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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, a champion
How can you make a difference?
1. Context
UNICEF and WFP have developed an integrated resilience approach designed to move communities from
chronic vulnerability to sustainable resilience and self-sufficiency. It fosters synergies between
humanitarian, development and conflict prevention interventions down to the community level, in the
areas most affected by shocks. This approach deployed across the Sahel region through the Building
Resilience Programme (BRS), has been implemented in Mauritania since 2019 to address the multiple and
intertwined vulnerabilities faced by rural communities in the Guidimakha, Assaba and Hodh Chargui
regions.
The program, which entered a second phase in 2023, extending to 2027, is an essential part of the wider
strategic approach of UNICEF new Country Programme 2024-2027. Building on the lessons learned since
2019, UNICEF promotes multi-sectoral approaches to achieve large-scale results, contributing towards
systems, communities and individuals’ resilience.
In this context, the BRS programme aims to 1) increase women’s and children’s utilization of basic services
that are sustainably accessible, equitable and sensitive to risk and conflict; 2) improve local governance,
strengthen the culture of inclusive social dialogue, community ownership and engagement in local social
development processes and humanitarian response; 3) enable adolescents to have advanced
opportunities to exercise their collective and individual capacities to cope with shocks and participate
meaningfully in decisions that affect them. The programme contributes to strengthening social cohesion
among targeted groups, including the vulnerable host communities, refugee population and local
authorities.
In addition, UNICEF works on peacebuilding initiatives funded by the Peacebuilding Fund, ensuring
synergies and complementarities with the BRS programme.
2. Purpose :
Under the supervision of the Deputy Representative, and in close collaboration with all programme
Sections, the Consultant will support the coordination of the implementation, monitoring, and reporting
of the UNICEF and WFP resilience programme funded by BMZ through, joint planning, program
convergence, monitoring, and reporting. He/she will document, and building on the experience, define
UNICEF’s role in resilience building and social cohesion for integration into all programmes of UNICEF.
She/he will also serve as the main focal point for coordination with WFP and will be assisting for
maintaining relations with donors and mobilizing new partners and resources to strengthen resilience and
operationalize the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
The technical expertise of the consultant will enable UNICEF MCO to implement one of its programs
strategic shifts related to resilience and community approaches. Resilience is becoming increasingly
important in the Sahel Countries. In addition, he/she will ensure that the BMZ funding will be implemented
in accordance with latest guidance in collaboration with the Regional office. This in turn contributes to
enhancing the ability of UNICEF to fulfill its mission to achieve integrated and multisectoral community
approaches related to resilience contributing to improving child rights in the country.
3. Key accountabilities, and related duties/tasks
Technical Assistance and Strategic Representation:
Provide technical guidance and support to the UNICEF Country Office, in the conceptualization,
contextualization, strategic planning, and programme implementation with regard to resilience.
Act as the organizational focal point for cross-sectoral resilience programmes, with a focus on the
regions in which the program is implemented.
Helps UNICEF Mauritanie in the program coordination mechanism with national representatives,
the German Embassy, WFP and other governance systems and networks.
Provide support to UNICEF Mauritania Country Office to ensure strategic engagement with
relevant partners, including key donors, on UNICEF’s work in resilience.
Project coordination:
Facilitate overall programme design when required through ensuring work plans and activities are
formulated, implemented, and monitored. Support in designing and coordinating specific
resilience building interventions based on risk profiles, conflict analysis, partnerships, government
capacity and programme priorities.
Helps UNICEF Mauritania with the overall coordination towards agreed results, including timely
and effective grant and financial management.
Provide support and coordinate for programme convergence and resilience integration across the
programme cycle (planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation) and work closely with
sector programmes, sub-offices and outposts to increase planning and realization of
complementary programming.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:
Strengthen capacity and learning for UNICEF in programming for social cohesion, resilience, and
the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
Facilitate robust knowledge management of resilience and triple nexus approaches based on
documentation and dissemination of respective policies and approaches across the country office.
Helps to oversee and support resilience programme baseline/end line development, knowledge
management, M&E, and lessons learnt arising from implementation through drafting/finalizing
key documents, reports, updates and briefing notes and knowledge/information exchange to
ensure continued generation of program evidence.
Ensure that geographic and programmatic convergence of interventions is monitored at central
and regional levels through database.
Helps the supervisor to Coordinate the provision of cross-sectoral timely and quality inputs to
donor reports and provide inputs to other documentation and presentations of the programme.
Partnership and Communication:
Support leading the overall programme coordination with WFP and UNICEF’s team in Nouakchott.
Support the supervisor with the close coordinate with other UN agencies, development partners,
local authorities, and targeted communities in the area of responsibility to ensure alignment and
complementarity of resilience interventions.
Ensure quality control of programme related partnership development and amendments, and
support overall project documents management.
Helps in leading the resilience programme visibility, communication as well as donor visits.
Assist in building and maintaining donor relations and work with donor partners in developing
proposals and resource mobilization for large scale resilience building and social cohesion
programme across programme sectors.
4. Methodology:
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Deputy Representative. For this assignment, the
consultant will be working onsite in Nouakchott with periodic field mission in Mauritania. Field missions
and other travel related to the mission will be carried out using UNICEF transport and/or that made
available by UNICEF office. UNICEF will provide laptop computer, access to printers and photocopying
facilities and workspace when on UNICEF premises. The consultant will have to carry out three travels in
Mauritania during the 11 months of the contract (Country of origin - Nouakchott - Country of origin) and
will also have to carry out three missions outside Mauritania during the contract.
Terms and conditions
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Travel International: 3 missions in Mauritania (Home Country- Mauritania -Home Country) and 3 international missions (outside Mauritania);
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Travel Local (5 field mission in Mauritania region using UNICEF transport and/or that made available by UNICEF office);
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Monthly DSA lump sum when present in Mauritania (including field visit).
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Lump sum communication (telephone & internet)
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- Master's degree in international development/international; Relations; Peacebuilding; Political, Natural,Social or Economic sciences; Public; Administration, or a related discipline.
- A minimum of 8 (eight) years of professional work experience at international levels in programme/project development, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and administration is required.
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If a Bachelor degree, a minimum of 10 years of experience will be accepted in lieu of advanced degree Master.
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Knowledge of development and humanitarian issues, strategies, as well as programming policies and procedures in international development cooperation is an asset.
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Specialized training/experience in resilience/nexus programme management is highly desirable.
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Ability to manage large budgeted multi-sector programmes and ability to lead diverse and multicultural teams is highly desirable.
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Demonstrated ability in donor reporting is required.
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Prior experience in Mauritania, or similar context, in support of rural communities’ resilience building is an asset.
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.
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.