In 2022, Brazil returned to the United Nations Hunger Map[1] with more than 60 million people facing food insecurity and 15 million facing severe food insecurity. As a response, the current Federal Government prioritised the fight against hunger, creating Brasil without Hunger, a cross-cutting program with multiple public systems involved, including the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS), aiming to end hunger by 2030.

Accordingly, the Interministerial Ordinance No 25, from September 2023, has established that SUAS should work to (i) support the identification and prioritisation of families facing food and nutrition security, with special emphasis on children and adolescents, (ii) strengthen provisions of services and benefits considering this particular vulnerability and (iii) integrate actions with the Unified Health System (SUS) and the Food Security National System (SISAN). 

The gateway to SUAS is the Protection and Integral Support Service to the Family (PAIF), instrumental in supporting vulnerable families to access all their basic rights and overcome deprivations. However, PAIF still needs to advance in technical guidance for social workers that properly address food and nutrition insecurity in integration with other public systems such as SUS and SISAN.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is supporting the Social Assistance National Department (SNAS) of the Ministry of Social Development and Assistance, Family and Fight Against Hunger to advance technical guidance for social assistant workers to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity as part of a comprehensive initiative to advance technical guidance and protocols to strengthen the Protection and Integral Support Service to the Family (PAIF).

SCOPE OF WORK:                                                                                                                                                                                          

UNICEF Brazil is looking for a social protection consultant who will support the development of technical guidance for Social Assistance workers implementing PAIF to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity. Under the supervision of the Chief of Social Policy, the consultant will work to support UNICEF in liaison with the SNAS technical team. 

Expected results:

• Support UNICEF’s liaison with the SNAS technical team, providing technical input in UNICEF meetings with internal and external stakeholders; 
• Initial version of the technical guidance for Social Assistance workers implementing PAIF to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity. The document will be submitted for public consultation;
• Final version of the technical guidance for Social Assistance workers implementing PAIF to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity with suggestions and comments from public consultation implemented.

[1][1] https://ifz.org.br/why-the-un-added-brazil-to-the-hunger-map-once-again/

DELIVERABLES

1. Workplan

1.1. Deliverables/Outputs

Work plan with a detailed timeline.  The work plan should be developed according to the expected results mentioned in this Terms of Reference and alignment with UNICEF.  

1.2. Deadline

5 working days from the beginning of the contract  

1.3 Estimated budget

0% of contract fee

2. Technical guidance initial version

2.1. Deliverables/Outputs

The initial version of the technical guidance for Social Assistance workers implementing PAIF to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity. The document will be submitted for public consultation.

2.2. Deadline

3 months from the beginning of the contract

2.3. Estimate Budget

40% of the contract fee

3. Technical guidance final version

3.1. Deliverables/Outputs

The final version of the technical guidance for Social Assistance workers implementing PAIF to support families at risk of and facing food and nutrition insecurity with suggestions and comments from public consultation implemented.

3.2. Deadline

4 months and 20 days (about 3 weeks) from the beginning of the contract

3.3. Estimate Budget

60% of the contract fee

DURATION OF CONTRACT: 4 months and 20 days

TRAVEL PLAN: N/A

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS REQUIREMENT

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Social Sciences, Psychology, Political Science, or another relevant technical field; 
• Master’s degree in social work, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Psychology, Political Science, or another relevant technical field;  
• Advanced knowledge of the Unified Social Assistance System (SUAS); 
• Proven experience in developing Social Protection technical guidance or reports;  
• Previous experience in the provision of consulting services to a UN agency will be considered an asset; 
• Fluency in Portuguese.  

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Fluency in Portuguese.  

UNICEF’S CORE VALUES

Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS)

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for consultants with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the selection process and afterwards in your assignment.

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. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: PROCEDURES AND LOGISTICS

• Consultant will work from home using own equipment and stationery. UNICEF will provide office space for consultative meetings when needed.
• Consultant’s, travel costs should be included in the consultant’s fee.
• No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant and mandatory courses are completed.
• Consultants will not have any representative, certifying, or approving authority, or supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget.
• The consultant will work remotely on a delivery basis.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL

• Costs indicated are estimated. Final rate shall follow “best value for money” principle, i.e., achieving the desired outcome at the lowest possible fee.
• A financial proposal including the fee for the assignment based on the deliverables and number of days must be submitted. Consultants are asked to stipulate all-inclusive fees, including lump sum, administrative cost, travel cost and subsistence costs, as applicable.
• The payment will be based on submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

INSURANCE AND HEALTH COVERAGE

• The contractor is fully responsible for arranging, at his or her own expenses, such life, health, and other forms of insurance covering the term of the contract as he or she considers appropriate.
• The contractor is not eligible to participate in the life or health insurance schemes available to UNICEF and United Nations staff members.

RESTRICTIONS

• Consultants may not receive training at the expense of UNICEF.  Notwithstanding, consultants must complete the applicable mandatory trainings before the signature of the contract. 
• In case of government officials, the contract cannot be issued without prior written clearance by the Government​, or unless on leave without pay.

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.