Programme Specialist (HCT), P-4, Temporary Appointment at UNICEF

Major Duties and Responsibilities :

Implementation of social protection in emergencies in Horn of Africa COs

The Social Protection in Emergencies Specialist will support COs with the planning, preparedness and implementation of context-appropriate social protection responses, including HCT. Services will be provided on a demand-driven basis (both remote and in-person), responding to specific technical requests from COs. These may include:

HCT related needs assessment

• Advises and supports the CO on minimum preparedness requirements related to HCT programming.
• Conducts humanitarian needs assessment at the household level to inform the design of programmes addressing barriers to meet humanitarian needs.
• Analyse rapid market assessments data to inform the assessment of feasibility of HCT interventions.
• Provides technical inputs on the CO’s strategic positioning on cash in emergencies.

Design of HCT interventions

• Develops a risk register for HCT programming, jointly with emergency and security colleagues in country, including monitoring and updating as required for the duration of the intervention.
• Provide technical inputs/lead the programmatic design of  HCT programmes: targeting, level of benefit, frequency of payments etc.
• Develop the operational model of HCT programmes, this includes selection of payment mechanism in close collaboration with the operations team, use of data management system (advise on data collection, registration, use of data system, data protection etc.).
• Advise COs on coordination, partnerships, communication strategy, and accountability approaches.
• Provide technical inputs to the development of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework, which may include Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM) data collection and analysis, use of third-party monitoring and CO programmatic monitoring and compliance with HACT and Quality Assurance standards.
• In close collaboration with the Operations team, identifies or sets up reliable and digitalized payment systems to increase the efficiency, accountability and transparency of HCTs.
• Act as a focal point/super-user of HOPE (Humanitarian Cash Operation and Programme Ecosystem), and liaise regularly with HQ HOPE team, where relevant. Provide feedback to HQ HOPE team on operational effectiveness of the HOPE system and follow up resolution of system bottlenecks and issues when needed.
• Develop or update the CO risk management approach, including identifying best practices across countries to develop predictable and standardised approaches for the use of risk mitigation measures.
• Helps build infrastructure and capacity that enables linkages of cash transfer programmes with other social protection and social sector interventions, especially nutrition and child protection.
• Collaborate with sectoral and cross sectoral programme staffs to ensure that HCT programmes are aligned with UNICEF Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) are met.
• Works to ensure sustainability and to avoid fragmentation through the integration of cash transfer programmes into existing social protection and/or HCT systems, where possible.
• Participates in inter-agency, cash working groups and other relevant fora and identifies opportunities for programme alignment, operational collaboration, information sharing and coordination, while strengthening UNICEF’s standing as a key HCT actor nationally and subnationally.

Oversight and quality assurance of HCT implementation

• Conducts analysis of cash transfer programmes, including registration, payment, verification exercises, etc., to identify implementation bottlenecks and areas of poor performance and identify solutions.
• Liaises regularly with key organizational stakeholders (internal and external) through the established coordination mechanisms to ensure follow-up actions at the respective levels are taken.
• Disseminates UNICEF’s HCT-related guidance and tools as well as, where appropriate, inter-agency strategies and operational guidelines.

HCT monitoring and evaluation

• Coordinates and supports payment verification and other elements of programme monitoring according to the established monitoring frameworks and schedules.
• Documents field experiences, including new implementation models and programmatic approaches, coordination mechanisms, joint programme delivery, etc.

HCT reporting, knowledge management and capacity building

• Ensures that all programme documentation is in place and that all required reports are prepared and submitted according to the schedule or on demand.
• Produces knowledge management products for cash transfer programmes documenting good practices and lessons learned.
• Delivers bespoke or larger group capacity building on cash transfers, both internally and externally.

Cross-cutting social policy areas

• Supports the correct and compelling use of data and evidence in support of the HCT programme, the social policy programme and the country programme overall.
• Assesses the contribution of the HCT programme into the national shock responsive social protection system, identifying potential entry points for engagement with governments and other partners to utilize lessons learned in future responses.
• Works towards gender-responsive-transformative, disability-inclusive and migrant-inclusive systems by integrating the inclusion lens into HCT programmes.
• In close collaboration with the SBC team, develops HCT specific communications and cash plus approaches to identify social and behavioral change needs and undertakes interventions for the meaningful accountability to affected populations and community engagement.
• Monitors current technological trends, new modalities of working applicable to HCTs versus current and emerging needs to assess their role and match their potential applicability for enhanced outcomes for children.

B) Support regional oversight and coordination

• Review CO emergency response plans and reports to ensure that social protection in emergencies is adequately reflected and that information is accurate.
• Review and provide inputs into regional emergency appeals, Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeals and situation reports (SitReps).
• Support humanitarian response monitoring at the Regional Office, including the development of an HCT/shock-responsive social protection dashboard to track CO cash responses and facilitate reporting.
• Act as a focal point for the HCT team in HQ to ensure proper dissemination of HCT guidance and tools. This includes developing and/or updating a summary of UNICEF process flows for various components of HCT (contracting of payment service providers, roll out of MIS (Management Information System) /HOPE, post-distribution monitoring, etc.), standard operating procedures (SoPs), operational planning processes, risk assessment and monitoring, and operational and distribution monitoring.
• Produce knowledge management products for social protection in emergency responses. This may include compilation of lessons learned, specific operational guidance notes, summary reports for HQ and summary snapshots of UNICEF responses in the region with a focus on integrating HCT approaches into shock-responsive social protection systems strengthening.
• Support the development and implementation of country-level cash strategies for COs, working specifically with social protection, emergency and other sectoral colleagues to ensure coordination of all cash responses at country level.

Key Expected Results

• COs are implementing social protection in emergencies, including HCTs, in line with UNICEF standards, including with relevant measures that ensure accountability to affected populations, appropriate risk management and monitoring procedures in place, and with the required documentation, process flows and scale up plans.
• COs are supported with resource mobilization efforts, including ensuring that cash responses are considered and included (where relevant) in all emergency fundraising proposals.
• The Emergency Planning and Preparedness process for HCT is completed in each CO and supplemented by an office-wide Cash Strategy that clearly defines the CO-specific cash approach, roles and responsibilities of staff, and engagement with coordination bodies (cash working group, food security clusters, etc.).
• Regional Office reporting is up to date and accurately reflects all social protection in emergencies activities ongoing in COs, including resource needs, coverage, linkages with other sectors and scale up/down plans.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• Advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: Economics, Public Policy, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Science, Operations Management or another relevant field.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible professional work experience at the national and international levels in all aspects of social protection in emergencies, including HCT and/or shock responsive social protection.
• Extensive programmatic and operational experience designing, implementing and managing cash transfer programmes in emergency and humanitarian contexts, with preference given to experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience in managing implementing partners, including financial service providers.
• Clearly demonstrated ability to conceptualize complex humanitarian-development issues and produce high quality advisory and guidance services, technical documents, analytical materials and/or guidelines.
• Proven ability to communicate and work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s programmes in emergency contexts is preferred, with priority given to candidates experienced in UNICEF HCT programming processes.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a second UN and/or local working language of the duty station an asset.

Deadline: 07 Mar 2023