UNICEF Somalia Consultant - UN Joint Programme on Local Governance Job in Puntland Somalia

Ref: UNSOM/2010/037
Title: Consultant - UN Joint Programme on Local Governance

Type of Contract: Special Service Agreement (SSA)
Duty Station: Puntland (with frequent travel within Somalia)

Duration: 50 Days
No. of Posts: 2 (One for Education and one for Health)

Date of Issue: 1 December 2010
Closing date of Applications: 14 December 2010

Qualified candidates are invited to apply for a Consultancy position to support UN Joint Programme on Local Governance and decentralised service delivery service delivery in Puntland.

Purpose of the Post:

The purpose of this contract is to support in identifying the current service delivery practices within the Education and Health sectors as well as the current response to Law Number 7 of 2003 by the MOE and MOH and based on this determine if any functions within the remit of the Ministries can be devolved to the districts.

More specifically, using the Sector Guidelines developed by the JPLG as the main tool for analysis, this assignment will aim at:

I. Documenting, describing and analyzing how Education services are currently being provided by the Ministry of Education including laws/acts, systems, structures, procedures, regulations, staffing, staff profiles, staff development initiatives, and fund flows (including national budget and external resources) at all levels - central, regional and district level as well as service providers (see scope below).

II. Based on the above assessment, describe and document how the Ministry of Education currently responds to Law Number 7 in the provision of Education services.

III. Document and define the proposed roles and organization of the Ministry of Education following devolution of services to the districts in consultation with MOH.

IV. Make recommendations on the following:

    * Policy/ Strategies/ Guidelines to be updated/amended/developed.
    * Functions to be transferred to various levels -regions, district and zonal
    * Identify laws and regulations within the Ministry which need to be amended, changed or drafted in order to harmonize the legal framework.
    * Costing of all the key requirements including staffing needs for delivery of assigned functions and responsibilities following the devolution
    * Proposed roles of the Ministry of Education, staffing, and budgets in accordance to the new function responsibilities Phased plan including small scale pilots to address the assignment of functions to districts.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Following the sector guidelines provided, the consultant will be expected to carry out the following tasks in order to achieve the above objectives:

    * Prepare an appropriate and acceptable methodology for the assignment that will include qualitative and quantitative information in consultation with UNICEF/JPLG team, MOE/MOH and other stakeholders.
    * Develop appropriate and acceptable data collection tools in consultation with MOE/MOH, and other stakeholders
    * Collect data and do analysis based on the proposed methodology and data collection tools
    * Compile a draft report of findings, lessons learnt and best practices, and challenges
    * Present and disseminate the study findings to UNICEF/JPLG and other stakeholders, and validate with MOE/MOH for inputs
    * Finalize report based on comments from UNICEF/JPLG, MOE/MOH and other stakeholders.

Qualifications and experience:

    * Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Planning, Education, Sociology, Decentralization, Economics, Political Science or related field.
    * Extensive experience in sector decentralization in complex and conflict or post conflict settings
    * Theoretical knowledge and practical experience working with local governance and sector decentralization.
    * Significant professional experience in rural communities of Africa.
    * Strong experience in promoting horizontal intersectoral collaboration in a decentralization process.
    * Demonstrated strong analytical, writing and problem solving skills required.
    * Experience working in Somalia an advantage or East African experience.
    * More than five years experience in research-program /project evaluation, sector decentralization in complex and conflict or post conflict setting and must have completed at least three high quality research/assessment, one of which must be on Decentralization.
    * Production of sample work is required.
    * Fluency in written and spoken English

Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications with updated UN Personal History Form (P11), updated CV, copies of academic certificates to the following addresses. UN staff are requested to provide last two Performance Evaluation Reports (PERs).

Please quote the vacancy number in your application.

Chief of Field Office
Vacancy Number 2010/037
NEZ- Bossaso,
Somalia

Or email to: somaliahrvacancies@unicef.org

Please note that documents submitted along with your applications will not be returned.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted

Qualified female candidates are especially encouraged to apply

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