Background
and Justification
The Malawi Social
Cash Transfer Programme (SCTP) was initiated in 2006 in the pilot district of
Mchinji, providing small cash grants to ultra-poor households without any
able-bodied adult household mem
bers (‘labor-constrained’ households).
Objectives of the programme include reducing poverty and hunger in vulnerable
households and increasing child school enrolment. The SCTP is currently
operational in 18 districts and reaches over 170,000 ultra-poor and
labour-constrained households and approximately 700,000 individuals. The
programme is fully executed by the Government of Malawi through the District
Councils by Social Welfare Officers. At the national level, management of the
programme is directed by the Directorate of Social Support Services of the
Ministry of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare (MoGCDSW). The
Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development is responsible for
oversight of policy and programme design. The programme fits under the broader
prioritization of social protection in national development strategies as the
third theme in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS II 2011-2016).
The Government has also approved a National Social Support Programme (NSSP)[1]
which includes SCTP as one component of the broader poverty reduction
programme.
The ability of the
programme to have positive impact in multiple areas through one intervention
have drawn interest and funding commitment from Government and many development
partners. As a result, the programme is recently underwent significant changes
and expansion. Beginning in July 2013, the SCTP scaled up coverage to 10
additional districts. Additionally, a longitudinal impact evaluation was
recently finalised in two districts. Based on experience and lessons learned
over the past 5 years of support to Social Cash Transfers in Malawi, it has
been noted that provision of cash to families living in ultra-poverty alone is
not adequate to address the multiple varied vulnerabilities and exclusions that
these households face. Barriers still exist that block access to basic social
services, particularly for children, who are unable to access adequate
nutrition, attend school regularly or reach health services early enough to
prevent major illness. Households still practice caretaking behaviours that may
not fully benefit the growth and development of the child, either by lack of
knowledge and information or lack of resources. Community workers often do not
recognize issues as they are forming or, if they do, it may not be clear where
to refer the case for assistance. To address these challenges and maximize
impact of the social cash transfer programme, UNICEF will enhance its support
in strengthening linkages with social services and other social protection
interventions.
Social protection
forms part of the United Nations Development Framework (UNDAF) Cluster 1:
Sustainable and Equitable Economic Growth and Food Security. As a result of the
UNDAF mid-term review in 2013, a new Outcome was formed, focusing on resilience
building through better coordinated interventions in the field of social
protection (supported by UNICEF and WFP), nutritional education and
communication programme (supported by UNICEF, WFP and FAO), disaster risk
reduction (supported by UNDP, WFP and FAO) and increased agricultural
productivity while managing natural resources sustainably (supported by FAO and
UNDP). The discussion is also ongoing to strengthen coordination and linkage
between social protection and humanitarian responses. In this area, UNICEF’s
active engagement is critical to achieve improved outcome not only by the
interventions that UNICEF is directly involved but also others through better
coordination and harmonization.
Objective
and Scope of Work
Under the
supervision of the Chief Social Policy, the Social Protection Specialist will
provide technical support to government partners (MoGCDSW), Ministry of
Economic Planning and Development) and non-government partners for smooth
implementation and monitoring of social protection interventions with a
particular focus on the SCTP. He/she is expected to contribute to, but work is
not limited by, the following tasks:
Provision
of technical support to the MoGCSW for implementation of the SCTP.
Participation
in coordination mechanisms, such as the NSSP Development Partner Coordination
Group, SCTP task force and SCTP Technical Working Group.
Provision
of technical support to generate knowledge and evidence on social protection
through impact evaluation, process evaluation and other research that informs
design and processes of social protection interventions.
Support
the piloting/implementation of an effective linkage and referral mechanism for
SCTP
Support
and facilitate the implementation of the SCTP communication strategy with
support from the UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) Section.
Assist
in monitoring of use and timely reconciliation of UNICEF funds provided to
partners for SCTP activities.
Prepare
donor reports, funding proposals, and inputs for other reports in relation to
social protection/social cash transfer.
Other
work as directed by Chief of Social Policy.
Expected
Deliverables
Monthly
progress reports focussing on key areas of responsibility as described in Scope
of Work
Tailored
action plans, including with identified focus districts where relevant, on
identified focal areas, eg capacity development, linkages and referrals,
graduation, evidence generation or link with humanitarian response.
Comprehensive
documentation of field visits, including district monitoring matrices and human
interest stories.
Desired
Background and Experience
Advanced
University degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, or relevant field.
Minimum
of 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in
programme operational development and implementation. Practical experience in
management of social protection programmes an asset.
Experience
in programme monitoring.
Strong
interpersonal and communication skills needed, ability to generate clear and
concise reports and communicate content effectively orally.
Effective
organizational skills and ability to multi-task and handle work in an efficient
and timely manner. Demonstrated ability to coordinate tasks to meet deadlines
necessary.
Strong
computer management skills including database maintenance and basic MS Office
applications.
Fluency
in English and another UN language desirable.
Conditions
- Terms
of payment: Monthly payment upon submission of monthly key deliverable. - Under
the consultancy agreements, a month is defined as 21 working days, and
fees are prorated accordingly. The Consultant is not paid for weekends or
public holidays - The
consultant is not entitled to payment of overtime. All remuneration must
be within the contract agreement. - Note
that final payment to a consultant is dependent on the completion of all
agreed deliverables - UNICEF
will provide office space and access to other office equipment as
necessary. Consultant must provide their own laptop. - UNICEF
will provide transportation during field travel. - No
contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the
Consultant - No
travel should take place without an email travel authorisation from
section prior to the commencement of the journey from the duty station. - Additional
details of UNICEF rules, regulations and conditions will be attached to
the contract. - Both
the parties can terminate the contact with one month written notice
starting on the first day of the month, however, in case of poor
performance the contract can be terminated with immediate effect.
[1] Government of
Malawi refers to social protection as “Social Support”.
How to Apply
The proposal should
be in two parts: Part A – Technical; Part B – Financial, of not more than five
pages and should include the following information. Please note that annexes
can be included.
Technical
Proposal:
Consultant’s
profile/portfolio, including existing experience and expertise – and/or similar
work carried out within the country – that will be of benefit to the proposed
tasks.
An
interpretation and understanding of the terms of reference, and proposed
work-plan
Names
and contact details of three references
Any
other additional information to support the application (optional)
Financial
proposal:
An itemized
all-inclusive budget divided into professional fees, direct cost of activities
and subsistence allowance in United States Dollars (USD).
Qualified candidates
are requested to submit a cover letter, CV and Personal History Form via e-mail
address: hrmalawi@unicef.org
on or before 3 July 2016.
(Personal History
Form (P-11) can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html)
NOTE:
UNICEF
is committed to gender equality in its mandate and its staff; well qualified
candidates, particularly females are strongly encouraged to apply.
Only
shortlisted applicants will be acknowledged.
Applications
sent through the post office or hand delivered are not accepted.
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SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT
