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Background

Social cohesion has emerged as an important topic in development policy in general and for the social protection sector in particular. Social protection programs can play a role in building institutional trust and strengthening the citizen-state contract by fostering “social inclusion, integration and greater accountability”. This is particularly relevant in fragile contexts such as the Sahel region, where during post-conflict windows, state-building opportunities may arise where social protection can play a role. Further, societies that are more cohesive may be more resilient to shocks, especially during natural disasters or public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Social cohesion can also improve community development by enhancing the community’s ability to agree on public goods to be created. Finally, social cohesion has been found to foster societal peace.

The World Bank, UNICEF and WFP have designed a joint work program to understand the impact of social protection on social cohesion in the Sahel.

Research project background: UNICEF-World Bank-World Food Programme partnership for adaptive social protection in the Sahel

The three agencies have forged a strong partnership in the Sahel, to support the expansion and consolidation of social protection systems in the region. The partnership has a dual regional and country-level focus. At regional level, the three agencies are focused on generating knowledge and evidence to jointly advocate for an expansion of adaptive social protection systems. National governments in the Sahel, with support from the three agencies, have been working to expand their social protection systems, which remain underdeveloped in some areas.

WFP and UNICEF support the Governments of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger through the joint project, ‘Responding to COVID-19 through Social Protection Systems in the Sahel.’ This project is structured around three key outcomes:

1. Delivery: Affected populations receive cash transfers and access complementary services to absorb the social and economic impacts of multiple covariant shocks, as part of national response plans.
2. System Strengthening: National social protection systems are strengthened to become more shock-responsive, nutrition-sensitive, and child-sensitive.
3. Knowledge, evidence, and learning: Knowledge and evidence are generated from the project to inform social protection engagement that is shock-responsive and sensitive of nutrition and child protection concerns in the implementing countries, and fragile contexts more generally.

The World Bank’s Sahel Adaptive Social Protection Program (SASPP), together with funding from the International Development Association (IDA), supports the design and implementation of adaptive social protection programs and systems in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. SASPP’s strategic objective is to systematically strengthen adaptive social protection systems to enhance household resilience and expand the reach of shock response programs. SASPP provides technical assistance and capacity building, and finances pilot interventions, while IDA investments support the development and implementation of the various systems and programs in the six countries, including:

• Safety nets programs that help poor households meet basic needs, invest in human capital, diversify livelihoods, and increase productivity, while enabling a mechanism for temporary interventions to respond to shocks.
• Productive inclusion interventions (e.g., savings and loan groups, professional skills, or life skills, entrepreneurship training, coaching and investment grant) for beneficiaries to reinforce their productive capabilities.
• Systems (social registries, digital payments, grievance redress mechanisms, etc.) as critical foundations for social protection programs to reach the poorest and most vulnerable in an efficient manner.
• Early warning and climate information systems to design effective response plans.
• Financing mechanisms to ensure timely and efficient financing of adaptive social protection interventions.

Joint research program on social cohesion

The three agencies have collaborated on doing an initial literature review and developing a conceptual framework for the research, which centers around the interplay of factors and pathways of influence related to social protection programme design and delivery mechanisms, contextual moderators and mediators, and social cohesion outcomes in the population. A draft concept note has been produced for the research project (attached).

To implement the research, a mixed-methods approach is proposed, combining quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the causal effects of social protection interventions (notably social safety nets) on different dimensions of social cohesion while understanding the channels through which these impacts manifest and the role of perspectives and perceptions from communities as well as – to the extent possible – the different contextual factors that contribute to both social protection and social cohesion outcomes..

Quantitative analysis will consist of a deep dive on the data available from impact evaluation studies through (1) Systematic examination of questionnaires from published papers to identify further social cohesion or related indicators not found in papers; (2) Obtaining datasets from IEs where available, processing data and constructing social cohesion-related indicators; and (3) Analyzing such datasets to assess relevant impacts of adaptive social protection on social cohesion. The team will also develop a template for inclusion in future quantitative impact evaluation questionnaires in the region.

The qualitative analysis will analyze the impacts of social safety net programs, which are poverty-targeted and provided over longer periods of time (at least one year), on the different dimensions of social cohesion, for recipients, non-recipients, and the broader community. The study will analyze attitudes and beliefs within the community related to the social protection benefits, their design, and the implementation of the program. The qualitative study will also analyze how culture as well as other contextual factors can influence the impact of social protection on social cohesion (comparing findings between contexts). It will be particularly relevant here to understand informal redistribution practices that are often common in the Sahel and how these can be positive or detrimental for social cohesion.

The qualitative analysis will also include an operational assessment to provide insights on how certain impacts may be achieved or not achieved, focusing on the design of the program as reflected in the operational manuals, the actual implementation processes (including the choices made at local level to deviate from the design and/or to define more precisely processes), the extent to which deviations/details were selected to prevent negative impacts or boost positive impacts on social cohesion, or the potential impact these choices had – positive or negative – on social cohesion. The objective is to understand the importance of delivery in addition to design as a pathway to affect social cohesion.

At this stage, the three agencies are identifying expert support to develop a comprehensive concept note for the research project, building on the initial note already developed.

How can you make a difference?

Objective of the consultation

The objective of the consultation is to build on, expand, and finalize the existing draft concept note for the research programme, including a conceptual framework, research objectives, and a research design. The concept note will guide overall implementation of the research and facilitate the identification of parties with responsibilities for data collection, analysis, and report writing.

Scope of work

The assignment comprises the following main tasks:

• Develop a full concept note for the research project (with expanded conceptual framework, research design, research questions, indicator list, criteria for the selection of data collection sites, among others), based on the available draft concept note.
• Provide technical support to the consultant in charge of developing the methodology for qualitative study, including the operational review (also to ensure coherence with overall research design). This includes advice based on identified gaps in the quantitative component.

Work Assignment Overview

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

• An advanced university degree – Advanced university degree in anthropology, social policy, sociology, or related subject.
• At least 10 years of experience leading and implementing research projects.
• Experience conducting research in the field of social protection, experience with social cohesion and gender is an advantage. Familiarity with the Sahel region is an asset.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Fluency in English and French required.

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 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/individual contractors 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.

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.