Consultant at UN Children's Fund

Work Relationship

The consultant will work primarily with UNICEF CO ECD focal points. She/he is expected to work and liaise closely with the ESARO Education Team. The consultant will also be expected to liaise, from time-to-time, with: i) other ESARO sections relevant for ECD including health, nutrition, protection and WASH; ii) ESARO Senior Management; iii) UNICEF HQ ECD and Education teams and; iii) other relevant partners including the African ECD Network (AfECN).

Outputs and Deliverables

The consultant is expected to produce the outputs and deliverables listed in the table below:

Activity

Deliverables

Duration

(Estimated # of days or months)

Deadline

 

• Prepare a rapid assessment of the status of CO support for early learning and ECE scale-up across ESAR. The assessment should include analysis on: i) the context and operating environment for COs which should look at policy, financing, government commitment, capacity and programming; ii) UNICEF’s programmes in this area and capacity to deliver results at scale; iii) existing and emerging actors and partners and; iv) major challenges and opportunities.

 

1.1 Assessment report on the status of UNICEF CO support to early learning and ECE scale-up

1.5 month

29/10/2018

 

• Develop an action plan, based on the above analysis, that should focus on how to support ESAR COs on technical areas such as costing, financing, assessment, curriculum development, teacher training and parental engagement. UNICEF’s pre-primary education conceptual framework should be used as a resource to support the development of this plan which should have an ultimate focus on supporting COs as they support education systems strengthening in countries.

 

2.1 Action plan for ESARO support to UNICEF COs on early learning and ECE scale-up

1 month

30/11/2018

 

• Support ESARO’s efforts to establish partnership mechanisms and approaches at the regional level to advance early learning and ECE. This will include providing support to the AU as it develops its ECCE cluster.

 

3.1 Analysis report on regional initiatives supporting early learning and ECE in ESAR including: i) AU’s ECCE cluster and; ii) the African Early Childhood Development Network’s contribution to this agenda

0.5 month

14/12/2018

 

• Develop and maintain a database that keeps track of support given to COs in this area.

 

4.1 Database developed

0.5 month

14/10/2018

4.2 Ten monthly updates

1 month

End of month Oct 2018 – July 2019 inclusive

 

• Support COs, including in-country, to enhance programme quality.

 

5.1 Six country visits[1] & six follow-up reports including recommendations to UNICEF COs on how to strengthen programming on early learning and ECE

2 months

14/08/19

 

• Provide day-to-day practical support to ESAR COs on early learning and ECE.

 

6.1 Ten monthly updates including reporting on support given to UNICEF COs

3 months

End of month Oct 2018 – July 2019 inclusive

 

• Support COs to strengthen capacity for delivery of early learning and ECE in emergency contexts.

 

7.1 Ten monthly updates updates including reporting on support given to UNICEF COs on ECE in emergencies

0.5 month

End of month Oct 2018 – July 2019 inclusive

7.2 Two trip reports

(included in 5.1)

14/08/2019

 

• Draw from existing good practice and support ESARO’s efforts to provide guidelines, training and knowledge sharing opportunities to COs on early learning and ECE.

 

8.1 Report on ESAR Education Network meeting including follow-up actions

0.2 month

19/11/2018

8.2 Notes on three ESAR ECD focal point webinars

0.5 month

14/12/2018

14/04/2019

14/08/2019

8.3 Guidance note on early learning, ECE and pre-primary scale up

0.5 month

14/03/2019

 

• Document lessons learnt in supporting COs with scale-up

 

9.1 Final report

0.3 month

19/08/2019

Timeframes may be adjusted and negotiated especially with specific regards to deliverables 5.1 and 8.2 given that these depend on the timeframe and calendars of other parties including COs.

Payment Schedule

Payment will be made upon satisfactory completion of deliverables as follows:

Deliverable

Due Date

Payment amount

Assessment report on the status of early learning and ECE in UNICEF ESAR COs

29/10/2018

10%

Action plan for ESARO support to UNICEF COs on early learning and ECE scale-up

30/11/2018

10%

Analysis report on regional initiatives supporting early learning and ECE in ESAR

14/12/2018

5%

Two country reports including recommendations to UNICEF COs on how to strengthen programming on early learning and ECE

29/12/2018

20%

Guidance note on early learning and ECE

13/03/2019

20%

Final report documenting lessons learnt in supporting COs with scale-up

19/08/2019

10%

Desired qualification, competencies, technical background and experience

Required

 

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: education, public administration, public health, nutrition, economics, psychology, sociology, human development, child development, family studies or another relevant technical field.
• A senior consultant with a minimum of eight years relevant professional work experience at national and international levels in the social development field, and specifically in early learning and ECE.
• Experience in and knowledge of the early learning and ECE in East and Southern Africa.
• Ability to work indpendently.
• Excellent analytical, communication, writing skills in English language.

 

Desired

 

• Experience in and knowledge of UNICEF’s activities at the country and regional levels on supporting early learning and ECE.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization.
• Knowledge of French and Portugese would be considered as an asset

 

Administrative issues

The consultant will use her/his own equipment (computer, digital voice recorder etc.) to produce deliverables. Office space will be provided in ESARO and Country Offices as needed.

Conditions

All travel undertaken by the consultant to fulfill her/his contract will be by the most economical fare and reimbursement will be as per UNICEF policy.

As per UNICEF DFAM policy, payment is made against approved deliverables. No advance payment is allowed unless in exceptional circumstances against bank guarantee, subject to a maximum of 30 per cent of the total contract value in cases where advance purchases, for example for supplies or travel, may be necessary.

The candidate selected will be governed by and subject to UNICEF’s General Terms and Conditions for individual contracts.

Risks

Risks include an inability to receive and respond to CO requests for technical assistance in a timely manner and potential delays in the finalisation of key documents. The UNICEF supervisor will take every measure to facilitate the work of the consultant and in particular her/his relations with the COs as key stakeholders of this consultancy.