Engagement of a Consultant to Develop Yobe State Social Protection Policy Implementation Plan at Mercy Corps

Background

• The World Bank (WB) reported poverty as a complex human phenomenon associated with a low standard of living which has multiple dimensions, manifestations, and causes.
• The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1, seeks to end poverty everywhere and Target 1.3 seeks to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable persons.
• Yet, according to the world social protection report an estimated 71% of the global population lack the requisite social protection coverage.
• In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and Nigeria, social protection coverage is low and deserving citizens are missed, and therefore deserves the attention accorded nationally, and by State Governments.
• Social protection is an important dimension in the reduction of poverty and multidimensional deprivation.
• It is an approach towards thinking about the processes, policies and interventions which will make the poor less prone to poverty, less insecure and more able to participate in economic growth.
• This is grounded in the view that the limited capacity of households and communities to protect themselves against contingencies threatening their consumption and investment plans (i.e., their vulnerability) is a major factor explaining poverty and underdevelopment. Social protection policies are always part of a broader set of policies – on macroeconomic stability, enterprise and employment development, health, and education – aimed (partly) at reducing risk and vulnerability and encouraging pro-poor growth.
• The poor and deprived are not a homogeneous group: among them are people who are actively forging pathways out of poverty, but also people who have just become poor.
• There are also people who are chronically poor, and who may pass their poverty on to the next generation. Vulnerability to shocks both makes people poor in the first place and keeps them poor in the long run.
• The shocks poor people face can be economic, natural, political, environmental, and health related.
• The deprivation that can follow from a shock or a series of shocks can have many dimensions: economic, social and political. A social protection approach can make a strong contribution, alongside other approaches, both towards preventing the slide into poverty and assisting with recovery, and towards the long-term reduction of poverty and multi-dimensional deprivation, as one way for chronically poor people or their children to escape poverty.
• It is in this context that the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the coordinating organ of all projects, programmes and policies of government, has anchored the development of the Yobe State Social Protection Policy with all relevant stakeholders including development partners and civil society organisation.
• In order to ensure that social protection is effective and sustainable the (Mercy Corp) is currently providing support for the development of implementation plan for the Yobe State Social Protection Policy. This plan is expected to outline the government’s social protection strategies and interventions to reduce poverty and vulnerability in an integrated, coherent, coordinated, and sustainable manner, prioritizing the reduction of extreme poverty and emphasizing long-term and predictable interventions. As part of this initial effort at strengthening the State’s policy environment, the need for development of an implementation plan to guide the implementation of the Yobe State Social Protection Policy has been identified by the state government. (Mercy Corps) hereby plans to support this process by providing consultant support.
• The purpose of the Social Protection Implementation Plan is to operationalize the social protection measures of the YSSPP to engender inclusive growth and generate a more equal distribution of growth benefits. The operational guidelines are to provide direction for social protection-related interventions through financing, knowledge-based solutions, capacity building, and partnership to poor individuals, households’, and vulnerable groups in the state.

Objectives
Following the completion of the development of the Yobe State Social Protection Policy, the main objective of this consultancy is to facilitate the development of social protection policy (SPP) implementation plan for Yobe State. The specific objectives are to:

• Provide easy, clear, and simplified guides for developing YSSPP operational guidelines strategy and annual work plan schedule.
• provide the staff of the YSSPP coordination and implementation MDAs and other programme functionaries clear and quick start-up, including programme ability to include dynamic inclusion.
• standardise the YSSPP floors in terms of planning and execution in the different MDAs to include dynamic inclusion.
• improve the operations of YSSPP to reflect equity at different operational levels
• facilitate the process and periodic measurements of output and outcomes for improved and coordinated SP service delivery.

Tasks:
Under the direct supervision of the (Mercy Corps) and the Permanent Secretary MBEP, the consultant contracted for this assignment will perform the following tasks:

• The division of YSSPP activities into years 1, to 5 considering the willingness of the government to provide an enabling environment for its implementation, enhance a periodic capacity development strategy of state and non-state SP actors towards sustained service delivery.
• The operational guidelines highlighted the roles and responsibilities of the SP coordinating and implementing MDAs that would drive an incremental implementation of the intervention programmes
• To identifies the MDAs that are key in future SP service delivery and capacity building.
• To provides an adequate period for the SP strategies and the implementation of the policy to be achieved bearing in mind that resources are limited.
• To provide a detailed account of how the government would gradually encourage an increase in donor support and the Private Sector participation in SP programme delivery services;
• To provide basis for the review of the YSSPP, once in five years, to adequately ensure that the policy is even more comprehensive, robust, and aligned with global and national best practice.

Work Arrangements

• The development of the implementation plan is to be anchored by the Yobe State Social Protection Policy Technical Working Group (YSSPP-TWG). The TWG has been constituted by the government. TWG is chaired by the Permanent Secretary MBEP and is made up of stakeholders form relevant MDA’s, civil society organizations and development partners. The TWG will be a critical reference point and engagement forum for this assignment.
• One of the main functions of the TWG is that it is responsible for the development of the current YSSPP and all relevant research/analysis to identify and recommend policy priorities, options and direction for the policy, including overseen the development of the implementation plan. At the start of the assignment, the consultant will be expected to define the methodology, process and approach with the YSSPP-TWG.
• The consultant will also be expected to work with the TWG to identify and agree on the major steps and timelines. During the assignment regular follow-up meetings with the TWG will be held to clear all outputs of the process. Depending on changes in the contexts and requirements the consultant maybe called upon to support additional steps.

Expected Outputs

• The output of this consultancy is final draft Yobe State Social Protection Policy Implementation Plan.

Deliverables and Timelines

• This assignment will be total of 60 working days and the table below provides details of key tasks, deliverables and timelines for this assignment

Qualifications and Experience

• A Master’s Degree or PhD in a field related to Social Protection (Sociology, Economics, Social Sciences, Public Policy and/or International Development Policy),
• At least 15 years’ experience in policy analysis, Development, Social Policy, or other related fields
• Previous research experience on poverty aid/development, experience in quantitative or qualitative data collection and analysis,
• Previous experience in Social Protection Policy Development and Review
• Previous experience in the development of social protection Policy Implementation/Operational Plan
• Knowledge of and experience working in Nigeria with excellent understanding of the federal system and the Northeast
• Excellent written and oral communication skills are required,
• Ability to work independently and respond to feedback in a timely and professional manner,
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Familiarity with the overall policy and strategic context of Nigeria is an asset.
• Good facilitation skills for internal and external consultations.
• Strong analytical and good inter-personal communication skills; experience in participatory processes.
• Professional command of English, both oral and written, good report writing skills.

Selection Criteria
Interested Consultant / firms should send the following:

• Educational Qualifications
• Experience implementing similar assignment in the past
• Quote of work
• Upon assessment, considered candidatewill be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.