Consultancy Opportunities at Save the Children, August 4th, 2016
Save the Children is a child rights organization working to inspire
breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve
immediate and lasting change in their lives. Save the Children
established an office in Nigeria, the most populous nation in Africa, in
2001.
The organization focuses on full spectrum programming -
development and humanitarian – with core thematic work in education,
child protection, hunger and livelihoods, child rights governance,
health and nutrition. Activities generally focus on building government
capacity in policy development and service delivery, while also working
with communities and civil society organizations to build demand and
accountability mechanisms, and implementing direct services through
specific projects and operational research activities. Working with and
through partners such as Action against Hunger (ACF), Save the Children
(SCI) has also invested heavily in advocacy and campaigns.
Save the Children is recruiting to fill the position of:
Job Title: State Specific Social Protection Policies Development Consultant
Locations: Abuja, Zamfara and Jigawa
Programme Background
SCI has been contracted by DFID to implement a large-scale social
protection programme in Northern Nigeria, the Child Development Grant
Programme (CDGP). CDGP provides an unconditional cash transfer of 3,500
NGN per month to pregnant women and women with children under the age of
two (2) in Zamfara and Jigawa accompanied by behavioural change
communication, to tackle poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. The
programme is being implemented in two states of Northern Nigeria, Jigawa
and Zamfara, with close collaboration and involvement of state
governments. The programme is aimed at reducing the prevalence of
stunting and improving food security. There are 4 key outputs of the
programme:
- Output 1: Design and delivery a secure payments mechanism
providing regular, timely cash transfers to pregnant women and women
with under-2s.
- Output 2: Effective system for mobilisation, targeting and complementary interventions.
- Output 3: Enhanced government capacities for managing cash transfers in focus States.
- Output 4: Evidence of cash transfer modalities and impacts
provided to policymakers and practitioners at State and Federal levels.
Social Protection is a rapidly emerging policy area in addressing
poverty, food insecurity as well as improving access to health and
education. After over a decade of donor support and social protection
initiatives led by the international community, concerns have been made
on the sustainability of donor-led programmes and there is agreement on
the central role of government in developing and administering social
protection programmes. As a result, there is consensus that developing
and strengthening social protection systems as well as collaborating
with other stakeholders on the systems agenda should be at the core of
social protection initiatives. It is timely that social protection is
high on the federal government agenda and major initiatives have already
been taken:
- The appointment of a Special Advisor to Vice President on Social
Investments and the establishment of National Social Safety Nets
Coordinating Office (NASSCO) established for coordination and setting
standards. established for coordination and standards
- The design of the National Social Safety Net Program (NSSNP)
aimed at providing access to targeted transfers to the poorest and most
vulnerable households. transfers to the poorest and most vulnerable
households under an expanded national social
- The on-going efforts to validate and approve the draft National Social Protection Policy Framework (NSPPF).
SCI recognises the need to review and further develop its role in social
protection, as NGOs play less of a role in direct implementation and,
increasingly, are providing technical support to government. As part of
the CDGP stakeholder’s capacity building strategy, SCI will commence a
process of capacity building state government stakeholders in building
their social protection systems mirroring the national processes. To
achieve this effectively Jigawa and Zamfara need to prioritize adoption
of the National Social Protection Policy Framework.
Objectives and Overview of Consultancy:
- Social protection policies support the development of
well-targeted, appropriately financed and well-coordinated responses to
poverty and vulnerability thus contributing to poverty reduction
efforts.
- These policies would reflect each States priorities and would
have garnered contributions and support from key ministries and
stakeholders in those states.
- The purpose and ultimate aim of this consultancy is to
facilitate the adoption of National Social Protection policy and making
them state specific for Jigawa and Zamfara.
- The objective of this consultancy is to support Jigawa and
Zamfara states’ adoption of the draft national social protection policy
and making them state specific.
Methodology/Tasks:
- This consultancy will be carried out by 2 national consultant,
one a social policy specialist and the second social protection
specialist. The consultant will work in collaboration with state
government stakeholders, SCI and AAH staff and the CDGP Social
Protection advisor using the following suggested methodology which is
open for review;
Tasks/Activities with the Estimated number of Days:
- Desk Review Draft National Social Protection Policy and other background documents - 3 days
- Policy Development/Consultation Workshops with key stakeholders
in each state that include government stakeholders and CSOs - 16 days
- Develop Draft State Specific Social Protection policy documents - 10 days
- Policy Validation Workshops - 4 days
- Finalize the policy for each State - 7 days
Deliverables:
- Consultation and validation workshop reports
- Final policy documents
Required Skills/Experience of Consultant
- A Master's Degree or PhD in a field related to Social Protection
(economics, social sciences, public policy and/or international
development policy),
- Previous experience in policy development or program implementation would be an advantage
- Excellent written and oral communication skills are required,
- Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner,
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Previous research experience on poverty aid/development, experience in quantitative or qualitative data collection and analysis,
Duration
- Expected Starting Date: August 22, 2016
- Expected Finishing Date: December 22, 2016
- Total Person Days technical input: 40
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply
Application Deadline 8th August, 2016.