Sierra Leone: Readvertisement - Consultancy for Review of Community Self Financing
Country: Sierra Leone
Closing date: 30 Oct 2013
Consultancy for Review of Community Self Financing
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Sierra Leone Country Office, invites applications from interested person for the above mentioned consultancy in the Social Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Section.
Purpose:-There are a number of different community initiatives in Sierra Leone that bring people together to raise funds and support livelihoods, education, healthcare and other community needs for children and their families. There is a need for a better understanding how these initiatives can be brought to scale in a sustainable manner to empower families and communities in caring for their children.
Location: - Freetown, Sierra Leone
Duration: - 5 weeks
Estimated Start Date: - 15 November, 2013
Overview:-High levels of poverty make it difficult for majority of people in Sierra Leone to spare funds for activities beyond basic food consumption. The population in absolute poverty is about 52.9 per cent and that in extreme poverty stands at 13.9 per cent. It is therefore very difficult for people in Sierra Leone to have extra money to use on important things such as education, healthcare, nutritious food, safe water, improved sanitation and maintenance of facilities. High borrowing costs, collapse of extended family safety nets, absence of social protection for poor and vulnerable people make it virtually impossible to access capital and diversify income generating sources. Self-help can therefore be an important strategy for communities to support their own initiatives for better livelihoods, health care, protection and education of their children.
Objectives:-The objectives of the consultancy will be to:(a) Map and analyse the performance of all main forms of community financing and self-help in Sierra Leone;(b) Study the enabling policy framework for community financing in Sierra Leone;(c) Determine obstacles to the development of community financing and self-help in Sierra Leone, including comparisons with other countries and international best practice.(d) Develop a framework for supporting the organisational development, leadership, financial literacy, resource mobilisation and effectiveness of community financing initiatives.(e) Suggest ways of increasing awareness on benefits of community financing and self-help.(f) Recommend how, given their respective mandates and comparative advantages, UNICEF, other development partners and Government can support community financing innovations.(g) Recommend policy actions that are necessary to create a better enabling environment for community financing and self-help in Sierra Leone.
Methodology and Tasks:-This consultants will analyze data, engage with communities, civil society, private sector, development partners and Government to ascertain how community self-help and financing initiatives can be strengthened in Sierra Leone to help poor and vulnerable people to improve their livelihoods.
Existing community financing initiatives such as the Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), Wi Pikin Groups, Empowerment and Livelihoods for Adolescent Girls (ELA),
Other service-based initiatives such as the Performance-Based Financing (PBF) and incentive schemes such as the Improving Schooling in Sierra Leone (ISIS) programme should also be analyzed to examine how they can provide synergies and be used as stepping stones for community based financing schemes.
Deliverables:-An inception report will be prepared at the outset outlining how tasks required in the consultancy shall be carried out. Secondary data will then be assembled and an outline of existing community financing initiatives and the policy environment prepared. A comprehensive report including an executive summary, background, analysis, conclusions and recommendations comprehensively addressing all objectives of the study outlined in (3) above will be delivered to the satisfaction of UNICEF on time as specified below.
Deliverable DeadlineInception report 3 days after commencementMeetings with relevant stakeholders and assembling of secondary data Week 1Field work to study community financing and self-help Week 2 and 3Analysis Week 3 and 4Submission of first draft of report End of week 4Quality assurance, final comments and production of final report End of week 5
The work will be conducted by 1 International Consultant as team leader supported by 1 national consultant working for 5 weeks (30 working days)
Qualification and Competence:-• Minimum of a Master’s degree in cooperative development studies, economics, anthropology, finance (with a bias for microfinance) or business administration (with a bias for small businesses). A combination of skills in several of these disciplines will be an added advantage.• At least 10 years of progressively responsible work experience in an organization supporting the development of self-help, cooperatives and community financing mechanisms.• Wide exposure to community financing practices gained through substantive relevant work experience in several developing countries including sub-Saharan Africa.• Excellent communication and presentation skills in English.
Responsibility of UNICEF:-• Facilitate availability of data and documents.• Arrange for meetings with partners and field work including transport while in the field.• Payment of applicable Daily Subsistence Allowance (DSA).• Payment of costs of international flights (economy) from home country to Sierra Leone and back, visa and terminal expenses. The office will arrange transportation to work on the first day of the mission while the staff finds his or her own means of transportation except that transport for field work and other official purposes will be provided. • Identification of possible hotels to stay. • UNICEF shall not be responsible for any other payments, insurance and reimbursements other than those specified here. The consultant is strongly advised to take out medical and evacuation insurance for the duration of stay in Sierra Leone.
Responsibility of the Consultant:-• Diligent work to deliver satisfactory outputs specified in the ‘deliverables’ in a timely fashion.• Adherence to all rules and procedures customarily required by UNICEF in the conduct of such work including maintaining confidentiality, recognizing that all products of the work are intellectual property of UNICEF and its partners and keeping working hours for the duration of the consultancy.
How to apply:
Submission of Applications:-Interested persons should send the following by email to srlrecruitment@unicef.org
(a) An application letter of no more than 1 page.(b) A write-up of no more than 2 pages suggesting the analytical methods you will use to review community self-financing initiatives.(c) Curriculum Vitae of no more than 4 pages.(d) A completed UN Form P.11 found on the UNICEF website.
The Personal History Form (P11) in MS Word format can be downloaded from our website at http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_53129.html. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 30 October, 2013.
UNICEF is a smoke-free environment.UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization.
