International Consultant – Review of UNICEF Technical Assistance Approach | March 2024

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. 

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. 

And we never give up. 

For every child, Support. 

UNICEF’s current country programme started in June 2022 and has intervention in the following sectors: Health, Nutrition, Education, HIV/AIDS, WASH, Child Protection, and Social Policy. Early Childhood and Adolescents are cross-sectoral themes that are at the core of the programme. All programmes are implemented through a mix of strategies reaching from upstream programming with focus on system strengthening to a more service delivery-oriented interventions. UNICEFs programme is largely implemented through government structures. Next to the financial support that UNICEF provides via the government financial system, technical assistance is a major component of the programme

How can you make a difference? 

This assignment aims at reviewing UNICEF Technical Assistance (TA) approach in Tanzania in a country that has moved to low-middle-income status and strives to reach upper-middle-income country status by 2050 as outlined in the National Development Vision 2050.
In addition, the context is marked by the fact that Tanzania’s capital city has been relocated to Dodoma (which lies in the center of the country (about 400km from Dar es Salaam) while UNICEF Tanzania’s head office is in Dar Es Salaam. UNICEFs programme is currently implemented through a head office in Dar es Salaam, a liaison office in Dodoma and 2 field offices in Mainland (Mbeya (covering four regions in the southern highlands) and Kigoma) and a field office in Zanzibar. All UN agencies still have their main office in Dar es Salaam, where the donor community is as well based.
The assignment is expected to provide recommendations and strategic directions to UNICEF in terms of what changes / adjustments may need to take place to remain relevant as an agency and fit for purpose in the changing country context.
UNICEF Tanzania’s current country programme is in the second year of its implementation and approaching the midterm. This exercise is, therefore, particularly timely to respond to the following questions:

1. How has UNICEF Tanzania provided technical assistance over the past 10 years.?
   • What modalities were used (outsourcing, UNICEF staff, etc,)
   • How has this changed overtime?
   • What were the reasons for some of these decisions?
   • What were/are the advantages/disadvantages of the used business model?
   • How is the model aligned with UNICEFs comparative advantage in the Tanzania context?
   • Is the support provided meeting the expectations of the government?
   • How can UNICEFs TA be best delivered considering the context of decentralization and UNICEF current presence?
2. What ‘business’ model or combination of models should UNICEF Tanzania pursue to achieve maximum results for children?
   • What changes if any need to be made to make UNICEFs TA fit for purpose in the current context in Tanzania?
   • What should be the role of different UNICEF Offices (Dar es Salaam; Dodoma; Zanzibar; other field offices
   • What are the factors to be noted and steps to be taken by UNICEF Tanzania in providing TA to the government in the low-middle-income context? o What are the potential alternatives for TA to consider?
   • How best can UNICEF provide relevant TA in capital cities (Zanzibar, Dodoma) and regions while the main office is based in Dar Es Salaam?

The consultant will conduct the exercise in close collaboration with UNICEF staff, government counterparts at national and sub-national levels and development partners. The consultancy is for 30 working days over a period of 2 months.

Scope of Work:
Geographical scope: the review will cover locations where UNICEF offices are located (Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Zanzibar and select field offices).
Chronological scope: the review will cover the programme implementation over the past 10 years.
Thematic scope: the review will cover the overall UNICEF TA approach including strategic positioning, advocacy and resource leveraging as well as direct technical assistance to Government MDAs and LGAs, in the various sectors of UNICEF programme. The review will provide guidance on how and if UNICEF’s business model is fit for purpose – to deliver results for children in a changing country and provide recommendations on the way forward.

The methodology will be finalized by the consultant as part of the inception report. However, the review of UNICEF TA approach in Tanzania is expected to be achieved mostly through:
Desk review of relevant documentation including the latest UNICEF TCO Country Programme Evaluation (2016-2021), Country Programme Document, Programme Strategy Notes and Country Programme Management Plan, Sample TORs, for TA consultancies, Job description for specific staffing support.

• • Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with o UNICEF staff at different levels (Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Zanzibar and Mainland field offices).
  • Government counterparts at both national and at sub-national levels; and
  • Development Partners (DPs) including UN agencies.

The consultant will be expected to travel within Tanzania to engage with government officials and stakeholders, UNICEF staff, DPs and key stakeholders to conduct interviews as needed.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE: UNICEF reserves the right to withhold all or portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory if work/output is incomplete, not delivered or for failure to meet deadlines.

ASSESSMENT / SELECTION PROCESS AND METHODS: Evaluations: The applicant should submit both technical and financial proposals which stipulate how the work will be conducted. The Financial Proposal should include all costs of this assignment including fees, travel costs, and accommodation as UNICEF will not pay any DSA.
Proposals will be both technically and financially evaluated. The technical part will carry a weight of 75%, in which the consultant will put clear his/her technical approach to ensure the quality attainment of each deliverable and the consultancy in totality. The financial part will take 25% showing the proposed budget breakdown of consultancy cost for each deliverable (fees, travel and accommodation) and eventual total consultancy cost.

LOCATION, DURATION & LOGISTIC: The consultancy is home-based with agreed travel to Tanzania for fieldwork in Dodoma, Zanzibar and other regions as appropriate.
The validity of the contract will be for 2 months.

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

• A Master’s Degree from an accredited academic institution in, evaluation, economics, development studies, social sciences or equivalent.
• a minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience
• Deep knowledge of UNICEF
• Previous experience in UN programme planning, reviews and evaluations (e.g. Mid-Term Review, Strategic Moment of Reflection, Country Programme Document, country Programme Evaluation);
• Demonstrated expertise in evaluating institutional support systems including operations and the human resource function.
• A work record in East Africa
• Excellent command of English, with a proven ability to prepare high-quality reports; Swahili language skills strongly recommended.
• Strong analytical skills, as well as ability to process qualitative and quantitative data;
• Knowledge of the social, economic, and political context of Tanzania
• Demonstrated ability to engage with Senior government officials.

For every Child, you demonstrate… 

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

To view our competency framework, please visit  here. 

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. 

Remarks:  

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 candidate 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 candidates 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. It 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.

Advertised: 21 Mar 2024 E. Africa Standard Time