Purpose: To support the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation to review youth related policies and strategies and come up with gender sensitive, right based comprehensive youth policy and strategy appropriate for better public service provision for young people in South Sudan
Expected fee: Equivalent to P4 level
Location: Juba with travels to the South Sudan states
Duration: Four months
Start Date: September 10, 2011
Reporting to: The consultant will report to the Chief of Social Policy, Planning, M&E, UNICEF South Sudan for overall direction and guidance
Background
UNICEF South Sudan has recently conducted capacity assessment of Ministry of Youth Sport and Recreation, a ministry with major responsibility for young people. According to the findings of the assessment, the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation and Ministry of Culture were structured as one ministry and shared one policy. However, since 2010 they have been split into two. Moreover, the assessment indicated that policy document of the ministry is “characterized by indistinct vision, mission and objective statements. The policy has not indicated mandates of the states and counties as implementers of programs and public service providers. The organization is structured along very classical vertical lines.”
The capacity assessment also revealed that the ministry does not have 3-5 years strategic plan. Rather, it has been guided by ad hoc plans.
Moreover, it is not known to what extent other sector ministries (e.g., ministries of health, education, rural development, finance and economic planning) have considered youth issues in their respective policies, strategies and programs, and how these ministries relate to the parent youth ministry.
In addressing youth related problems, UNICEF South Sudan together with Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation and other stakeholders has developed YouthLEAD (Youth Leadership, Empowerment, Advocacy and Development) project proposal and secured funding from CIDA for three years. One of the components of the interventions is reviewing youth related polices and strategies across sectors, and come up with comprehensive youth policy and strategy.
Justification
The need to have comprehensive youth policy and viable strategy for South Sudan is evident. Young people between the ages of 15 to 30 constitute about 40 per cent of the total population of South Sudan currently estimated at 8.2m. Given that 70% of the population is under the age of 30 , the number of the youth is expected to increase even further in the next few years. This demographic significance notwithstanding, the youth in South Sudan is faced with several challenges that place obstacles to their livelihoods and development. Firstly, most of them are returnees either from neighbouring countries or from areas of previous displacement including from North Sudan, are currently displaced from their home areas, and some are traumatized ex-soldiers. One out of five of every youth is illiterate. Reportedly only 1% has received/ done vocational training. HIV/AIDS prevalence is said to be about 3.5% among the population where the majority are the youth. Almost all youth have very limited knowledge and life skills, and about 2/3 is unemployed, implying the significance of systematic approach that is based on clear policy statements and strategic directions.
As indicated above, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation policy needs significant revision considering its vision, mission, mandates, organizational structures, etc. Well prepared youth policy helps to hold public service providers accountable and make important organizational decisions for overall youth development in South Sudan. It helps to show commitments of the government for the youth. Youth policy may also assist in addressing the rampant involvement of young people in activities such as tribal conflicts, cattle rustling and similar vices where young people are routinely used by some negative forces to advance their aims. The policy may also provide clear statements on participation and contributions of youth in voluntary services.
On the other hand, youth strategy will help to integrate the youth policy with the environmental opportunities and threats and improve efficiency and effectiveness of Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation and its partners. It will provide the road map for Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation in addressing youth issues. Youth strategy also serves as a hedge against uncertainty for investing in the youth. It aids the concentration of resources on vital areas of best potential, the youth. It offers a methodology by which the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation together with its partners could anticipate and project the future and be equipped to face it. Although youth strategy has paramount importance in paving ways and means to invest in the youth, it none exists in South Sudan justifying its immediate need.
Objective
The objective of this assignment is to support the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation to review youth related policies and strategies and come up with gender sensitive, right based comprehensive youth policy and strategy appropriate for better public service provision for young people in South Sudan.
Specific Tasks
The consultant will perform the following tasks:
• Produce an action plan in consultation with UNICEF programme sections, field offices and relevant stakeholders such as YouthLEAD Management Committee and Ministry of Youth Sport and Recreation • Desk review of youth related policies and strategies across sectors in South Sudan and from selected countries in the sub-region and document major findings • Develop/adapt and pilot test policy and strategy review tools in consultation and with the involvement of key stakeholders • Modify data collection tools based on pilot test results • Produce inception report that reveals modifications of action plans and data collection tools • Collect relevant and reliable data on youth related policies and strategies from sample target groups and stakeholders • Organize and analyze data • Produce draft report • Suggest /provide new input into the youth policy on the basis of findings and recommendations • Draft comprehensive youth development strategy • Organize youth policy and strategy validation workshop in consultation with UNICEF and YouthLEAD Management Committee • Produce quality final youth policy and strategy documents by incorporating comments and suggestions during the validation workshop • Produce consultancy task accomplishment report
Methodology
The consultant is expected to make use of, but not limited to, the following methods and techniques:
Document / desk review: The consultant will examine existing youth related policies and strategies in South Sudan, The three years South Sudan Development Plan, YouthLEAD project documents, Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation Capacity Assessment Report, YouthLEAD Project Implementation Planning (PIP) workshop report, UNICEF program strategic documents, plans and guidelines, and any relevant literature in the field. Content analysis matrices may be used to review and capture information with regards to available youth related policies and strategies. Moreover, experiences of selected countries in the sub-region shall be reviewed, discussed and documented if relevant to the South Sudan situation.
Questionnaires, informant interviews, focus group discussions, observation check lists, etc. will be used to generate information on recurrent challenges faced by the youth and youth related policy and strategy gaps.
Photographing, audio and video recordings may be used to document information from target groups.
The collected information will be systematically organized as new input for rights based, comprehensive and gender sensitive youth policy and strategy.
The draft policy and strategy will be presented at a stakeholders’ validation workshop which will be followed by incorporating comments and finalizing the documents for approval by the South Sudan Legislative Assembly.
The consultant will report to the Chief of SPPME in UNICEF for overall direction and guidance. He/she will consult with the Director, Chief of Programmes and other Chiefs of Section in UNICEF South Sudan as appropriate.
The assignment will require close interaction with senior Government officials at ROSS and State level and UNICEF staff at the Zonal Offices. The consultant will also interact with other UN agencies, INGOs and youth CSOs that may share their experiences and serve as a rich source of information on young people.
Expected Deliverables
To facilitate the achievement of the above objectives, the following deliverables are expected from the consultant:
- Action plan to carry out youth policy and strategy review
- Inception report of the policy and strategy review that consists of revised action plan and data collection tools
- Summary of findings from document review and quick field survey
- First draft of Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation Policy and Strategy to be presented at validation workshop
- Brief validation workshop report
- Final Ministry of Youth, Sport and Recreation Policy
- Final Ministry of Youth, Sports and Recreation Strategy
- Consultancy task accomplishment report
Reporting
The consultant will report to the Chief of Social Policy, Planning, M&E, UNICEF South Sudan for overall direction and guidelines.
Expected Background and Experience
• Advanced university degree, in youth, sports, education, social policy, population studies, monitoring and evaluation, social sciences or a related technical field • 8-10 years of experience in policy and strategy review and formulations; designing, managing, implementing and monitoring multi-sectoral programmes; working on systems design and research in developing countries • Experience in the area of youth development and capacity building, specifically with governments in post conflict settings would be an added advantage • Fluency in English and another UN language required • Knowledge of the local working language of the duty station is an asset. • Computer literacy, particularly the usage of word, power point, excel and statistical packages (e.g. Access and SPSS) for analysing and processing and managing statistical information • Experience in government capacity development as well as study report writing • Effective communication ability both orally and in writing to varied audiences • Experience in effectively working y in a multi-cultural environment • Experience to set high standards for quality of work and consistently achieving task objectives • Ability to work independently by identifying challenges and acting promptly to tackle them • Experience in analysing and integrating diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources • Experiences in in technical knowledge, research findings, and recommendations across organizations
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply for this consultancy service.
General Conditions
Procedures and Logistics
• UNICEF shall be responsible for the Consultant’s Fees and other related costs, including costs associated with the consultant’s travels to Juba and back to the consultant’s place of abode. • The consultant is entitled to DSA inside South Sudan as per UNICEF rules and regulations. • The assignment is for 4 months and the consultant shall be remunerated by UNICEF in accordance with UNICEF’s regulations, rules and policies including those relating to methods and timing of payment.
• Working space and working tools will be provided for the consultant to work from UNICEF premises. • The consultant is not entitled to sick leave with pay, annual leave or over-time payment, including weekends and during holidays. • Upon completion of the assignment, UNICEF shall be responsible for the return travel arrangements for the consultant from the closest port of entry to the duty station designated by UNICEF in its request.
• Where UNICEF arranges for the evacuation of the consultant because of a medical, security or emergency UNICEF shall be responsible for the costs involved. • UNICEF shall be responsible for all internal travel arrangements within South Sudan or region of the assignment.
Policy both parties should be aware of
• Under the consultancy agreements, a month is defined as 21 working days, and fees are prorated accordingly. Consultants are not paid for weekends or public holidays. • No contract may commence unless the contract is signed by both UNICEF and the consultant or contractor. • For international consultants outside the duty station, signed contracts must be sent by fax or email. Signed contract copy or written agreement must be received by the office before Travel Authorization is issued. • No consultant may travel without a signed travel authorization prior to the commencement of the journey to the duty station. • Unless authorized, UNICEF will buy the tickets of the consultant. In exceptional cases, the consultant may be authorized to buy their travel tickets and shall be reimbursed at the “most economical and direct route” but this must be agreed to beforehand. • Consultants will not have supervisory responsibilities or authority on UNICEF budget. • Consultant will be required to sign the Health statement for consultants/Individual contractor prior to taking up the assignment, and to document that they have appropriate health insurance. • The Form 'Designation, change or revocation of beneficiary' must be completed by the consultant upon arrival, at the HR Section.
Please send your CV's and UN P-11 forms to jubavacancies@unicef.org
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