National Consultant on Shock Responsive Social Protection and HCTs
JOB DETAIL
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, a fair chance in life
| Turkmenistan is an uppermiddleincome country with large hydrocarbons sector accounting for the majority of the country’s exports significant revenues. The Presidential Programme for 20222028 sets a target to increase the GDP by 47% in 2028 compared to In 2022, Turkmenistan’s economy was propped up by elevated global energy prices and adversities.
According the 2022 census, population of Turkmenistan is 7,1 mln people with 34,9% of population being children, 1% of urban and 9% of rural residents. In 2023, 75% of the state budget expenditures (Tier were spent on social needs, in 2022 – 7%. In 2021, spending on education comprised 9% of GDP, on health — 6%, on social protection – 3%. The economic policy of Turkmenistan is aimed at ensuring sustainable and balanced growth through diversification and increase of competitiveness of the economy while preserving macroeconomic stability. Maintaining sustainable growth is based on the principle of harmonious interaction of economic, social, and environmental aspects of development. The social protection system in Turkmenistan consists of contributory and noncontributory social benefit programmes that provide broad coverage to citizens of various segments of the population, including paid leave during pregnancy, childbirth grant, universal childcare benefit for children under three years of age, social allowance for orphans and those who lost breadwinner in the family. In addition to cash benefits, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population (MoLSprovides home care services and case management support through Agencies for Social Service Provision. Status of Shock Responsive Social Protection in Turkmenistan During the COVID19 global pandemic the government of Turkmenistan prioritized maintenance of food security, saturating the market with essential and socially significant goods at state regulated prices. In order to support the domestic market and to expand the export potential for the cultivation of fruit and vegetable crops by domestic producers, the banking system of Turkmenistan provided preferential financing to greenhouse farms and production industries. Though, government paid special attention to maintaining the service provision throughout the health, education, and social protection sectors, the social assistance and cash benefits system was not expanded to provide additional monetary support to the vulnerable population. Throughout 20192023, Government participated in a range of capacity building and networking events related to the Humanitarian Cash Transfers. In 2023, Sock Responsive Social Protection Readiness Assessment was conducted jointly by UNICEF CO and Government of Turkmenistan. In 2024, a National Task force consisting from 13 Ministries and state entities cochaired by the Civil Rescue Operation and UNICEF was formed for Emergency preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction with an HCT subgroup. The SRSP Readiness Assessment provided recommendations, covering shorttomedium term perspective with the objective of improving readiness of the social protection system, designing and piloting an example of HCTs. Taking these recommendations into action, the National Task Force seeks UNICEF’s support and international technical expertise to draft a National Action Plan on improving the shock responsiveness of the social protection system by introducing Humanitarian Cash Transfers into the country’s social transfers support system, administered by the Pension Fund of Turkmenistan at the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of Turkmenistan.
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How can you make a difference?
Building on the SRSP Assessment recommendations, UNICEF with the Government of Turkmenistan are seeking a national consultant to support the National Task Force in drafting a National Action Plan on improving the shock responsiveness of the social protection system by introducing Humanitarian Cash Transfers into the country’s social transfers support system.
Specific Tasks
While developing the National Action Plan, national consultant will work in close consultation with the International consultant:
1) Jointly with the national stakeholders revise the SRSP Readiness assessment document to make it ready for publication.
2) CoFacilitate National Task Force HCT subworking group to develop a framework that links social protection system with natureand manmade hazards and emergencies, specifically focusing on strengthening preparedness, response and recovery phases in emergency, including linkages between humanitarian cash transfers and social services.
3) With guidance from the International consultant, jointly with the National Task Force, contribute to the identifying and costing anticipatory actions for selected recurring natural emergencies. Support undertaking modeling to assess the impacts of the preparatory actions with the focus on climate change.
4) With guidance from the International consultant, participate in designing at least 2 HCT programs for the selected potential shocks with detailed SOPs, including:
a. Supporting the National partner capacity building workshop
b. Adapt the proposed HCT program design by international consultant to the national format and context in consultation with the Task force. Transform the SOPs developed by international consultant into bylaws or other normative documents.
c. Cofacilitate the indoors simulation workshop to test the sequence of processes and roles assigned as per the draft SOPs
5) Support Drafting of National Action Plan in national format and ensure that the recommendations provided by the International consultant are integrated into the National Action Plan with consideration of the context.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
- At least ten years progressively responsible professional work experience in the area of social sciences /development or related field, including the development of legislation and regulatory frameworks, project management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, methodological support, and research.
- Strong familiarity with the economic analysis, budget forecasting, as well as ability to state the analysis in the format relevant to the MoLSP.
- Proven knowledge and/or professional experience in methodology and legal document development.
- Relevant experience in/with government institutions and structures
- Proven strong communication and facilitation skills.
- Good knowledge and understanding of the national social protection sector.
- Proven analytical and report writing skills.
- Fluency in Russian and Turkmen; knowledge of the English language will be an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITA.
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, socioeconomic 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 zerotolerance 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(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 coverag. 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 (applicabland 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 fullyvaccinated status against SARSCoV2 (Covid19) with a World Health Organization (WHendorsed 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.
