United Nations Children’s Fund (unicef) Phnom Penh, Cambodia Vacancy Nº cp/15/006 Terms of Reference Individual Consultancy: Monitoring

______________________________________________________________________

The purpose of this consultancy is to support the UNICEF Cambodia Child Protection Section to establish systems to better track, monitor, documents and report on results for the Project ‘Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Cambodia to Prevent and Respond to Violence, Abuse, Exploitation and Unnecessary Separation of Children’, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) – Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF).

UNICEF Cambodia is implementing a comprehensive child protection programme to improve the prevention of and response to violence, exploitation, abuse, and unnecessary separation of children, through a holistic approach to strengthening the child protection system in Cambodia. The programme seeks to ensure that girls and boys vulnerable to and exposed to violence and those separated from their family are increasingly protected by the institutional and legislative framework, quality services, and a supportive community environment. This programme is being supported by several donors, including the USAID-DCOF through the project ‘Strengthening Child Protection Systems in Cambodia to Prevent and Respond to Violence, Abuse, Exploitation and Unnecessary Separation of Children’ (the Project).

• 
  Vulnerable children and their families in five target provinces have access to specialized and quality child protection and social welfare services.
  
• 
  Separated children in five target provinces are able to access mechanisms for family reunification, community reintegration and alternatives to institutionalization, and receive quality care.
  
• 
  Enhanced capacities of government officials at the national level and government and NGO partners in five provinces to effectively prevent child maltreatment and to move children into family and community care, in line with the ongoing Sub-National Democratic Development process requiring increased responsibilities of sub-national actors.
  
• 
  Rigorous evidence-based policy and baseline data are used for advocacy, leveraging resources and measuring trends.
  

Due to the large scope of the Project, the services of a full-time technical consultant are required to support the establishment and management of systems to track results and to document and report on results so that activities and results are effectively documented and reported based on an effective monitoring plan.

Under the supervision of the UNICEF Child Protection Specialist (L-3), the consultant will provide technical support for the establishment of systems to better track, monitor, documents and report on results for the Project. The overarching assignments are to:

1. 
   Establish and manage systems in UNICEF to record, track and analyze results, focusing on the impact of the Project on children and their families;
   
2. 
   Write donor reports and related publications such as Project briefs, lessons learned and programme models to document key approaches, key activities and key results of the Project;
   
3. 
   Provide technical support to partners to better document and report on results.
   

In particular, the consultant is expected to perform the following tasks with quality and in a timely fashion:

• 
  Establish tracking systems for the documentation and reporting of the results and key activities of the Project, evaluating strategies and activities on an ongoing basis to ensure maximum impact of UNICEF efforts; 
  
• 
  Establish and manage a monitoring plan that enables key data to be tracked and activities and results to be documented;
  
• 
  Write monthly activity reports, quarterly Project reports with statistical reports on indicators, annual analytical donor reports and other donor related reports to USAID/Cambodia and USAID/DCOF;
  
• 
  Ensure that USAID/Cambodia and USAID/DCOF reporting requirements are met;
  
• 
  Establish and manage a schedule of key publications and studies documenting the Project, comprised of lessons learned, effectiveness of various programme models, and policy and programme briefs based on the findings of key studies arising from the Project;
  
• 
  Provide strategic guidance and technical assistance to the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth (MoSVY), NGOs of the Partnership Programme for the Protection of Children (3PC), and other implementing partners, in the planning, development, implementation and monitoring of all the Project components to ensure that the objectives and targets are achieved and documented;
  
• 
  Coordinate activities and exchanges with other UNICEF programmes and zone offices on Project components, to achieve the Project objectives;
  
• 
  Undertake field visits in order to monitor, evaluate and document Project implementation; Identify problems and propose remedial action and alternative courses of action to improve Project delivery;
  
• 
  Develop and maintain effective collaboration with Project partners;
  
• 
  Liaise with and develop productive relationships with other relevant ministries/government institutions, civil society organizations, international development partners and other stakeholders in the area of child protection and social welfare to contribute to the achievement of common goals and objectives;
  
• 
  As requested, draft proposals for Project extension/expansion or for the next phase of the Project;
  
• 
  Perform other duties as related to the effective management of the Project, as needed.
  

• 
  Monthly activity reports indicating tasks undertaken, progress and status of Project activities, and any challenges encountered with recommendations, and attaching relevant Project documents produced. These are internal reports for UNICEF and are not for publication.
  

• 
  Quarterly analytical USAID/Cambodia and USAID/DCOF donor reports, to be submitted by 15 July, 15 October, 15 January and 15 April.
  

• 
  Annual and bi-annual analytical USAID/Cambodia and USAID/DCOF donor reports, to be submitted by 15 July and 15 December.
  

• 
  One monitoring plan, within two months of the commencement of the Consultancy, comprised of a system to track and document results for children and families. This system will provide key data for inclusion in the reports mentioned above.
  

• 
  One schedule of key publications, within one month of the commencement of the Consultancy.
  

• 
  Six thematic publications annually. It is envisaged that one publication (2 -4 pages) will be produced every two months documenting programme models, lessons learned, good practice, case studies, voices of children, challenges and on other themes identified by UNICEF, USAID/DCOF, the Consultant and partners.
  

• 
  Advanced university degree in social sciences or similar or equivalent degree
  
• 
  Minimum 8 years of professional work experience in child protection, including experience with the reintegration of children into family care
  
• 
  Minimum 8 years of increasing professional work experience in the management of programmes, planning monitoring, and evaluation, of which a significant share should be in developing countries, preferably in Cambodia
  
• 
  Proven capacity in preparing analytical programme documents and reports
  
• 
  Experience working with/ or in collaboration with UN agencies or international development organizations.
  

• 
  Fluent in written and spoken English, with proven ability to communicate to varied audiences.
  

• 
  Excellent project management, interpersonal, planning and coordination skills
  
• 
  Demonstrated ability to establish harmonious and effective working relationships
  
• 
  Knowledge of the Cambodian context and of the UN system are assets.
  

The consultant fee is estimated at the L3 level of the UN Cambodia salary scale. The actual remuneration will be negotiated with the selected consultant.

The consultant shall be paid the agreed monthly fee, every month for the duration of the Contract, upon receipt and approval by supervisor of monthly reports, and relevant quarterly reports and annual reports due, together with other agreed deliverables.

The consultant will work directly under the supervision of the Child Protection Specialist (L-3) who will provide detailed briefing, guidance and oversee timeliness and quality of deliverables.

The consultant will be based in the premises of UNICEF Cambodia in Phnom Penh, and will be provided with an office space and access to a computer, internet and telephone. The consultant will be required to travel internally in Cambodia to conduct field visits to project sites in five provinces. Any required official travel will be organized or paid for in full by UNICEF Cambodia.

The documents produced during the period of this consultancy will be treated strictly confidential and the rights of distribution and/or publication shall solely reside with UNICEF.

Applications shall be submitted to cbdhrvacancies@unicef.org before the deadline containing the following required documentation:

1. 
   Technical Proposal: Consultant shall prepare a proposal in response to the ToR, ensuring that the purpose, objectives, scope, criteria and deliverables of the assessment are addressed. Draft work plan and timeline for the assessment should be included. The Technical Proposal shall also include updated CV and Personal History Forms (P11) of the consultant, and copies of 2 assessments performed previously by the consultant.
   
2. 
   Financial Proposal: The Financial Proposal shall be submitted in a separate file, clearly named Financial Proposal. No financial information should be contained in the Technical Proposal.
   

A two stage procedure shall be utilized in evaluating the applications received in accordance to the below criteria, with evaluation of the technical proposal being completed prior to any price proposal being compared. Submitted applications shall be assessed using Cumulative Analysis Method. Technical proposals should attain a minimum of 50 points to qualify and to be considered:

1. 
   Overall Response: Maximum 10 points
   

• 
  Understanding of scope, objectives and completeness and coherence of response
  
• 
  Overall match between the ToR requirements and proposal
  

2. 
   Proposed Methodology and Approach: Maximum 20 points
   

• 
  Quality of proposed approach/methodology
  
• 
  Quality of proposed Implementation Plan, i.e. how the consultant will undertake each task, and maintenance of project schedules;
  

3. 
   Technical Capacity: Maximum 40 points
   

• 
  Advanced university degree in social sciences or similar or equivalent degree
  
• 
  Minimum 8 years of professional work experience in child protection, including experience with the reintegration of children into family care
  
• 
  Minimum 8 years of increasing professional work experience in the management of programmes, planning monitoring, and evaluation, of which a significant share should be in developing countries, preferably in Cambodia
  
• 
  Proven capacity in preparing analytical programme documents and reports
  
• 
  Experience working with/ or in collaboration with UN agencies or international development organizations
  

• 
  Fluent in written and spoken English, with proven ability to communicate to varied audiences.
  
• 
  Excellent project management, interpersonal, planning and coordination skills
  
• 
  Demonstrated ability to establish harmonious and effective working relationships.
  

The maximum number of points shall be allotted to the lowest Financial Proposal that is opened /evaluated and compared among those technical qualified candidates who have attained a minimum 50 points in the technical evaluation. Other Financial Proposals will receive points in inverse proportion to the lowest price.