Terms of Reference. Home based, with frequent travel to the field and HQ

Transcription

1 Terms of Reference Post Title: Duty station: Duration of assignment: Livelihoods Consultant Home based, with frequent travel to the field and HQ 3-6 months General Background The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is mandated to lead and co-ordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. It strives to ensure that everyone can exercise the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another State. While UNHCR's primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees, our ultimate goal is to help find durable solutions that will allow them to rebuild their lives in dignity. There are three durable solutions pursued by UNHCR for 6.4 million refugees in protracted situations: voluntary repatriation; local integration; or resettlement to a third country. While pursuing durable solutions UNHCR additionally tries to increase the self-reliance and livelihood opportunities of refugees. Context for the Post The strategic goal of livelihoods programming in UNHCR is to enable the self-reliance of persons of concern, enhancing their freedom and their capacity to accelerate and participate in the achievement of durable solutions. The challenges faced by refugees and displaced populations in finding decent economic opportunities have been subject to growing attention in UNHCR operations. Efforts to strengthen the organisation s understanding of refugee livelihoods and capacity to deliver adequate services and useful livelihoods programs is continuing while the number of operations that have shown interest in boosting their capacity and activities in this area is growing every year. The national, legal and policy environment in refugee hosting countries places varying degrees of restrictions on refugees' right to work and freedom of movement. In spite of these, refugees use different strategies to generate income, mostly through daily labouring jobs in the informal sector. The initial assets that refugees can rely on - such as their skills, access to financial capital, physical health, social networks - are critical in widening their options to access safe and productive work or engage in income generating activities. In many cases however, these assets are either insufficient from the start, or have been eroded by years of displacement. Consequently, a significant proportion of refugees are exposed to various forms of economic exploitation, and to arrest and detention by authorities. The UNHCR livelihoods team is developing a Global Livelihoods Strategy that will better define opportunities for UNHCR staff and partners and other relevant actors to develop and implement sustainable livelihoods programmes for displaced populations.

2 Purpose UNHCR is searching for an accomplished and highly motivated livelihoods expert to provide assistance and guidance to UNHCR s livelihoods programming in the field. The consultant will be responsible for assessing and compiling existing socio-economic data, conduct necessary assessments (contract external agencies, if needed), review on-going livelihoods activities and local development plans, map out partnership opportunities, and develop or implement comprehensive livelihood strategies for field operations. Scope and focus The strategic planning process to be undertaken will be conducted in regard to the policy environment and social or political processes that enable or inhibit access to work and other livelihood opportunities; diversity in the refugee population, in terms of their socio-economic status, i.e. the livelihood assets and strategies that households and individual men and women use to survive; and the protection challenges refugees face in the settlements. Institutions and existing programmes that support or can potentially support livelihood development and create economic opportunities in the hosting areas also need to be identified and/or formalized. The strategic plan will cover refugees in the settlements/urban areas, as well as surrounding local communities who provide a reference as to what to expect in the target area and include all or aspects of existing on-going livelihoods activities in the various parts of the country. The consultant will ensure the livelihood strategy is developed through a consultative process involving the participation and contribution of a Multi-functional Team, representatives of the refugee community, Government, the host community and the public and the private sector, as well as relevant organizations such as UNHCR s Implementing Partners (IP) and Community Organizations (COs), WFP, FAO, UNDP and other potential partners. Responsibilities Outputs: - The current livelihood strategies of refugee and local populations in the target area are documented, including: o The socio-economic profile of the already assessed population verified (main wealth-group/socio-economic categories of the population characterized in terms of household composition; livelihood assets; income sources; foodsecurity status); o The livelihood assets and strategies of households defined within each wealthgroup, with particular attention to the different roles of men and women, capacities and capacity-gaps for accessing employment/self-employment opportunities. - The contextual opportunities and constraints for employment/self-employment are documented, including:

3 o o o The actors and institutions operating in or delivering services to the area; the accessibility of markets for goods and services; the accessibility of vocational training, financial services, and business services providers; The development processes in the area (review local development plans and identify planned or potential sources of public/private sector investment; other processes that can affect the markets); The policies and practices relating to employment, enterprise development, access to land etc., that influence development processes and affect livelihood opportunities in the area, as well as existing land and environmental management policies and practices and their potential threats. - Feasible strategies to reinforce and develop displaced populations capacities, livelihood assets and outcomes, address capacity gaps, and enhance their access to employment/self-employment opportunities are formulated. - Implementation and partnership arrangements are recommended. - Baseline indicators are selected, to enable regular assessment of changes in socioeconomic profiles, livelihood assets and outcomes of displaced population groups, inclusive of age- and gender-differentials. These should be based on FOCUS indicators, with adjustments (such as proxy indicators), if necessary, to the local environment. Activities: - Review of secondary information (relevant existing reports/studies and previous livelihoods assessment). - Institutional mapping of relevant organizations and institutions, highlighting what organizations are doing and for whom, including both existing and planned programmes that could be directly or indirectly supporting refugee livelihoods. - Key informant interviews, if necessary, with relevant stakeholders from local/national institutions related to training, employment, finance, enterprise, agriculture, etc; community leaders; knowledgeable persons in the communities; representatives of trade groups, cooperatives, and special interest groups; UNHCR staff members; staff from partner organizations. - A series of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with household-members from each of the identified wealth groups; and with special interest groups (e.g. groups of women, persons from similar trades, youth, etc) to verify the wealth of information and suggested livelihoods activities. A sufficient number of FGDs will be conducted with each representatives of each of the wealth groups, to allow for systematic verification and cross-checking of information and ensure consistency in the data collected and aggregated for each wealth group. Other Participatory Rural Assessment methods may prove useful e.g. transect walks; seasonal calendars; etc. - Data analysis - using the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework; and analytical tools such as SWOT analysis. o Verify existing information on livelihood assets and strategies of different wealth groups, and of men and women within these; identify strengths and weaknesses in terms of capacities and capacity gaps (internal factors). o Analyse the opportunities and threats related policies, institutions, and processes (external factors); this includes opportunities/threats in the formal and informal employment markets, supply and demand of goods and services,

4 o including financial services. Opportunities may be found in terms of emerging 'market niches'. Identify means of enhancing strengths and opportunities, and of addressing or preventing weaknesses and threats. Formulate actionable recommendations. - Prepare a summary of key findings and recommendations, including new and on-going projects, and present them in a restitution meeting/workshop, gathering key stakeholders in the assessment and programming process. - Draft a comprehensive report; submit for review and incorporate comments into a quality final report. Qualifications (academic, experience) - Advanced University degree (Master Level minimum) in Development studies, Development economics, Agricultural economics, Labour economics, Socio-economic studies, or other related field. Additional areas of experience could include poverty reduction; economics, business administration or management. - Minimum of 10 years of relevant practical field experience within one or more of the following areas: Socio-economic and/or household economy assessments; risks and vulnerability assessments, Market assessments, rapid and participatory rural Appraisal. Experience also in livelihood programming in terms of: cooperatives and/or microfinance, employment promotion, entrepreneurship building, private sector development, local economic recovery/poverty-reduction strategies, agriculture/livestock/natural resource management, urban and rural small business development; Vocational and Technical Education and Training (VTET); Income Generating Activities; Value chain analysis; Cash assistance. - Knowledge about latest development in the livelihoods sector, and in-depth knowledge of at least 2 technical sub-sectors in livelihoods (e.g. microfinance, vocational training and technical education, business development, technology, entrepreneurship building, cash assistance, community contracting, employment services, agriculture/rural development). - Demonstrated experience in conducting assessments for planning and/or evaluation purposes. Familiarity with established assessment and analytical tools is desirable in the expert s specialty (e.g. Household economy approach; Sustainable livelihoods framework; Market analysis: EMMA; Mifira; Socio-economic profiling; SMART methodology, UNHCR SENS guidelines, Evaluation of Access and Coverage methods of SQUEAC/SLEAC). - Familiarity with community-based and participatory approaches. - Experience in working effectively with UN organisations, international and national NGOs, and with government authorities at national level; familiarity with the FAO, IFAD, ILO and the UN System approach relating to decent work, and with priorities and approaches of workers and employers organizations representing rural men and women would also be an asset. - Fluency in English required. Knowledge of another UN language will be an asset. Skills: - Excellent analytical and communication skills in English - Demonstrated publications record, covering research, technical, and policy areas;

5 - Ability to work as a part of a multi-cultural and international team; - Excellent networking skills with private and public sector institutions; - Extensive computer skills including excel, word and power point. Duration Approximately 3 6 months per assignment/deployment (with multiple deployments possible within a year) Enquiries/How to apply Please send an with your CV and cover letter before 1 December 2013 to livelihoods@unhcr.org.