Consultancy: Mid-Term Review (Formative assessment) of the Social Protection Programme for Iraq: leveraging effective response and accelerating reform (International consultancy)

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Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
As the Joint Programme (JP) Social Protection Programme for Iraq started its third year of implementation, the three agencies are commissioning a mid-term-review (MTR) of this programme. These terms of references (ToR) outline the purpose & objectives, the scope, and the methodological framework of the MTR, as well as the operational modalities for the consultant who will conduct the MTR.

The purpose of the mid-term review (MTR) is to assess the Joint Programme in meeting its objectives, as well as to establish adjustment needs and recommendations to optimize its implementation and improve sustainability.

The MTR has a 3-fold objectives:
– generate insights useful to the Steering Group for taking informed decisions to achieve the current specific objectives.
– support institutional learning by all actors involved leading to an improved understanding of how to address challenges and gaps in the next phase of the programme: how to best collaborate amongst partners and stakeholders.
– to gain insights on the overall performance of the programme.

Audience and Uses
The primary users of the assessment include the 3 Agencies ILO, UNICEF and WFP, the EU, and the governmental partners.

Introduction and Background:
The social protection system in Iraq remains fragmented and ineffective in addressing the needs of the poor, especially children and women, and the economically vulnerable. The establishment of an effective social protection system has been recognized as a strategic priority in the 2018-2022 Poverty Reduction Strategy by the Government of Iraq and development partners. Important milestones included reforming the Social Protection Law and the Social Safety Net (SSN). Social protection spending in Iraq is around twice the regional average. However, much of the expenditures (including the public pension system and Public Distribution System) are poorly targeted and fiscally unsustainable, crowding out what could be more pro-poor and efficient spending.

Within this context, in 2021, the Government of Iraq engaged in an ambitious Social Protection Reform, with the support of the European Union. Implemented by the 3 UN agencies ILO, UNICEF and WFP, the 4-year Joint Programme (JP) Social Protection Programme for Iraq: leveraging effective response and accelerating reform aims to support the expansion of social protection, and to reinforce capacities of federal and regional authorities to deliver quality child, age, and disability sensitive, and gender responsive social protection programmes and services.

The programme focuses on four objectives:
– The social protection reform is evidence-based and supported by policy coherence, effective coordination and enhanced institutional capacities to address growing social exclusion and equity gaps including during shocks.
– Pregnant women, children under-five and school-age children from poor households benefit from equitable access to integrated social protection programmes and services.
– Young people, workers, and their families – including those in the informal economy – have enhanced access to comprehensive employment-based social protection schemes and active labour market programmes; and the income security of older-persons and persons with disabilities is improved.
– Vulnerable people will benefit from coordinated management of information systems and strengthened capacities of national and subnational institutions for improved design and targeting of social protection interventions.

Scope of Work:
This section presents the assessment framework, describing the assessment guiding questions:
– How can we optimise synergies within the team, between the UN agencies and the EU to reach goals?
– Is the Action addressing the right elements to support the national social protection reform in Iraq? The extent to which the Action’s objectives and design respond to beneficiaries’ country and partner/institution needs, policies and priorities, and continue to do so if circumstances change.
– Which institutional capacity shortcomings in areas of institutional and legal structures, leadership, knowledge, and public accountability (e.g., political interference) need to be addressed most urgently to better enable delivery of the programme….?
– To what extent the joint programme is aligned to the government programme priority areas and needs of target population.
– Do the assumptions of the joint programme still hold true and correspond to the overarching Log-Frame?
– What progress has the joint programme made towards achieving the overall objective?
– What are the prospects for the benefits of the project being sustained after the implementation is completed?
– Were there any significant gaps in the project design or/and significant changes the project context? What were the reasons for these, and can any useful lessons be learned from this for application elsewhere?
– Targeted recommendations for improvements based on observations during the MTR process (e.g., inform the management decision for the remaining implementation period, connecting with the second phase of the joint programme, sustainability, future project design and management)
– Integrating lessons learnt, how can partners and key stakeholder best collaborate to achieve expected outputs and outcomes.

Geographic scope: Federal and Regional Iraq
Time: since the start of the programme until now

Methodology
The methodology described in this section is indicative and the consultant(s) is expected to adapt and integrate the approach and propose adjustments needed to accomplish the initiative. These can include additions to the assessment design; approach; data collection and analysis methods; and an assessment framework. The proposals should also refer to methodological limitations and mitigation measures. Methodological rigor will be given significant consideration.
It is expected that the assessment will employ a mixed-methods approach drawing on key project documents and the monitoring framework for guidance, combining qualitative and quantitative components to ensure complementary strengths and non-overlapping weaknesses. The analysis is expected to build on information collected from variety of sources through different methods including review of administrative data, primary data collection from government representatives, stakeholders involved in the programme.
– The assessment considers throughout issues of equity, gender equality and human rights.
– At minimum, the assessment will draw on the following methods:
(a) Comprehensive desk review of project documents and other relevant data;
(b) Review and analysis of secondary quantitative data;
(c) Stakeholders’ consultations, including Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), with actors involved in the implementation; Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), with representatives from the EU, UN, government officials, beneficiaries.
Data will be provided based on the survey conducted for the selected beneficiaries. Additionally, secondary data sources such as project monitoring reports will be used.

– Inception report: The inception report will be key in confirming a common understanding of what is to be assessed, including additional insights into executing the assessment. The consultant(s) will refine and confirm the assessment questions, confirm the scope of the assessment and timelines, further improve on the methodology proposed in the ToR, as well as develop and validate assessment instruments. The report will include, among others: i) assessment purpose and scope, confirmation of objectives and the main themes of the assessment; ii) assessment and questions; iii) assessment methodology, draft data collection instruments, data analysis framework, field visit approach and limitation/mitigation; timeline iv) proposed structure of the final report; v) assessment work plan and timeline; vi) resources requirements; vii) annexes. The inception report will be about 20 pages in length (excluding annexes).

– Initial assessment findings (Draft report): This report will present the initial assessment findings from primary data collection, comprising the desk-based document review and analysis of the JP. The report developed prior to the first draft of the final report should be accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation that can be used for pre-validation with key stakeholders.
i. Executive Summary (max. 5 pages)
ii. Context
iii. Purpose, Objectives and Scope of the assessment
IV. Assesment Questions
v. Methodology
vi. limitations
vii. Ethical considerations
viii. Findings
ix. Conclusions
x. Learned lessons
xi. recommendations
xii. Annexes: Information collection tools, List of places visited and list of interviewees,
Other relevant documents, MTR ToRs, schedule, documents consulted, declaration of independence, data collection tools, data.
– Final Assessment report: The report will not exceed 30 pages (excluding annexes), excluding the executive summary and annexes, along with a final PowerPoint presentation (English/Arabic/Kurdish);
– A briefing note, and a 3/5-page executive summary for external users (English/Arabic/Kurdish).
– The first draft of the final report will be received by the UN team who will work with the consultant(s) on necessary revisions. The consultant(s) will consolidate all comments on a response matrix, and indicate actions taken against each comment in the production of the final draft.
– Presentation and discussion of the final results.

The duration of the consultancy is Start Date: April 1st, 2024 and End Date: June 30, 2024 for a total of 45 working days. The consultancy will report to the Social Policy Manager.

Deliverables: Inception, document review and analysis (Work Assignments Overview, Deliverables/Outputs, Delivery deadline)

1. Inception report (max 20 pages), By end of April (3 weeks after signing the contract), 10 days
2. Data collection tools developed and cleared; and field-based data collection conducted – Initial assessment findings, By mid-May (6 weeks after signing the contract), 10 days
3. Prepare initial report and prepare presentation to the stakeholders for pre-validation, – Draft assessment report, – Draft Presentation, By mid-June (10 weeks after signing the contract), 15 days
4. Finalization of the assessment report, briefing note and three-page executive summary + presentation of the results; – Assessment report (max 30 pp. excl. annexes), – briefing note, – 3/5-page executive summary, – Final Presentation, By end June (12 weeks after signing the contract), (10 days)

Travel requirements:
– Travel International: 2 return tickets to Baghdad
– Travel Local: In-country travel, 2 return ticket to Erbil
– DSA (if applicable) DSA for 15 days (two missions of 10 days for data collection and 5 days for validation)

Minimum Qualifications required
– Masters’ in Social Studies and Research, M&E, Public Policy and/or Administration, Social Sciences, or other relevant disciplines
– At least 5 years’ progressively responsible experience in the design and implementation of similar assessments
– Knowledge of social protection,
– Previous experience in managing research/assessments;
– Previous relevant experience with the United Nations, is an asset,
– Experience in interacting with/coordinated work between government institutions, international cooperation, and civil society,
– Ability to write high quality technical documents.
– Excellent spoken and written English
– familiarity with the Iraqi context.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s values are Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant. Candidates must submit an all-inclusive fee for the assignment. UNICEF will provide travel for the assignment and in-country travel if required.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws.

The selected consultant is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected consultant are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. The vaccine mandate, does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants/individual contractors with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment. 

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.