UNICEF recrute un consultant pour l’évaluation de la réponse à la crise humanitaire L2 au Cameroun

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For every child, advocate :

The population in both North-West and South-West represents nearly 17% of Cameroon’s total population. The perceived marginalization of the English-speaking population has been a feature of the economic and political dynamics since the country became independent (1960), reunified (1966) unified (1972) and centralized (1984). Geographically, these two regions cover 16,364 square kilometers out of the country’s total area of 475,442 square kilometers.

Before the conflict broke out, the South-West region played an important role in the national economy, especially with industrial agriculture and trans-border trade with Nigeria. Part of Cameroon’s crude oil, which accounts for one twelfth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), is pumped from wells located offshore of the South-West region (NW/SW). Since October 2016, historically rooted frustrations among the NW/SW population morphed into political demands, leading to protests and strikes (political demonstrations were organized against the Government of Cameroon around mostly issues of education and language). On October 1^st, 2017, secessionists unilaterally declared the independence of the putative state of Ambazonia, leading to further deterioration of the conflict. This seemingly vicious cycle has led to unprecedented levels of violence in South-West and North-West regions. Since the start of the conflict, over 457,000 (UNOCHA estimations) people have been displaced within the two regions and the neighboring Littoral and West regions. Within the NW/SW regions, it is estimated that 60% of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are taking refuge in the forest, while 40% living in the urban/peri-urban settings. As the majority of the people affected are agriculturalists or agro-pastoralists, their displacement has resulted in the depletion/destruction of their livelihoods creating large financial burdens and also psychological distress. For those living in the urban/peri-urban setting, most displaced persons are staying with host families, whose means of survival are already stretched due to the crisis. With the displacements becoming prolonged, the situation is on the brim of an even greater crisis.

Health facilities, schools and other providers of social services have been targeted by both parties to the conflict. The conflict has dealt a devastating blow to education. Over 80 per cent of schools are closed or non-operational, affecting more than 609,000 children (Government of Cameroun, 2018). Schools have been targeted  at least 74 have been destroyed so far and students, teachers and school personnel have been exposed to violence, abduction and intimidation. Education has become politized by non-state armed groups to put pressure on the Government and the international community to respond to their call for dialogue and independence.

Displaced populations as well as those who have decided to remain at home and those who fled to the bushes have nearly no access to health care and to other basic commodities such as sanitation and to potable water. Children have been the most affected, having had to flee their homes for the bush, as well as being unable to go to school.

In reaction to the evolving conflict, UNICEF declared a Level 2 Response for the two regions for an initial duration of 6 months (from 6 December 2018 to 31 May 2019). In June 2019, the Level 2 Response was confirmed for an additional period of 3 months

This evaluation will have two purposes: accountability and learning.

This evaluation will provide the UNICEF Cameroon Country Office, the UNICEF Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO), UNICEF Headquarter in New York and donors (vertical accountability) as well as the response expected beneficiaries and partners (horizontal accountability) with some solid evidence on the extent to which the response to the NW/SW crisis attained its envisaged objectives.

With respect to its learning purpose, this evaluation is expected not only to inform the current response implementation strategies,  but it will also shed some light on some potential corrective programmatic actions that may want to be adopted in the near future so as to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the response. Special emphasis will be placed over the role that partnerships and collaboration with other parties engaged in the response played in the effort to solve the access issues.

More specifically, this evaluation is expected to generate findings and recommendations that will help UNICEF Country Cameroon programme staff as well as other in-country partners to adapt the implementation of the humanitarian Programme to the emerging and specific needs of the affected population.

In order to fulfil its two envisaged purposes (accountability and learning), the evaluation will be guided by the following 6 criteria, in line with the OECD/DAC and ALNAP guidelines: Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Coordination, Coverage, Gender and Human Rights. A separate dimension on accountability to affected population will also be looked at. The impact criterion was not retained due to the challenge of estimating the causal attribution between the variety of activities implemented as part of the response and the effects attained on the ground .

ACTIVITIES, Deliverables and Timeline :

1. Inception Report, including a detailed description of the methodology, data collection tools, data analytical plan, and suggested work plan (Dec 20^th, 2020) ;
2. Power Point summarizing key preliminary findings and conclusions (to be held before the international consultant leaves the country) (February 2^nd, 2021) ;
3. First Draft of the evaluation report (February 17^th, 2021) ;
4. Recommendation validation workshop (to be facilitated remotely or by national consultant, as agreed with UNICEF) (March 1^st, 2021) ;
5. Final Evaluation report (max 40 pages with the rest to be placed in annexes) incorporating the commented made by UNICEF staff and the Reference Group members both in writing and during the recommendation validation workshop (March 15^th, 2021) ;
6. Power Point Presentation which summarizes the Evaluation Report with slide(s) of Key findings and recommendations (March 25^th, 2021) ;
7. Raw data in electronic medium, data collection instruments in electronic medium, transcripts in electronic medium, completed data sets, etc.(March 30^th, 2021) ;
8. An Infographic summarizing the key findings and conclusions (May 10^th, 20200).

Deliverables :

1. Development of inception report (this will include the development of the evaluation design and the data collection tools) + Inception Meetings; Inputs for the inception report, December 20th, 2020; 30% ;
2. Data collection and Field work in Cameroon + Debriefing on preliminary findings on the last day of the country mission; Inputs for Key preliminary findings; February 20th, 2021; 40% ;
3. Data analysis, conclusions and recommendations; Inputs for Final report; May 10th, 2021; 30%.

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

• Advanced university degree in the relevant fields such as public health, social science research, etc. ;
• More than 10years of experience in programme evaluation and must have completed at least three high quality programme/project evaluation in that period (a copy of an evaluation report, which the applicant has been a primary author of, will need to be submitted a part of the application) ;
• Must be familiar with emergency programming and Real-time evaluation approaches ;
• Excellent writing and communication skills in English ;
• Good work experience in conflict environments ;
• Good IT Skills including a good knowledge of MS Word, Power Point and Excel ;
• Good knowledge of UNICEF and the operational modalities of the United Nations ;
• Good knowledge of results-based programme management ;
• Previous experience working on evaluations with real time methodologies and geospatial analysis would be an asset.

Conditions of work :

The consultant will be based in Yaounde (1/3) and in Buea (2/3) during the primary data collection phase (there may be a chance for the evaluation team to go to Bamenda, as well, in the NW region). His/her will work remotely (the international consultant in his/her home country) during the rest of the assignment. The exact period and location where the data collection will take place will be proposed by the consultant in the bid document and discussed and agreed between the UNICEF and the consultant

Supervision :

In line with the UNICEF Evaluation Policy, this evaluation will be managed by the Regional Office for West and Central Africa (WCARO) in close collaboration with the Cameroon CO and FO.The Consultant will report to the WCAR Regional Evaluation Adviser.

For every Child, you demonstrate :

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 :

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.