Consultancy - Cash Based Assistance Consultant - Asia field support to country offices, GPD-Economic & Social Policy, Nairobi, 12 Months (Remote)

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to education

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Purpose of Activity/Assignment:

Provide selected UNICEF country offices in Asia with technical and operational support on the use of cash-based assistance modalities in fragile and humanitarian contexts.

Scope of Work:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the UNICEF Chief of the Global Cash Hub, based in Nairobi, and in close collaboration with staff of the multi-division Global Cash Hub. The indicative countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines and Viet Nam; this list may be updated by the supervisor during the assignment. Up to 30 per cent of the assignment is expected to support the Myanmar Country Office.

The consultant will:
- Support the global HOPE rollout and its regular use at country-office level, in close collaboration with the HOPE Team Lead and beneficiary data management colleagues.
- Support rollout of UNICEF's global capacity-building strategy for cash-based assistance for UNICEF staff and partners, including governments.
- Conduct in-country field-support missions of up to four weeks and provide remote support to strengthen country-office readiness to use cash-based modalities. This includes technical and operational assessments, preparedness, design of cross-sectoral cash programmes, risk matrices, quality assurance, standard operating procedures for payment processes, and monitoring support.
- Advise country offices on the choice of delivery system, including national systems and direct delivery, and liaise with the Poverty Centre of Excellence's Shock-Responsive Social Protection focal points.
- Support country offices to establish robust monitoring and verification systems for cash-based assistance.
- Support capacity-building activities; gather and analyse data; and document good practices and lessons to inform global and regional evidence and advocacy.
- Contribute to global coordination of cash-based assistance by participating regularly in Global Cash Hub meetings and collaborating with Asia-based sectoral Centre of Excellence colleagues.

How can you make a difference? 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the Terms of Reference here:   ToR Cash Based Assistance Consultant - Asia field support to country offices TMS text.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master’s degree in Economics, social science, database management, data analytics or a related field. A bachelor's degree, complemented by relevant industry certifications and two additional years of work experience, may be accepted in lieu of a master's degree.

Work Experience:

At least eight years of professional experience at national and international levels supporting humanitarian response, including at least five years dedicated to cash-based assistance in diverse humanitarian settings.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills:

- Experience providing direct technical assistance on humanitarian cash transfers to UN agencies, NGOs and governments.

- Experience planning, implementing, reporting, monitoring and evaluating humanitarian cash-transfer programmes.

- Experience collaborating across functions and with operational subject-matter experts and technical resources.

- Experience coordinating programmes or projects with diverse stakeholders.

- Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence varied audiences in a multicultural environment.

Desirables:

- Proven experience in interdisciplinary team management.

- In-depth experience of relevant UN and inter-agency negotiation and decision-making processes.

- Experience with UNICEF.

- Experience in varied humanitarian settings, including complex emergencies.

For every Child, you demonstrate Care

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter 
• A separate financial proposal  Financial proposal Cash Based Assistance Consultant - Asia field support to country offices.docx
• Technical proposal : Candidates should provide a brief technical proposal describing their approach to the assignment. 

Remarks:  

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.