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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, innovation

How can you make a difference? 

Background

Lesotho's digital transformation is guided by its National Digital Transformation Strategy, National Digital Policy and Data Protection Act 2011. To operationalize the national strategy and policy, the Ministry of Information, Communications, Science, Technology and Innovation (MICSTI) has developed a Data Management Policy and Implementation Plan to establish a clear framework for the efficient, responsible and secure handling of data, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and availability while complying with relevant laws and regulations.

Effective management of data is vital for governments as it ensures the security, integrity, and appropriate use of data, which are essential for efficient public service delivery, informed decision-making, and maintaining public trust. By adopting international best practices, governments can standardize data management processes, improve data quality, and facilitate data sharing across departments. This not only enhances operational efficiency but also supports transparency and accountability. Additionally, robust data governance and management frameworks help mitigate risks associated with data breaches and misuse, ensuring compliance with legal and ethical standards.

The Ministry of Gender, Youth and Social Development (MoGYSD) with the financial and technical assistance of the European Union (EU) and UNICEF developed the National Information System for Social Assistance (NISSA) as well as its operational system, the Management Information System for Social Assistance (MISSA). The NISSA has evolved to become a social registry containing social economic information for about 90 per cent of households in Lesotho.  The NISSA was custom built to meet the MoGYSD requirements for data collection, storage and analyses, to enable classification of households into various poverty categories to facilitate effective and efficient targeting by social assistance programmes. Through the years many of the NISSA processes have been digitized and the system works in conjunction with a mobile application that was developed to facilitate timely data collection and entry.

The MISSA system on the other hand is a web-based system that runs on a Microsoft platform and is the operational system used for the management of the various social assistance programmes. The MISSA too was custom built to meet the MoGYSD requirements for day-to-day programme support. The MISSA has modules for management of integrated social assistance programmes such as the Lesotho Child Grants Programme (CGP), Orphans and Vulnerable Children Bursary (OVC-B), and Public Assistance (PA) programmes. The aspiration of the MoGYSD is to have all social assistance programmes to be managed through the MISSA.

Since the two systems were developed, they have undergone several phases of enhancements and modifications to keep up with advancements in the digital and technological environment but also to address many new emerging needs and requirements in the social protection sector.  As such, since 2024, both systems are undergoing upgrading to keep pace with global standards and advancements.  Figure 1 below shows the new aspirational digital ecosystem for social protection in Lesotho.

The on-going upgrading of the NISSA and the MISSA and the subsequent operations of the systems involve inherent data protection risks associated with the collection and handling of beneficiary personal data. There is therefore a need to put in place robust and effective procedures and guidelines for the efficient, responsible and secure handling of data, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and availability while complying with relevant laws and regulations in alignment with regional and global standards and incorporate good international practices. These procedures and guidelines will ensure the NISSA and the MISSA operate in a way that assures that personal data is protected at all stages, including collection, storage and processing, while also assuring that the privacy of the individual is respected. It will establish the process for obtaining, holding, using, disclosing or otherwise processing personal data. It will also provide practical guidance for maintaining data security and guarding against both internal and external threats.  Effective data management measures and guidelines will also ensure optimum utilization of the NISSA and the MISSA data to deliver social assistance services to citizens but also improve data value gains.

Purpose of the assignment

Overall Objective of the Consultancy:

The assignment seeks to develop practical and implementable procedures for the MoGYSD as manager of the NISSA and the MISSA to effectively fulfil its obligation as data controller and ensure that data processing is fully aligned with the rights of the data subjects and other principles and requirements as outlined in the country’s Data Protection Act 2011, National Digital Transformation Strategy and National Digital Policy, and the Data Management Policy.

The NISSA and MISSA, as key components of the social protection delivery system for Lesotho deliver the following core functions:

• Facilitation of harmonized surveys for the collection of households’ demographic and socioeconomic data.
• Storage and maintenance of data and information on individual beneficiaries and households.
• Enablement of multiple social protection/assistance programmes and other social services to utilize the collected data for programme targeting and delivery.
• Sharing with relevant stakeholders and the public data that is compliant with data protection principles and data that is timely and accurate, to inform on social assistance programmes, their coverage, benefits and impacts.

If you would like to know more about this Individual Consultancy, please review the complete terms of reference here:[ToR NISSA MISSA Data Protection Guidelines.pdf]

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

Minimum qualifications required: Masters

Enter disciplines: Master’s Degree in Law or any other relevant field.*A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree. 

Relevant work experience required (in years):

• A qualified lawyer, or other relevant field with an academic degree at master’s level or higher, preferably on data protection law.
• Demonstrated deep knowledge of data protection, data privacy, and data security issues.
• Expertise in global data protection laws and practices.
• At least ten (10) years’ experience in conducting data compliance reviews and audits for organizations, or other comparable experience.
• Strong technical knowledge/expertise on data protection and data security .
• Prior experience in developing data protection guidelines for social registries, beneficiary registries and cash transfer programmes.
• Experience in working and building capacities of governments in the social protection sector.
• Strong skills in analysis, critical thinking, problem-solving and reporting skills.
• Ability to work with a team and independently in a multi-cultural environment

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 committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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.

Interested candidates should indicate their ability, availability, and rate (daily/monthly) expressed in USD to undertake the terms of reference. Please indicate an all-inclusive fee (including lump sum travel and subsistence costs, as applicable) to undertake the tasks in the Terms of reference.

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.