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 CHILDHOOOD.

How can you make a difference?

Scope of Work:

• Enhancing policy coherence, institutional capacity, and cross-sector collaboration
• Enhancing social protection and disaster risk data management
• Enhancing social protection programmes and delivery systems

• https://documents.worldbank.org/en/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/099836312052376180/idu09b67011502d4604964093f3030f6d45cb2eb
• https://www.unicef.org/romania/reports/shock-responsive-social-protection-romania).

1. An international consultant with solid experience and profound knowledge on pre-arranged financing for disasters and shock-responsive social protection as a team leader;
2. A national consultant on social protection and,
3. A national consultant on public finance. The international consultant will lead the team of national consultants.

Although the individual scope of work is assigned to each consultant, both national and international consultants will contribute to deliver the common results under the three objectives of the general assignment described below:

• Support the national social protection consultant in undertaking a desk review and in addressing the following questions:
• What are the major types of shocks i.e. economic, political, social, environmental, climate-induced etc. that are affecting or can affect the population in Romania in the future?
• What is the country’s underlying poverty trend and the nature of vulnerability, including how these relate to vulnerability to shocks? Which population groups (including children) are most likely to be affected by shocks?
• What are the characteristics of the shocks that the social protection system will aim to address? E.g., earthquake, drought.
• What are the pre-conditions for the national social protection system response in the situation of shocks? E.g., functioning financial service providers, availability of markets etc.
• What are the forecast scenarios for the major risks and hazards the country may face in the future?
• Support the national consultant on public finance in mapping the funds allocated and utilized for disaster response, from all sources, including the EU funds, in recent years (e.g., three or five-year period), disaggregated by disaster type and by managing institutions both at national and sub-national levels.
• Review the existing disaster risk reduction (DRR) policies and strategies in Romania.
• Review the existing disaster risk reduction financing strategies and procedures in Romania.
• Develop of a pre-arranged financing strategy to support the use of social protection system in situations of covariate shocks.

• Support the national social protection consultant in reviewing the social protection legislation, coordination mechanisms, vulnerability assessment approaches applied in emergency contexts and help with developing new operating procedures (amendments to the legislation) and inter-agency data sharing protocols.
• Support the national public finance consultant in estimating the cost of vertical expansion of social protection benefit programmes based on risk analyses and forecast scenarios (e.g., in a situation of an earthquake that leaves 500,000 people without homes).
• Support the national consultants in reviewing the legislation and policies on budgeting and the funding flows of social protection benefits.
• Propose a list of recommendations on financing the vertical expansion, to be included in pre-arranged financing strategy

Objective 3. Supporting the use of the Emergency Aid programme in situations of covariate shocks.

• Support the national social protection consultant in preparing amendments to the Emergency Aid programme’s legal provisions and operating procedures.
• Support the national public finance consultant in reviewing the legislation and policies on budgeting and the funding flows of the Emergency Aid programme.
• Support the national public finance consultant in estimating the cost of enrolling new beneficiaries into the Emergency Aid programme in situation of covariate shocks based on risk analyses and forecast scenarios (e.g., in a situation of an earthquake that leaves 500,000 people without homes).
• Prepare a list of recommendations on financing the expansion of the Emergency Aid programme, to be included in pre-arranged financing strategy.

• Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of European Projects and Investments, Ministry of Family, Youth and Equal Opportunities, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Water and Forests etc.
• Sub-national public authorities: county and local governments

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

• Advanced University(Masters) degree in public finance, economics, public administration, social policies or a related field.

• Minimum 3 years of experience in supporting governments on shock-responsive social protection, preferably in EU member states
• Experience in undertaking research/studies, data collection and analyses and costing exercises related to shock-responsive social protection
• Experience in supporting governments in financing for disaster response-
• Experience of working with and leading the team of national experts
• Computer skills, including Internet navigation and various office applications
• Experience in engaging with governments, international organizations, and civil society entities
• Familiarity with the UN & EU agenda
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s mandate and programmes is an advantage
• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex topics on public finance and disaster response
• Analytical thinking and strategic planning skills, ability to facilitate, consult and negotiate with a broad range of government and non-government partners.
• Fluency in English
• Strong report writing and presentation skills

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.