access to maternal child health services addressing transport, information/support – mothers to mothers support groups/male involvement and after six months, strategies for improving complementary feeding (fresh food voucher).

Based on the above, The County Government of Kakamega and related implementing partners wish to  establish effective social transfers to address the barriers identified during the first thousand days as detailed in the related documents in a signed memorandum of understanding between UNICEF and The County Government of Kakamega on the 22^nd of August, 2013.  The period of this MOU is for the period of one year, and this consultancy meets key deliverables of technical support to this project.

Scope of Work

In full collaboration with focal staff from The County Government of Kakamega, UNICEF Senior Social Policy Specialist, the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, the head of UNICEF Field Office, Kisumu, the Nutrition Specialist (IYCN and HIV/AIDS), the Health Specialist and the head of Communication for Development, the support through this contract will:

·         Explore further the causes of high mortality including underlying causes such as gender inequality and violence, as well as specific bottlenecks and barriers to accessing care.  It should also explore specific equity dimensions, in particular the specific bottlenecks and barriers for the poorest and most marginalised women to access services.

·         Use evidence and available data to design a social transfer to meet the requirements and context of this programme.

·         Develop an evaluation design for this programme for baseline, first year and four year programme response to measure the progress and achievement of the outcomes of these efforts are achieved.

·         Complete a market, financial and health facility review to be incorporated into the design of social transfer mechanisms.

·         Develop a work-plan to ensure UNICEF, county and district level engagement of key players.

·         Identify specific technical and financial support needed at county level is achieved.

·         Provide monthly briefing with UNICEF and county focal staff on progress of work plan outputs.

·         Provide technical support, sensitization and capacity development to county and related implementing partners to ensure the effective planning, monitor and implement social transfer interventions in order to reach planned targets.

AWP areas covered

Women and children have equitable access to quality essential social and protection services and practices (focus on vulnerable populations) by 2013.

•     Intermediate Result 1. Increase the proportion of women and children receiving quality evidence-based essential integrated maternal and child care services (see deliverables below),

•     Intermediate Result 2. Support 50% of households adopting improved nutrition practices

•     Intermediate Result 3. Ensure sectoral policies and strategies are approved and funded to support maternal, newborn and child nutrition

     

Main Duties and Responsibities

This technical support needs to achieve the effective design through the inception and initial phase of the implementation of the programme response for the Setting the Foundation in the First 1000 Days of Life – Accelerating Maternal and Child Survival in Kakamega County’.

·         Develop a work plan that is validated by UNICEF and focal county staff with monthly reporting outputs

·         Provide monthly written briefings on progress against work plan.

·         Develop an inception plan/concept that is validated by UNICEF and focal county staff for the mechanisms of the social transfers for the County Government of Kakamega.

·         Compete a market/financial and health facility analysis with recommendations to implement the mechanisms appropriate for the social transfers to reach target beneficiaries.

·         Develop an operational manual including protocols for targeting, enrolment, verification, and delivery mechanisms.

·         Sensitization and capacity forums held to ensure the appropriate elements of social transfers communicated to related staff and implementing partners.

·         Design an evaluation (baseline, one year and four year) that will measure changes in access, community awareness, health and nutrition outputs/outcomes and a cost benefit of effectiveness.

·         Monthly coordination meetings held at county level, minutes produced and action points implemented against performance targets

·         Technical oversight for baseline survey

·          

·         Technical support in the drafting of tendering documentation for evaluation firms for baseline and one year evaluations.

·         Technical support in drafting documentation specifications for agencies (firms or NGOs) supplying payments and/or vouchers

Expected Deliverables

The following will serve in addition to monthly reports highlighting progress and monitoring on main areas of responsibilities

·         Inception plan validated.

·         Briefing report on point of service platforms, service provider options and costing recommendations/specifications of social transfers.

·         Health facility and administrative analysis with recommendations for certification of conditions for implementing social transfers detailed in this project with specific reference to systems barriers and bottlenecks.

·         Market analysis with recommended modalities detailed in inception plan.

·         Programme document including:

(a)   Relevant background information

(b)   Rationale for the programme

(c)   Objectives and theory of change

(d)   Activities

(e)   Management and reporting structures

(f)    Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms

·         Operations manual incorporating:

(a) Targeting protocol

(b) Enrolment protocol

(c) Protocols for verification of conditions

(d) Management mechanisms for payments / vouchers

·         Support to government to set standards on sensitization and capacity strengthening for health workers, implementing partners and administrative staff for the initial phase of implementation.

·         Evaluation design validated for the baseline, one year and four year.

·         Baseline evaluation report validated with contracting undertake for one year evaluation.

Desired background and experience

(Proficiency Level:  B=Basic; M=Mastery; E=Expert)

Education:

Advanced university degree or equivalent background in social policy, planning and evaluation.

Languages:

Fluency in oral and written English and another UN language required. Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset.

Work Experience:

Minimum three to five years relevant experience with related areas social transfers, evaluation and research for vulnerable populations of children, pregnant/lactating women.

Computer Skills:

Experience with data collection and analysis.  Fully proficient computer skills including use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, internal databases, Internet navigation etc.

Other Skills:

Knowledge of the agencies and mandates of the UN system.  Ability to work in an international or multicultural environment.

Competency Profile

i)  Foundational Competencies (Required)

Diversity [M]                   Inclusion [M]                         Commitment [M]             

Communication [M]          Working with People [B]       Drive for Results [B] 

ii)  Functional Competencies (Required)

Applying Technical Expertise [M]                  Learning and Researching    [M]      

Planning and Organizing   [M]                    Formulating Strategies and Concepts    [B ]            

Analyzing  [ M]

iii)    Technical Knowledge

Knowledge of social transfers and related research and evaluation

Conditions (Important)

The contract will be a temporary fixed term.  Salaries and benefits will follow UNICEF regulations for NOC level positions

Interested and suitable candidates should ensure they forward their applications along with their curriculum vitae (internal candidates should attach copies of their last two performance appraisal reports):

The Human Resources Manager

UNICEF Kenya Country Office

Email address: Kenyahrvacancies@unicef.org

Please indicate Reference No. “KCO/SPME/2013-021” in the email subject

Interested candidates should also complete the Personal History (P-11) Form which can be downloaded from UNICEF Kenya website (http://www.unicef.org/Kenya).

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