Social Protection Officer-CSSP implementation and coordination support

Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Jubbaland State Federal Government of Somalia
Child Sensitive Social Protection Programme

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Social Protection Officer-CSSP implementation and coordination support

Background

The Child Sensitive Social Protection Programme (CSSP) is an unconditional cash-based social transfer program that targets pregnant and lactating women (PLW) with children under one-year-old. The programme is funded through transitional development aid funding by the German Government (Ministry of Economic Cooperation BMZ) through KfW and is being implemented by UNICEF in partnership with the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) through the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA). The CSSP programme builds upon UNICEF's social protection experience both within and outside of Somalia to ensure the greatest impact on the future well-being of children. The programme aims to improve the ability of families to cover the bare minimum requirements of basic food and water for survival and to enhance access to essential social services, such as health and nutrition services and birth registration. These objectives are to be achieved through a monetary transfer during a crucial stage of child development – within the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. Through its ‘cash plus’ element, the programme will also contribute to improving the ability of households to maintain their livelihoods and meet the basic expenditure for health and protection through strengthened linkages between cash transfer programmes and key services.

The second phase of the CSSP will be implemented in one district each in two Federal Member States: Hirshabelle and Jubbaland. In parallel with the first phase, the design of CSSP Phase II is aligned to the national social protection program Baxnaano with a planned integration as a second categorical window of Baxnaano. The three components of the CSSP programme that will contribute to this objective are:

1.      Component 1: Social Cash Transfers to Pregnant/Lactating Women and Young Children (1,000 days) to be implemented using the government social protection delivery system and led on the ground by implementing partners through a partnership agreement with UNICEF and close collaboration with the Somali Government at federal, state and district levels.

2.      Component 2: Improved Access to Nutrition and Health Information and Services via Cash Plus- to be led by UNICEF Social Policy in collaboration with the health, nutrition, and child protection sections.

3.      Component 3: Strengthening Government Capacity and Ownership of Social Protection in Somalia- to be led by UNICEF Social Policy in collaboration with the Government at the federal, state and district levels.

Job Summary

The Social Protection Officer will support MOLSA to establish functional social protection structures at the federal, FMS and district for the coordination, implementation, and generation of evidence on the Child Sensitive Social Protection Programme (CSSP). The Social Protection Officer will ensure the structures established at all levels of government effectively leverage and coordinate with existing resources from Baxnaano, SAGAL, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund, the SDG Fund, and the UN Joint Programme on Local Governance (JPLG) to efficiently deliver services to Pregnant and Lactating Women.  The Social Protection Officer will complement the implementing partners in operationalizing the social cash transfers and facilitating linkages to the identified social services under component two of the CSSP program. The Social Protection Officer will also be closely coordinating with the decentralization process supported under the Joint Programme on Local Governance and Decentralized Service Delivery (JPLG) by actively participating in District Decentralization sector forums in the respective districts.

Objectives and scope of work

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Director of Social Protection, and in close collaboration with the CSSP team, the Baxnaano PIU, the Social Protection Officer will provide technical support to the implementation of CSSP activities. Specifically, the SP Officer will be responsible for the following:

Knowledge Management:

·         Active participation and knowledge management in all coordination activities, including PIU meetings.

·         Work with the team to develop and produce a range of knowledge products, including short case studies and thematic syntheses of experience.

·         Support MoLSA staff to monitor progress and evaluate results, and to record, write,

and edit lessons from operational experience.

·         Focal point for checking progress with LGAs and district-level CSSP staff on a weekly basis.

·         Performs monitoring spot checks at LGA and community level.

·         Responsible for overall compliance of PIU members, LGA Unit officers, programme staff at the community level and recipients with the processes described in the programme manuals, as well as update of these manuals.

Technical and operational support for the implementation of the MoLSA responsibilities under the CSSP at the FMS level. 

·         Support MoLSA to review and endorse the Programe Operations Manual for the CSSP that is aligned to the extent possible with the operations manual of Baxnaano duly considering the (legal) requirements and safeguards of the involved institutions (KfW, UNICEF, and Implementing Partners).

·         Facilitate the use of MoLSA GRM to support the implementation of the CSSP by implementing partners. This will require liaising with the GRM team and the IPs to ensure speedy transfer, resolution and provision of feedback grievances coming through the MoLSA GRM channel.

·         Support the review and collation of the MoLSA inputs on the design and implementation of the baseline and process evaluations of the CSSP to identify the impacts of the programme on young children and their families.

·         Organize two learning events on the experience of FMS, districts, and the implementing partners in implementing the CSSP. These learning events will focus on the experience of adopting the universal categorical approach, the potential for a more decentralized approach to implementing cash transfers, and the results from evaluating the CSSP.

In the absence of the Project Officer act as the CSSP focal person within MoLSA FMS to ensure timely and effective planning, utilization and reporting on the use of CSSP resources to UNICEF.

·         Support the Project Officer in the overall planning, implementation, and monitoring of the CSSP activities in collaboration with MoLSA counterparts at district level and the key implementing partners of the CSSP.

·         Provide assistance to MoLSA in requesting for funds for implementing activities on the Annual Workplan and liquidation of the funds in accordance with UNICEF’s HACT procedures.

·         Identify any capacity needs at the district level and provide adequate support in a timely manner.

·         Prepare regular narrative reports for each quarterly request and liaise with the MoLSA finance to prepare the accompanying financial reports as part of the liquidation process. These reports will need to be approved by UNICEF before MoLSA submits the next budget request.

·         Engage effectively with CSSP stakeholders and support effective/strategic communication of CSSP objectives and achievements. Identify communication needs and provide appropriate support.

Supervisor &Deliverables

The Social Protection Officer shall be supervised by the Director of Social Protection, MoLSA and will provide the following deliverables:

·         Engage and liaise closely with key implementing partners and provided technical and operational support as required and in alignment with the agreed workplan.

·         Serve as MoLSA FMS representative in all operational activities being conducted by the implementing partner, including participation in community awareness and sensitization and overseeing key processes such as community validation and sensitization on the uptake of social services.

·         Lead field visits for the verification and validation of mapping results of health, nutrition, birth registration and GBV services at district level, ensuring that the UNICEF and MoLSA FGS endorsed template is used for data collection, and ensure that district officials participate and report on district-level verification and validation of identified service centers.

·         Provide operational guidance to identified Community Health Workers on the CSSP as appropriate, including ensuring that the community is mobilized through dialogue and awareness raising on health, information, and nutrition services.

·         Support implementing partners in social mobilization, through active participation, and ensuring that all IEC materials are appropriate for the programme (e.g. ensure that the appropriate logos are used for Government representation, language in awareness materials are contextually and culturally appropriate,

·         Coordinate and ensure the participation of all key technical and operational staff of CSSP at State and District level in key CSSP events such as the programme operational launch and review meetings.

·         Support MoLSA inputs on the CSSP Programme Operations Manual and M&E framework

·         Key participant in field monitoring visits led by MoLSA FMS, ensuring that key elements of the programme are adhered to, including the inclusion of minority and marginalized groups as actual programme beneficiaries and sufficient representation in the implementing partners teams.

·         Reports on joint field monitoring activities on CSSP implementation with key recommendations for improvement

·         Supports the production of MoLSA updates on the CSSP to the Social Protection Steering Committee and the Government Development Partners Working Group.

The monthly payment of the consultant will be subject to the satisfactory delivery of concrete deliverables and the submission of timely and quality monthly progress reports to MOLSA and UNICEF.

·         University degree in social science, economics, public administration etc and 5 years of relevant work experience (Social protection field and SSPP implementation)

·         Knowledge and practical experience in government engagement, communications and outreach, stakeholder cooperation and project cycle design, management, and implementation.

·         Excellent theoretical and operational understanding of the field of social protection, specifically social safety nets and cash transfer programs and previous experience on Social Protection in Somalia.

·         Understanding of the overall political, administrative, and institutional context of Somalia at the federal, state and district level.

·         Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.

·         Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

·         Ability to speak fluent English and Somali language.

·         Ability to multitask and work under tight deadlines in a highly complex environment.

·         Ability to take initiative, work independently and deliver high-quality results on time.

To apply, send your CV to emails [email protected]o and copy or Cc [email protected] indicating the vacancy number and location for the position you are applying to by June 18th, 2024.