Consultancy: Early Childhood Development Financing Consultant, ECD in collaboration with Social Policy and Social Protection Section, NYHQ (Home-Based) - Req

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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, hope.

About UNICEF

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about making a lasting difference for children, the world's leading children's rights organization would like to hear from you. For 70 years, UNICEF has been working on the ground in 190 countries and territories to promote children's survival, protection and development. The world's largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments. UNICEF has over 12,000 staff in more than 145 countries.

BACKGROUND

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many more children are now at risk from the disruption in essential ECD-related services. The unique nature of the pandemic has placed parents as first-line responders for children’s survival, care and learning. The crisis threatens to reverse gains achieved in recent decades, with national investments in ECD at risk as government revenue and budgets reduce due to repeated economic shocks. Consequently, promoting and supporting the protection and expansion of financing for ECD-related services, including addressing the public financing bottlenecks that hinder the equitable implementation of these services, has become more urgent than ever.

UNICEF Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Social Policy Sections, in collaboration with UNICEF country offices in Kenya and India, are working to double down on evidence-based advocacy efforts to protect ECD investments, and improve the planning, costing and prioritization of critical services for young children and their families.

With support from key partners, the Porticus Foundation and the Hilton Foundation, UNICEF is working with national and subnational governments, civil society, and development partners to support sustainable public financing for ECD activities in Kenya and India. In addition to this country-level work, UNICEF is also working on global advocacy and capacity building strategies to support efforts to protect and enhance ECD financing for young children in other countries like Tanzania and Mozambique. This includes disseminating learnings generated by this program and increasing awareness on the importance of prioritizing ECD investments among key stakeholders as part of inclusive and sustainable recovery plans.

UNICEF is seeking an ECD Financing Consultant to provide technical, operational, and administrative assistance to programming for Early Childhood Development Financing, with specifical focus to activities supported by the Porticus and Hilton Foundations. The role will require close collaboration with multiple teams in UNICEF HQ (programmes, communication and advocacy, and partnerships), UNICEF country and regional offices, other UN agencies, academic institutions and donors to ensure successful programme strategy implementation.

Purpose of the job:

Under the supervision of the UNICEF ECD Specialist, the consultant will assist the ECD and Social Policy teams to implement the Porticus and Hilton Foundations supported programme activities and operationalize the country-level and global-level work to enhance ECD financing. This includes:

- Ensure overall coordination of ECD financing activities under the Porticus and Hilton Foundation supported programmes, including liaison and coordination between UNICEF HQ sections, country and regional offices, and partner organizations for programme management, reporting and knowledge capture, including meeting organization, note-taking, and follow-up.

- Support organization of UNICEF regional and global knowledge-exchange and learning events/webinars.

- Maintain calendar of advocacy opportunities for ECD financing (multi-stakeholder events and discussions with potential for messaging and awareness raising), including liaison with partners for updates, follow-up and any required support to logistics and coordination for UNICEF involvement in delivering advocacy messages.

- Develop case studies and examples of ECD financing approaches for use in learning and knowledge products, including reviewing examples and reports, writing summaries, and developing draft video scripts and blog posts, and coordinating with UNICEF experts in country and regional offices to obtain input, including the necessary coordination and logistics to arrange recording of interviews or videos to meet the specifications of UNICEF communication teams.

- Support regular review and updates of activities supported by Porticus and Hilton Foundations, including organizing quarterly coordinating meetings with UNICEF and partners, taking notes, and following up on action items.

- Support grant reporting for the Porticus and Hilton Foundations, including monitoring grant requirements, deadlines and deliverables in relation to ECD financing, consolidating and synthesizing inputs and feedback, including financial reporting, and conducting quality control of the product.

Terms of Reference / Key Deliverables

- Overall project coordination including liaising with UNICEF HQ sections, country and regional offices, and partner organizations to organize regular internal and external meetings and disseminating meeting notes as well as updating project trackers, budgets, and Gantt charts

- Support organization of UNICEF regional and global knowledge-exchange and learning events/webinars

- Maintain a calendar of advocacy opportunities for ECD financing (multi-stakeholder events and discussions with potential for messaging and awareness raising), including liaison with partners for updates, follow-up and any required support to logistics and coordination for UNICEF involvement in delivering advocacy messages

Develop case studies and examples of ECD financing approaches for use in learning and knowledge products, including reviewing examples and reports, writing summaries, and developing draft video scripts and blog posts, and coordinating with UNICEF experts in

- Country and regional offices to obtain input, including the necessary coordination and logistics to arrange recording of interviews or videos to meet the specifications of UNICEF communication teams

- Support regular review and updates of programme activity using project trackers, including organising 3 – 4 quarterly coordinating meetings with UNICEF and partners, taking notes, and following up on action items

- Support the development of online resources on ECD Financing for key stakeholders and implementers including working with relevant teams to identify the best suitable platforms for the learning channel

- Support development of 2 – 3 grant reports and including monitoring grant requirements, deadlines, and deliverables, consolidating and synthesizing inputs and feedback, including financial reporting, and conducting quality control of the product.

Qualifications

Education:

- Advanced degree in relevant field, preferably in International Education, Education, Global/Public Health, International Development, Economics or Public Policy

Work experience:

- Minimum 5 years of relevant working experience in the area of ECD, education, health, public policy, or public finance, with experience in ECD financing preferred

- Strong project coordination, organizational and time management skills, with experience in grant management required.

- Prior work experience in the areas of early childhood development required; prior experience in ECD financing preferred

- Prior work experience working for UNICEF in ECD or related field preferred

- Prior work experience in the development of communication materials such as reports, case studies, and blogs. Experience in developing learning materials/resources for adults preferred.

- Excellent research, writing and communication skills

- Fluency in English required

- Intermediate/working proficiency in other UN languages strongly preferred

Requirements****:

- Completed profile in UNICEF's e-Recruitment system and provide Personal History Form (P11) Upload copy of academic credentials

- Financial proposal that will include:

- Your daily/monthly rate (in US$) to undertake the terms of reference (can be downloaded here: https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/index_consultancy_assignments.html

- Travel costs and daily subsistence allowance, if internationally recruited or travel is required as per TOR.

- Any other estimated costs: visa, health insurance, and living costs as applicable.

- Indicate your availability

- Any emergent / unforeseen duty travel and related expenses will be covered by UNICEF.

- At the time the contract is awarded, the selected candidate must have in place current health insurance coverage.

- Payment of professional fees will be based on submission of agreed satisfactory deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

U.S. Visa information:

With the exception of the US Citizens, G4 Visa and Green Card holders, should the selected candidate and his/her household members reside in the United States under a different visa, the consultant and his/her household members are required to change their visa status to G4, and the consultant’s household members (spouse) will require an Employment Authorization Card (EAD) to be able to work, even if he/she was authorized to work under the visa held prior to switching to G4.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process

For Every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results. View our competency framework at: Here

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.