Consultancy to Develop a Joint UN Programme on Investing in Youth as Part of the New UN Development Assistance Framework (2013- 2017) – UNDP - Amman, Jordan

Location: Amman, JORDAN

Application Deadline: 31-Jan-13

Type of Contract: Individual Contract

Post Level: International Consultant

Languages Required: Arabic   English 

Starting Date: (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)   01-Mar-2013

Duration of Initial Contract: 45 days

Expected Duration of Assignment: 20 working days

Background

The Higher Council for Youth: In 2001, the Jordanian Higher Council for Youth (HCY) was established with the mandate to “formulate the national policy for youth and draw the necessary plans and programmes to implement it, through cooperation and coordination with relevant agencies for the purposes of consolidating their endeavors and utilizing their different resources” . The Council was also mandated with licensing sports clubs, establishing and managing youth centers in the different governorates, providing care for youth with special needs and promoting gifted youth and developing the necessary plans and programmes. Also in 2001, the National Youth and Sports Fund (YSF) was established as the main funding entity for youth development initiatives in the country. UN Youth initiatives in Jordan: Several initiatives have been undertaken by the different UN agencies to support the youth development and empowerment in Jordan through partnership with HCY and local NGOs working with young people. UN Agencies support to Youth UNDP: In 2003, UNDP initiated a project of support to the HCY and YSF including support to the formulation of the first National Youth Strategy (2005-2010). UNDP also supported the evaluation of this strategy and the formulation of a new phase of the strategy (2011-2015). As part of its regional strategy of response to the Arab spring, UNDP Jordan started an initiative in late 2011 for a youth debate programme as part of its programme of support to the Ministry of Political Development to increase youth political participation. So far, the programme has trained a core group of 15 young trainers and has piloted two debate training programmes. The programme was launched in 2012 and will establish debate clubs around the country. In 2012, UNDP Jordan initiated a 500,000 US dollar programme on youth employment generation as part of a multi-country programme for Arab Countries in Transition. Additionally, UNDP recently started the implementation of a project on “Youth Participation in Local Governance”. The project of support is implemented by the Higher Council for Youth (HCY) in partnership with UN Volunteers (UNV). The objective of this project is to increase youth political participation and civic engagement in local governance through multiple phases that will address lack of inclusive youth access to participation using an online portal and game on local governance. UN Volunteers (UNV): UNV is currently in the process of finalizing a project document for a regional project called: “Arab youth volunteering for a better future”. The project will be implemented in five countries; Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco. The expected outputs of the project are: Output 1: Participatory dialogue to facilitate youth led engagement in development is initiated, output 2: Policy and institutional mechanisms are in place to engage youth in volunteering for peace and development activities, and output 3: Youth platforms for exchange of knowledge, best practices and experiences at the regional level established for promotion of volunteerism. UNICEF: To provide space for adolescents’ and parents’ participation in the education system, UNICEF supported the revision of the rules and regulations of the Ministry of Education on Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) and the creation of rules and regulations for the first time for student parliamentary councils, which has led to the activation of these structures in MoE schools. In addition to that, UNICEF supports the integration of the debate culture within MOE , through the creation of debate clubs in schools and integration of debate in the curricula. UNICEF supported the Higher Council for Youth to create 25 safe spaces for adolescents in youth centers to learn, develop and participate and supported the development of minimum standards for youth work through “the National Guidelines and Criteria for Adolescents Friendly Spaces”. In addition to setting standards in youth work, adolescents in most disadvantaged communities were provided with the learning opportunities through youth centers and community based organizations to have the knowledge and learn the life skills that allow them to make informed decisions about their lifestyle and future career. This was achieved through adolescent coaches and leaders who were trained to lead life skills and sexual and reproductive health workshops, sports for development activities and preparedness for employability interventions-with the support of adult youth workers. UNICEF also supported the implementation of training workshops on better parenting for parents and community members through a network of 11 governmental and nongovernmental partners. UNICEF also supported young people engagement in a highly interactive and consultative process to prepare an independent shadow report by the children themselves to be submitted to the CRC Committee in Geneva along with the fourth and fifth official. UNFPA: UNFPA Jordan CO has been committed to work with the Government of Jordan to focus on three areas in the program cycle 2008-2012: population and development, reproductive health and rights, and gender equality, along with the HCY a Healthy Life styles project was launched to enhance the role of HCY in creating an enabling and supportive environment to assist young people to adopt healthy life styles, increase their knowledge in reproductive health concepts, and increase their demand for quality, youth friendly health services. Building the capacities of the workers with youth and training the youth on peer education techniques were achieved during the 5 years of the project and the HCY adopted the healthy life styles camps and the developed tools and now funding them from its own budget. As for the current focus of UNFPA in working with youth it will be on SRH, employability and civic participation. UNRWA: UNRWA has been a significant and transformational force in the education of Palestine refugee adolescents and youth. The Agency’s programmes have guaranteed access to basic schooling for refugees in Jordan and provided a vital springboard to upper secondary and higher education. In addition to the provision of basic education, UNRWA offers a range of interventions to enhance the employability of refugee youth and support them in their efforts to find work. Dedicated support is given to youth refugee from particularly impoverished backgrounds. Main services provided to youth refugees are as follows: At programme level: (1) Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes are designed and delivered from two well established training centres to equip refugee youths with marketable skills, enhancing their employability within domestic as well as regional labor markets (2) Microfinance and Micro-Credit Support Programmes provide credit opportunities that enable youth to run and develop businesses and improve living conditions. - At project level: Employability initiatives in diversified multi-year projects: (1) Irbid Camp-Vocational and Employment Training project targeting school drop-outs, Jerash Community Development targeting Ex-Gazans in Jerash Camp and from Relief to Development Camp Improvement project in Talbiyeh Camp (2) University scholarships. Adolescents and youth benefit from the full range of preventive and curative health services available at UNRWA’s clinics. These include medical examination, immunization boosters, health awareness activities, vitamin supplements and screenings for vision and hearing impairments and oral health. These activities are implemented through the following approaches: School health teams, awareness campaigns on transmitted diseases, healthy life styles, obesity, addictions and chronic diseases. Partnerships with international and local organizations are continuously established by the Social Services programme at UNRWA to implement programmes aimed at building the capacities of refugee adolescents and youth in various areas such as healthy life styles, sports, music, environment, interpersonal skills, human rights, media, qualitative research, community development and many others. These programmes which are carried out at the Community Based Organizations; Women Programme Centres (WPCs) and Community Based Rehabilitation Centres (CBRCs) are targeted at the most vulnerable youth. CBRCs offer special services to adolescents and youth with disabilities such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation and social inclusion programmes through educational and recreational activities. In 2007, UNRWA started implementing the project “Enhancing Development and Participation of Adolescents in the Palestinian Refugee Camps” in partnership with UNICEF. The project provided opportunities for adolescents’ development and participation in various settings in the Palestinian Refugee camps through UNRWA’s three main programmes: Education, Health and Relief and Social Services. The projects fulfilled a range of activities including activation of student parliaments, provision of psychosocial support through support groups, creative art therapies, life skills training and recreational summer camps and creating youth friendly centers. Moreover, Palestine refugee youth took active roles at UNRWA’s community based projects; the Camp Improvement Projects (in Talibyeh and Husn camps), youth projects in Marka, and Jerash’s EU funded project targeted at Ex-Gazans; working closely with their local communities, assisting UNRWA staff voluntarily in setting work plans under thematic working groups and local committees. In March 2012 UNRWA organized Palestine Youth Conference in Brussels bringing together major stakeholders and 24 Palestine refugee youth from five fields of operation to explore one of the most critical issues for UNRWA and the future of the region: How young Palestine refugees can best be supported to ensure that their skills are harnessed and their potential realized. At the end of the conference, UNRWA Commissioner General announced 10 agenda of commitments to contribute to creating the justice, peace and stability through youth targeted interventions. UNESCO: UNESCO has been working on multi-sectorial interventions aiming at tackling major youth related challenges in Jordan, explicitly: i) by promoting youth’s civic and constructive participation to democratic reform process empowering them with skills to harness the potential of new medias; ii) by supporting the GoJ to improve the employability of youth through promoting reform and better governance of the vocational education sub-sector, through enhancing the quality and relevance of teaching and learning practices as well as enriching curricular and/or extra-curricular activities, particularly with focus on entrepreneurship skills in vocational and scientific disciplines including on engaging youth in water scarcity management, on valuing and preserving their cultural heritage. UNIDO: Based on the Jordan National Youth Strategy, UNIDO has recently, in cooperation with Jordanian partners, developed a project proposal capitalizing UNIDO global experience on Youth Entrepreneurship Development (YED), in which UNIDO aims at promoting technical skills training to empower youth, develop the local business environment and instill an entrepreneurial culture. The project aims at filling a national gap with regards to non-financial services such as counseling and coaching during and beyond the start-up phase and link to foreign ventures, as well as financial services such as loan and equity schemes. UNWOMEN: In support of youth, UNWOMEN has launched a joint programme with UNV on “Empowering Youth to Advocate for Women’s Human Rights through Volunteerism.” The aim of the project is to spread public awareness and to reduce misconceptions about women’s rights and CEDAW while encouraging volunteer action for women’s rights. The implementing partner for the above project is Queen Zain Al Sharaf Institute for Development (ZENID), part of the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD). Twenty-four volunteers (men and women) between the ages of 15-24 have been identified from Irbid, Jerash, and Madaba, and have undergone seven capacity building trainings in reproductive health, domestic violence and family protection, rapid assessment of the communities, house to house visits, women’s rights and human rights. It is expected that those volunteers become leaders and active agents in society, and influence other young people to volunteer. Supporting youth in the next UNDAF In late 2011, UN agencies in Jordan embarked in an extensive consultation process that included national and international partners to develop its new UN Development Assistance Framework for Jordan – UNDAF (2013-2017). The UNDAF is now agreed by the Government of Jordan and signed. Four strategic priority areas for the UNDAF were identified: Enhancing Systemic Reform, Ensuring Social Equity, Investing in Young People, and Preserving the Environment. During the next UNDAF process it was agreed that the UNCT would develop a joint Programme of support to the Youth of Jordan covering many aspects and striding across all four strategic priority areas in the UNDAF. It is within this context that these Terms of Reference are developed.

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this assignment is to: Support the UN Country Team in developing a joint programme on investing in young people as part of the new UNDAF in Jordan. The assignment aims at providing technical support to UN agencies listed in the UNDAF results matrix on “investing in young people” outcome to identify the UN niche in youth development initiatives based on new priorities and develop a joint programme on youth development. This includes the following activities and respective actions: achieved by remote modalities as well as in country mission: Remote Desk review of the following documents:          - 2013-2017 UNDAF – with focus on narrative and “investing in young people” results matrix.            - UN joint programme guidelines.  Consultation meetings with all UN agencies involved to identify their priorities for the joint programme and existing relevant youth initiatives . Meetings with relevant development partners to map major existing and upcoming youth initiatives to ensure complementarity and identify the UN niche.  Presentation of mission findings and proposed key elements of the joint programme accordingly; including Results Framework and management arrangements. Develop a proposal for a UN joint programme on investing in young people that includes the following sections:             - Context and situation analysis (based on consultation meetings and desk review)             - Objectives, Implementation Strategy (including subsequent, but self-contained implementation phases), Results and               Resources Framework: including programme outputs, activities, actions and resources needed             - Coordination mechanisms and Management arrangements DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINES: Below are the required deliverables of the assignment and the timeframe: Deliverable Timeframe A 3-4 page broad outline of potential focus areas and potential partners, to be presented to the UNCT. No later than 2 working days into the assignment. List of youth initiatives currently supported by the UN agencies, focus, duration and budget. No later than 3 working days into the assignment. Draft project document, (details indicated above). No later than 10 working days into the assignment. Final project document: With comments from all UN involved incorporated. 5 days after receiving the final draft. Total working days 20 MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS: This assignment has been commissioned by the UNCT with funding from UNDP (15,000 US dollars. The consultant will be managed on a daily basis by the Programme Manager of UNDP. The UN agencies’ input at all stages is strongly encouraged and will be managed through a process agreed by the UNCT. The assignment will be undertaken during 20 working days over a 45 days period. Each agency will assign staff that will work closely with the consultant. The consultant will be reporting to UNDP Jordan which will approve deliverables based on agreed milestones in consultation with the UNCT. During the in-country mission, the consultant will be located at UNDP premises with extensive visits to UN agencies and government and other key partners.

Competencies

Ability to work under pressure against strict deadlines; Ability to think outside the box; Ability to present complex issues persuasively and simply; Ability to contextualize global trends in accordance with the dynamics of the operating (working) environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Advanced university degree in a related discipline; Experience: A minimum of 10 years working experience on youth related issues is essential; Full computer literacy; 5 years of professional experience in programme and project management, experience in UN programme and project management is an asset; 5 years of experience in programme and project formulation experience in UN programme formulation, particularly joint programming, and in the Middle East, is an asset.  Language Requirements: Fluency in English, fluency in Arabic will be an asset.

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

Apply Online